Dive into it!

What exactly happens during free-diving? We hold our breath so that we – for a brief moment – experience an alternate reality. For a shorter or longer period of time we can step away, escape the physics of walking the land and become part of a world under water. Using just a single breath we attempt to discover an artefact within the unknown. But, you may ask, why would someone want to do that? Is there much difference after all? And what can diving tell us about life?

I would say a lot; speaking for myself, knowing that I only have a limited air reserve in my lungs makes time more precious which in turn raises my attention, sharpens the focus and shifts my normal perspective. Eager to see I am able to notice more subtle events… a group of tiny transparent fish moving as if they have one collective consciousness… the echoing sounds of the sea, so different than when we are above sea level, more dim and enigmatic… The light is much softer and the perception of distance, gravity, or where up and down is gets slightly skewed too.

Diving takes me back to myself while at the same time supports my connection with all of nature. It shows me life from a new perspective.

Perhaps it is because I am a big fan of flow, imagination and dreams that I happen to love being under the water. Since I was a kid I liked to see how long I could hold my breath in the bath tub. Of course, there is so much more to it when one dives in the nature; I was therefore very happy that I had an opportunity to spend some days diving in the Mediterranean recently. While watching the vast variety of wild life I experienced a unique sense of freedom, peace and even thrill. I never knew what was coming my way – stay away, jelly fish! – or what I could discover under the sea; beautiful corals, fish of unearthly color, mysterious caves. What truly strikes me however is that upon reflection I realized that living a meaningful life takes some diving skills too. If we are to be fulfilled and live at our best it is beneficial to change the territory from time to time. To explore. To take some risks. To be open to the present moment and perceive what opportunities it contains…

There are also many parallels to dreaming in it; diving may as well feel like loosing the solid ground under our feet, while actually it is just another state of consciousness; likewise diving is yet another point of view, another perspective on things. During dreaming we are temporarily diving into another world, but it is still us who is experiencing it. At the core we are fully present. We dive into a dream not unlike we dive into the ocean. There is a range of new possibilities, capabilities, depths, and currents in both. We can even learn new skills and expand what we believe to be our limits..!

Not all places or every day is well suited for diving of any sort; and certainly it is not for everyone; but spending a week on a coast with coral reefs and turquoise water and not attempting to explore its beauty would feel to me like I have missed an amazing opportunity. Likewise, living our usual and normal life without trying to dive into something new, to discover unknown possibilities, adventures or learning would mean a life only half-lived.

Besides that, the very same practice becomes handy when life asks us to make key decisions. Once we have considered our options all we need to do is choose the best, take a deep breath and simply dive straight into it!

How about you? Where would you benefit if you did dive in?

Let me know in the comments!

In the meantime, I’m diving deep,

Jana