Some struggle with the idea of swimming, in particular getting their faces in, and fear is what is keeping them out of the water.
The biggest fear for many people is taking their feet off the bottom when they have nothing to hold on to. One woman described it as a "fear of gaps" – like when you step from the platform to the train. Another said it was like the moment when you fall asleep and the feeling of falling jerks you awake. Letting go is the hardest part to teach because so much of it is in the mind. Many people are fine as long as they can hold my hands but, as soon as they try to let go, panic sets in and – even though I don't feel it myself – I can see that it is a real, deep-seated fear.
Teaching swimming has taught me so much about fear itself. Fear keeps us safe, but it also prevents us from moving forward. If you are frightened and try to hold on to the water, you can't swim. It is only by letting go and trusting that the water will hold you up that you can learn to swim. This is far more important than technique, but it takes time.
Occasionally I have an adult pupil who hasn't learned to swim simply because of circumstance. One woman I taught grew up in a war zone – there was no time for swimming. She was not afraid of the water, she had just never learned. She was swimming lengths of the pool easily after just a few lessons because she had no fear and the process was straightforward.
Sometimes lessons learned in the water seem to translate into real life. One man who was a total non-swimmer before he came to me told me that, once he conquered his fear of water and learned to swim, he found that he was no longer afraid of dogs.
Being with people and helping them to overcome fear that they may have had for their whole lives is a rewarding and humbling experience. For me, the water is a comforting and safe environment, but for many of the people I work with the water is a source of fear and panic.
The biggest fear for many people is taking their feet off the bottom when they have nothing to hold on to. One woman described it as a "fear of gaps" – like when you step from the platform to the train. Another said it was like the moment when you fall asleep and the feeling of falling jerks you awake. Letting go is the hardest part to teach because so much of it is in the mind. Many people are fine as long as they can hold my hands but, as soon as they try to let go, panic sets in and – even though I don't feel it myself – I can see that it is a real, deep-seated fear.
Teaching swimming has taught me so much about fear itself. Fear keeps us safe, but it also prevents us from moving forward. If you are frightened and try to hold on to the water, you can't swim. It is only by letting go and trusting that the water will hold you up that you can learn to swim. This is far more important than technique, but it takes time.
Occasionally I have an adult pupil who hasn't learned to swim simply because of circumstance. One woman I taught grew up in a war zone – there was no time for swimming. She was not afraid of the water, she had just never learned. She was swimming lengths of the pool easily after just a few lessons because she had no fear and the process was straightforward.
Sometimes lessons learned in the water seem to translate into real life. One man who was a total non-swimmer before he came to me told me that, once he conquered his fear of water and learned to swim, he found that he was no longer afraid of dogs.
Being with people and helping them to overcome fear that they may have had for their whole lives is a rewarding and humbling experience. For me, the water is a comforting and safe environment, but for many of the people I work with the water is a source of fear and panic.
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