Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
“I feel better after getting out of the water compared to how I feel before I get in,” says California swimmer Steven Munatones. “It does not matter what time I swim or where. It could be early in the morning, mid-day or later at afternoon – or even at night in pitch darkness; swimming is simply a great invigorator.
I could swim in the warm waters of the Cayman Islands or in the cool waters of Aquatic Park in San Francisco Bay, I feel better prepared for the worldly pressures and issues that we face on dryland. Being in, on or under water as Dr. Wallace J. Nichols has described in his New York Times best-selling book, Blue Mind*, can lead to a more creative mind.
I swim in the early morning with the same group of swimmers for over 15 years in Seal Beach. Some days, it is hard to get up and some days, I get up quite easily. But we swim together and then all feel individually and collectively better after we get out. Right after swimming, I try to write my most important bits and pieces of the day or taking my most important calls of the day. But throughout the day, it is also uplifting to share communications – calls or emails – with swimmers around the world. It is great to read and learn from swimmers in different countries and of all ages.”
“After getting out of the water, this is an opportune time to do something creative,” recommends Dr. Nichols.
“It can be something like calling your mother, making a presentation, or drafting a chapter in your book. The water positively impacts our lives in a variety of ways. Our relationship with the water can be anything from swimming or diving in the ocean to walking along a river or taking a bath.
Photo is from the Dead Sea Swim between Jordan and Israel.
* Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do by Dr. Wallace J. Nichols.
Copyright © 2016 by World Open Water Swimming Association