| Although this article is written with SCUBA diving in | | | | Feel the hot sun on your back as you bounce across |
| mind, it has validity in many aspects of life. I have | | | | the ocean heading to a dive site. Your Divemaster |
| said many times that SCUBA diving is mostly in your | | | | has now tied up the boat and is giving you a great |
| mind. And by that I mean the enjoyment and | | | | briefing, even telling you where to find various special |
| relaxation, which makes SCUBA diving a pleasure | | | | creatures on the dive. You complete your buddy |
| rather than a 'survival experience'. I watched a | | | | checks and do a giant stride off the boat. Hear the |
| fascinating program on TV once all about the | | | | splash as you hit the water and slow down your |
| Snowbirds, Canada's aerobatic flying team. The entire | | | | breathing as you check everything is in place, and |
| team goes through visualization exercises as a team | | | | start your descent. The water is gin-clear and warm, |
| activity. They all sit around a table close their eyes | | | | schools of fish can be seen below and you marvel as |
| and imagine that they are actually flying in the | | | | a large turtle swims by. Using the line you make a |
| formation that they are developing or practicing. | | | | slow steady descent having no problems equalizing, |
| They are calling out what they are doing in their | | | | and having perfect buoyancy control. This really is the |
| minds, and it appears very odd to watch them doing | | | | perfect dive... |
| this. The result is that the pilots experience | | | | After a few minutes you are down to your target |
| everything just as if they are there. There have | | | | depth and as you fine tune your buoyancy you |
| been experiments carried out with Athletes during | | | | pause for a moment to listen to your own breathing |
| which they are encouraged to visualize themselves | | | | and notice how slow, calm, and controlled it is, almost |
| competing in their event. They have muscle sensors | | | | a Zen-like state envelopes you now and you move |
| attached to their bodies, and amazingly their muscles | | | | away from the line, following the Divemaster as he |
| fire in the same way that they do when they are | | | | seems to move with no effort ahead of you. |
| actually competing. Go Figure! | | | | Perfectly streamlined, and perfectly relaxed you |
| How can we use this for SCUBA diving? Well it has | | | | marvel at the amazing things pointed out by your |
| been used in SCUBA diving before now, not only by | | | | Divemaster, and calmly flood and clear your mask to |
| me, but world famous cave divers have used | | | | remove a little fogging. |
| visualization exercises to make crisis situations more | | | | Time seems to stand still as you move weightless |
| familiar, and enable them to practice, practice and | | | | and effortlessly through the amazing undersea world |
| practice some more without their being any real risk. | | | | with just a lazy flick of your fins. A tank banger |
| Have YOU ever felt anxiety whilst SCUBA diving? I | | | | causes you to look at the Divemaster who is |
| bet you have. You don't need to admit it to anyone | | | | indicating the halfway point, time to turn around. You |
| else, but YOU and I both know there have been | | | | wonder how much air you have left, and a quick |
| times when your heart beat just a bit too fast, your | | | | check indicates you are not even half way through |
| breathing became faster and shallower, and without | | | | your tank. The perfect ascent, with buoyancy control |
| even realizing it, your body was going through that | | | | feeling instinctive, you hover cross-legged at the |
| whole "fight or flight" preparation caused by | | | | safety stop, enjoying the weightlessness, and |
| adrenaline. Maybe you even felt as though you | | | | listening to the hypnotic sound of your own exhaust |
| couldn't get enough air? This is a bad way to feel | | | | bubbles. All too soon you are back on the boat and |
| when you are diving. | | | | the Divemaster calls you over as he is changing your |
| So how do we deal with anxiety whilst diving? The | | | | tank. "Hey, look at this" he says, "You used to be an |
| first thing to understand is that you can change your | | | | air-pig, but you still have lots of air left today, what |
| response to stimulus, and 'learn' a different response, | | | | changed?" Will you tell him how a few very simple |
| which will in turn give control back. Do want to try it | | | | relaxation and visualization techniques made the |
| right now? Try to imagine, and 'feel' what I am about | | | | difference? |
| to tell you... | | | | |