Prathima's Miles & Milestones

I learnt swimming in my late 20s. A best friend gifted me my eye-powered swim goggles from Amazon & we enrolled on swimming classes together. I was very nervous & panicked as I could not touch the ground. But later great mentors guided me wisely — “Prathima, do not fight with water. You can’t win. Instead leave your body loose & get along with it. The deep end is the safest”. I still recall them. Once I learnt the tricks of the trade, I loved it. I tell myself the lines of the movie Nemo & Moana to keep myself motivated when the weather is cold.

The water was warm enough to be pleasant, just cold enough to be daunting and a few seconds later, I was enveloped in it, swimming along the surface. What was on my mind as this happened? Nothing at all. When a sport or an activity requires all sense organs engaged, the mind cannot think of anything else but live in the moment. It was still. Every few minutes I would switch from freestyle to mushroom float but otherwise, there was not a care to consider, a thing to worry about. Then, as I got out towards the middle, I switched to backstroke and watched the sunset over my shoulder alongside the beautiful lake which seemed like an infinite pool.

Being a swimmer, underwater breathing exercises helped my body train for different endurance competitions. Swimming helps me recover from my long runs and strength pieces of training. I adjust my breathing for laps with bilateral breathing. As I finished the second lap, I hit the wall. My body shot out of the water for that longing breath. The fire in my chest faded as cool, fresh air filled my lungs. The rush of oxygen made me feel light and dizzy, with stars flickering in my vision.

By the time I got out of the water, I felt both tired and refreshed. My mind was clear, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do next. It was like meditation, but I also burned calories.

You’ll feel the benefits right away. Swimming is one of the safest, lowest-impact exercises that engage your entire body and all sense organs — and, as I mentioned, it’s a meditative, almost transcendent experience. There’s something powerful about the silence, the rhythm, and the focus on the line at the bottom of the pool. I love the sound and pressure in my ears as my head dips in and out of the water, the way my goggles fog just enough to limit my vision to what matters. I enjoy the flow state when I find the perfect speed and distance. The harmony syncs between my breathing & kicks such that it is inertia, effortless, & not tiring. Even the mental math I do to break up the monotony becomes part of the experience — like counting a mile as 7 sets of 10, breaking it into manageable pieces.

I also discovered that swimming is an excellent productivity booster. Why? Because it demands complete isolation — no calls, no music, no distractions. Just a quiet, focused effort. Some of my best brainstorming sessions have happened in the pool. I get into a back float to stare at the sky and the birds to realise what freedom is.

The tougher the work and the tighter the deadline, the more important it is to prioritize exercise — and to push yourself even harder when you do it.