this was an article in Overlord PADI’s dive magazine (PADI is a SCUBA Certification company), but I actually thought it was really relevant.  Scuba has been very beneficial for me.  In ways that I never, EVER foresaw.

First It helped me to overcome a fear that  I didn’t think I could.  Claustrophobia, a crazy Naui (another certifying agency) swim Test, out of air situations,  fear of sharks, all of these basic sounding fears stood in the way of me Scuba diving. There were no physical issues with me, physically I am fit and sound. Mentally, you could probably make a few arguments.

Lord PADI goes on to explain that Scuba Duba helps out people with Spinal cord injuries and even PTSD.  It hasn’t really been explored too much, but the theory is that increased nitrogen accumulating  as a result of being at depth increases serotonin, which improves spinal performance.

One guy even thinks that scuba can stimulate paralyzed muscles to work again.  “diving reactivates central pattern generators, which are neural networks that act independently from the brain and are the basic  inner workings of the body’s internal movement control.  The potential for paralyzed divers is that even when the brain isn’t able to prompt paralyzed muscles into action, the body could tap into its innate ability to reactivate movement through central pattern generators”. (can someone who still has the previous issue of PADI’s magazine tell me the author, I can’t find it now!!)

We’ve known for a while that things heal better under pressure.  Under pressure, and especially with pure oxygen.  That’s why we use chambers to treat things OTHER than just diving accidents.  Spider bites, for instance (right Jungle? 😉 ) Jacques Cousteau noted  during his Conshelf Underwater Living habitat, that scabs healed faster and hair grew faster.

So maybe all this Scuba has been healing people in many ways.  I guess though for me, it’s been healing my soul.  I’m not religious, or even spiritual, but there’s a feeling I get from scuba that I don’t get anywhere else.  A feeling of serenity and breath and mindfulness.  Peacefulness.  When I dive at the Aquarium, I get to be single minded,  there is nothing I can do except for the task at hand, and to breath.  It’s given me confidence, and it’s given me a whole new world to explore.  It gave me more life.

I’m  on to the next Scuba Duba challenge starting Monday, so blog updates will be more scarce. With love and appreciation, XMerbabe

PS if you get bored without my blog, check in on penguins

be sure to check the different views, you can see them swimming. As someone said, they look like they always are running after someone to hug them. so cute. Also in the morning they have penguin meetings. ❤

Photo Credit to Mario Chow Photography, Gracias Mario.