“If it’s both terrifying and amazing, then you should definitely pursue it” - erada Yesterday I completed my first two “blue water” dives in San Jose del Cabo with East Cape Explorers- open ocean, zero reference points other than the sunlight streaming down through the deep blue, and a max depth of 116 feet! We went in search of schooling scalloped hammerhead sharks as well as other large pelagic creatures. While we didn’t get a school, we did have the pleasure of watching one solo hammerhead swim by and a lovely, graceful manta ray swam with us for quite a bit of the dive. Now you might be thinking “wow that’s cool” or even “holy crap!” depending on your relationship with the open ocean…for me, it was a really big deal and required some master level inner life coaching and yoga skills. You see, before I met my partner, Andy, I had some pretty massive fear stories I’d created over my lifetime in relationship to the ocean. It was not a place I belonged and was teeming with big scary things just ready to eat me (thank you Jaws). I was convinced I would never ever in a million years try scuba because I’d feel claustrophobic and being that far under water would be terrifying. Well, about 4 years ago all that changed when I started taking on my self-limiting fear stories and reinventing my life. So when Andy convinced me to just give scuba a try on our first trip to the Riviera Maya, I said what the heck I’m in. And man oh man am I so very glad I did!! Immediately all of those fear stories dissipated when I discovered the peace, intense beauty, grace, and magic that exists under the sea. It opened my eyes and my mind to literally a whole new world that I am now so very much in love with. BUT…taking on this new challenge of “blue water” diving really got up in my head this past week leading up to our dives yesterday! I literally had at least a week of waking up every night to fear stories swimming around in my brain and running amok. I’d wake up in the morning exhausted and convinced something was going to go wrong. Could I really control my descent? Would I feel stressed and unable to breathe at 100 feet? Would I be able to slowly ascend and not risk decompression sickness? Oh my little gremlins were having a major party. So what did I do? I sat with them. I talked to them. I reminded them that I was in charge. I used mantras to replace the thoughts. I practiced my breathing. And I shared my fears with Andy who gently but firmly reminded me that I am a great diver and totally ready to take on this new challenge. Then, as we began our first descent I TRUSTED and I SURRENDERED. I opened my eyes to the present moment and the mystery and magic around me. I focused on slow, peaceful breaths. I was simply present for what was. And it was truly amazing! So my question for you today, my friend, I’d how much of life are you missing out on thanks to your fear stories? How much larger, more amazing, more beautiful, more fulfilling could your life be if you learned to surrender? Ready to explore life on the other side of fear? Let’s get on a coaching call and start to make some big magic happen for you!!
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AuthorMeet Mary Baker ..LIFE COACH, YOGA TEACHER, MINDFULNESS GUIDE, RECOVERING PERFECTIONIST & PEOPLE PLEASER, FEAR CONQUEROR, TRUTH SEEKER, & DREAM WEAVER Archives
February 2023
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