Art of Swimming / Shaw Method

🏊‍♀️ BREATHING WITHOUT STRAINING YOUR NECK & BACK

Does breathing in breaststroke sometimes feel like you have to lift your head out of the water?

In Shaw Method Breaststroke, we approach breathing differently.

Instead of pulling the head backwards, we allow the whole body to travel forwards and upwards. The head stays connected to the spine, helping the neck remain long, the shoulders relaxed and the lower back free.

🌊 The breath becomes part of the stroke — not something that interrupts it.

The arms, spine, breath and legs work together as one coordinated movement. Whether your leg action is more wave-like or a gentle frog action, the goal is the same:

Less straining. More space. Better movement.

As the body rises, the breath has space to arrive naturally.

✨ Breaststroke 6-Week Courses

📍 Putney – SW15 2TR
With MUSA SWADIQQ
📅 14 September – 19 October 2026
⏰ 1:00pm
💷 £299

📍 Golders Green – NW11 8HE
With STEVEN SHAW
📅 15 September – 20 October 2026
⏰ 8:30pm
💷 £325

🌿 Learn to swim with greater ease, awareness and connection.

Swim Well. Feel Well. Live Well.

👉 BOOK NOW – Putney: https://momence.com/l/VRhkJMGE
👉 BOOK NOW – Golders Green: https://momence.com/l/jJhGzA78
🌐 Find out more: https://artofswimming.com/

🌊 WHY SPIRALS MATTER IN SHAW CRAWL

Good front crawl isn’t about forcing your body from side to side.

It’s about creating space.

In Shaw Crawl, the spiral travels through the whole body — ribs, spine, shoulders and pelvis — creating a connected, three-dimensional movement.

As one arm reaches forwards, the opposite side releases back. The body opens around its central axis, rather than getting trapped in the shoulders or neck.

And this matters enormously when we breathe.

Instead of lifting or dragging the head out of the water, the spiral creates the space for the breath to arrive naturally.

✨ The ribs can move.
✨ The neck can stay free.
✨ The chest can remain open.
✨ The head is carried by the movement of the body.

We don't simply turn to breathe.
We create the space in which the breath can arrive.

Want to experience this for yourself?

🏊 6-WEEK FRONT CRAWL COURSE

📍 Golders Green, NW11 8HE
With Steven Shaw
📅 16 September – 21 October 2026
🕢 7:30pm
💷 £325

📍 Putney, SW15 2TR
With Asha Lodh
📅 16 September – 21 October 2026
🕐 1:00pm
💷 £299

Spaces are limited — book your place and discover a more effortless way to swim.

🌊 Swim Well. Feel Well. Live Well.

🏊 READY TO EXPERIENCE BREASTSTROKE DIFFERENTLY?

What if breaststroke wasn’t about working harder?

What if it was about moving better?

Over six weeks, Steven Shaw will guide you through the principles of Shaw Method Breaststroke — exploring how the head, spine, pelvis, arms and legs can work together as one coordinated movement.

🌊 A flowing whole-body wave.
🌊 Greater connection through the spine and pelvis.
🌊 More supple and coordinated leg action.
🌊 Less emphasis on force.
🌊 More awareness of how the water can support you.

The Shaw Method isn’t about imposing one “perfect” breaststroke.

It’s about developing awareness and discovering how your whole body can move with greater freedom, rhythm and ease.

Because the question isn’t:

“How hard can I push against the water?”

It’s:

“How can I move with the water?”

🌊 6-WEEK BREASTSTROKE COURSE WITH STEVEN SHAW
📍 Golders Green, NW11 8HE
📅 15 September – 20 October 2026
⏰ 8:30pm
💷 £325

If you’ve always swum breaststroke but feel there must be another way, this course is an invitation to explore it.

👉 Book your place and discover the Shaw Method Breaststroke.

Swim Well. Feel Well. Live Well. 💙

🏊 6 WEEKS TO DISCOVER A DIFFERENT WAY TO SWIM

Your front crawl doesn’t have to be a collection of separate movements.

Arm. Kick. Breathe. Repeat.

There is another possibility.

A stroke where the whole body works together.

Where the back supports the arms.

Where the ribs and spine remain mobile.

Where the body can lengthen rather than tighten.

Where breathing becomes part of the movement rather than something that interrupts it.

Where you learn to work with the water rather than fight against it.

This is the philosophy behind Shaw Crawl, developed by Steven Shaw.

Over six weeks, you’ll explore how greater awareness, connection and coordination can transform the way you experience front crawl.

You don’t need to be a competitive swimmer.

You don’t need to be perfectly fit.

You simply need to be curious about what might be possible when you stop trying to force the stroke.

🌊 FRONT CRAWL — 6-WEEK COURSE WITH STEVEN SHAW

📍 GetSetGo, Golders Green, NW11 8HE
📅 16 September – 21 October 2026
⏰ 7:30pm
💷 £325

Ready to swim with greater length, rhythm and ease?

👉 Book your place and discover the Shaw Way to Crawl.

Swim Well. Feel Well. Live Well. 💙

🌊 WHAT IF YOUR BREASTSTROKE COULD MOVE LIKE A WAVE?

Many swimmers experience breaststroke as a series of separate movements.

Pull.

Breathe.

Kick.

Glide.

But in Shaw Method Breaststroke, we explore something more connected.

The stroke becomes a flowing wave through the whole body.

As the body rises, we explore lengthening forwards and upwards rather than simply lifting the body vertically out of the water.

As the body returns, the spine releases into a gentle wave, allowing the movement to travel through the pelvis and legs.

And there isn’t just one way to work with the legs.

🏊 Wave legs — allowing the movement to travel through the spine and pelvis into the legs, creating a whole-body connection.

🐸 Gentle frog legs — allowing the heels to release towards the sitting bones before the legs open and gather the water, with the movement organised from the hips.

The aim isn’t to kick harder.

It’s to discover how the legs can become part of the movement of the whole body.

When the different parts of the body begin to work together, breaststroke can become more rhythmic, coordinated and supple.

The question changes from:

“How hard can I push against the water?”

to:

“How can my whole body move together so the water helps me travel?”

That’s the Shaw approach to breaststroke.

🌊 Want to experience it for yourself?

Join Steven Shaw for our 6-week Breaststroke Course.

📍 Golders Green, NW11 8HE
📅 15 September – 20 October 2026
⏰ 8:30pm
💷 £325

Book your place and discover a more connected way to swim.

🌊 ARE YOU WORKING TOO HARD IN FRONT CRAWL?

Many swimmers think better swimming means pulling harder, kicking harder and trying harder.

But what if the answer isn’t more effort?

What if it’s better connection?

In Shaw Crawl, we explore how the movement of the arm can be supported by the turning of the back, ribs and pelvis.

Instead of forcing the arm backwards with local muscular effort, we allow the whole body to participate.

The recovering arm can then travel forwards with greater lightness.

The result?

Power without force.
Length without tension.
Movement without unnecessary effort.

And when you breathe, you don’t have to abandon your length or tighten your neck.

The intention is to keep travelling forwards throughout the stroke.

🏊‍♂️ Want to experience the difference?

Join Steven Shaw for a 6-week Front Crawl Course exploring the Shaw approach to swimming.

📍 GetSetGo, Golders Green, NW11 8HE
📅 16 September – 21 October 2026
⏰ 7:30pm
💷 £325

If your front crawl feels hard work, this could be the course that changes how you think about swimming.

Spaces are available — book now.

💙 Swim Well. Feel Well. Live Well.

🌊 IT’S NOT THE STROKE YOU SWIM, BUT THE WAY YOU SWIM IT

Breaststroke is one of the most widely swum strokes in the UK.

Yet it often gets a bad reputation.

You may have heard that breaststroke can be problematic for the neck, back or knees.

And conventional breaststroke can certainly involve repeated lifting of the head, compressing the lower back or forcing the legs into a movement that creates unnecessary strain.

But what if the problem isn’t breaststroke itself?

What if it’s the way we swim it?

In Shaw Method Breaststroke, we explore a very different approach.

Rather than treating the stroke as a series of separate actions — pull, breathe, kick, glide — we allow the whole body to participate.

The head, spine, pelvis, arms and legs become part of one connected movement.

Instead of fighting the water, we explore how the body can move with it.

The result can be a breaststroke that feels more flowing, coordinated and free.

🌊 It’s not the stroke you swim.
It’s the way you swim it.

🏊 6-Week Breaststroke Course with Steven Shaw

📍 Golders Green, NW11 8HE
📅 15 September – 20 October 2026
⏰ 8:30pm
💷 £325

Curious about a different way to swim breaststroke?

Book your place and discover the Shaw Method.

Swim Well. Feel Well. Live Well. 💙

🌊 THE SHAW WAY TO CRAWL

What if front crawl wasn’t about making each part of your body work harder?

In Shaw Crawl, we explore something different.

Instead of thinking about the arm pull, the kick and the breath as separate actions, we begin to connect the whole body.

The arms, ribs, spine and pelvis work together. As one side releases backwards, the other side can lengthen forwards.

The stroke becomes a continuous conversation between opposites.

✨ Powerful without feeling forceful.
✨ Longer without becoming rigid.
✨ More connected, rhythmic and effortless.

We’re not looking for one “perfect” shape. Every swimmer has a different body, history and range of movement.

Instead, we start with curiosity:

Can your arm connect with your back?
Can your ribs stay mobile?
Can your neck remain free as you breathe?
Can you allow the water to support you?

When these connections begin to emerge, swimming can feel completely different.

This is The Shaw Way to Crawl.

🏊 6-Week Front Crawl Course with Steven Shaw

📍 GetSetGo, Golders Green, NW11 8HE
📅 16 September – 21 October 2026
⏰ 7:30pm
💷 £325

If you’re ready to explore a more connected, fluid way of swimming, book your place now.

Swim Well. Feel Well. Live Well. 💙

💦 MOVE. STRENGTHEN. RECONNECT. 💦

Ladies, your workout doesn’t have to mean pounding the pavement or pushing through pain. 💕

Our Women’s Only Aqua Aerobics sessions are a joyful, low-impact way to get your whole body moving — whatever your fitness level or swimming ability.

🌊 Why exercise in water?

✨ Build strength & tone your muscles
✨ Improve mobility, balance & posture
✨ Support circulation
✨ Take pressure off your joints
✨ Release everyday tension & stress
✨ Leave feeling refreshed and energised

Whether you’re returning to exercise, recovering from injury, feeling stiff, or simply looking for a fun way to move, our friendly women-only sessions are a safe space to focus on YOU.

And don’t worry — you don’t need to be a strong swimmer! 🏊‍♀️

📍 GetSetGo, Golders Green – NW11 8HE

💗 Come and discover how good moving in water can feel.

👉 Spaces are available — message us to book your place! https://www.artofswimming.com/aqua-aerobics-womens-only/

Butterfly isn't just for young, competitive swimmers. 🦋

In fact, I believe it's never too late to fly.

When butterfly is taught sustainably, it can become one of the most enjoyable, expressive and liberating ways to move through the water — especially as we get older.

The secret isn't more strength or harder kicking. It's learning to work with the water rather than fight it.

At the Shaw Method, we build butterfly progressively:

🌊 The Wave — learning to let movement travel through the whole body
🐛 The Caterpillar — connecting the wave with the arms so you travel forward rather than trying to lift yourself out of the water
🪽 Opening the Wings — allowing the arms to release naturally, creating a lighter, more graceful recovery

Done this way, butterfly can feel completely different.

It can mobilise the back and spine, open the chest, develop coordination and rhythm — and become surprisingly meditative.

And you don't need to swim endless lengths.

Three beautiful cycles can be more valuable than swimming butterfly until you're exhausted.

The question isn't: "How much butterfly can I survive?"

It's: "How little effort can I use while still experiencing the movement?"

As we age, our movement world doesn't have to become smaller. We can keep exploring, learning and discovering new ways to move.

You may not swim butterfly like an Olympic swimmer.

But you can discover your butterfly — softer, more intelligent, more rhythmic and full of ease.

It really is never too late to fly. 🦋

For more information - please call 07947 398982 or email: [email protected]