Start on a mat

Last week I was in Mexico doing yoga two times a day and swimming in between. While I’ve practiced yoga on and off for decades, something is really starting to click for me – not just on the mat, in the water.

The word ‘yoga’ literally translates to yoke, or to unite. Yoke, as in the piece of wood that connects two animals together to pull a cart so that they can work together.

In a yoga practice, the aim is to create a union between your mind and your body. As my yoga teacher pointed out, our body is always right here – in the here and now – the present. Our brains – at least my brain – tends to go every which way: pulling up past memories, reeling at future possibilities, wondering if what I said was right, or if what I’m doing is wrong.

In a yoga pose I feel sensations that bring my mind into my body. For example, the sensations that I get when I leave my hips forward and twist my rib cage to the side… suddenly it doesn’t matter what’s for dinner or when my next meeting is; bodily sensations snap my mind into my body – in the here and now.

What does this have to do with swimming?

This mind-body connection doesn’t disappear when we enter the water. In fact, the body awareness cultivated through yoga, or other mindful practices, like: meditation, tai chi, qigong, creates a powerful foundation that can transfer to swimming – if we allow it.

Why Should You Care?

When swimmers approach me wanting to get faster or break through plateaus (swimming the same pace for months or years) I ask them how they practice – both on land and in the water. Training more or harder isn’t the answer, instead it’s important to tune the connection.

How do you listen to your body?

The body awareness you develop on land directly translates to swimming efficiency. Swimmers who tune into their bodies experience breakthroughs without adding more yards. They prevent injuries by feeling imbalances before pain starts. And perhaps most importantly in our chaotic world, they find a rare mental sanctuary when their minds fully connect with the water.

Research confirms this. A 2018 study in the International Journal of Yoga Therapy (Slo et al., 2018) found competitive swimmers in a 12-week yoga program showed significant improvements in flexibility, performance times, and reduced competition anxiety. Researchers concluded: “mind-body awareness developed through yoga practice appears to transfer to swimming technique efficiency.”

From Land to Water

On your yoga mat, you learn to feel subtle sensations—where tension hides, how your breath moves your body, where you truly are in space. This isn’t just “yoga stuff”—it’s the foundation of swimming efficiency.

Take this awareness to the pool, and suddenly you can feel your body position without seeing it. You notice when you’re fighting the water instead of working with it. Your breathing synchronizes naturally with your stroke. That tension in your shoulders? You release it before it steals your energy.

By developing keen body awareness on land first, you bring an elevated consciousness to your swimming practice. This transferred awareness transforms swimming from mere exercise into a profound mind-body experience where every movement becomes intentional, efficient, and deeply connected.

Remember: efficient swimming isn’t about perfect technique alone—it’s about perfect listening. The body wisdom cultivated on your mat becomes your secret advantage in the water.

Want to learn more? Join me on my journey at The Water’s Edge.