In 1983, Miracle Swimming Institute began teaching 21st Century swimming lessons. Our system, a true paradigm shift in teaching, works for everyone. Comfort and control are taught first. Without this knowledge, learning to swim comfortably and to remain at ease in deep water are impossible. Youcan learn to swim the same way you learned to walk. It can't possibly fail. All your questions are answered and no steps are skipped. The system is gentle, fun, and simple. Heal fear instead of managing it!

Miracle Swimming is the only nationally-taught swim instruction system that teaches comfort and control. It's the wave of the future and the imperative of today. It's the way every swim student can become successful. And everyone should know how to swim.

If you ever found yourself hurrying across the deep end to get to the other side, afraid to stop in the middle, if you haven't been able to learn to breathe, or if you've tried to learn to swim even though you dislike putting your face in water or haven't learned to float comfortably, then steps in your learning have been skipped. You may be glad to know you DO NOT have to do anything you don't like in order to learn to swim. This leads to triumph, at last.

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 the water works with your body 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?

Missing out on all the fun is one problem. Being afraid is the other problem. You can't learn to swim while you're afraid! The nation's aquatics industry has awakened to the fact that drowning is preventable. Their biggest efforts have been to providing good fences around pools, better life guarding, and stepped-up lessons for minority children. These are helpful. But what about teaching each person to be responsible for his or her own safety in deep water? Who's ensuring that everyone masters these skills?  Only Miracle Swimming. This is our global mission. Together we can all end drowning... we believe it can be done by 2100 if the instructors climb on board.

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 understand how the water works. They often can't keep themselves from panicking in unforeseen situations.

The answer

Twenty-nine years ago, as a traditionally trained swimming instructor teaching a college beginning swimming class, M. Ellen 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: The 5 Circles Teaching System.

Today, it's clear to everyone involved with our program that the Miracle Swimming Five Circles Teaching Method TM 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 spontaneous, inevitable result. That's Miracle Swimming.

Miracle Swimming Institute is now a non-profit called 21st Century Swimming Lessons. Miracle Swimming is our teaching, the new paradigm we developed in 1983.

We hope you'll join us and find out what's possible in the world of swimming and adult beginning lessons.

The printable class schedule with prices can be found here.