EXTREME SPORTS: MY Skydiving Experience at SEVEN HILLS

The lead up to the decision to jump out of a perfectly good plane...

It has been a dream adventure for the longest time to go skydiving. I have always wanted to do it but for some reason things just got in the way and the plan just got moved back further down the list. Two months ago, I just pulled the trigger and booked myself for a skydiving trip.

Life lately has just been chaotic and too much has happened in all aspects of my life that I just needed a release from all of it. A release of my stress, my anxieties, my problems and all other issues that seeped in through my very soul. Sky diving certainly was a good idea.

When I made the decision to go sky diving, I did not say anything to anyone. For reasons that I did not want anybody discouraging me or stopping me from doing it. I did however tell my lawyer friend what I was doing and where. I gave him instructions on what to do in case I went SPLAT! lol!

Anyways, day of the jump was a perfect day! I could'nt have chosen a perfectly good day to do it. The weather was good with temperatures at 75 and a bit of wind that made it cool as well. The sun was up and the sky was a perfect blue. It took me 47 minutes to drive up to my destination and I was excited for this day!

I got to Seven Hills an hour early for my booked appointment but it was actually a blessing as they were just starting to start the briefing for the divers. I met people like me who were there to try the experience and I met some of the professional divers. It was amazing to know that most of them have done this for years and years and some of them have done more than 3500 jumps and they all looked like they do skydiving for breakfast! Easy peasy!

My tandem instructor was Amanda. She was really friendly and she explained to me everything that was to be expected during the jumped. She also briefed me on what to do and most importantly, to just have fun and enjoy the ride. I was confident about her and immediately trusted her. After all, I was going to be strapped to her and her to the parachute!

More than the adrenaline rush, sky diving provides many health and emotional benefits. It is an unconventional method but skydiving helps release stress. It helps you forget your problems even in a few minutes of free fall.

Sky diving and stress management.

For some, skydiving is an exceptional kind of pleasure and a method to cope with the stress of modern life. Sky diving has given thousands of individuals a fresh perspective on the world, pushed them beyond their limitations and taught them to face and battle their anxieties. I definitely learned that during my experience. When you are up there, you just forget about everything. Your stress, your anxieties... all of it. You are forced to be 'in the moment' . That 60 seconds of freefall was breath taking. Amazing. All I could think of was how amazing the feeling was hovering in the sky loking at the earth down your feet.

When you re skydiving, you are just thinking about that moment. You forget about your concerns and challenges in life at that time. The intense focus and and adrenaline surge will leave you emotionally and physically purified and refreshed.

Sky diving also comes with a slew of health benefits. It raises the psycho-physical condition, benefiting both body and mind. Adrenaline is a natural survival mechanism essential for overall health. You feel excited and energetic when your body responds to an increased dose of adrenaline. Moreover, paratroopers say that this activity, in addition to physical readiness, requires intense control of the mind. When you parachute, you develop a greater awareness of fine things and events that surround you.

Overcoming Fear.

Like most people, I certainly have many fears. Unfortunately these fears are what stress us out and prevent most people from fully experiencing life. Once you take that step, you will become aware that life is not as dangerous as you are taught to tink, which will pave the way to ease your success and enjoyment in life.

If you can jump out of a plane, you can do anything!

Skydiving is undoubtedly one of the most extreme sports and it is the best way to learn that you are much stronger than you believe you are. It is also a personal challenge.

It also allows you to reshape your thoughts on stress. This is not necesarrily something to be avoided. But something that can contribute to your inner strength . Skydiving shows us that it is possible to persist even in times of significant pressure.

I have learned a lot from this experience and it has certainly changed my perspective about life and how to live it. Taking that jump is the hardest part. When people ask me if it was scary, looking back at the experience, the only moment of fear I truly had was when I was sitting on the edge that plane, head looking down, just seconds before the big jump. I felt like everything was just at a stand still. Like everything was frozen in time. Seconds later, I came to reality when my instructor tapped my shoulders indicating to me that we were airborne and an ironic reminder to enjoy and live in the moment.

I am definitely looking forward to more jumps in the near future!

XOXO,

Karen