No, can you do that while swimming?
absolutely! swimming provides an ideal opportunity to mediate, or at least to practice mindul breathing, because there are fewer sensory distractions, and the only obstacles are other swimmers in your lane and the walls.
if you've been at it for a month, and you're swimming freestyle with proper form, you've likely found your stride by now. you should be taking a breath every third, forth, or fifth stroke. between breaths, you should be exhaling.
contrary to popular belief, our drive to breathe is not to inhale oxygen; it's to exhale carbon dioxide. the ideal respiratory ratio is three to two, exhalation to inhalation, using the diaphragm to fully exhale before using it to fully inhale. it's called diaphragmatic breathing, and it's incredibly effective for decreasing heart rate, increasing blood oxygen saturation, and calming the nervous system, which is why it's practiced during meditation. it's also the pattern of breathing that your body naturally assumes while you're sleeping. most of us don't do this while we're awake. we tend to breathe in a shallow manner, using only the accessory muscles in our chests. by actively engaging the diaphragm to fully exhale and fully inhale, you are breathing more effectively, which allows for the proper exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. if you have difficulty falling asleep at night, try diaphragmatic breathing exercises.
when you swim, try counting. draw a deep breath and push off from the wall. count your strokes while slowly and consistently exhaling. you may find that you need to take a breath more often, so it might be something like this: first stroke - one, second stroke - two, third stroke - three, forth stroke - deep inhale. use that inhale to count the full respiration cycle. you may struggle with the feeling that you're not getting enough air. when that happens, focus on your exhale. push your breath from your abdomen (using your diaphragm). then, focusing on your inhale, pull your breath into your abdomen (using your diaphragm), rather than into your chest (using your accessory muscles).
so, stroke (exhaling) - one, stroke (exhaling) - two, stroke (exhaling) - three, stroke (deep inhale) -
one
stroke (exhaling) - one, stroke (exhaling) - two, stroke (exhaling) - three, stroke (deep inhale) -
two
stroke (exhaling) - one, stroke (exhaling) - two, stroke (exhaling) - three, stroke (deep inhale) -
three
stroke (exhaling) - one, stroke (exhaling) - two, stroke (exhaling) - three, stroke (deep inhale) -
four
your mind will try to wander while you do this. it will desperately seek distraction. that's where the meditative / mindfullness aspect comes into it. when you find that you've lost count of your respirations, start counting again. when your mind tries to distract you with thoughts of anything and everything else, don't respond by trying to push those thoughts away; just let them be while you continue to focus on counting. eventually, your breathing will become deep and rhythmic, and you'll become incredibly aware of what is happening with your body in that particular moment. your mind will become quiet. it's difficult to describe, but you'll know when it happens.
