swimming through thoughts

It’s the new swimming season here in Karmiel, and boy am I feeling charley horsed from it! Even though I exercise pretty regularly, changing to a new exercise routine for the first time in 6 months means using muscles that haven’t been targeted in that long.

Not only that, but my swimming skills declined over the winter as well. I wasn’t going to let that get me down, though! I chose to make a game out of it instead.

The way the game works is to look at experiences in life to see how I could apply them to other concepts I’m more familiar with. Being that I spend a lot of time thinking about the way we relate to food and eating this was where my mind went to.

First the experience, then the metaphor.

How good it felt to be in the comfort zone of swimming the back stroke.
…this reminded me of eating foods that you know feel good in your body, and you can always default to them.

What it was like to experiment with my capabilities at doing the side stroke.
…this reminded me of trying new foods that you may or may not like, and won’t know unless you’re willing to try them.

How long I could swim the breaststroke for without losing my breath.
…this reminded me of the need to slow down when trying new foods to see how they truly sit with your body and if you like them or not. Some things actually grow on you with time!

I had the lane mostly to myself that night, and was really enjoying the time to let my mind wander and be alone with my thoughts.
…this reminded me of the need for us to pause and take some time to ourselves throughout the day, even if just for a few minutes.

It felt SO good to be back in the water and let the experience totally wash over me.
…this reminded me of the pleasures we are meant to experience in this world, including from yummy, delicious food.

If I stumbled through some of the laps, stopping part of the way through, it’s still exercise.
…this reminded me of eating foods that don’t feel quite so perfect in our bodies, and they still provide us with some energy and nourishment.

When my handstand completely flopped, I could try again…learn from what didn’t go as well as I had hoped…and get it better the next time.
…this reminded me of the times we eat when we’re not hungry, or eat to cover up an uncomfortable emotion…and that we can always learn from what happened and grow stronger from the experience.

So that’s how I plowed through a night of swimming, finding powerful metaphors to keep me focused and engaged.

Now let’s turn it over to you. What experiences are you working on? How can the power of metaphor help you get focused? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!