I just suddenly realized something: diving (from a diving board) is like gymnastics with less impact on your body.
I wouldn’t have tried to do a handspring with a messed up / healing back but I was diving into a pool with minimal pain last weekend.
My brain was stuck on a loop last night while trying to go to sleep. I kept reviewing the back dive I did which I overshot my arch on. I really wanted to get that in before the pool closed for the summer but it was a pretty bad dive in terms of splash and form.
Toes on the edge back to the water, stare out on the horizon, wait for the board to stop bouncing, breath in, stand up straighter, arms in and swing down bend knees and press down, breath bounce up and swing arms up and over the head and arch back look back but not to far, hold breath close eyes hands touch water straighten and in, arch and swim to the surface, breathe.
That’s probably only half of what your body goes through in doing a simple single back dive. There’s something poetic to it. A simple physical goal to achieve. A shape, a motion, a breath. And a million little thoughts.
