How To Overcome Fear of Swimming

There are very few people who do not like watching the natural movements of the ocean. It is a vista which is always moving and ever changing, presenting to the viewer an amazing cacophony of colors. Blues, greens, turquoise and grey all mix and blend together in this wonderful body of endless and seamless motion. Sometimes that water shines and sparkles and almost seems to dance before your eyes. It is brilliant, amazing and awe inspiring.

The sights and sounds of the ocean can stir up a lot of different emotions. It can induce a sensation of peace and tranquility sometimes and yet equally the ocean has the power to uncover sensations of restlessness and fury. The water moves and changes and presents many different faces to us, some of which may be sensual and others which may be daunting or forbidding. The ocean could be seen as a prison by some or a delicious freedom by others. But to some people, water induces a huge and instinctive sensation of fear and anxiety.

Water simply doesn't stay still and static. If you have ever watched a droplet of water as it balances upon a leaf you will know that eventually it will cause the leaf to bend beneath its weight. It's on the move, again. This perhaps is one reason which underlies a fear of water or fear of swimming; water just doesn't stay still. In this sense it is unpredictable. Another reason perhaps is the all enveloping power of a body of water; it can seem so strong and make a human being by contrast feel weak and vulnerable. Some people have simply had a bad experience in water, or their fear may be less about the water and more about sinking or being unable to breathe.

Swimming pools of course are no way near as daunting as a natural and unpredictable expanse of ocean. You know exactly where the bottom lies and what it is made of; you can even see all of the way to the bottom. You can touch the bottom with you feet, whilst keeping your head above the surface. You also know that the human body has a natural tendency to float. But all of this does little to sooth the emotions which instinctively surface in the person who is afraid of water or afraid of swimming. We all know that we should have a healthy respect for water, but we equally know that there is no need to be fearful of water in a swimming pool. There are no rough waves or dangerous currents and no surprising changes of depth.

This type of fear anxiety is therefore known to be illogical and also extremely annoying and frustrating. Something, somewhere in the back of your mind must be creating this "miss-cue" of emotional response. Hypnosis is very handy in helping one to overcome their fear of water and to gain swimming confidence as it provides access to the inner workings of the mind. A little bit of rewiring, with the help of hypnosis, and you will find that more comfortable emotions will be triggered and your fear of swimming will be overcome.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in hypnosis mp3 downloads to overcome fears and phobias and promote well-being.