By Luis Antonio Velasco Arriaga
PADI MSDT 230707
TDI 516712
Many spiritual traditions focus on the need to control the way you breathe so you can control your mind and emotions and Scuba Diving is not the exception. When you submerge yourself into that new underwater world suddenly your brain triggers what we call the "mammalian diving reflex" which slows down your heart rate to supply blood to the more specific organs improving oxygen use during the immersion. Naturally as many scientists have said we all became from the ocean long time ago, and this special reflex is what our body does when it remembers its origins, exactly like dolphins and whales do
When you start to be aware about this and your incorporate concious breathing during your dives and your training then you begin to experience that great feeling of connection and relaxation. The same one you experience when you practice Yoga and Meditation.
In fact breathing techniques are one of the pillars and fundamentals of every diving course, which helps you to focus and reduce as well your air consumption. Once you are align with yourself and your calmness and you start diving then you start to feel like an aquatic organism, connected to everything you start to see underwater and of course enjoying way more Scuba Diving.
If you put it this way, we all were divers even before we were born inside our mother´s womb
Yoga and Breathing Techniques
The respiratory system is the only bodily process that can operate on its own or be controlled with active attention. Being present and aware of what we are doing and why while scuba diving increases our breath awareness and complement with Yoga breathing techniques practiced at home. There are hundreds of different Pranayama ( yogic breathing techniques ) designed to help yoguis tap into the full potential of their lung capacity and that we can incorporate on our daily routine while scuba diving
Complete breaths, specially exhales, are emphasized in yoga for strenght, cleansing and meditative purposes. Full breaths are essential for safe gas exchange in scuba diving as well, where we need to exhale completely to cleanse our bodies of carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) waste.
Pulmonary expert Paul Davenport, Ph. D., says that "deep breathing exercises such as those used in yoga training help keep blood gases normal"
Pranayama training has the potential to decrease risk of CO2 buildup while scuba diving, and this is specially important in advanced diving like technical diving and rebreather diving where CO2 management is of vital importance. This safer way of breathing has the additional benefit of improving a diver´s air consumption too because when we breathe slower, deeper and exhale completely, the air or gas in a scuba tank is used up more slowly and bottom time is extended.
Breathing techniques give divers and yoguis enhanced coordination. Gives peace of mind, connection and control. Once we achieve neutral bouyancy underwater, it is the lungs that control our position.
Whether or not you´ve ever tried yoga, you have likely seen a photo or video of a yogui doing something that seems physically impossible. Seeminlgly superhuman strength and contortion doesn´t come from forcing, it comes from connecting the body with the breath, with the soul... and eventually wih the nature that surrounds you. Practicing basic Yoga asanas (positions) with intent focus on breathing help us understand the connection between breath and body and has real potential to refine buouyancy underwater. A regular Yoga practice help us to achieve instinctual understanding of how to use our breath effortlessly on dives so we can gracefully ascend, descend, and hover as astronauts in the space, as needed underwater.
In his book, " Deep" journalist James Nestor cites scientific research on the meditative benefits of diving, including a Harvard study that compares Tibetan monks who practice "Tummo" meditation and freedivers at depth to find similar psychological and physiological characteristics. Those found also in the 1988 movie The Big Blue by Luc Besson.
Nothing compares to the happy, fresh and peaceful mindset that I feel after a nice dive. If you can´t go diving everyday at least you should try some Yoga exercises that might on a certain way tap into the mental state of diving when you are landlocked, specially this last months during the Covid 19 Pandemic. Yoguis attain similar states from regular Yoguic and Pranayama practices.
Both scubaand yoga are forms of active meditation because focusing into the breath/body connection is a mindful exercise that forces us to be present. Not only can Yoga help us find calm and peace, but regular Yoga practice can make it easier to enter a meditative state underwater
So, just imagine what Scuba Diving could do for you if you do it regularly too. In this meditative state we experience a high sense of awareness of nature and ourselves, that enhances our observation skills, watermanship, and ability / efficiency as Scuba Divers, entering a new world, forgotten long time ago as our home, connecting us again and our soul with that water nature of us all.
Mandala Divers and Tours
Have you ever dreamt of breathing underwater and feel free?
Become a Mandala Diver
written by.
Luis Antonio Velasco
Mandala Divers and Tours.
PADI MSDT #230707
SDI/TDI Instructor #43504
TDI Full Cave Diver #516712
