Central to meditation, and the Eastern philosophy of Yoga, is control of the breath or prana or life force. The essence of swimming laps is control of the breath.
As a young adult, I frequently swam across the several lakes that bordered my home in India’s Himalayan foothills. It was an indescribable experience – just the green water, the blue sky and a body in tune with its environment and the rhythm of its breathing.
Today, I try to reconstruct the experience (somewhat) with lap swimming – a sensation that can only be understood by those that experience it. This exercise lifts me above myself to a mind-body experience that undeniably releases a flood of endorphins. The feeling is not dissimilar to the uplifting experience that follows a yoga session or meditation practice.
If meditation means guiding the mind inward and is marked by concentration, controlled breathing and withdrawal of the senses from the external world – then swimming laps can be viewed as meditation. Who says meditation insists on us sitting down cross-legged, or being still, or closing our eyes?
