The Meditation Man

From fighting fires to igniting inner peace: the incredible yoga story of firefighter Vincent De Freitas

Reading time 4-5 minutes

In the high-pressure world of firefighting, the battle isn’t just against fire. Exposure to trauma, high-stress situations and disrupted sleep are well-known risk factors affecting firefighters’ mental health, with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) levels on the rise according to recent studies. Yet, former firefighter Vincent De Freitas says he found a lifeline in yoga and meditation.

Supported by the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY), he transitioned from fighting flames to fostering inner peace to become ‘The Meditation Man’. De Freitas said his journey demonstrates that even in chaos, peace can prevail.

In July 2005, he was part of an early response team to Kings Cross in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the underground network. Having been a member of the London Fire Brigade since 2002, this was one of the most challenging situations he faced.

“Stress levels were high”, he recalls. “Our job was to guard the bomb site and usher people away so that the bodies could be recovered. While we weren’t the first on the scene, what we saw was distressing.” De Freitas said that on his return to Kingsland fire station in Hackney, rather than joining in the banter and black humour that his colleagues often used to desensitise from the gravity of what they had witnessed, he found a space to meditate.

“Meditation is my ritual”, he said. “It helps me to relax, regain clarity and self compassion at times when I need it. I often use the ‘so hum’ mantra to help me tune into rhythmic breathing and declutter my mind. It helps me to revisit feelings to release the weight of what I have experienced.”

Despite facing ridicule from his colleagues, it was a fellow firefighter who had taught this mantra to him on one of his first watches. As quiet space was a premium at the busy fire station, he often used the breathing apparatus room to practice. He soon adopted a daily practice.

“I was often a source of amusement for the rest of the watch and I would sometimes have to climb a tower to find space to meditate,” he said. “There was a huge cultural stigma about mental health at that time and while there was a counselling service offered to us, many didn’t want to appear weak in front of their colleagues, so it wasn’t used. Meditation was the next best thing.”

When his fire station was forced to close due to budget cuts in 2013, De Freitas returned to work as a personal trainer in a gym, his job before joining the fire service. It wasn’t long before he decided to pursue meditation as a career.

Wanting to attract more people to his meditation classes, and seeing growing interest in the physical practice of yoga, he decided to incorporate yoga postures into his classes. He began a Level 4 yoga teacher training diploma with BWY in 2019 with Hana Saotome.

“Most people just dip their toes into meditation, and with yoga gaining popularity, I believed that introducing meditation alongside a more physical practice would make it more accessible,” he said.

“I am very grateful for the invaluable resources and support extended by the BWY, especially during the challenging period when I was diagnosed with Meniere's syndrome, a disorder of the inner ear. At that time, I feared my career as a yoga teacher would come to an abrupt halt, but the support from Hana and my course peers proved instrumental in navigating me through and reigniting my passion for teaching."

Despite contending with a significant 70% hearing loss in one ear and grappling with recurring bouts of vertigo because of his condition, his mental resilience propelled him to complete the course in 2021 without having to defer.

He was also motivated by the memory of his grandfather, a yoga devotee who brought his regular yoga and meditation practice to the UK from Trinidad and whom he greatly admired.

“He was one of the early supporters of yoga during the resurgence of the self-help movement in the mid-1960s in Trinidad. This is where my love of yoga and meditation was born. It has passed down from him to my mum and now to me. Meditation’s literally in my blood!”

De Freitas is now known as ‘The Meditation Man’ – it is the name of his business and the nickname given to him by his partner, Kate. Together, they run a successful health hub in Norwich, offering yoga and meditation to all.

"Doing the yoga course was the ultimate game-changer for me,” he said. “It's empowered me to equip others with the tools to put out their own inner fires. Initially, my classes were skewed towards women, but it's great to see more men stepping in, perhaps finding more affinity with a male instructor. From battling blazes to igniting inner peace, my journey has been profound."

Find out more about The Meditation Man at: themeditationman.co.uk or connect on Instagram @the_meditation_man

Find the British Wheel of Yoga at this year’s OM Yoga Show (omyogashow.com)