Behind Atmea
Hi, great to have you here.
I'm the developer of Atmea. Here I tell you how the app came about – and why breath training has become so important to me.
30+
years in software development
About me
I have been developing software for more than 30 years. Still, Atmea is a special project for me: I originally built the app just for myself – because I needed it.
How I got into breath training
Autumn 2024
Atrial fibrillation, out of nowhere
Without any warning, I suddenly started having episodes of atrial fibrillation.
After that
Thoroughly examined
I had everything checked by a cardiologist and other specialists. The result: no physical cause, my heart is healthy. The episodes kept coming anyway, once or twice a week.
Summer 2025
A podcast about freediving
In it, one of Germany's most successful freedivers told his story – and what really matters in freediving: calming down, relaxing the body, being fully in the here and now. If you want to hold your breath for a long time, you have to be able to do one thing: let go of stress, switch off, find calm. Since there was no physical reason for my atrial fibrillation, it was clear to me that in my case stress had to be behind it. And I thought: if apnea training trains exactly this winding down, it might help me too.
The beginning
Breathing exercises and starting apnea training
I began doing breathing exercises regularly that reduce stress and help me become calmer. Then came apnea training – as a sporting challenge. That challenge gave me extra motivation to stick with the calm exercises for winding down as well, day after day.
Ever since
No more episodes
From then on, the episodes stopped. I haven't had atrial fibrillation since.
Important: this is my personal experience
In my case there is no physical cause – my heart was examined thoroughly and is healthy. My story therefore cannot be transferred to anyone else.
Breathing exercises and apnea training are not a treatment for atrial fibrillation. Anyone with heart rhythm disorders belongs in medical care. Please take symptoms seriously and have them checked.
What I take away from it
What I experienced myself: how strongly regular breath training, and the calm that comes with it, can affect the mind and stress levels. A few minutes of conscious breathing a day noticeably change how I deal with tension.
And something else changed: my breathing itself. If you practise regularly, you notice much earlier in everyday life when your breath becomes shallow and rushed – and you can do something about it.
Why Atmea exists
My wish
We breathe tens of thousands of times a day and hardly think about it. I would like more people to discover their breath for themselves: to start with simple breathing exercises and feel what they can do. If you want more, you might even come to enjoy apnea training – a nice extra, but no must. Because what matters most is the breath itself: paying attention to it is worthwhile for everyone. And just a few mindful minutes a day are a wonderful start.