SWIMEDITATION

I swim most days in the luxury of my own lap pool. I’ve had it for 12 years and I only really started to use it for laps for a year or so. Until then, I just got too distracted by proprietal matters- pump failure, blown light bulbs, chemical imbalances (the water, not my brain). We have water aerobic lessons twice a week and several of my daughters are swimming teachers who ran their little school out of it. And many friends use it. So this pool is not merely a storage unit for chemicals. This pool is a community resource.

But what with my gym and Pilates and Zumba and what not, I never really did much apart from the water aerobics. Until I had so many aches and pains, the only thing that helped was swimming.

I do 50 laps twice a week, 20 laps after gym and on the Sabbath I rest.

You may wonder, what on Earth do I think of as I go up and down, up and down, up and down for an hour? What indeed?

I count laps, counting DOWN, by the way. That bit of information is the only thing worth remembering. If you count up, you will get to 20 and say, hell, that’s enough; but if you count backwards, you are committed to finish, or else lose all self-respect. Try it, it works!

My thoughts go a bit like this:

50 Jeez, long way to go, must get that tile fixed, oh no, that light bulb is out again, is that sand on the bottom of the pool?

49 I wish I could do tumbleturns 49=7 squared, breathe on 4^th stroke

48 powerful kick off wall, graceful like dolphin 48=12x4= 3x4x4

47 is that a prime number? These goggles are tight, reach stroke kick

46 music starts (Chorus of Arcade Fire’s Wake Up, for some reason) daaa-daaa-da-da-da-da, daaa-daaa-da-da-da-da, etc

45 So sad about Whitney Houston….Amy Winehouse…reach stroke kick

44 Reach for a star, put it in my pocket, flutter kick kick kick

43 Prime number…cannot believe Julia Gillard’s stupid interview…and still she won…

42 Meaning of life…6x7…reach kick…daaa-daaa-da-da-da-da

41 What is with primes…oh that was quick, kick off

40 stretch, reach, kick…shoulder’s feeling better… hold butt tight

39 power off wall hold tummy tight, back a bit sore, shouldn’t this help?

38 I think it’s 38…36?… evens out, odds back…no, 38…daaa-daaa-da-da-da-da

37 prime why do primes interest me I don’t do maths

36 twice Chai, 3 dozen, 6 squared Daaa-daaa etc

35 middle aged used to be, half of 70 years, not anymore, stretch kick

34 water’s a bit warm is that another tile loose? Must call pool guy

33 reach pull kick shoulder much better, amazing Daaa-daaa etc

32 Is it? Did I lose count? Evens…odds…no, 32, reach pull kick

31 prime have to get car washed reach pull kick breathe

30 I can cough underwater tummy tight butt tight reach pull kick

29 hey 30 to go nearly halfway I hope that last post was good, nobody commented but me…

28 Kick off wall maybe I can write about swimming…thinking

27 9x3, 3 cubed, will I ever publish that cookbook why can’t I just see it through

26 Gematria Y-H-V-H , 2x13, call it Waste not: loving leftovers bleh

25 5 squared  reach pull kick breathe daaa-daaa-da-da-da-da

24 2 dozen, factors 1,2,3,4,6,12,24 busy number tummy tight

23 prime Oprah in Brooklyn maybe write about that reach pull kick

22 2 little ducks bingo have to go to butcher today

21 key to the door, never been 21 before…fruit order

20 that’s gone fast pick up speed reach pull kick breathe

19 prime how many for dinner this Friday could be 16 could be 22

18 Chai  need to find out, need to book help…

17 St Patricks day March 17 wearing of the green reach pull kick

16 Sweet 16 Neil Sedaka is he still alive reach pull kick breathe

15 Batmitzvah for Spanish girls not a bad idea stretch pull

14 Crazy world, war everywhere Iran the Bomb what will happen

13 Barmitzvah, 13 attributes of faith, unlucky for some not us, bakers dozen

12 Batmitzvah dozen, factors 1,2,3,4,6,12 need Moshiach reach pull

11 Legs 11 pick up tempo Obama second only to Jimmy Carter failed president, Iran all Carter’s fault

10 Perfect 10 need decent leaders kick pull breathe

9 single digit 3x3 wow this is going fast reach pull daaa-daaa etc

8 Lucky for Chinese… mystical number above natural order reach pull tummy tight

7 Lucky Kabbalistic 7^th day G-d rested, the week is a Divine creation

6 go for it, reach! Pull! Kick! Move it!

5 fingers of death, Bruce Lee, he was a legend reach pull

4 nearly done not so bad, theme for Purim, International Women’s day? Have to do make seudah this year

3 when will I have time, reach pull kick

2 strong finish now reach pull, manicure this week

1 last one go go go reach pull Woohoo! Done! These goggles are killers! I think I have bruises from them!

Stretch hammies, quads, calves, triceps. Climb out, shake head to get water out of right ear, trudge off to shower.

So when I swim, I think of swimming, how my body feels while swimming, and the pool; of lap counts and numbers and mystic or bingo symbolism of numbers; of celebrities and world events and Armageddon. I also think of family stuff which I don’t need to discuss here. I think of all this stuff BUT I don’t think of work. Aha! Another reason for swimeditation.