AMNIMAKEN
LINES · WAVES · WIND · MIND
Small-group ski-touring, surfing and freediving journeys, and retreats in meditation and Tsa Lung. Sometimes separate, sometimes woven together in the mountains, by the ocean and within.
AMNIMAKEN is my personal project: outdoor programs combined with the breathing and meditation practices I received from my teachers. Camps that are only about riding. Retreats that are only about practice. And journeys where the two come together.
THE STORY
In 1997, waiting for a flight at JFK, I came across a book called Snowboarding to Nirvana. My English was only good enough to understand the title (fortunately). But that was enough. It sounded almost like a plan. I have spent more than twenty years on the first word. Now I am working on the second.
WIND & MIND
Wind & Mind is the thread that runs through all of AMNIMAKEN. It ties the programs together and widens the usual idea of what outdoor sport can be.
WIND is the physical and energetic side of experience: body, breath, movement and energy. MIND is awareness, attention and direction.
Physical activity moves energy. We can notice this while skiing, surfing, running, riding a bike or simply walking. The practice is not only what happens before or during the activity, but also what happens afterwards: instead of immediately turning to the next distraction, we can pause, feel the body and breath, notice the energy that is there, and choose where to send it.
In sports like these, movement tends to follow the eyes: you go where you look. Wind & Mind explores a similar link between movement, energy and attention.
Movement → Energy → Awareness → Direction
Tsa Lung and meditation offer formal ways to explore this link, but the same principle can become part of any physical activity, and of everyday life.
FOUR DIRECTIONS
LINES
Ski touring and splitboarding beyond the ordinary
Freeride and backcountry camps in terrain I know well, and exploratory trips into little-known regions. On selected journeys, meditation and breath practice become part of the day.
For confident ski tourers and splitboarders with off-piste experience and their own avalanche gear.
Choose: a day in Gudauri with Ride Together, a week-long tour, a remote multi-day camp, or an exploratory expedition in different mountain regions.
WAVES
Surf and freediving camps where breath and meditation become part of the program
If you are new to surfing or freediving, you learn from certified local instructors, while my meditation and breathing practices complement the program. Experienced surfers and freedivers follow progression programs.
For confident swimmers with an interest in the practices; no previous surfing or freediving experience needed.
Choose: Surf & Breath, Depth & Mind, or a coastal retreat focused on practice alone.
WIND
Turning scattered energy into directed energy
Tsa Lung is a Tibetan practice of breath and energy control, taught in small groups with individual correction. It gathers a restless “wind in the mind” into clearer, steadier attention, and its breath retention may help adaptation to lower oxygen, relevant for freediving and altitude.
For anyone who wants to develop control over their own energy; no yoga or meditation background needed.
Choose: one day, a weekend, three days, five days, or practice within a journey.
MIND
Learning to use the mind more skillfully
Meditation as a way to refine your capacity for introspective observation, and as a practical skill for bringing the mind into a free, clear and balanced state. The result is a better quality of life. Until August 2027 it is part of selected journeys as practice; dedicated courses and retreats begin after that.
For complete beginners and people with meditation experience.
Choose: a journey that includes meditation now, or a meditation retreat from August 2027.
Upcoming Journeys
Where I’m planning to go next
Until July 2027, most of my time goes to study and personal practice, so the calendar is deliberately light. New journeys return from August 2027.
WINTER 2026/27
GEORGIA
CLOUD & BREATH
TSA LUNG RETREAT
19–23 December 2026,
Gudauri
Booking open
WINTER 2027
TURKEY
KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS
JOURNEY
30 January – 7 February 2027,
Kaçkar Mountains
Fully booked
SPRING 2027
KYRGYZSTAN
HIDDEN LINES
EXPEDITION · TIAN SHAN
10–23 April 2027,
Tian Shan
Program coming soon
SUMMER 2027
SRI LANKA
BREEZE & BREATH
TSA LUNG RETREAT
2–6 August 2027,
East Coconut Plantation, Sri Lanka
Booking open
SUMMER 2027
SRI LANKA
SURF & BREATH
SURF RETREAT
7–13 August 2027,
East Coconut Plantation, Sri Lanka
Booking open
SUMMER 2027
SRI LANKA
BREEZE & MIND
MEDITATION RETREAT
14–18 August 2027,
South Coconut Plantation
Program coming soon
SPRING 2028
EGYPT
DEPTH & MIND
FREEDIVING RETREAT
28 April – 5 May 2028,
Dahab, Egypt
Registration opens 1 September 2027
WHO THIS MAY SUIT
AMNIMAKEN is for people drawn to nature and self-exploration, who prefer small groups of like-minded people to mass tourism, and who value silence and remoteness.
You do not need previous meditation experience, and most ocean programs do not require previous surfing or freediving experience. Mountain programs have their own technical requirements, described on each program page.
MY ROLE
My role varies with the journey. In the mountains I may guide directly; where specialist instruction is required, such as surfing or freediving, I work with qualified professionals. My role is to integrate meditation and breathing practices as fully and naturally as possible into the activity itself.
I am also a certified Tsa Lung teacher, trained by Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche. View my profile.
STILL WILD MOUNTAINS
Guidebooks, Ski Trip Design and Winter Expeditions
Still Wild Mountains is the part of my work dedicated to guidebooks, mountain research, route development and expedition design. It is where exploration becomes practical knowledge: books, routes, custom ski trips and expeditions. Also available on Amazon.
GET IN TOUCH
A journey can begin with a simple message
You may want to join something already planned, or perhaps you have a place, route or idea of your own. Write to me directly and I will tell you whether I think I can be useful.
VOICES
If you have joined me in the mountains, on the ocean, or in a Wind & Mind practice, you are welcome to share your experience.
Last Reviews
Trust, Strength and Growth in the Mountains
Wanted to take time to thank you again for all these trip we’ve been through.
I realise that I’ve learned a lot about my self and everything would not have been possible without your guidance. It has been a absolute chance for me to meet you and pleasure to share all this time with you.
Just wanted you to know that it would be a real pleasure to welcome you in any place you and your family anywhere in France or around.
In these moutain you gave me so much strength and I had a absolute trust in all your guidance, it kept me pushing forward and just wanted to thank you again.
From Guide to Friend
Dear my friend Oleg,
First of all I want to thank you for this amazing trip to India which filled me with a lot of positive impressions.
You are not just an awesome guide, you also became, after our three trips, a good friend of mine.
This little gift of mine is a small thank you and should be a part of your investment in your next drone.
Regards, Dane
More Than Just a Splitboarding Trip
Hi Oleg,
I am very thankful for this journey that you guided so well and shared the experience with us you made last year.
I really enjoyed the trip with all its different aspects, from splitboarding to the spiritual events.
Hopefully we will have more adventures together.
I wish you all the best and good pow.
An Unforgettable Adventure Beyond Splitboarding
Dear Oleg,
Thank you so much for organising this unforgettable adventure. Every day was very special and different, from home stays to very small villages.
I loved that you always combine splitboarding with a spiritual experience and meeting with the local people.
I am already looking forward to our next adventure, my friend!
