BrianSGermain

There is a huge difference in the feeling of freefall without a drogue. You may not notice it at this stage, however, as your adrenalin is sky high at this point. As previously mentioned, the secret is to keep your pelvis pressed forward, and relax all the muscles that you don't need. In other words, relax almost everything, except for your thigh muscles that you will need to extend your legs. Don't worry about it too much. Thinking that this is going to be a big deal will raise your stress level, and that will not allow you to fly. You can do this, or your instructors wouldn't have cleared you. Remember, when in doubt, pull. But don't give up on the arch and pull early unless you absolutely have to. Have Fun! + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Turning Away Fear happens. We all have to deal with it. Unfortunately, most folks chose to avoid situations that provoke us in this manner. We choose the easy path through life so that we don't have to feel afraid. Living free of the hindrance of fear is all about becoming comfortable with the initial experience of fear, and controlling our impulse to pull back. This comes from an inner belief that we have the ability to make the right decisions to get us through the danger. That ability is rooted in staying in the moment, and digging into the reality that we are presented with. If we are afraid of being afraid, we will never truly live. + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

There are many things you can do to work with your fear. The process described in my last post is a good start. It seems to be the truth. Some other things that seem to make a big difference: 1) Increase your understanding of the situation. Learn everything you can. Rehearse your solutions. This will increase your perceived ability, which inevitably reduces your perceived risks. 2) Meditate. This makes a gigantic difference in your ability to notice where your thoughts are going, and nip negative ones in the bud. You can control your experience if you are aware of the subjective aspect of your experience. 3) Practice all kinds of challenges, beyond the specific situation that you are trying to diffuse. It is your relationship to the fear experience that you need to address as much as the specific nature of the skydiving experience. The more you steep yourself in experiences that scare you, the more you will become accustomed to who you are when the fear begins to unfold. Ultimately, it is how we relate to ourselves when we are afraid that matters most. Success is simply not turning away from the intensity. Dive in, with your eyes open. Turning your back on fear is how it gets control over you. Fear is like a mushroom, it grows in the darkness of our minds. If we point the light of conscious awareness at it, our fear immediately begins to shrivel and die. Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

The specific precursors that bring about a fear response vary depending on our personal history. Ultimately, however, what brings about the fear response is less important than what we do with it. Fear, if we were to create an operational definition, might be: "an emotional response to the world that has a predominately negative affective tone". "Emotion" in this case, is used to mean a physiological response to our cognition. Although we may debate the specifics of the definition, it is unarguable that fear always has both a causal cognitive precursor, and a physiological component. The physical reaction to our thinking may or may not be effective in increasing our ability to respond to the world correctly. In higher magnitudes of fear reaction, our ability to respond thoughtfully diminishes dramatically. We know this. The process that leads us up the scale of fear response may vary in the speed at which it takes hold, but the response is fairly stereotypical in nature. The speed with which the process escalates is the only variable, determining how much time we have to alter our response based on secondary cognitive appraisal. All that being said, there are individuals who cultivate the skill of recognizing the emotional response early in the process. This comes as a result of an acute awareness of their arousal level at all times. When the balance starts to become upset, it is taken as an indication that an action must be taken to alter the conditions to improve safety. The "action" can be to tie into a fixed anchor point on a climb, or to perform a equipment check. It may, however, be to engage in a relaxation ritual such as controlled breathing. Ultimately, the action is something that the individual is performing in order to achieve the goal of reducing the stress level, and returning to the status quo. Individuals that have not cultivated this skill do not recognize that the arousal level has changed. They are generally so focused on the outside world that they neglect to turn their attention toward their emotional response to the situation. This is generally due to the mother of all fears: Fear Itself. The experience of fear is negative. Most of humankind think of fear as something which, if avoided, will shrivel up and go away. This is generally not the case. Individuals that are highly skilled in dealing with their fear do the exact opposite. They address their fear directly. They first notice the emotional side of their response and know how to calm themselves down. Second, they form a clear model of the situation, and walk through the variables and create a path through the perceived danger. It is this process that allows us to transcend fear. We all experience fear, but not all of us know how to work with it. The mystical thinking of avoidance seems to be the most dangerous methodology of all, as it turns the attention away from the solutions. The Process of “De-Escalation”: 1) Continuous Awareness/Monitoring of the Arousal Level so that any escalation in the emotional tone will be quickly recognized. Te individual establishes an emotional benchmark to which the current state is compared. All cognitions and behaviors are directed toward the goal of defending the status quo of arousal level and emotional tone. 2) Specific Methods and Rituals for deliberately "De-escalating" the emotional response. 3) Cognitive screening in employed so that only the thoughts that are solution-based are entertained. 4) Physical Actions directed toward the goal of reducing the perceived risk of the situation. In essence, it is our memory of what it feels like to be calm and safe that allows us to engage in high-risk activities without an uncontrolled escalation of emotions. Fear, then, is momentarily forgetting what it is to be calm and safe. We lose our ground, and we lose our balance. The more firmly our feet are planted on the ground when we step off of it, the calmer and more effective we will be once we step off into the space of the unknown. Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

It is incorrect to assume that meditation requires sitting in an ashram and staring at carpet. That is one way to go, but anything we do can be done meditatively. Noticing the mind is what it is all about; more accurately, noticing how it obscures reality. The mind is a model of reality, it is not the real thing. When we do not think this way, we get lost in the illusion, and believe that our thinking is reality. Meditative thinking is simply cutting through this veil of thought so that we may stay in the real world. Even when we do not sit in a formal meditation, we can be practicing. It simply about remaining aware of our thinking; when our minds are taking us from the present moment. You never stop; really, you just stop noticing that you are doing it. When we wake up and realize that we are thinking, and that thought process is taking us away from empirical reality, we are practicing. When we recognize that we don't like where our thoughts are taking us and take a deep breath and step into wakeful emptiness, we are engaging the process called enlightenment. + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Meditation - I could talk for hours about it, but I don't do it much anymore. I will say this: It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. And I think it's been the most worthwhile. I totally agree with you. I think it is easier to just let the mind run. Unfortunately, that's not how we get control over our experience, however. Turning away from space is a fear response like any other, and has negative consequences like any other fear response. When we let fear choose for us, we lose. It feels a lot like dying, as we slip into the void. That's a very scary, almost claustrophobic experience. A feeling of hot suffocation; like being buried alive. Fortunately, that is only part of the experience, the lions at the gate. Once we pass through, there is something else, something very worth the trip. Peace. A great skydiver, a great person, must be grounded in this feeling of peaceful non-attachment to the world; just watching it happen. Meditation is part of the training to reach our full potential; that's why it is called "practice". Is it fun to lift weights? Maybe sometimes. Most of the time it is so that we can become strong enough to do other, more fun things. Meditation is very much like this, and we can go no further without it, in one form or another. It is incorrect to assume that meditation requires sitting in an ashram and staring at carpet. That is one way to go, but anything we do can be done meditatively. Noticing the mind is what it is all about; more accurately, noticing how it obscures reality. The mind is a model of reality, it is not the real thing. When we do not think this way, we get lost in the illusion, and believe that our thinking is reality. Meditative thinking is simply cutting through this veil of thought so that we may stay in the real world. + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Guns help keep the peace. Do you really believe that? Putting ourselves in situations in which we need guns is the real problem. Guns do not create peace, they just prolong a cease-fire. That is, until the other people that have guns believe they have enough fire-power to kill you. That is not real peace. The drama of war is addictive. The cycle of killing for revenge is a neverending one, a war that cannot be won. If we don't want to live in a world of war, we need to use our minds to create a real and lasting peace, rather than old ways that will lead us right back to where we are right now: insecure and afraid. Home Now Peace Simple... + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

I hear you, and prudence in this matter is essential for the safety of all concerned, including the Iraqi people. I think the way to go may be to send people from other nations, rather than Americans. The international persona of the American people is not a terribly positive image right now, and will continue to present a target for hatred. If the US sends financial support for the reconstruction efforts, orchestrated and implemented by other nations or the UN, we will be doing the best we can right now. We have made a mess, and in this case the way to go is to hire an outside cleaning crew. Thinking that this is some kind of financial opportunity for America is exactly the kind of thinking that vilifies our country, and proves the viewpoint that we attacked Iraq for economic reasons rather than for security. If we want to be "big" about this, we will not try to gain anything. If Saddam was a danger, that danger is gone. Now we need to switch to the grownup job of helping them achieve a balanced economy and state of overall wellness. If the best way to do that is to step back so that we don't make matters worse, so be it. There are plenty of nations that would be happy to take over the job of the reconstruction. Neutral nations are the way to go here, peacemakers. Taking that step will be a message to the world that the US is growing up from the cowboy image that brings so much distain worldwide. We don't have to be that. + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Our fear can get us killed. That simple means of government is how that region of the world worked before Saddam, and it may resort to that for a while. If that is what they are ready for, that is what they will do. Trying to force "democracy" on a region that is not ready for it will be a waste of energy. I think the best thing to do it to step back and lead a good example. The example we are setting by attacking other countries is not the image that we want to send out there. We need to thrive and entice the world to do the same. We need to let others be, but inspire them to live in peace, and work toward creating a healthy civilization. We cannot force this. It will take time. We can send them aid; we can send them seeds to plant. But we absolutely cannot make peace with guns. + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

It's been a while since you've jumped student gear eh? Acutally, I try to stay current with all kinds of equipment, large and small. Staying relaxed during the pull sequence and though the opening effects the situation. You can actually cause line-twists by being too stiff during the opening. Resisting reality is how bad things happen. + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

There is a change to our situation when the pull is the real one, as opposed to practice. The ground is coming up, and we know it. This tend to cause us to stiffen up, and ruch the pull. 1) Take a breath when you realize pull-time is approaching, relax. 2) Reach for the handle slowly enough, and stay acutely aware of your heading. 3) Enjoy the experience, don't take on the attitude of "I wish this part was over" When we feel pressure, we tend to perform badly. Try to savor the experience of pulling, and strive to become more aware of your body as you do it. Pulling can be fun! + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

I hear your concerns. The perservation of human life is the primary concern here. The reason people are getting their heads chopped off is simple: there are people with guns running around their streets with American flags on their sleeves. If that were not the case, and the troops were removed, we would be much closer to the goal of letting them govern themselves as a sovereign nation, and heads could stay attached to their necks. Unfortunately, that is not really the goal of our current administration. The people in power in this nation are primarily concerned with the flow of oil our of the region, and how it will effect the American economy. If the preservation of human life and each individual's rights to live free were the real goal, we would not be attacking or occupying anybody. Picking a fight just perpetuates the cycle of violence. If we want everyone to be free, we should let them be free. That is not what the US is doing there. We are stirring up a hornets nest, and we will call them barbarians when we get stung. They are simply defending their teritory, as we would if we were invaded. Let them be free. + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

The bare energy, without interpretation is not fear, not yet. It is thought that makes it fear. The rush can be interpreted as joy, or terror. Careful not to confuse the addiction to joy as an addiction to fear. Fear does not feel good, and does not enhance our performance. It has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Leaning forward into the energy is how we transform the energy into joy. Once the boulder is rolling, you have to get behind it and push, or get squished by its shear power. + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

I hear your fear, driving you toward what you fear most. You are not alone. If we want to feel safer, we need to focus on what we want to avoid, and what the exact causes are of our present situation. The US has been sticking its troops to a place where they are not welcome. That is why the tragedy of 9/11 occured. It was not a blind stab at freedom as many jingoistic rable-rousers would suggest. They want us to hold to our original National Doctrine: "No Involvement In Foreign Wars". If they want to fight each other, that is their choice. We need to keep our fingers out of that barbeque. Just because you get burnt, doesn't mean you have to dump lighter fluid on it to try and put it out. This is not WWII. Iraq was no angel, but that country had nothing to do with 9/11. We were hurt, but this is just misplaced aggression. Bush wanted to show the world that we are strong, so he picked a kid that he thought he could take, and he beat the crap out of him. This is playground politics, not adult behavior. Home. Peace. Appologize. Now. + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

It is our fear that causes Americans with guns to be sent to place that puts them in danger. It is exactly that situation that is creating the climate of fear. They don't want American flags or American troops on their streets any more than we would want them running on our streets. We should be there to help, or walk away and allow other nations to take over that do not represent such a target for hatred. If we want the world to cool down, we need to stop feeding the fire. Moving forward in the wrong direction is not moving forward at all. + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

First of all, there is no need for stabbing My point was along the same lines with the original post. Learning how to fly a canopy using all possible control inputs in different situations is more important for surviving than perfecting freefall skills. Swooping was used as an example of canopy piloting discipline. Obviously, CF falls into the same category. Yes. This is not about learning how to beat others in some arbitrary competition. This is about survival. Our parachutes are the means by which we return to the earth, and if we want to minimize our risks, we need to be intimately connected to them. The science of parachute flight and other gear issues will always over-shadow freefall fun as dominant factor in our survival equation. Competitions, however, can be incredibly helpful. When we challenge ourselves to perform a specific task we find out what we are actually capable of. Sport accuracy is one of the most important challenges for achieving the goal of becoming a better, safer skydiver. Landing in a specific location and stopping there is essential to our long-term health. There is another unseen benefit to becoming an expert at canopy flight. Our overall fear begins to diminish. When we believe that the situation is mostly in our control, we feel safer. By being calmer and more at home in the sky, we are able to liberate our potential in the air. A scared skydiver is a bad skydiver, and most people could be more comfortable than they are under canopy. Learning about our parachutes, every aspect of it, allows us to expand our perceived ability (and actual ability), while becoming a better judge of the perceived risks (and actual risks). That's how we get old in this sport. Mind counters Gravity. + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

I would like to invite interested skydivers to discuss the issue of fear in this thread, specifically how you deal with your fear. We all have it, and successful jumpers develop cognitive and somatic methods to work with their fear so that it will not control them. This topic is of great interest to me, as I am researching this issue for a new book. Please help. The world really needs this information right now, as many of us believe that fear is the fundimental limiting factor in life. In a chapter of human history that might be termed "The Age of Fear", the study of its transformation is extremely germane to the evolution of our collective human experience. Thank you. + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

I am just trying to say that the association between meditation and drugs is unfortunate. Highly successful skydivers use meditation and visualization on a regular basis to become better skydivers. You are free to let this stuff go, but it isn't fair to shut other people down because of their views. We are one sport, one people. Our unusual lifestyle can draw us together, and the connection can enhance our lives. I hear what you are saying. Taking things too seriously is a trap. This sport is all about fun, and I am way on board with that. Life is too short to get one's pants in a bunchie. I am sorry that you think that the only reason I write on DZ.com is for free advertizing. That worldview really makes me sad. There are ideas that can change the world, and when I get one, I spread it. If I wanted to get rich, I would have a real job. Hope you can see the light of what I am really trying to do. + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

There is no such thing as fighting for peace. Let's bring them home now, and send teachers and construction crews to replace the warriors. If we do not go this route, the US will get attacked again. I don't like the idea of doing anything that bends to the demands of terrorists, but I also hate violence more than I am attached to my national ego. Get 'em home...right now. + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Closed mind Closed possibilities. I know that the idea of meditation is a little alien to most people. This has to change if we are to harness the power of the mind. You don't have to explore this part of yourself if it scares you, but what is your fear costing you? Chicken? + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

I'll be a customer! Fortunately, I no longer have to contend with the acute fear that came close to driving me away from the sport in the beginning. However, anxiety periodically returns and I know it affects both my enjoyment of jumping and my performance. Creating Space There are many things you can go to work with anxiety. The beginning is a homework assignment. Spend 30 minutes sitting in silence. Don't try to think; don't try to not think. Notice your thoughts and just let them go. Let the space come naturally. Becoming comfortable with emptiness is the first step toward transforming fear. Ultimately, it is the darkness of the unknown that brings about the state of anxiety and fear. Getting comfortable with this darkness is what allows us to remain without thought. When anxiety begins to take hold, it is due to thoughts. If we are to get off the train that is taking us in the wrong direction, we must let go of our fear of standing around in the station, not going anywhere. Look for Transcending Fear on my website + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Creating Possibilities Skydiving is a mind-game. When we step out of an airplane, our thoughts are what protect us most. When we are "on edge", our minds are preparing for the most basic responses that evolution has engrained in our subconscious minds: fight, flight or freeze. None of these responses are contextually appropriate. When we shift into fear-mode, our mental imagery stems from the assumption that things are going really wrong, and the possibilities begin to narrow in our minds. We cease to see the world as it is, but as we expect it to be. We react in knee-jerk thoughts, and loose our cognitive capacity for higher cognition and problem solving. The way through this maze is to utilize our skills of "self-soothing". We have the ability to create space in our minds, and calm ourselves down. By taking a moment to breathe and stop our thinking, we open the door for more possibilities. We wake up into the moment with bare attention, and liberate the solutions that were hovering above our heads all along. Each moment is an opportunity to be present. Each challenge is a chance to allow the calm version of ourselves to come out and show it's true colors. Skydiving isn't about jumping out of airplanes, really. It is a path that brings out our higher selves through empirical requirement. We must see the possibilities and select the correct course of action if we are to survive. This is a real as it gets. For more thoughts like this one, look for my upcoming book: "Transcending Fear" + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

I would love to do a course in Espania! With the cooperation of the DZ, there should be no problem at all. Let me know if I can help. Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

It seems to me that we need to think of what we do as two separate sports, the top part and the bottom part. Considering the situation this way, it occurs to me that we are spending too much time concerning ourselves with the top part, and not enough on the part of the experience that saves our lives. Our equipment is what saves our lives, and yet flying around in freefall is where most people focus their attention most. An equivalent amount of concern, thought and training needs to go into learning how to fly our parachutes better. In the end, perfect symmetrical freefall body position only makes a perfect symmetrical hole in the ground... Learn more, Live longer. + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Great fun, isn't it? I started foot-launching my skydiving canopy back in 87, and have been hooked ever since. If your canopy is 150 or larget, you should be able to get off the ground. Running, running, flying... Love it. + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com