Hi All
A few months ago a visit to my GP showed my blood pressure and cholesterol levels had soared to amazing heights. So as part of a rehabilitation program and a general health and fitness boost I have taken to swimming 2 or 3 times a week. Some of the first sessions in the pool were pretty hard going - lots of effort but not much forward momentum. I was even not sure if I could keep up the commitment of going regularly. I wanted to make a go of it so swam using the breast stroke - a nice and easy type of stroke rhythmic and not too onerous on a severely out of conditioned body.

Time has gone on and recently I decided to up the ante, bringing in the more energetic front crawl. Splashing legs and arms and a lot more waves being generated but there seemed to be more forward motion, but I couldn't sustain the extra effort for too long.

So as a compromise and in an effort to increase the intensity of the swim, I sort of naturally slipped into a combination of the two strokes doing 2 spells of breast stroke and 1 of crawl, 2 breast stroke, 1 crawl and this seemed to work fine.
Then, just the other day, like you do as you have nothing else to do while swimming endless length after length, my mind turned to relating this to a Hexagram. The submerged, no splash calm gentle breaststroke was yin and the thrashing crashing crawl was yang

So I'd started the rehabilitation swimming with just breast stroke - yin on yin on yin on yin on yin on yin giving me a Hexagram 2 situation.
As I'd become a bit more used to the swimming and a bit fitter I had moved to another rhythm, one of yin, yin yang, yin, yin, yang. I'm now swimming Hexagram 52.

What thoughts do you have on this?
Have groups of 3 entered your life without you realising it?
What should be the next best swimming pattern for my continued rehabilitation?

Mike

Nice idea, theres a book in there somewhere Love the idea of 'swimming the hexagrams'. I think swimming is one of those 'flow' activities where ones mind can slip into a heightened state or at least a different state of awareness and one can think about things differently..thats probably why those thoughts came to you then..


hmm the title of the book "Swim the I Ching with Mykey" ? "

Definitely. The groups of 3 are all over my life, going to work, running, taking a shower and even swimming!!
The way it goes you'll end up swimming only Hex.1's and over 10 km/day.
Take care!!

my_key said:

What thoughts do you have on this?

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I think it's really interesting, as well as commendable on a gutsy-doing it level.

I no longer have that kind of strength or stamina, but I do contemplate trigrams when I walk.

Curious how thunder might work out for you as a next level. Mountain upside down. Sounds like a sprint.

Great idea Mike. Swimming is the best exercise there is I think. Great cardio-vascular work-out.

I did the same thing as you early last year and did it regularly. At the beginning it was embarrassing as I hadn't swum for an age. The pool is olympic size or bigger and one length never seemed to end. I decided on ten lengths with front crawl and nearly sank like a stone towards the last few metres. Hex 1 right at the start - not a good idea. Ended up lying limply on the side of the pool like a some pathetic drowned marsupial. The ole ticker was thumpety-thumping as though it was about to leap out of my chest. But after the second trip it was slightly easier and much easier on the third.

I'll have to try this rhythmic yin-yin-yang-yang business...Almost like an active meditation along the lines of Tai-Chi...

Topal

Topal - Yes the more I'm going the easier it gets. I do see it as a form of active meditation which is perhaps why these weird connections came to me.

Mary / Meng - 10 km a day will only be achieved by surgically implanting an out board motor. Very much a thunder Hex 51 scenario.

Trojan -Hmmm.... Maybe even call the book" The Porpoise of Change" ... No lets keep it simple "The Turtle's Tales"

Today my Swimming the Hexagrams involved repeatedly riding the turbulance of bikini clad, Amazonian-esque young ladies as they powered their way towards and away from me in the lanes either side . Yin, yang yin,Yin, yang yin - Hex 29.

What on earth have I got to learn from being overpowered, by scantily clad, well toned beauties? And repeatedly as well.

(Note to Self: Put £10 on Luis giving the best response )

Mike

my_key said:

Trojan -Hmmm.... Maybe even call the book" The Porpoise of Change" ... No lets keep it simple "The Turtle's Tales"



Mike

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God thats brilliant...you have to use that

Just to post an update. My swimming pattern has stayed as it was since the last post back in May, however last week there was a new pattern came in, when I say new pattern, the lengths were all sort of randow. Now they are settling down again such that last Friday and today I'm now swimming yin, yang, yang, yin, yang, yang and I settled nicely into this pattern today as well.

So Hex 52 ( Keeping Still) has transformed to Hex 57 (The gentle penetrating wind).

Interesting also that it sort of organically developed and that it came around this time of year.

Bodes well methinks !!

Mike


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Theres some group in the UK who swims in rivers at night (or the sea, somewhere wild, not swimming pools) every full moon. They say its great. I think you should consider being the first blue owl to swim the channel on a full moon whilst working through all 64 hexagrams. I can chuck mice at you from the boat and shout encouragement...like "c'mon Mykey put a bit more 34 into it"

Oh we're a good group!
rosada

trojan said:

Theres some group in the UK who swims in rivers at night (or the sea, somewhere wild, not swimming pools) every full moon. They say its great. I think you should consider being the first blue owl to swim the channel on a full moon whilst working through all 64 hexagrams. I can chuck mice at you from the boat and shout encouragement...like "c'mon Mykey put a bit more 34 into it"

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Hi Trojan
I'm still in the early part of the process of preparing for the channel swim, not thinking beyond the next 48 lengths of the pool at the moment....... but maybe skinny dipping under a full moon holds a certain attraction for me.

Just for the record - white chocolate mice are my favourite.

Mike