The Self-Reflecting Pool

We enter the meditative state induced by counting laps, and observe the subtle play of light as the sun moves across the lanes. We sing songs, or make to-do lists, or fantasize about what we’re going to eat for breakfast. Submersion creates the space to be free, to stretch, without having to contend with constant external chatter. It creates internal quiet, too. Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of them all, was found to have A.D.H.D. when he was a child; he has called the pool his “safe haven,” in part because “being in the pool slowed down my mind.”

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Fifty years later, as the world, with its escalating rings and pings, gets ever more hysterical, suspending yourself in water becomes ever more appealing.

A beautifully written account of one of the many additional benefits to jumping in the water. Full article here.