Meet the Jewish Horse Whisperer of swimming

Visit any swimming pool and you’ll see people thrashing up and down, heads held high out of the water. Most will be counting lengths, some will be wearing waterproof devices to measure distance covered and calories burned.

Their efforts are counterproductive, according to swimming guru Steven Shaw. The idea that poor technique can do you more harm than good is the basis of his book The Art of Swimming, which earned him the nickname “the Horse Whisperer of swimming” after it was first published in the 1990s.

“In a world obsessed with metrics, goals and constant evaluation, it’s easy to become fixated on end results – whether it’s finishing a swim, reaching a milestone, or achieving a certain time,” Shaw tells the JC.

“It’s like going on holiday and instead of having a wonderful experience you’re obsessed with capturing it on your phone.”

Swimming, he says, is “one of the most mindful things you can do,” adding: “You’re feeling the water, you’re enhancing your body awareness and that’s why it’s such a stress buster. Whereas if you’re chasing the clock it increases stress.”

Swimming is the sport I love more than anything else as you can’t hurt yourself with it. It’s almost like meditation

Shaw, who grew up in Totteridge and attended Finchley Reform Synagogue, spent six years living in Israel and has two Israeli children. “I speak bad Hebrew fluently,” he laughs.

It was there that his method emerged, almost by accident. He was a competitive swimmer in his teens but intensive training led to chronic neck pain that ultimately forced him to quit. After discovering that the Alexander Technique (AT), a system of postural reeducation, helped the pain, he decided to embark on an AT teacher training course.

He enrolled on a three-year course in Tel Aviv, working as a hotel lifeguard on the side. It was there he noticed how bad posture was often accentuated in water.

“I began to explore for myself how I could apply AT principles to my swimming instead of trying to go as fast as I could,” he says, explaining that while the method has evolved, the principles remain the same.

Shaw, whose long client list includes many Jewish pupils, says that swimming is such an important life skill that it’s even mentioned in the Mishnah.

“In the Mishnah, specifically in Tractate Kiddushin (4:14), it states that a father has a responsibility to teach his children various skills, including swimming,” he says.

Taking a class at Golders Green[Missing Credit]

“The Mishnah emphasises the father’s responsibility to teach swimming as a means of ensuring safety, empowering children, and fostering family connections. Additionally, when parents improve their swimming skills, they not only enhance their own safety and confidence but also create a supportive environment for their children to learn and grow.”

These are swimming lessons, but not as you know them. There are no shouting coaches, no buoyancy aids and most definitely no commands to go faster. The hands-on approach is holistic, calming and, above all, enjoyable.

From total beginners to Olympic athletes, Shaw, 62, has taught thousands, yet has never had a permanent base. Until now. Since last September, he has been sharing this holistic approach from a quiet oasis tucked behind Golders Green Road. The Art of Swimming Academy, which includes a second base in Putney, is a “game-changer,” he says.

Both pools are heated to 31C – four degrees warmer than standard pools – and are limited to teaching. “I’ve taught at top health clubs and hotels like Raffles, but those places aren’t ideal because they aren’t set up for teaching,” he said. “The temperature for lap swimming is not good for teaching because within five minutes people go blue.”

Instructing a pupil at The Art of Swimming Academy[Missing Credit]

Learning in a quiet environment is perfect for adult learners, he says. “One of the biggest barriers for adult learners is they don’t feel comfortable with their bodies in public spaces because their skillset isn’t developed enough and they don’t want to be observed.”

Key to the method is good posture and alignment, which can help with muscular skeletal issues, respiratory health, mental health and more.

“Our primary objective is to teach people to swim enjoyably and sustainably in a way that promotes good use of their body both in and out of the water. When you get out of the water and you’ve swum the Shaw way you feel relaxed, open and more posturally aware.”

Dr Tanya Levine can testify to that, after several one-to-one sessions with Shaw in Golders Green.

“I learned as an adult and then graduated to a swim squad but I was always at the back of the pack,” she tells the JC. “It never felt relaxing, it was just a slog.”

Eventually Levine, who is also a runner, booked in for a block of lessons with Shaw.

“It’s not about the speed now,” she says.

“I got in the swimming pool with Steven and he said, ‘You’re expending a lot of energy going absolutely nowhere’, and he just took it apart and started from the beginning.

“It’s already completely different and it feels fabulous,” she says.

Andrew Gellert, a retired doctor, first booked in with Shaw after seeing him swim in a health club he used to belong to. “I watched these beautiful strokes and it was almost like ballet in the water,” he says.

Gellert, 71, has been having intermittent lessons with Shaw for years.

“Steven has totally transformed my style,” he says, explaining that the technique has helped ease the pain of arthritis in his spine.

“Swimming is the sport I love more than anything else because you can’t hurt yourself with it.

“It’s almost like meditation – a mind and body workout all at the same time."