Meditation/Prayer

[tonyc]

Not really prayer, but...

Well, I work as a nurse in the ICU and see a lot of hardship. I come in contact with a lot of people who come into the hospital and literally get death sentences. A lot of those people have cheated looks on their faces, at the snap of a finger suddenly their lives have changed forever.

I took care of one of those people just before my certification dives, new diagnosis of cancer and most likely not something that will be fixed by anything we have to offer.Her name was.. mrs. Robinson. She knew this and had that same cheated look in her eyes. I told myself that I would not have that look in my eyes and that I would live life to the fullest.... For myself, for her. On the way to Catalina I played Simon and Garfunkel's Mrs. Robinson. In fact, I usually always play it now when I'm going to dive. And.... Just before I descend... I always say to myself, "Here's to you Mrs. Robinson"

Tony.

 

[Snowbear]

...um...never mind...

 

[d33ps1x]

What type of yoga do you practice?

I've been meaning to try some for breathing control.

 

[carp8dm]

I read a very interesting article by reknown tech diver Tom Mount (IANTD) in the Fall 2003 issue of Nitrox Diver (IANTD magazine). It is called Spiritual, Mental, & Physical Training for Safer Diving & a Better Life. It's a great article & also talks about breathing exercises.

If you are interested in taking yoga courses in the Toronto area, look here:
http://www.sivananda.org/toronto/

What type of yoga do you practice?

I've been meaning to try some for breathing control.

 

[DandyDon]

Apart from visualizing a dive, do you meditate or pray before you dive? How? When do you do it and for how long? Does it depend on the difficulty of the dive?

Yep! :51: Certainly helps with air consumption, preventing panic, focus, etc. Believe it or not, it couldn't hurt.

:yinyang: don

 

[Gibbon]

Hmm...I don't pray.
That being said, I'm in a state of meditation on and off throughout almost every day. The joining together of the conscious and uncounscious mind.

 

[Norm]

I don't stop just 'cause I'm diving....

Psalm 107:23-24 are my divin' verses

Good job Uncle Pug. I pray before and/or during and/or after a dive. HE has saved my life on more than one dive! (A submerged cave 80' deep caving in during a dive was one of them!)
Your cited verse is one of several on a plaque that I made and placed deep inside a virgin that only I have dived. Most likely it will never been seen again by human eyes but if so, it may be many, many years from now.
Norm

 

[IndigoBlue]

Meditation before a dive will reduce air consumption..... Haven't seen that yet. But I do know that if I take a few minutes to center before I dive - I am calmer in the water and I believe that calmness will make me better at handling any issues in the water.

Before your descent, if you float on your face relaxing and breathing deeply through your snorkel while you hold onto the anchor line, you will purge CO2 from your blood and decrease your susceptibility to narcosis as well as improve your breathing and air consumption. Doing this for 2 or 3 minutes makes a big difference, especially after a long surface swim out to your descent site or after struggling with your gear to get off the boat and into the water. People who have never tried it will never know. So join the In-crowd! Its not a big crowd.

 

[IndigoBlue]

I don't stop just 'cause I'm diving....

Psalm 107:23-24 are my divin' verses

The only thing that scares me about diving is students. So I always pray specifically about diving whenever I take out students.

Otherwise, normal daily prayer along the lines of Pater Noster or the 23rd Psalm is no different on any diving day. I am more thankful than usual on any regular diving day, and more scared than usual whenever students are involved.

 

[d33ps1x]

I read a very interesting article by reknown tech diver Tom Mount (IANTD) in the Fall 2003 issue of Nitrox Diver (IANTD magazine). It is called Spiritual, Mental, & Physical Training for Safer Diving & a Better Life. It's a great article & also talks about breathing exercises.

If you are interested in taking yoga courses in the Toronto area, look here:
http://www.sivananda.org/toronto/

PRetty close to me as well.