Taking the Plunge

As I drove, bleary-eyed, to the pool this morning at 5:30 am, I must admit that I spent a number of minutes wondering what I was doing out on this dark, foggy soup of a morning instead of curled up in my warm bed putting the finishing touches on a dream or two before my usual morning alarm-time. A couple of weeks back I signed up to participate in the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society's Team in Training and I plan to participate in the Capital of Texas Triathlon in May. (See side-bar for more info about the program.) So for the past couple of weeks I have been training my body to get up off the couch and instead, run, ride or swim at various points during the week. This morning was the first 6 am swim I did with my group members. Given that I am not an early-bird by nature, this was quite an endeavor for me. Rather than focus on how tired and uncomfortable and cold I was, I focused instead on how I am benefiting families in San Antonio who are living with blood cancers through my fundraising efforts. It definitely helped to focus on the bigger picture while standing at the edge of the pool, shivering and contemplating whether anyone would notice if I slipped out the door and back into my warm car.

Once I finally got into the pool and fell into the rhythm of the strokes, my mind shifted to thoughts about how the act of getting in the pool and swimming is a lot like life in general. Learning to swim with confidence is very much like learning to live one's life with confidence and purposefulness. Any decision to create change in one's life requires a shift in thinking and this is analogous to mustering up the courage to jump into the water. Typically, we spend some time dabbling our toes in the baby pool and learning what we can there: building confidence and alleviating anxiety (especially when you open your eyes under water and realize there are no sharks or monsters in the baby pool). You may even learn to relax and float in the safe confines of the baby pool. Eventually, though, we become aware of the big pool along-side our little pool and we realize that it's time to move on, to challenge ourselves to learn something new. In making this transition, some folks take it easy; they climb down the ladder one rung at a time, allowing their body to register and adjust to the temperature, until their feet are on the floor of the pool. Others enter with a mighty splash or cannonball; they leap into the depths with unabashed enthusiasm and joy, regardless of whether the water is heated or not. Still others may sit on the edge of the pool, then when the time is right, slide into the water gently and begin to swim, without their feet ever touching the ground, almost as if they were waiting for the best opportunity to show their stuff in the larger environment.

In working out with the Team in Training coaches, we, the participants, learn to break down the stroke to smaller pieces. We swim laps isolating various parts of our bodies, consciously attending to the position of our elbows, hands, head and belly button. We learn how to slice through the water like slick porpoises instead of weighted-down barges. We learn to slow our breath and lengthen our stroke across the pool. We learn to trust our bodies in the water and use our muscles with the greatest efficiency, conserving energy for the upcoming events, the bike and run.

As I think about these isolation drills, it reminds me of the similar drills we need to employ when we are trying to create change in our life: whether that be trying to change our eating habits to lose weight, or reduce our stress reactions, or take steps to improve communication skills with others. No matter what you are trying to change, it requires conscious attention to the "parts" and experimenting with change to see what happens. It's about educating yourself about what will help you "move through the water" with efficiency and confidence. Most of all it is about practice and teaching your body and mind to embrace the new skill as a new part of you. The practice period is what biofeedback is all about as well. Biofeedback is a treatment technique in which people are trained to improve their health by using signals from their own bodies. When teaching biofeedback to my clients, I help tense and anxious clients learn to relax their bodies and become aware of the physical cues that signal them that they are feeling stress or tension in their bodies. Our behavior, thoughts and feelings profoundly affect our health and by increasing our awareness, we are able to create change. When a client learns that she can change a habit through the technique of biofeedback, or psychotherapy or coaching, her confidence builds and she is ready to take the plunge!

Thought for the Day: Are you still hanging out in the baby pool? Are you ready to learn some new techniques and swim in the possibilities? What can you practice this week that will help you gain mastery and move yourself forward?

Don't wait for your ship to come in - swim out to it. ~Author Unknown