tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038920.post-890028662003-02-13T10:45:00.000+10:002003-02-13T16:16:48.000+10:00<h4>Swimming meditation?</h4> <br /><p>Is it possible to meditate while swimming? Maybe not in the traditional sense, although there may be comparisons with the so-called <a href="http://www.lehigh.edu/dmd1/public/www-data/holly.html">'marathon monks' </a>of Mount Hiei in Japan. <br /><p>When I swim, I focus on my breathing, aware of every in breath and out breath. In these circumstances, breath cannot be taken for granted, but is obviously essential and precious. Even though a procession of diverse thoughts flashes through my mind, I keep bringing myself back to the <b>present moment</b> and to the actual act of swimming. After a while I forget how many laps I've done, or even how long I've been swimming. I'm not a particularly good swimmer, but I can learn to do what I do <i>mindfully</i>. That's a kind of awareness, I suppose. But then it's hard to say that it's Meditation with a capital M, because it's just swimming. Really swimming. <br /> <br /><p>A parody of Buddhist swimming can be found at the <br /><a href="http://www.zendo.com/~zenscuba/index.html">Zen Diving Organization</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5038920-89002866?l=presentmoment.blogspot.com'/></div>presentmomenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00408956745819058703noreply@blogger.com