( translated from Polish)
Sometimes in "guides for beginner walruses" we see commands and prohibitions: do not immerse your head in the icy water. As a free man and not eager to comply with prohibitions that are not based on justification I was trying to figure out why it's not allowed to submerge the head?! In a team consisting of paramedics and scientists, we discussed the subject of head immersion. We came to the conclusion that there is no reason to avoid immersion of the hands, but also the head. If we feel an unreasonable fear of a certain activity, it is a sign that we are not free, but enslaved by our fear. Fear is a defensive reaction of the body, but it is justified in situations of danger. Immersing your head in icy water is not a threat to us. However, it gives us a different level of swimming, swimming without fear. In training, to get to know a person better, I say dip your head in ice water. Immersion of the head shows where we are, how limited we are by our psyche. The body language reveals everything, hesitation before immersion (work on the delay), pinching the nose, reluctance to let the air out underwater, escaping from the water after immersion (like from a catapult), rapid breathing. After such a test, I can see what needs to be worked on. I want us to fully use and learn from the cold water, using knowledge, not commands guided by walrus "guru". Before entering, let's make a bucket or dive from the knees at the entrance to the water. Let's jump off the platform, of course in a safe way and knowing the bottom. After entering the water, let's not wait to do a reset at the end, let's do one immersion at the beginning, with 3 moments one after another. You will see that then swimming will be much more pleasant and calmer. I see my Antek being 4 months old and submerging his head under water, without fear, only with a slight surprise. It's us adults who have lost the sense of danger and are afraid where we shouldn't be.
Love this article.