The Freedom of Skydiving

The effects of skydiving on the brain and skydiving health benefits in general are SO vast that this article will only scratch the surface. One of the biggest misconceptions about skydiving is that everyone who does it is a huge thrill-seeker and adrenaline junkie. That's just not the case!

Skydiving is a - dare we say - magical experience that we have the opportunity to do over and over again. The freedom that comes from skydiving is physical and mental, and this newfound mindset doesn't go away when you land - it's something you can bring into every facet of your life! Let's take a look at our top four freedoms to be gained from skydiving.

Anxiety, Be Gone!

Anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges are becoming more and more prominent in our society. Skydiving can be grounding for those unsure of their next step or who are in a mental slump. Think about it like this: you physically cannot think about anything else while skydiving, because the consequence of losing focus could be detrimental to you and those around you! It's incredibly freeing!

Before you run screaming, we promise this is a really neat concept. Let us explain. Oftentimes we use somewhat mindless activities to find a mental escape. Skydiving allows us to find the freedom of mental relaxation while doing a mindful activity. When you go for a drive or run to clear your head, you're usually doing it to get all your ducks in a row and have the time to clearly think through or meditate on whatever is bothering you.

With skydiving, you are doing something that actively forces your mind to relax not by avoiding your issues, but by letting your brain take a breather and focus entirely on something else. In short, when you skydive you can only think about skydiving. What else do you do in life that requires you to only think about exactly what you're doing?

Skydiving, as a whole, teaches the lesson that a person is strong enough to overcome something that is inherently mentally and physically scary: jumping from an airplane! When we kick fear in the face by doing this, it triggers something in our brains that allows us to know that we can also overcome other fears; it sort of puts everything into a new perspective. "I jumped out of a plane this morning ... I can definitely ask my scary boss for a raise." When you're physically above your problems on the ground you're able to see how powerless they are compared to you.

A Physical (and Mental) Workout

Skydiving is designed to find your limits and push beyond them. While it is unnatural for our bodies to skillfully soar through the skies going over 120 miles per hour, we are somehow able to repeatedly do it. Similarly, our brains typically "fight or flight" when a spooky situation arises. In the case of skydiving, we force our brains to turn off this inherent switch and trust ourselves and our gear as we leap from a moving airplane! It's wild, but it's awesome.

Maneuvering our bodies in ways impossible to do on the ground, keeping our heads on a constant swivel to look out for others, and keeping safety at the forefront of our minds simultaneously is intense! But totally doable.

The Learning Never Stops

Yes, this means that your tandem instructor with 5,000 skydives will learn something new on every single jump. Skydivers are taught to have the mentality that the learning will never cease in order to stay alert and not fall into the dangerous trap of complacency. The sport is designed to be a creative outlet, and if you have an avant-garde idea for a jump we can guarantee there will be someone out there to help you accomplish your goals.

Once you become a licensed skydiver, you can gain other ratings, such as Coach and Instructor. The sport is designed for students to learn from people who were once exactly in their shoes, which is another unique characteristic.

A Community That Embraces You As You Are

The skydiving community (AKA the best group of people on the planet) is the most accepting bunch you're likely to ever cross paths with. What you look like, your beliefs, political stance, socioeconomic status, or anything else that has potential to act as a wedge is all left at the door. We all share a common respect and love for the sky, learning, and helping others to experience our sport. The freedom skydiving communities around the world offer is the freedom of acceptance!

As your love for skydiving grows, you'll want to geek out about it with like-minded people - people who understand exactly where you're coming from. While we're always grateful for any opportunity to talk about our most recent jump, it is freeing to bounce ideas off of fellow jumpers who can really grasp what is being said.

Ready to jump? We can't wait to experience the freedom of skydiving with you. Book today and don't hesitate to contact us with any questions!