A Snapshot of Swimming Lessons
For a century, adults have taken formal beginning swimming lessons. Those lessons—traditional lessons—were developed 100 years ago and are still being taught today. As good as those lessons are, and as many people as they've helped and even saved, they don't work for everyone. They teach strokes, but not all students are ready to learn strokes. They say: "I can't focus on technique. What if I drown? What if I sink? I don't feel safe."
In 1983, Miracle Swimming Institute (Transpersonal Swimming Institute back then) developed a system, a true paradigm shift in teaching, that works for everyone. We have 4000 amazed graduates and 21 amazed (formerly traditional) instructors trained worldwide. They now know how to heal fear and how to teach students to be in control in water, shallow and deep and to prevent panic. It's essential for all people to be in control in deep water to feel safe. Only when you are in control can you learn to swim. Without this knowledge, learning to swim comfortably and remain at ease in deep water is practically impossible.
One pool we use: a hotel in Orlando, FL
"This is a new paradigm." Penny Pantano, Swim-in-Zone, Allentown, PA
If you ever found yourself hurrying across the deep end to get to the other side, afraid to stop in the middle, if you haven't been able to learn to breathe, or if you've tried to learn to swim even though you dislike putting your face in water or haven't learned to float comfortably, steps in your learning have been skipped. You may be glad to know you DO NOT have to do anything you don't like in order to learn to swim. This leads to triumph, at last.
However, students who continue to be worried about drowning never learn to swim comfortably and safely in deep water.
What is swimming?
Yes, it's strokes, but that's not all. It's also comfort in water, confidence, and being in control: the ability to be yourself in water, whether it's shallow or deep, pool, lake, or ocean. It's being able to rely on yourself—not on the bottom or the side of the pool—for your safety. Being able to rely on yourself for your safety means you know how your body and the water work together, and you know how to remain in control. Neither of these skills is related to arms and legs. Neither is taught in traditional swimming lessons. In fact, they're so intangible, most instructors haven't given them any thought.
What's the problem?
Missing out on all the fun is one problem. Drowning is the other problem. The nation's swimming and recreation industries have awakened to the fact that drowning is preventable. Their biggest efforts have gone into providing good fences around pools, better life guarding, and stepped-up lessons for minority children. These are all helpful, but what about teaching each person to be responsible for his or her own safety in deep water? Who's ensuring that everyone masters these skills? This is MSI's global mission. Together we can all end drowning... by 2100.
Forty-six percent of American adults are afraid in water over their heads in pools. Sixty-four percent are afraid in deep, open water. Thirty-nine percent are afraid to put their heads under water. (Gallup Poll, 1998) If they're afraid, they don't understand how the water works. They often can't keep themselves from panicking in unforeseen situations.
What's the answer?
A Breakthrough
In Teaching
That Could
Change
All Teaching
Since 1983
Twenty-six years ago, as a traditionally trained swimming instructor teaching a college beginning swimming class, M. Ellen Dash asked why the system was not working for 10 of her 20 students. The answer was simple: With their attention on survival, they could not focus on stroke mechanics.
A new system was born: The 5 Circles Teaching Method.
Today, it's clear to everyone involved with our program that the Miracle Swimming Five Circles Teaching Method TM is the missing ventricle from the heart of beginning swimming lessons: Teach students how to be comfortable, feel safe, and remain in control. Teach them how the water works. Swimming comfortably and feeling safe in deep water is the spontaneous, inevitable result. That's Miracle Swimming.
We hope you'll join us and find out what's possible in the world of swimming and adult Beginning lessons.
The printable class schedule with prices can be found here.