| Healing is getting to a state of wholeness and deep | | | | most experienced divers will say the same. Floating |
| understanding with yourself, your relationships and | | | | weightless in the sea, seeing fish and corals up close |
| your environment. Healing always includes elements | | | | and intimately, the slow, rhythmic manner of |
| of body, mind and spirit. Our bodies are made up | | | | breathing in scuba, all these bring a sense of stillness |
| primarily of water. The planet is mostly water and | | | | and peace to the diver. However the way diving is |
| most of that is sea water. In his books about the | | | | mostly conducted by the tourist industry, that sense |
| miraculous intelligence of water, Dr.Masuru Emoto | | | | of peace and harmony with our aquatic world is |
| describes how water changes it's crystallized form | | | | usurped by hurried, group oriented, money based |
| depending on how it is sent thought, sound and | | | | superficial dive training to get as many divers on the |
| speech energy. All our thoughts are energy and if we | | | | reef as quickly as possible. The safety of the divers |
| and our planet are water then our form is changed | | | | and more importantly the impact these poorly trained |
| dramatically by how we speak, think and interact | | | | divers on the delicate reefs is backseated to "factory |
| with ourselves, our fellow men and our planet. | | | | diving" and mass marketing. Like fast food and most |
| Scuba diving is one of the most direct methods of | | | | of commericialized culture, profit motivates the dive |
| interacting with water and feeling yourself to be a | | | | centers, ironically often run by ex divers who used to |
| water based life form. Breathing underwater has | | | | connect to the serenity of the dive experience |
| fascinated humans for centuries and exploring the | | | | described above. |
| oceans is as amazing as exploring outer space and | | | | How can the dive industry make changes to |
| has generated much recent interest in documentary | | | | encourage understanding and healing of ourselves and |
| films and popular culture. The scuba diving recreational | | | | our blue planet? As with all healing, health of body, |
| industry has exploded in the past decade encouraging | | | | mind and spirit must be considered in the quest for |
| many of us to personally look beneath the surface | | | | balance. Moderation, sound ecological development |
| of our watery planet. | | | | obviously are global concerns as the dive industry is |
| Scuba diving as a sport has the potential to show | | | | embedded in the grander scale of "tourism" the two |
| people how beautiful and important our oceans, coral | | | | are inextricably linked and healing thus more complex |
| reefs and aquatic environment are. However, as with | | | | than changing just the way we dive. |
| much of the popularization of any activity, money | | | | Nevertheless those of us who dive either |
| and it's pursuit dominates the scuba diving training and | | | | professionally or as a hobby can make easy, sensible |
| dive centers around the world and generally removes | | | | changes right now. Dive centers can make their |
| the element of healing from scuba diving. The | | | | groups smaller with greater supervision by |
| domination of commerce in diving as with all human | | | | experienced dive professionals. Large groups of |
| endeavors turns a potentially healing activity for | | | | holiday divers on a reef are like platoons of bulldozers |
| people and a way to further understanding of our | | | | over a beautiful flower garden. These potentially |
| planet to an activity of mass consumption and | | | | devastating groups of divers destroy the reefs very |
| destruction of the very magnificent we are so eager | | | | often irreparably. Longer, more thoughtful training |
| to see and experience. | | | | aimed at teaching divers proper skills and buoyancy in |
| After 15 years of diving in the Red Sea and more | | | | smaller groups (3 divers to a pro ideally for example) |
| than 10 years of teaching Scuba diving full time I am | | | | would enable divers to dive safer for themselves and |
| looking for ways to encourage the industry to | | | | for the reef. In my course we start our diving day |
| innovate and look to the future of diving and our blue | | | | with gentle yoga and meditation to enhance the |
| planet. I ask myself daily, how can I get people in the | | | | ability to learn and to open up to the intelligence of |
| dive industry to understand that the way they are | | | | the sea. In contrast most dive centers emphasize |
| diving is destructive to the reef ecosystem? I ask | | | | goal oriented, ego based dive attics underwater. Most |
| how can I create alternatives in this industry or | | | | of the divers who join my course do so because of |
| should I abandon it altogether? | | | | dissatisfaction with the way the dive centers are run. |
| Five years ago I started experimenting with | | | | Alternatives to factory diving and to the energy of |
| combining yoga breathing and meditation techniques | | | | fear and exploitation of nature (always wanting more |
| with diving in order to enhance this healing effect of | | | | and fear of not making enough money) are few and |
| the sea and to teach people to diving in a more eco | | | | far between in diving although there are individuals |
| friendly and respectful way. This course which I called | | | | who love nature and the sea and are genuinely |
| "yoga diving" for lack of a better term, has slowly | | | | concerned. These rare individuals in the dive industry |
| gained some attention from dive magazines and the | | | | don't however, have venues to promote their love |
| like. I haven't however been able as yet to find a | | | | of the sea. Dive centers are out for profit first and |
| way "in" to the dive industry itself and encourage | | | | their short term goals are again, ironically, destroying |
| significant notice and hopefully change. I liken the | | | | the basis for their "industry" namely, the beauty of |
| change I would encourage to how the health food | | | | nature. |
| organic foods industry has changed a lot of the food | | | | The healing power of the sea is unlimited. The healing |
| and farming industry in recent years. Educated people | | | | power within each of us is unlimited. We don't need |
| nowadays generally think about issues like pesticides | | | | to follow "industry" as if it's the only option. |
| in food, how commercial farming damages the | | | | Professional divers who love the reefs and would like |
| environment, chemicals in food etc. As our planet is | | | | to use diving to heal let's wake up, think globally and |
| much more water than earth and as the purity of | | | | act locally in your own dive center! Recreational |
| water is tantamount to our health and survival I am | | | | divers, question practices of your dive center, take |
| thinking of ways to promote holistic, ecologically | | | | responsibility for your training and feel the unique, |
| sound consciousness in diving in a similar way to how | | | | privileged space your are in to experience the healing |
| organic farming encourages the same with the earth. | | | | of our seas. |
| Diving has always been a meditation for me and | | | | |