Swimming Tips for Beginners
Who thought I would be a person giving swimming tips! Especially with all the fear and nervousness I had from the water.
After spending almost two months with swimming lessons twice weekly, I now see myself more empowered and confident in the water.
It was quite a journey and not an easy experience. I had to overcome lots of fear, tightness, doubt, nervousness and discomfort till I arrived this point.
If you are a total beginner and interested to learn swimming, here are some tips to keep in mind:
Take your time to learn and practice your swimming skills. There is no rush here. If you are like me with lots of fear and doubt, its ok. With consistent practice and patience, you would notice your body muscles eventually getting loose and relaxed in the water.
Trust your coach who is there to guide, help and rescue you if you panicked in the water or lost control of yourself.
Use your breath as your anchor when you are in the water. Your breath helps you to calm down and focus. It also relieves you from tensions and slows down your heart beat. Whenever you feel scared and nervous, come back to your breath. Refocus your mind on your breathing and trust yourself, your body and the water. Things are ok and there is nothing to be scared of.
Practice your swimming techniques and follow the coach instructions. You are not perfect. You are here to learn, do mistakes and practice. Gradually with patience and practice, you would improve your swimming skills and get better day by day.
Remember that swimming is fun and enjoyable. Whenever you practice, have fun with it. Even if you see yourself struggling with fear and nervousness, it is ok. Still have fun. Relate with your swimming mates. Encourage and motivate each other. Tease each other. Talk and make funny jokes. Make your swimming time playful and enjoyable.
Use your mindfulness practice when swimming. When you detach your mind from your body, you would find your body doing wonders and magic. It is amazing when you stop thinking and and just allow your body to do its thing in the water. Trust your body and water to find the best rhythm. Your body has got strong feelings. It grasps the kind of environment it is put in. Eventually with trust and patience, your strokes, kicks, buoyance and breathing will fit into the best coordinative position in the water.
Finally practice, practice and practice. The best antidote to fear is action. With the fear inside you and worries, push yourself. Take small baby steps. It is ok if you swallow some water or cough or panic. When you continue practicing and pushing yourself with all that fast heart beat and tight chest muscles, you would start developing confidence and trust in yourself. You would say to yourself: Yes I did it. I am scared but I did it anyway. I am worried but I challenged myself and I wanna do it again. I am nervous but I can do this again and again.