Swimming...

I have taken yearly membership of Swimming at Kandivali's S.V.P. Swimming pool. Though I can't go on a regular basis whenever I get the chance to swim, I must admit - it gives me immense pleasure!

Yes - Immense pleasure...I have not joined it only for the body-building or exercise purpose but I have been renewing my membership at the Kandivali swimming pool since last 3-4 years just because swimming gives me a kind of joy which very few other activities would give!


During Summer I enjoy swimming more regularly. During winter I avoid going because it's already cold and I have allergic cold problem so cold water and cold weather combo would play havoc with my health if I continue swimming regularly in the winter. And monsoon has its own charm as far as swimming is concerned! You are already in water and there is a shower from the sky also and you feel water water every where!
The climate is so good during monsoons even when it's not raining and clouds hide the sun. The colour of the environment changes. The evenings are orange or yellowish and the mornings are also dull - not the usual bright sunny. In such climate, I love swimming like anything! And when the rain is just starting, the rain drops are big and fall on you giving you a completely different kind of experience love to capture these raindrops on my body when the rain just starts and then the rain starts in full swing.


I try different styles while swimming: Frog style, Butterfly style, normal swimming style, underwater swimming, back stroke et al. I love the back stroke style the most where I lie on my back in the water and either by moving both my hands from above the head towards the waist in the same direction together or in the opposite directions (that is one hand from above the head to waist and at the same instance the other hand from the waist to the head).And while swimming in this manner I directly face the sky. What a feeling! I simply love this style of swimming. I feel as if I directly connect with nature, with sky, with the clouds or birds flying and talk to them! Sometimes even those dragon-fly insects pass by and I talk with them too! I sing also at times while swimming in back stroke style. (Of course silently with my lips closed! Otherwise people swimming around me will surely think I have gone mad!)This style gives me a feeling of freedom. Freedom from all the worldly tensions, stress etc. for those moments at least! I feel liberated when swimming in this style. The world seems to have lowered its pace. But when someone who is also swimming in the same style but in the opposite direction, bangs with you, you come to your senses back! And then you have to get into proper posture for maintaining your balance in the water!

Diving and jumping are also two things associated with swimming. The former is entering the water with your head down towards the water and the latter involves the jump in the water with your legs entering the water first that is jumping straight in to the water as you are standing. I have tried diving from the height of say 1st floor of a building. It is scary but it is fun! When you are standing on the dive-board and about to dive into the water, you get scared like hell but you don’t think much and dive! And in a jiffy there is a splash! More the height you dive from, deeper you go in to the water. And you loose the sense of direction, depth etc. for sometime but immediately you have to come back to the normal state, gain balance and move upwards to come to the surface. Believe me it is a great experience to dive or jump from a height in to the water!

I also enjoy underwater swimming a lot. It is a different kind of fun. You can experience the kind of feelings the fishes might be living all their lives I have bought swimming goggles also so that I can see the sight under water. I can not stay for very long underwater. But for the time I am under water, I enjoy!
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I still have to learn how to go right at the bottom of the swimming pool and remain there and swim there for longtime. I remember my Friend and colleague Sunil doing this very well when we had gone to Manas Resort for my office picnic. I tried hard to learn it but till date I have not been able to learn this style. (Any body reading this Blog and knowing this style can please share some tips about the right technique! I would be thankful!)


Whenever we go for office picnic, I am the one among first few who dive into the pool! The hectic schedule and the daily routine activities keep you so busy most of the times that you can’t pursue your hobbies or enjoy the activities like swimming or gymming regularly but one must engage in such activities more often not only for the health sake but also for making the life more interesting. I wish I can be more regular in my swimming sessions in 2008 as I love swimming...!!!