From a distance, it is not evident that scuba diving have anything to do with yoga. When you think about your scuba vacation, you don’t always think about yoga, or the other way around! But if you take a closer look you can see that they actually have a lot in common: the skills that you can build with each of the two activities can complement each other. The results you get when you practice one or the other have also lots of similarities. In other words, by doing yoga you can become a better scuba diver, and vice-versa. So, it is not crazy to think about a scuba and yoga vacation!

Breathe!

Breathing is the key connection: when you are learning to scuba dive, you soon understand that the most important thing you need to do to enjoy, to perform well and to be safe, is to breathe calmly and constantly. Well, we probably don’t need to mention that is also one of the key elements for any yogi!

When you learn not to hold your breath in a strenuous pose when practicing yoga, you are also teaching your mind the mechanics of not holding your breath during physical exertion. That is especially valid under water, so that skill becomes too valuable for your scuba diving practice as well, to avoid injuries and keep safe at all times.

As you dive deeper, the air in your body compresses because of the added pressure of the water around you. In the same way, as you approach the surface the air expands again. If the air has nowhere to go, as it would happen if you hold your breath, there will be an overexpansion of your lungs, ears, and sinuses, and injuries can happen. But they can easily be avoided by continuous breathing.

Good breath control is one of the keys to a great dive. Lower air consumption often means more bottom time. So, breathing like a yogi ultimately helps you become a better diver.

Peace of mind

Whether you want it or not, after scuba diving you get a sense of tranquility, you reach a higher state of relaxation. Well, that is probably one of the main reasons why people start practicing yoga. Both can create a meditative state of mind that allows you to fully enjoy the present moment.

One of Yoga’s eight limbs of the conscious practice is Pranayama. It represents the extension of the vital energy through breathing. The breathing exercises help you connect the body with the spirit, and control your mental and physical state. When you take deep, long breaths during your yoga practice, you’re building skills that will help keep you safe underwater, as we saw before. But it also is a key element to balance your body, letting the life energy flow through it. It has the effect of energizing, relaxing and healing the body, letting everything fall into place.

It happens when you scuba dive, that not only you are breathing deeply, calmly, but you are also fully immerse in the amazing and captivating underwater world: this is one of the instances in life where it is actually easier to let go of your thoughts and just enjoy the fish, the corals, the surroundings, the life! That certainly helps you have a meditative mind, a peaceful mind.

Diving, like yoga, is a special experience that can only take place in present tense.

Scuba and yoga are the perfect combination! So, turn your next scuba vacation into a yoga vacation…or, your next yoga vacation can turn into a scuba vacation!