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Outside the Box:
Triathlon Swimming: Made EasySaturday, June 6, I was a guest at the first anniversary celebration of the Catskill Recreation Center, in Arkville NY, deep in the heart of the beautiful Catskill Mountains, an enjoyable 75-minute drive from my home in New Paltz. In her email inviting me to participate, Becky Manning, the center’s director described it as “an […]
Posts Tagged ‘mindfulness’
When We’re Mindful, We’re Alive.
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on October 30th, 2014
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on October 30th, 2014
Ellen Langer, at age 67, is the longest-serving psychology prof at Harvard. What she is best known for is studies which have shown that people can make marked physical changes, improving health, reversing aging effects, etc. in response to mental suggestions, which she calls primes. The New York Times Magazine just published an article about […]
Change Your Swimming in Three Minutes, Part Two: Visualize!
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on April 18th, 2014
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on April 18th, 2014
In my previous installment in this three part series Change Your Swimming in Three Minutes I suggested setting aside three minutes at the beginning of practice-in most cases before you enter the pool–to calm and focus your mind. To recap, the first-stage exercise included: Nose breathing. Mouth breathing stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which activates when we’re […]
Focus: Always a Work in Progress
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on April 8th, 2014
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on April 8th, 2014
In my most recent post Change Your Swimming in Three Minutes, I suggested doing a 3-minute exercise in nose-breathing and mind-clearing prior to entering the pool for practice. I wrote that post after several days of doing that exercise as I prepared to start a session of writing. It did help center me for somewhat […]
Change Your Swimming in Three Minutes
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on April 3rd, 2014
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on April 3rd, 2014
Do you have three minutes to spare? Not just any time. Specifically the three minutes just before you enter the pool, or any body of water. If you do, try this: Sit or stand wherever you’re comfortable. Then breathe through your nose, counting down 20 breaths. Each time you exhale, think: 20 . . . […]
The Evolutionary Instinct to Efficiency
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on February 15th, 2014
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on February 15th, 2014
What’s the connection between evolution, snow-shoveling, and swimming-improvement? The past few days brought a snow-storm of historic proportions–18 to 24 inches, atop 10 inches from a week earlier. For me, that meant opportunity for my own ‘Winter Games.’ I’ve been skiing on a rail trail for the past week, and was anxious yesterday to get […]
Why I Count Strokes the Conscious (‘Hard’) Way
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on February 1st, 2014
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on February 1st, 2014
Earlier this month, TI Coach (and ‘Head Librarian’ of the TI Swim Academy) Mat Hudson wrote a blog titled Why Count Strokes? I urge you to read it — all the way through. It’s packed with invaluable insight and clear, compelling explanation. At the top, Mat enumerates his reasons for counting strokes. My favorites include: Counting […]
Meditation, Marines, and Mindful Swimming
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on January 16th, 2014
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on January 16th, 2014
In the NY Times Magazine piece, Breathing In Vs. Spacing Out writer Dan Hurley describes the importance of balancing two types of thinking for optimal brain health. Hurley reports that the psychologist Amishi Jha used meditation to train United States Marines for mental resilience in a combat zone. (Are you surprised to learn this? I’m […]
Strong Body, Sharp Mind: How swimming can give it to you
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on April 26th, 2013
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on April 26th, 2013
If you emphasize neural training, you always receive quality aerobic training.
Focus = Bliss.
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on March 1st, 2013
by Terry Laughlin
Posted on March 1st, 2013
Practicing Focal Points is as good for your brain as it is for your stroke and psyche.