Tuesday 27 December 2011

Yoga and Scuba: Just Breathe


If you happen to be a Yogi and a diver, you'll know what I mean. Both activities focus greatly on breath. The first rule of scuba is never stop breathing. During a yoga class you are always asked to centre on your breathing.



You might think that these quasi-athletic hobbies are quite different. The gear is nothing alike, the setting, maybe even your reason to get into them is dissimilar. And yet, when you are doing a posture or floating through the water, in that moment, the feeling is the same. You have trained your body and mind so that you are flowing on instinct and can fully enjoy this time of absolute tranquility.

Inhale, feel your body rise... exhale, become more rooted...

We can take these experiences with us. If we recall that feeling of calm as we go about our daily tasks, we can feel connected to something else, something more natural, greater than ourselves. Simply by breathing deep, slow breathes we can banish our stress instantly.

Whichever activity I am engaged in, I always think back to the other. While diving, I recall the strong, smooth motions of transitioning from one yoga posture to another. When practising yoga, I recall the silence and grace of flying through the ocean.

Peace.

Breath

No comments:

Post a Comment