What I love about teaching the Shaw Method – Steven Shaw

What I love about teaching the Shaw Method – Steven Shaw

Teaching the Shaw Method for me is an incredibly interesting and rewarding way to earn my living. One of the things I love the most about my work is enabling people to move beyond what they ever thought possible…I often say if you teach someone to swim the front crawl they will shake you by the hand and say thank you, but if you teach someone to do a sustainable and enjoyable butterfly you have made a friend for life.

The importance of dry land work- Steven Shaw

The importance of dry land work- Steven Shaw

Dry land work is a unique and an integral part of learning the Shaw Method. We have developed a series of movements that have designed to be practised both in and out of the pool that builds up a new understanding of how to perform the strokes in a way that promotes optimal alignment and ease of movements.

Teaching and the lessons it has taught me- Steven Shaw

Teaching and the lessons it has taught me- Steven Shaw

If at the age of 17 when I was already feeling burnt out from the hard slog of competitive swimming, you’d said to me that one-day teaching people how to swim would be at the heart of my life I would have never believed you. But life has a way of taking unexpected turns and here I am over 30 years later, having developed the Shaw Method and spending most of my time in the water – either working with others or refining my stroke, and gaining immense joy and satisfaction from both.

Combining the Shaw Method & Tai Chi – Liz Robin

Combining the Shaw Method & Tai Chi – Liz Robin

As a tai chi teacher, I found Steven’s methodology completely intuitive – the walking practices and the calmness were very familiar but the way this translated into swimming was an absolute revelation to me. The idea that one could find that meditative calmness and enjoyment of the water, particularly if swimming long distances, was so inspiring – which was why I went on to train with Steven as a Shaw Method teacher.