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These blogs are a way to share my thoughts and insights with you. Feel free to comment and share.

Dead-man's float

24/7/2013

6 Comments

 
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I have a lot of experience swimming in an indoor pool but much prefer  a lake, even though I have a healthy dose of fear about long-distance swimming in open water.

What if I:
  • Get a cramp and there are no "walls" to hang onto?
  • Run out of energy and am too far from shore?
  • Am knocked under by a big wave, or caught in a rip current?
  • Choke on inhaled water? 
  • Get hit by a speeding motorboat? 

In fact, I've had a few real-life scares.

Nevertheless, I love swimming and playing in the water. I dive, kick, splash, paddle, flip and do underwater headstands, hold my breath and do forward and backward somersaults. I laugh from the inside out.


When I swim without keeping track of the number of strokes, or laps or amount of time lapsed, I fall into an effortless and synchronized rhythm of cardiac effort, breath and technique. I am soothed. The feel of water embracing me, the solitude and the flotation, is pure freedom incarnate. 

Not all swims are equally perfect, but this weekend in a quiet lake, I was “one with the water”.  I swam like my idea of a barracuda - strong, fast and streamlined, barely lifting my head out of the water for air.  Then, I stopped.

I was gripped with an irrational fear that I had got too far from the shore and didn't have the physical strength to get back. I turned to face the dock and I was only 60 meters away and there were no waves!  I had a stock market crash of self-confidence. I resisted the panic and did the "dead-man's float" to calm myself. Then, without any difficulty I swam back to shore.


What brings you great pleasure? And, possibly fear? Have you had any stock market crashes of self-confidence lately? What did you do? 

Keep you posted,
Coach Minda


6 Comments
Leah
24/7/2013 02:40:34 pm

Really liked this Minda. It's a good story, great metaphor and I can relate even though I never swim like a barracuda. Not even like a jelly fish. But I feel that way on a bike. Or a horse. Strong and free. But doubt can sometimes sit at the edge. And what are the chances of any of those fears occurring? I'd say very rare. So I try and enjoy those rare moments of feeling strong and free.

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Minda link
24/7/2013 03:00:52 pm

In this story, my fear was totally irrational.

Yet, the fears are founded. As soon as you are in deep water, away from the shore, things happen. My close calls have been mostly in Ocean water. Last summer, on a lake, there was more wind and wave action. When I turned to breathe on the side I underestimated the height of the wave and got a mouthful. I was choking. I was in deep water and needed to get some footing. The fear takes away the pleasure of total abandonment. I work on the dead-man's float. And, I swim with a partner.

Reply
Minda link
26/7/2013 02:54:48 am

Strong and free is a wonderful feeling isn't it!

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ms
25/7/2013 03:53:00 am

My 'stock-market crashes' occur when there is a disconnect between my internal story of the way something's going to happen (event, conversation, etc) and the reality of what actually does happen. I regain confidence by reminding myself that OF COURSE I can't predict others' behaviour/reactions and that a different reality is just different, not bad. But the first reaction can feel like i've dropped altitude quite suddenly!

Reply
Mag
26/7/2013 02:27:45 am

Thanks for this post. I like the image of dead man's float for when I get panicky about not knowing what I'm doing in my life. Sometimes the panic leads to a sort of emotional paralysis. Better to pre-empt that constriction with the soothing discipline of dead man's float. I guess my 'dead man's float' is usually going for a walk, taking a cup of tea outside or painting a bit of furniture. Just hadn't thought of it that way before.

Reply
Danielle
26/7/2013 09:40:16 am

I had a lot of stress and anxiety lately. At one point fears came from everywhere, unexpected, unexplained and very hard to control. No danger here of drawning in deep water but the horrible sensation of having your mind paralysed and controlled by the fear of just being there with yourself and those so scary and annoying body reactions!! You can call this panic attacks . ..Turning on my back and slowing down would have been impossible.
At that point I was Lucky to have a friend who doesn’t only have this beautiful loving heart but this gift of life of being able to help, reaching and understanding with devotion and kindness, with wisdom and sincerity.

Sharing with me all her helpfull ressources gave me hope and knowing that she was there for me and caring gave me a peaceful place in my mind to be.

Reaching out for help and showing how vulnérable we are is not always easy but how helpful can it be!!


Thanking you so much Minda , my friend , my swimming boby , my coach ☺





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