Conquer Your Fear of Water

"Your book is indeed necessary. It's a very well written book by someone who’s clearly an expert on the subject not only of swimming but on the psychology of fear as well. I don’t think there is any other book out there that addresses the very real subject of fear of swimming. It has taught me to love water...."
—Vicenca R.

"The book understands me. The book and classes have changed my life. Clear, concise, well written. Pictures help in understanding; good illustration."
—Helen B.,
San Francisco

"Easy to understand.
Understands our fears."
—Madeleine C.

"It’s a new approach. Something I need. I like the idea of making the reader go through the steps. ...I realize I must go through the steps you have laid out in order to overcome my fear."
—Chris D.

"Its biggest strength is its incredible clarity, thoroughness and insight. Important threads are repeated almost like a mantra throughout the book, reinforcing, building. This is not a book just about swimming, but about living."
—Theresa C.

"It's a great book and I believe you have hit on something that is much needed. I hope to see more swim schools here in Canada. This model of teaching others how to release fear of swimming can could used on other fears as well. You have a very soft approach and make it easy to relax and let the process involve as it will. I have found new pleasure in the water and look forward to my vacation class with you."
—Gina R.

"One strength of the book is that it takes things very slowly; there is no 'just jump in and do it'! (I've taken swimming lessons at least four times, was always told I'd be fine if I just jumped in. I can attest to the fact that it doesn't work for everyone."
—Janice M.

"It breaks learning to swim down into the simplest of terms, truly addressing what is fear an identifying when it is beginning. I love that you addressed the behavioral sciences."
—Infant Swimming Resource, Tallahassee

"Truly amazing. Brilliant."
—Several readers

An Innovative Self-Discovery Course in Swimming

It’s okay to be afraid in water. You may be one of millions of people who wish they could swim.

Book: $22

E-book: $12

Book and DVD: $61.95

Ebook and DVD: $51.95

Book and Video: $42

Book and PAL Version of Video: $42

Ebook and Video: $32

Ebook and Video, PAL version: $32

A Snap Shot of Swimming Lessons...

For a century, adults have taken formal beginning swimming lessons. Often, the classes do not meet students at their ability level; the classes teach strokes, but students are not all ready to learn strokes. Students say: "I can't focus on proper technique. What if I drown? I want to feel safe." But they have believed that if their teachers wanted them to learn strokes, they should learn strokes--which "should" help them overcome their fear of drowning.

They grin and bear the lessons as long as they can, and then they quit. Many adults, resigned to a life without swimming, never return to classes. Others try again in bouts of inspiration, thinking there must be a way, but the experience is the same.

Instructors patiently teach stroke mechanics to their students, noticing that a few people learn the strokes but cannot do them comfortably in deep water. Nor can they learn to breathe. These students hurry across the deep end to get to the other side. They cannot stop in the middle. Many students never learn strokes, unable to get past floating.

In other words, the students who are worried about drowning never learn to swim comfortably and safely in deep water. They are not safe if they fall out of a boat or get thrown into a pool, drift into deep water, or step into a hole in the river.

These are the people who drown every month, every year, in every state and every country.

Q: How could a beginning swimming class not meet beginners at their ability level?

A: By presuming students know something they don't, and teaching as if they did. Though some beginners are ready to put their faces in the water and move their limbs, most are not.

What is swimming?

Yes, it's strokes, but that's not all. It's also comfort in water, confidence, and being in control: the ability to be yourself in water, whether it's shallow or deep, pool, lake, or ocean. It's being able to rely on yourself--not on the bottom or the side of the pool--for your safety. Being able to rely on yourself for your safety means you know how your body and the water work together, and you know how to remain in control. Neither of these skills is related to arms and legs. Neither is taught in traditional swimming lessons. In fact, they're so intangible, most instructors haven't given them any thought.

What's the problem?

Drowning is the problem. Missing out on all the fun is another problem. The nation's swimming and recreation industries have awakened to the fact that most drownings are preventable. Their biggest efforts have gone into providing good fences around pools, better life guarding, and stepped-up lessons for minority children. But what about teaching each person to be responsible for his or her own safety? What about learning to be comfortable in deep water? Who's ensuring that everyone masters these skills?

Adults, like children, are being taught in a system that doesn't teach the most basic skills (though some students learn some of them anyway). Forty-six percent of American adults are afraid in water over their heads in pools. Sixty-four percent are afraid in deep, open water. Thirty-nine percent are afraid to put their heads under water. (Gallup Poll, 1998) If they're afraid, they don't know how the water works and they can't keep themselves from panicking in many unforeseen situations. Many adults who are afraid in water prevent their children from taking lessons out of fear that their kids will drown or will have the same unpleasant experiences they had.

What's the answer?

Twenty-five years ago, as a traditionally trained swimming instructor teaching a college beginning swimming class, MSI founder Dash asked why the system was not working for 10 of her 20 students. The answer was simple: With their attention on survival, they could not focus on stroke mechanics.

A new system was born.

Four thousand students and fourteen newly trained instructors later (internationally), it's clear to every one involved with MSI that this is the missing ventricle from the heart of beginning swimming lessons:

Teach students how to be comfortable, feel safe, and remain in control. Teach them how the water works. Swimming comfortably and feeling safe in deep water is the inevitable result. That's what this
book is about.

336 pages including 200 photographs and diagrams. Learn step-by-tiny step. The book enhances and fleshes out (yet does not require) MSI's video or DVD, 47 minutes, "The Miracle Swimmer: How to Overcome Fear and Discomfort in Water, Shallow and Deep." © M.Dash 2000.

M. Ellen Dash's classes have been featured on NBC's Today Show, MSNBC, CNN's Headline News, NPR, in the San Francisco Chronicle, Denver Post, San Jose Mercury News, Tampa Tribune, Cincinnati Business Courier, Albany Times Union, and numerous other newspapers, radio, and television programs. Most recent coverage: Minneapolis Star Tribune, All You magazine, KGO's Joanie Greggains Health and Fitness Radio Show, San Francisco, Open Exchange magazine, Associated Press, and Channel 22 News, Springfield, MA.

Students say,
"This makes sense! Why doesn't everyone teach this way?"

Melon,
I have both the video and the book and I would like to tell you how amazing I have found them to be. I've been deathly afraid of water my entire life and now that I've turned 60, I've decided it's time to overcome that fear. As you have mentioned time and again, everyone wants to "teach you to swim" when you're still afraid.... Your methods are exciting to me and for the first time in my entire life, I have swum from one side (short side) of the pool to the other under water. Although I cannot say that I can "stay in my circle" all the time and the fear still creeps back in, I'm getting there and I cannot thank you enough for the encouraging book and video. Thank you so much for helping me to overcome my fear and letting me know that it's okay to be afraid at times. I cannot wait for the next time I'm in my pool in the back yard as I progress some every time I get in now. My wife thanks you too—she's so very impressed at how far I've come.
My Sincerest Thanks.
— David B.L.

"You really can learn from reading this book. I had my doubts. But this is so complete. It's amazing: the information is so basic, but nobody ever said it this way."
—Suzanne Marthins, Warrensburg, NY

"I didn't know fear was the barrier that kept me from learning to swim, but it was. Everyone should teach this way. " —Gerry Morisseau, Vancouver, B.C.

"Its [teaching me] to stay in my body. I can’t say enough about this. I have studied a lot of meditation and books on staying in the "Now," but nothing has struck me as powerfully as your little stick figures. ... you describe it in such a simple way."
—Teri B., age 72

People like you really motivate me to keep trying, knowing that there is someone out there that cares."
—Jeanette B.

"Reading the book is like attending the classes. "
—Marilyn L., MSI graduate