Karina, 41, "Instant Swimmer, Just add Fins"
Karina was mellow, but serious, and clearly determined to push herself, showing me breaststroke with her head out of the water, After half a lap she was tired. Well, yea! She had to hold her head up so her neck was stiff. If your body is not relaxed in the water, the water will not hold you up. You have to trust the water. Although she was moving through the water, it was forced and she was fighting the resistance of her entire body. Her head was up, so her feet were down.
Izzy, 2, "Trust me"
It is common for a child to have separation anxiety- typically mom (or dad, or caregiver) does everything for her and makes her feel protected. I come along to take her away from that safe person and do something beyond her comfort zone, so she cries. Or screams. Or kicks. Or whines. She does whatever she needs to do for mom to make her feel safe again. This is the tough part. This is where the apron strings come in, and sometimes they are tied very tight.
Nicole, 63, "Walks on Water"
Two days after her lesson, I received the loveliest letter from Nicole that brought tears to my eyes. Here are some of the wonderful things she had to say…