It is amazing to swim with more daylight…summer is almost here!
A New Year has begun…
My approach to New Year resolutions is different from most because over the years I have noticed that resolutions tend to go by the wayside in February. Instead, I have mapped out what my perfect life would look like (i.e., my health, my relationships, the things I love to do and the new things I want to try, etc.) and every day I seize the opportunity to improve upon my plan; some days better than others.
Specifically, my personal plan is improved as I make connections between the fears I had and the ones I have conquered, along with those that surprisingly I conquer without knowing just because I am constantly learning to be in the present. My fear of heights (not flying), is almost a thing of the past; Evidenced by my recent hiking in the Garden of the Gods, Colorado, without a fast pounding heart …except for the exercise I was getting!
Regrets? Only that I did not find the Miracle Swimming Institute methodology earlier in life. On the other hand, all the steps I took prepared me to be an MSI instructor; teaching the joy of swimming with intention and gratitude.
If you have anxiety in the water or you have a paralyzing fear of water, my hope is that you have the courage to sign up for class and learn how easy it is to not just learn how to swim, but also to change your life. Happy New Year!
Chasing clouds
I swam my laps, 29 feet freestyle and 29 feet back with a backstroke. I was chasing the clouds!
There is nowhere on earth where you can have such an interaction with the sky, not even when as a child you laid on the grass finding bunnies, bears or castles in the sky.
Today I swam with elephants, fairies and brussels sprouts.
Every day in the pool is not the same…
Every day in the pool is not the same…
Every day in the pool is not the same… just like every day on land is not the same. For new swimmers it is hard to adapt ourselves to exercising in the pool every day, rain or shine, especially when the Florida winter is upon us.
For me, being one with the water on any day requires me to enter the water with an open mind and the attitude that whatever I do in the water that day is in harmony with me and my goal of keeping active.
What do I mean? Let me elaborate. Thanksgiving Day was breezy and cool, and although the water was a toasty 86F, by my standards the day was a bit chilly to be in the water. Did I tell myself, “Don’t worry, you don’t have to exercise today?” Nope! I put on my long wetsuit, swim cap and goggles and I entered “the waters”.
You know how you feel after eating turkey dinner? Well, I felt like a stuffed sausage and I could hardly move! I couldn’t swim a stroke, I felt so ill.
I decided not to get out just yet. After all it had taken some doing getting into the doggone wetsuit. I walked the pool, listened to the birds and enjoyed the beautiful day…and then I got out!
Because every day is not the same, enjoy the pool as you would the park: walk, run, skip rope (imaginary rope or with half a hula), play ball, jump, or dance.
Swimming? You can do that any old day.
Good Morning World
Good Morning World
It’s been seven years…and 3 months since I entered a swimming pool in Orlando, Florida to take a Miracle Swimming class with nine other women from around the country; the Wah Wah sisters. Yes, it sounds silly but one week of intense water exploration with others that had a fear of the water like I did, created a long-lasting bond.
It isn’t like we are always talking to each other, but sharing our stories of why we were afraid and seeing each one of us advance at our own pace with each skill taught was an experience none of us will ever forget.
Now I sit in front of my own pool writing to the world and hoping my voice will reach others with the message that no-one has to live with a fear of water. I am living proof that the fear of water can be eliminated, opening a whole new world of opportunities. I went from a person that was petrified in the water to a swim instructor! Very liberating…so what is keeping you from trying?
Swimincerely, S.
