I recently went scuba diving for the first time in Içmeler.
I learned and was reminded of a few things.
The experience was visceral and emotive.
I am always hungry to learn, and the ocean was a great teacher.
The idea of experiencing Scuba diving was suggested to me for the first time by my respectful and lovely teacher Dr. Marna Broekhoff. Without giving me more explanation about it, I came to realize later on that she wanted me not only to enjoy the experience but to learn from it as well. In an effort to recall everything I’ve learned, I offer you the following thoughts.
Breathing is the greatest blessing ever.
Breathe deeply and consciously as often as possible. Once you are deprived of something or it becomes difficult, suddenly you realize how you take it for granted. That was my case with breathing through my regulator for the first few times. Trust me, the struggle was real.
Above water we have an unlimited supply of air to breathe compare to under water, BUT we hardly ever express gratitude for our ability to inhale oxygen (and nitrogen) and exhale carbon dioxide. That’s why for muslims, a simple alhamdulillah every day would be enough.
Once I was submerged I found myself breathing quite deeply and conscious that there was a limit to this resource. I took a gigantic breath once I was back on the boat and have been thinking about this ever since.
We must respect the Ocean.
This is the most major takeaway for me from Scuba diving. This is where I found the experience emotional. Coral reefs and all the ecosystems in the ocean and on Earth are magical places. Humans tread where we want, take what we want, and disregard what lies outside of our interests and our greed.
Seeing coral struggling to stay alive and all kinds of species fighting for survival is changing me. Seeing it first hand took it beyond an intellectual understanding. I now know, I now see why and how people such as Leonardo Dicaprio get so passionate about protecting the oceans.
I think of all the people unaware and apathetic about the impact of consumption and pollution on the oceanic ecosystems. I think of these things and feel compelled to behave better as an individual, as well as contribute to the grander scale of environmental protection and sensibility.
Calm is power.
This is something I have witnessed and been practicing since college, but my scuba diving experience reaffirmed it. Serenity is strength. A knee jerk, irrational, over emotional reaction to anything is an expression of a kind of weakness. Rarely will a forceful and vigorous gesture exceed the effectiveness of a calm and collected response.
As a guest underwater, breathing canned air, it can be a less than calm experience if we let it.
Two main things helped me remain calm:
1. Reminding myself to stay calm — sounds simple, and it is. I literally thought to myself “stay calm” if I felt even the most minuscule amount of anxiety or tension.
2. My instructor Mr. James from South Africa gave me an instance before diving that when a shark notices a snorkeler or diver thrashing about violently or panicking, it indicates a foreign presence and it is much more likely to investigate or attack. So I have to behave as if I belonged underwater and not freaking out. Panic equals prey.
The big picture is beyond ourselves and our egos.
Underwater we realize how small we are. On dry land it is easy to think of ourselves and our endeavors as large and important. We may be bigger than some of the fish in the sea, but we are minuscule in comparison to the sea itself. Outside of the water this attitude can be attained by looking at the stars and understanding our small role in time and space.
While I was scuba diving I was definitely enjoying the experience in the moment, but I also found my mind simultaneously pondering much more. The immensity of everything, and my simultaneous connection to and perceived detachment from everything. Allahu Akbar
The power of these moments will last as long as I allow it to. If I slip back to the comfort of well worn mental and physical habits, then I did not actually learn from Scuba Diving.
#MakeItCount