The connection between sports and spirituality is often overlooked. It’s through the adventurous process of challenging oneself, trusting the instincts, and going beyond the limitations that one gets to truly experience life, writes Niharika Nigam

That moment when your eyes close and yet it feels like you are all-seeing, the moment when you are surrounded by people, and yet your solitude is the most powerful presence around, the moment when your physical self ceases to exist and the essence of your life harmoniously resets to its raw, innate form; that is the moment when your consciousness peaks, and absolute mindfulness washes over,  terrifying and liberating you at the same time.

It is truly fascinating to have an experience so intense. There are a number of ways in which people try to be a part of something so exhilarating. Adventure sports is one of the unconventional ways which opens the gates to the spiritual world for you. With an increasing pile of hassles all around you and an extremely busy schedule where one needs to take care of a gigantic workload, stress, depression, and anxiety are rampant today. Naturally, people feel the need to look for ways in which they can beat the stress and make life more enjoyable. This search often leads to adventure sports as it is seen as a tool for improving mental health. Surprisingly, the quality of experience that these sports offer is, in essence, quite similar to the experience of meditation. If you have ever gone for an adventure sport, you certainly know what kind of experience is being talked about. It is empowering to feel like a daredevil.

Indulging in something that seems so crazy helps one experience each moment completely and appreciate life. It directs one onto the path of self-awakening and makes them feel alive. It is while standing at the edge and indulging in an ‘extreme experience’ that one gets a taste of spirituality. One push, and a whole new realm opens up — spirituality leads man to the harbour of happiness, satisfaction, calmness, and serenity. India has been the spiritual leader of the world throughout the evolution of civilisations. Today, adventure sports have created a new path for the Indian youth and global sports enthusiasts to witness this new, ‘cool’ form of spirituality. 

There are four life lessons that one can learn while standing on the edge:

• Dare to open your eyes: Only you know that you have suffered. You know what it has cost you but instead of dealing with it, you have learnt the trick of blocking out the pain. But it can’t serve you for long. All it will do is block out the gorgeous view that is right in front of you. A lot of people, while taking on adventure sports, try to shut their eyes and desperately try not to let the fear creep up on them or to take control of them. But it does not work that way. Strength is in acknowledging the presence of the darkness within, and choosing to move forward and onwards anyway. Open your eyes, take in the thunderous moment and you will find the strength to take one step at a time. 

• You are all you’ve got: In the final moments before you take the leap of faith, when you’re about to take on a challenge, you are amazed, terrified and excited, your heart pounding louder, adrenaline rushing through your body, and breath coming in short and fast. That’s when you suddenly realise that what lies ahead of you is a journey that is yours alone. In those moments, as scared as you are, there is a moment of absolute clarity. Suddenly you find yourself conscious to every thought within you. You find yourself rooting for yourself, and you find yourself consciously drawing out your inner strength. Within that fraction of a second, lies a profound lesson — you’re all you’ve got, and somehow, that is enough. You were always complete and whole, all by yourself. It’s a rare moment that is deeply empowering.

• Let go: That moment when you’ve accomplished your adventure sport marks a lot of changes within you. It’s the act of letting go of your apprehensions, inhibitions and all that has been holding you back. It’s the time for soaring and diving into the unknown. It’s re-instilling faith in the magic of taking risks. It’s stumbling upon the realisation that even in your own solitude, you are whole and complete. Freedom, you realise with a jolt, is a state of mind that was always latent within you. You realise that the only thing actually keeping you caged was your own mind and your own thoughts. You are engulfed in the realisation that you just broke free from all the chains pulling you down, and you are now ready to fly.

• Re-centre you mind, body and soul: As you finish your dare, you find yourself amazingly alive in the present moment. It’s deeply calming and brings the consciousness back into what is. This is neither the future nor the past; this is just ‘now’. All the frustrations, chaos, the triviality of daily life, stress, and depression is just external ‘noise’ that we end up carrying as baggage. The calm within gets lost, and we forget the beauty of silence. One attempt at overpowering your fear, and overcoming an unsurmountable challenge and positivity gets restored within yourself and you find yourself throwing away the negativity into the depth below. Becoming aware of every little moment is a beautiful gift. Every now and then, you realise, you need to get out of our own head and just live. Live in the joy of being alive.

The writer is Director, Business Development at Jumpin Heights