On a recent holiday I was reminded again of the scuba – mindfulness link, some 25 years on since my last dive, and 35 years since I completed the PADI Certificate in a pool in Dallas and a river near Austin. In diving, the slower and steadier you breathe, through a regulator attached to an oxygen tank, the longer your air lasts and the calmer you feel. Underwater there isn’t much to distract you from the outside world – it is a world removed from phone calls, e-mails and other interferences. You concentrate on what’s in front of you – the wonders of the reef and sea life – and the present.
We had a dive instructor/leader who helped my daughter through the basic scuba qualification and whose ability to connect was noticeable. It’s a bit special interest, but since we came home I accidentally discovered this programme on youtube, which explains why he was so good [and mindful]. Mauritius and scuba was a lovely antidote to our news and catastrophe driven culture that leads many of us into unhealthy lifestyles as we try to escape. Mindful breathing/meditation is an everyday alternative.
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