STORY BY MAHMOOD FAZAL, PHOTOS BY CHRIS TURNER

When it comes to finding yourself, Mark Kluwer doesn’t beat around the bush. “I always wanted to see how far I could go. I thought I needed that...but it was the other side, mate. It was becoming more in touch with what’s inside - my authentic self.”

The Persian poet Rumi writes, “There is one way of breathing that is shameful and constricted. Then there’s another way; a breath of love that takes you all the way to infinity.”

Mark creates poetry from physical exercise. From behind long locks and a bushranger’s beard, his part-guru part-footy coach persona is a melting pot of an original larrikin spirit.

He writes, “I share my excitement for life with seekers, with my retreats and one-day events, I aim to inspire you to be your true authentic self, wear your heart on your sleeve and help you light a fire within.”

Mark teaches transformative courses that rejig our frame of mind. The lessons, described as a rite of passage, are guided by the lush country he calls home. He laughs, “I invite everyone to join me on this journey as we uncover the spirit within us all.”

Originally a plumber by trade, Mark ran a successful building company many moons ago. Since moving to Hepburn Springs, he has constructed a new career built on the foundations of what it means to be alive.

“Drawing on my experience of running a building company for 25 years, I am now building a new vision on 70 acres of woodland,” explains Mark.

Mark grew up in the rough and tumble northern suburbs of Melbourne. “I played footy in the diamond valley and then played in Collingwood in the under 19s.” He wrestled with what it meant to be a man. “Masculinity is not about showing your emotions in the public...and when I went to this Wim Hoff retreat I realised I had this brick wall inside and all around me. It had all my emotions stuck up to my throat.”

Mark was introduced to the theories of extreme athlete Wim Hoff, also known as the Iceman, by a friend who told him to “check out a crazy Dutchman.” Mark recalls, “When he said crazy Dutchman that interested me straight away because my old man is Dutch and I’ve got crazy Dutch uncles.” The Wim Hof Method is based on the foundation of three pillars; Breathing, Cold Therapy and Commitment.

When Mark recalls the retreat, his voice sinks to a heartfelt tone. “It comes back to the gut and the heart mate. I knew there was going to be a shift.” The experience broke down his insecurities and regenerated his spiritual core.

“I cried for five days while I was on this retreat,” he explains, proudly. “It ripped through me...this breathing. It ripped the walls I had built around me - straight down. It’s something I just let go.”

Although Mark was once a certified Wim Hoff instructor, selected in the first group of official instructors in the Oceania region, he has decided to move away and develop a new rites of passage method. He quips, “It’s just one tool from the tool belt, mate”

He is still in contact with the Iceman, “[Hoff] understands what I’m doing. He calls me Tiger. It’s where I got my nickname from because I follow the Richmond football club. When I first went on the retreat, we had this pool with 250 bags of ice in it - it was like an ice mountain. And I started to sing the Richmond theme song. And Wim loved it.”

Three years ago, Mark decided to teach what he had learnt.

“We bought the land in late 2017,” says Mark. “We had the plans and built the sheds. In the shed, we started breathing sessions. We had our first event in December last year.“

Mark Kluwer

www.markkluwer.com

295 Lithia Lane, Shepards Flat