Diving Mindful on Serenity Sunday

Introducing Serenity Sundays

Kohala Divers offers a two tank dive charter every Sunday. We call it Serenity Sunday . Serenity Sunday invites you to slow down and be present. To be open to noticing what is going on around you in the ocean while also noticing what's going on inside you emotionally and mentally.

Diving naturally leads to mindfulness. You are forced to be in tune to what you are currently doing. You enjoy your time underwater more when you go at an unhurried pace. We always take a relaxed pace on our guided dives, but on Sundays we are even more intentional in our tone above and below the water.

Do you ever find your focus can be on many things at once on a dive? Finding the perfect photo op. Looking for macro critters. Keeping your buoyancy perfect, trying to use less air. Sometimes all of those thoughts can make a dive less mindful. One of the things we like to explore on Serenity Sunday is, what if we dive with a more intentional mindset? Simple shifts in what we focus on can really change the experience.

How to Make Serenity Sunday More Intentional

Try to be in the moment by seeing what is happening near us and releasing expectations of what we want to be there.

We all have our favorite underwater critter or fish, but what happens when instead of looking for familiar faves we just focus on whatever is there? Look deeper at what is happening in the few feet surrounding us. Be curious. Observe before moving on. Do the fish and critters start to get curious about you too?

Be patient with your dive skills or setbacks

Being a comfortable diver typically comes from diving more often. For some that's not always an option. When you do go diving, thoughts of what could go wrong may overwhelm you. Oh no, will my buoyancy be right? Will my ears clear? Will I go through my air before others?

Set yourself up for success by completing a refresher course or hiring a private guide for the dive day so you can gently get yourself back into the swing of diving. Then be patient. Going slow takes care of most dive obstacles. Being in a calm and open minded frame of mind allows you to gain confidence underwater so that you can focus on the calmness rather than the clutter in your head.

Enjoy neutral buoyancy. Notice how your position is affected by your breath.

Floating effortlessly in the water is one of the best parts of scuba. It takes a bit of practice, but when you slow down, mastering perfect buoyancy gets easier. Find a moment on a dive to just enjoy the slow motion rise and fall that goes along with relaxed breathing. It's truly a zen you can't find anywhere else.

Listen

Scuba diving on beautiful, diverse coral reefs is a very visually stimulating activity, but great views are not the only amazing thing happening underwater. Take a moment on your dive to be still and listen. Don't hold your breath! We all know that's the first rule in scuba safety. Instead, listen to your exhale, then on your slow, relaxed inhale listen to everything else. Fish feeding, shrimp snapping, waves crashing, and maybe even dolphins chattering or whales singing.

Exhale your troubles and watch them float away in bubbles

Alright, this one might get a little woo woo. But maybe give it a try? If you have a stuck thought or a worry in your life that is hard to let go, try releasing it underwater. On an underwater exhale you can literally watch your worry float away to the surface of the ocean to be blown away forever. Sometimes simple visualizations can release some seriously stuck energy. The ocean is magic!!

You can dive like this on any dive. On Sundays we just notice the flow. We embrace the calm. We go slower and we explore new depths, physically and mentally.

Join us every Sunday. Book Serenity Sunday on our Two Site trip, or see all our Themed Dive Days .