Let It Go to Get It!

“ You will never be able to do it till you hold it, you will need to leave it to get it!”

Yes, you read it right… Water shows anomalous behavior. It gets expanded as it is frozen where other fluids shrink below their freezing point.

My journey of learning swimming was a crazy one. I remember myself floating in a tube, trembled with a thought that I am somewhere in a strange medium where there are a lot of ugly creatures surrounding me, and at anytime, any of them can actually touch me. No wonders, I was thinking about the fishes in a baby pool!

The purpose of adding this is, when you introduce a beginner, especially children below 6-7 years of age to a new activity, where everything is new, they always have a lot of questions, pre conceived notions and some silly fears in their minds. While dealing with this particular activity of swimming, the guide needs to be very much careful and children friendly. You might have learnt swimming in a very horrible way. Someone may have pushed you in the pool forcefully or you may not have learnt because of some silly fears like one I had in my childhood. There are very few people in India who learn in a sophisticated and learner centric way. You must be lucky if you are one of them!

I was one of the luckiest learners as my father researched a lot before he actually started to teach me. He experimented with himself, read a lot of books, spent hours in library as there was no person who could guide him in the whole Ahilyanagr. Even there was no Google! He taught me very patiently and creatively and I learnt as well! But when it came to swimming 4 strokes without any support such as a float or a kick board, I literally exhausted his patience. He designed numerous drills with gradual progressions to make me confident, but my confidence was the most only when I had some support and once I was asked to leave the support, I used to behave totally like a non-swimmer with water phobia.

Many days past, he kept on trying different ‘nice’ ways. One fine day, I was asked to sit like Spidey on the wall holding the bar, aiming towards a float which was standing at approx. 2m distance from the wall. I sat like Spidey ( its an initial position before taking push off ), aimed towards the float but again all the confidence vanished at once… I only remember a strong force which caused me to leave the bar in fractions, the extremely increased heart rate and the water which went in my nose & mouth and… I did it! I did swim 4 strokes and grabbed the float without failing!

I cried very much after it because of the impact which hurt me. But after that day, no such day came when I was scared of swimming in depths…

The talks with my father were always being so beautiful. I remember he telling me “To learn swimming, one must learn to leave behind the rigidity of the body and instead cultivate a sense of ease and surrender. You need to relax the muscles, relinquish the fears, and allow the water to support and guide movements. Just as in meditation, surrendering to the water’s embrace enables swimmers to glide effortlessly through the pool. Trust the water and make it your best friend!”

Much like in life, mastering the art of swimming requires letting go of control and allowing oneself to become one with the water. For the novice swimmers learning to float, initially, the fear of sinking and the instinct to resist the water’s buoyancy can hinder progress. However, by consciously letting go of tension, trusting in the water’s natural properties, and surrendering to its embrace, the swimmer discovers newfound stability and ease. In this surrender, they find themselves floating effortlessly, experiencing a sense of weightlessness and freedom.

In conclusion, the philosophy of “let it go to get it” serves as a guiding principle for swimmers seeking to master their craft. By surrendering to the water, releasing tension, and embracing the fluidity of movement, swimmers can unlock their true potential and experience the sheer joy of swimming. So, the next time you dive into the pool, remember to let go, trust the water, and allow yourself to become one with the rhythm of swimming…..

Happy swimming!

– Meghna Ganesh Kulkarni, Assistant Coach, KSRA Swim School