We are faithful lovers of the sea, of the apparent tranquility of the ocean waters, of traveling, of observing the fish and the coral reefs and of the chats afterwards watching the waves break on the shore, backlit, with the evening setting in front of us. We have always found all these variables to be the key to happiness in the sea. dive.
We traveled to Indonesia to explore the islands of Komodo and Bali for a few weeks, accompanied by a team of resident divers from the country who knew the beaches like the back of their hand and took us on the best dives we have experienced to date. Indonesia is a country that has more than 17,500 islands within it, of which about 6,000 are uninhabited. It is the sixteenth largest country on the planet and the fourth most populated.
First stop: The island of Bali
The first destination we went to was the mythical island of Bali, the most famous and touristic in the country. Although there is more tourist influx, it retains its charm and personality. It is impressive to see the volcanic beaches, the temples and architecture of the area, and the strong and ironclad Hinduism that has not lost its presence on the island despite the strong effects of globalization. Another thing that seemed curious to us was seeing the island's extensive rice fields, which explains why every meal we ate was accompanied by a bowl of rice (delicious, by the way).
In addition to surfing and its proximity to the country's capital, Java, Bali is especially known for the quality of diving that can be found there, and which we found, in fact, among the coral reefs and the more than nine hundred marine species that live in the waters of the Pacific.
It seems that nothing surprises us or particularly draws our attention in this world of things already discovered, frivolous and impersonal, but when, on our first day, early in the morning, we left our little house in Bali, put on our wetsuits, took our diving equipment and boarded the small boat led by Cova, our guide and best ally along the way, we began to be truly aware of what we were about to experience.
We particularly like morning diving because there is not too much light under the water yet and the fish are calm, making the most of the last hours of darkness to hunt. Thinking about breakfast later is also a nice feeling. Enjoying things before they happen.
When we made our dive, with an almost purple light decorating our faces and the surface, we could see that diving in Bali was as magical as we had been told: moonfish, sea turtles, small sharks and blue-ringed octopuses are just some of the species we were able to see throughout the morning. We spent almost the entire morning underwater. When we returned to the surface, we spoke with Cova about how relaxing the experience had been, how well we had been feeling for the whole day, and about the power that deep breathing, silence and the dim light of the depths have on the mind. Cova then asked us if we practiced yoga regularly, to which some of the group gave a resounding and forceful no as an answer, and others timidly confessed that very occasionally, in the city, we attended meditation classes at the gym.
Cova came to pick us up at our bungalows that same afternoon, when the sunset was already turning the clouds orange and the sea was pink, almost purple, like in the morning. She had mats for everyone and asked us to put on sports clothes.We then accompanied him to the beach, empty and silent, where he spread his mat; he then began to give us a yoga class.
At first we were unable to disconnect from the rest and focus on breathing and connecting with our inner selves, but then Cova told us to think about how we breathe when we dive, how calmly we inhale and how long we exhale to stay underwater longer, and to apply that technique to our breathing during the class. From one moment to the next we found ourselves in a state of complete relaxation; our body floated in such peace, and even with our eyes closed we felt the last rays of the afternoon sun on our bodies.
Over the next few days in Bali, we made it a tradition to do a 45-minute yoga class before diving and another one in the afternoon before dinner. We were able to observe many similarities between yoga and diving, such as that both are based on respect for your body and your surroundings.
Both require being aware of the moment you are living, enjoying it, appreciating the present and not spending time on what has happened or what is to come. Both “sports” require us to slow down, not to live for the sake of living, to appreciate each action we take and not take it for granted.
Komodo, an unprecedented natural paradise and underwater yoga.
From Bali we went to Komodo Island, also called the “Giant Lizard Island” because one of the local inhabitants of Komodo is the giant lizard, which measures almost three metres and weighs about 70 kilograms. It is in danger of extinction and in order to protect it, the Komodo National Park was created in the 1980s.
In addition, Komodo has been declared a National Heritage Site by UNESCO, which means that it is an extremely protected place, and this can be seen in the biodiversity of the area, which is the largest on the planet.
Our weeks in Komodo could not have been better. We spent our days among manta rays, sharks, whales, dolphins and sea turtles. We tried the local cuisine, which was authentic, spicy and delicious, and of course, accompanied by rice. We visited many beaches on the island, including Pink Beach, whose sand is pink due to the deterioration of the red corals that the tide washes onto the shore and which, when they deteriorate, become the size of a grain of sand.
After diving in the central areas of Komodo, we headed to the north side of the island and dived under Cauldron and Cristal Rock. The morning we were going to dive in the China Shop area, we headed, as we have done every morning since that wonderful day with Cova, to the shore to practice yoga. But Cova told us that that day, the yoga and meditation class would be underwater. Underwater yoga? The answer is yes.
If we already felt at peace under the surface when we were diving, imagine when we combined the two most relaxing practices we had ever practiced. It was incredible.
We felt our bodies floating under the water and felt a calmness we had never experienced before. Cova told us when we reached the surface again that practicing yoga underwater would help us to better control our diving, and that it would prevent muscle pain and stiffness, and we would also be able to better visualize the stages of our dives.
We recommend all divers in the world to practice underwater yoga, whether in Komodo, Bali or Spain!
So, what do they have in common? yoga and the dive?
Both yoga and diving aim to achieve a meditative movement: Meditating to synchronize breathing with the movement of the body. Breathing is closely related to the mind and mood, so controlling breathing will lead us to control the mind. Controlling the mind relaxes us and gives us peace of mind and helps oxygen to be distributed correctly throughout the body. Yoga and diving lead us to this natural meditative state.
Breathing
The most obvious common element between yoga and diving is breathing. Breathing is a powerful weapon that affects us greatly, even if we are not aware of it all the time. The softer we breathe, the more enjoyable we are. Controlling our breathing also promotes a reduction in the stress levels we generate. It is obvious that by controlling our breathing we will have more time to spend underwater. By practicing both yoga and diving, we are much more aware of our body's respiratory processes and the way we breathe. We must control our way of breathing; it must be deep and continuous, and not held at any time.
Relaxation
When we are underwater we feel a calmness that is very difficult to explain, because it is not easily found on the surface, unless we are practicing yoga. Both are based on generating calm and concentration. Both leave a feeling of well-being once finished: When we dive or practice yoga, we control our body and concentrate on our mood; on improving it, on relaxing it.
The silence
Another common element to diving and yoga is the silence that surrounds both and which has an incalculable value when it comes to meditating, living in the present moment and connecting with one's inner self.
Finding peace is easy, you just have to look for it and know how to go for it. We found it in a corner of Indonesia, in diving, in yoga, in conversations with friends and with new people. Do you know where yours is?
If you are still not sure, we recommend that you take a plane and embark on the adventure that we have told you about and that we are delighted that you repeat for us.
