Meditative Power of Swimming

‘There is nothing like swimming up a mist-covered river, as the sun comes up. The light is amazing and you feel totally connected to nature.’

For Anna Goldrein, an online travel journalist from London, it’s all about what she describes as the meditative quality of swimming. ‘It’s a very peaceful form of exercise,’ she says. ‘I have a busy job, surrounded by people all day long. Going for a swim enables me to switch off from everything. I’m not being told what to do, like in an aerobics class, and I’m not being bombarded by stimulation as I am for the rest of my day. It’s just me and my mind moving through the water, which is very liberating, and because swimming is so rhythmical, it’s like doing yoga in water.’

There’s another advantage of water exercise. When you’re working out in the gym, everyone can see you. But in a pool you become virtually invisible, so you’re not self-conscious.

Water is so much more than a simple medium for exercise. Alexander McQueen, the late fashion designer, was quoted in Vogue as being ‘happiest when he was scuba-diving’. Underwater, he could be like Peter Pan, untroubled by the issues that plagued him on dry land. It’s a sentiment that all swimmers and water babies can relate to.


https://www.psychologies.co.uk/self/the-meditative-power-of-swimming.html