Swimming Meditation

In life, it seems like we’re always moving in a direction. I remember swimming laps in swim class, we’d swim countless of laps going faster and faster, slicing through the water, aiming to shave off time, to become more aerodynamic in the water and push harder.

This past weekend at the lake, I caught myself pushing hard again. I dove in and started swimming fast. Then I stopped. What would happen if I slowed down? To swim slower, feel more and breathe deeper?

Next time you’re swimming, dive a little deeper, stay submerged a little longer. When you surface, take in the sunlight glimmering off the water, the feeling of the air against your wet skin and savor your breath at the top. Feel your thoughts and your emotions. What are you concentrating on? When you dive in again, slice the water not focusing on your destination or getting ‘there faster’, but being where you are.