Mystic Managers – Blog

Swimming is fun for those who can barely swim, and one of the safest forms of exercising for those who can reasonably swim – irrespective of age and fitness level. Some serious fitness enthusiasts effectively use swimming for stretching and cool down after grueling weight training session.

Mystics muse and wonder:

Is swimming hitherto unexplored alternative healing therapy? Does swimming really heal anxiety, stress, high blood pressure, sores, aches and pains? Can swimming be evolved into meditative exercise for mind control and spiritual ascension?

HEALING THERAPY

High blood pressure, stress, anxiety, nervousness, depression, sleep disorders are bane of the Generation Y. These disorders more often than not lead to loss of vitality and potency that can shatter hard earned self esteem and confidence. For a high intensity aerobic or anaerobic workout, one needs to have a relatively calm mental disposition – for those who are emotionally or psychologically stressed out, it’s best to choose between low-moderate intensity workouts.

1. During summers, even a cool shower has a cooling effect on our system. Late evening shower before bed harmonizes our energy flow and we sleep better and wake up fresher.

2. Mystics are not trying to suggest that swimming pool water has inherent healing powers per se, but the act of swimming, the attitude with which one swims – the thoughts while swimming, the overall absorption and union with water certainly have healing potency.

3. Natural springs and falls are not regularly accessible to city dwellers, but even the sound of falling water in a park, garden or around swimming pool arena soothes our nerves. There are so many meditation music DVDs with gushing water, falls, waves… Listening to such music with mindful-concentration has a cooling effect on brain cells and entire nervous system.

4. While I am writing this, it’s raining outside. Some time ago as it was starting to pour, I went out with a mango and relished it along with gentle splashes of rain. Watching it rain often makes people smile, and if we choose to indulge in it from our window or balcony, rain can wash away some of our tension and melancholy. Just go and shake a branch after a rain and the drops from the leaves will caress you. As we develop hyper tension or sink into depression drop by drop over several years, similarly we heal also bit by bit, moment by moment. No magic formulas, no wonder therapy.

5. Swimming regularly, with awareness and calm absorption, helps us physiologically by muscle toning, boosting the cardiovascular pumping, and provides lubrication to the joints. Psychologically swimming is a pick-me-up and the more involved and absorbed we become, even if for a period of a few weeks, we will find a positive change vis-à-vis our blood pressure, nervousness, and even certain psycho-somatic disorders. Surrendering to the spirit of water in a conscious and active way is the Mantra. Swimming calmly does not mean swimming slowly — one can be calm but be really brisk or swift at the same time.

Certain neurotic patients are advised to stay away from water. Always consult your doctor.

SWIMMING MEDITATION

Meditation takes on different meaning depending on the nature and evolutionary stage of an individual. Musician may reach the stars while playing his instrument; Rossetti could touch haven while painting and Rumi as he wrote mystical poems. Buddhist monks meditate on the eternal void sitting cross legged. For Mystics meditation is moment by moment, day by day, activity by activity affair.

Affirmation, Visualization, Chanting, breathing techniques are all components of meditation. These all can be practiced while swimming and one can derive multiple benefits out of the time spent in the pool. But it needs focus and concentration to reap the maximum benefits.

AFFIRMATION

Pick up a simple affirmation such as “I am health, I am healthy. I am calm, I am calmness” With first stroke mentally affirm ‘I am health’, with the second mentally repeat, ‘I am healthy’, with third stroke mentally utter, ‘I am calm’ and with fourth, ‘I am calmness’. Mentally keep repeating it as you swim lap after lap, with increasing intensity and fervor. Another sample affirmation, “I am strong, I am strength. I am success, I am successful”. Or consider a more philosophical one, “I am omnipresent, I am omnipresence. I am omnipotent, I am omnipotence. I am omniscient, I am omniscience.” Better still create your own affirmation depending on your own unique need and temperament. Mentally oriented people may affirm with will and concentration. Feeling oriented people may choose more devotional affirmations.

VISUALIZATION

Affirmation deals with habitual thought patterns, whereas visualization or imagery pertains to creative conscious projection to move in a desired direction. The visualization mentioned here in at this point can best be practiced while doing backstroke in an outdoor swimming pool.

As you get busy with your backstrokes, mentally allow your spirit to soar and embrace the entire horizon of sky. Feel your body and then again the vast expanse of the sky. Believe that your spirit can actually soar far beyond the confines of your body. You are Eternity, Infinity. Eternity yawns at you, Infinity caresses you. You have no limits, for you are an Infinite being having Eternal existence. Let your spirit soar farther and farther to boundless shores of Eternity. Keep swimming with vigor, while your spirit soars farther and farther. Immerse your spirit in water, spread your spirit in water. Embrace it, feel it caressing your veins, feel the water touching your heart and filling it with the spirit of mercy and compassion. Now feel your merciful spirit to be spread in water, in ether, and in the open blue sky.

Such visualizations help to break self imposed psychological limitations and spurs us to strive for greater accomplishments in professional and spiritual spectrum.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 at 8:12 am and is filed under Healing, Meditation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.