Namaskar Oct 2015

SPORTS
YOGA & SCUBA DIVING?
More similar than different
BY DONALD DAY
At first glance, it seems to be an odd
combination - Yoga, the physical, mental, and
spiritual practice to exercise, boost health
and reduce stress, seems far removed from
donning a scuba tank and descending into the
open ocean.
However, when you look more closely, the
effects of both are not very different. Both
yoga and diving are very relaxing and
meditative. Both have a similarly strong
focus on breathing. Ideal breathing in both
activities is slow, deep and relaxed. We know
from meditation practice that slow and deep
breathing helps calm down the body and the
mind – particularly useful when stressed.
group will try and ensure everyone sees the
amazing things that wait to be discovered.
Neither is about winning, but to experience
something amazing and share this
experience. Everybody wins. In today’s
competitive world, this is rejuvenating,
calming and refreshing.
Yoga and diving are also very complimentary,
which explains the recent surge in combined
offerings. People passionate about diving are
usually balanced and relaxed, aware of the
nature that surrounds them and are naturally
curious – very similar to yogis. Benefits of
yoga for the diver include better buoyancy
control, reduced air consumption (and
breath, but even fit divers can find
themselves breathing too fast or too shallow
from the stress of diving.
That’s where yoga comes in. Like scuba, yoga
places emphasis on proper inhalation and
exhalation, as breathing is considered the
essential connection between body and mind.
Practiced regularly, yoga promotes deep,
slow breathing, and teaches you how to calm
your mind. Yoga also strengthens and
stretches muscles that are important in
diving. After a dive, yoga can help to stretch
and relief stiff muscles (if done lightly, as the
diver should never engage in strenuous
exercise after diving).
To appreciate yoga’s breathing benefits, it
helps to understand what happens when you
breathe. The primary function of your lungs
is to draw in oxygen-rich air and expel the
carbon dioxide waste your cells generate.
That oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange
happens in the alveoli, microscopic, grapelike
sacs that line your lungs. On land, we use
just a fraction of our lung space, leaving
scores of alveoli untouched. At depth some,
especially new divers, use even fewer alveoli
per breath, taking shallower, rapid breaths.
Another similarity is focus – in yoga and
scuba diving, the practitioner is required to
focus entirely on the task at hand. In yoga,
you focus on the posture, the alignment, the
depth of the posture and the breathing. In
diving, you focus on your surroundings, your
buoyancy, your depth– and your breathing.
Finally – both activities are non-competitive.
In yoga it doesn’t really matter if the person
next to you seems to have a background in
Olympic-level gymnastics or somehow does
not seem to have bones. You only compete
with yourself and what you and your body
can do on the day. Similarly, in diving buddies
take care of each other and people in a dive
therefore longer dive times), relaxation both
on land and underwater, and improved
physical fitness for diving.
The average diver sightseeing at 30 feet in
warm, calm seas can expect an average tank
of air to last about an hour. But as any diver
can tell you, the sport is anything but average.
Deeper dives, stronger currents and chilly
water can drastically reduce bottom time.
New divers, a little nervous and prone to
“panting” rather than easy breathing, have
been known to empty a tank in less than 30
minutes. Obviously, increasing your physical
fitness is one way to get more out of every
The solution is breathing slowly, deeply and
fully, especially on exhalation. Your impulse
to breathe is triggered by the build-up of
carbon dioxide, so by learning to exhale fully,
you clear more carbon dioxide and
automatically breathe more slowly. Slower
breathing also improves your concentration
and focus. Deep breathing exercises such as
those used in yoga training help keep blood
gases normal and are very beneficial as a
relaxing technique.
So where can you combine these activities?
There are several resorts as well as
specialized trips that not only offer yoga
classes, but have integrated programs,
sometimes even offer retreats. Here the
combined offering of yoga, diving and often
healthy nutrition is carefully coordinated and
delivers a meaningful time with lasting
impact. Get in touch for a recommendation,
or if you want to know more about
combining yoga, meditation and diving.
October 2015 23