In order to relax and get out of the hectic city, I decided to go on a SCUBA diving trip this weekend. Thailand is renowned for having some of the best diving sites in the world, which is one of the reasons I decided to get certified last month (another reason being that it seems to be a popular Insight pastime). I am beginning to feel much more at home in the bulky SCUBA gear, though underwater I still feel a bit like the clumsiest fish on the reef.
I realized about halfway through my first dive on Saturday that I was feeling stressed out. As I paused to analyze this feeling, I saw a small school of teeny tiny electric blue fish tentatively peek and then dash madly out from a chunk of bright orange coral—something I would have missed entirely had I not stopped. And suddenly it hit me: rather observing the teeming marine life, I was swimming with a destination in mind, as if I was heading towards something in particular. Once this realization struck me, I slowed down my swimming and took the time to actually look around and enjoy this unique peek into this underwater world. By the end of my sixth and last dive of the weekend, I was feeling utterly zen and relaxed underwater—exactly the point of the SCUBA weekend in the first place.
Upon further reflection (on dry land), I realized that my attitude underwater translated into my everyday life. I often don’t live in the present. I’m constantly thinking ahead, planning, scheduling, counting down etc… and I fear that I’m often missing the point. However, I hope that my underwater realization can gradually translate into a real change in how I live my life. I think that my timing is also impeccable since for the next few months I am in Thailand, a 95% Buddhist country. I hope that I can use my time to develop my understanding of the principles of Buddhism, which can hopefully lead me to live more presently.
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