INPUT ARTICLE: Article: When you're doing the backstroke, you want your body to lay as flat on the surface of the water as possible. The smaller your profile in the water, the less resistance you'll feel as you swim and the easier it will be to go fast. Most people have a hard time getting their hips to float on the surface of the water, so they sink down a little below the surface. This is OK but try to keep your hips as close to the surface as possible. It will be easier to keep yourself flat once you are moving. The backstroke (like most swimming strokes) is all about making the most efficient use of your energy possible. One easy way to do this is to let your head sit semi-submerged in the water. The water should cover your ears almost completely. It may touch the corners of your face, but it shouldn't be getting into your eyes, nose, or mouth. If you don't like the feeling of the water covering your ears, consider investing in a swimming cap or a set of swimmer's earplugs. Trying to keep your ears out of the water will tire out your neck and spend energy that you could be using to swim. As soon as you're in position on your back, start kicking. Your legs should be straightened, close together, and lined up below your hips. Use short kicking motions to propel yourself forward. As you raise one leg, kick the other down (and vice versa). For best results, keep your legs straight and kick from your hips rather than from your knees. This will give you more power and prevent you from getting sore knees. As you start to kick forward, keep your arms at your sides. Reach one arm up in front of you. It should point toward the sky or ceiling. Bring it up over your head, by your ear, and down into the water — it will be pointing in the direction you're traveling. When your arm hits the water, bring it down and scull outward to propel yourself forward. As you do this, raise the other arm and perform the same motion. Repeat. This should feel natural. Try to keep a steady rhythm between your arms and legs because that will make your swimming faster and easier! To swim as efficiently as possible, it is important to remember that your hands should enter and exit the water with their edges first, not their palms. When you lift your arm out of the water, lead with your thumb. When it enters the water, lead with your pinky finger. When your hand is under the water pulling you forward, rotate it so your palm is facing your feet. This will give you the propulsive energy to go forward. Your motions in the pool shouldn't be rigid like a steamboat. Instead, keep them fluid and flexible to get through the water as efficiently as possible. See below:  As you raise each arm, rotate your shoulder upwards. Rotate the opposite shoulder downwards — you should be using it to pull the other hand under the water. Similarly, twist your hips slightly with each kick. You should have an ever-so-slight "wiggling" motion — your right hip should go down when your right leg kicks and vice versa.

SUMMARY: Keep your body flat like a plank. Be comfortable with the water covering the sides of your head. Use a "flutter" kick. Use a long, fluid arm motion. Position your hands to minimize resistance. Rotate your shoulders and hips with each stroke.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you plan to leave your guitar unattended for a long period of time or in travel, you should loosen your strings. Do not store a guitar without strings or else your neck could become warped. Try to store your guitar in a case in the upright position if possible. Store the guitar in a comfortable environment like a closet or in an environment where you could stand to live. Never store the guitar in a garage or basement that is not heated or controlled by a proper air unit.

SUMMARY: Store your guitar.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: . Humans have a bad tendency of judging books by their covers. If something isn't pretty, it isn't good. That's obviously not how it works, but it's a natural go-to for most of us (it saves a lot of time and energy on thought). So save yourself the struggle and shower, brush your teeth, run a comb through your hair, and dress like you give half a ferret. The world will be a lot kinder to you and thus be more readily convinced of your innate loveliness! Choose a scent and stick to it. People will smell your loveliness from across the room. Mmm. Loveliness. If they wanted to capture it, they'd ask you to sweat into a bottle. Psych! The first step was just to ease you in to the process. Showering is all well and good, but it's probably not enough. Being clean is very, very important, but being lovely has a certain "put together-ness" about it. So slap on some lip gloss, some eyeliner, and turn that ponytail into a neat bun. You don't have to dress to the nines (sometimes that's just inappropriate), but do have a look that says "I didn't play Russian roulette with my closet today." Spend five minutes picking out your outfit. Give yourself a glance to see if your pieces fit together. If someone were to see you, what's the first impression they would get? . Being a klutz isn't something you can really help, but it's something you can consciously try to be aware of. If you keep good posture, your chin up and shoulders up (if you don't trip over yourself!), you'll move like Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly. The ultimate picture of class. . There is a certain aspect of loveliness that is very feminine. Very soft, very gentle. There is nothing loud, brash, excessive, or macho about being lovely. While everyone's version of femininity is different, play up whatever that word means to you. You can be feminine in an oversized plaid shirt and jeans. You can be feminine while you're bossing people around. You can be feminine rolling out of bed with no makeup on. It doesn't necessarily have to do with what you're wearing or doing; it has more to do with how you project yourself. A lovely person generally makes people feel good. They light up a room with their energy. The simplest way to do this is to be generous with your smile. Be delighted at the tiniest of things. Marvel at small beauty in the world. Show you appreciate the world around you (and the people in it) with a smile. Here's a blow-your-mind thought: There are people in this world who haven't been smiled at today. There are people in this world who haven't been smiled at for weeks. Think about that. The only thing you have to do to make their world brighter is smile at them. That would be awfully lovely of you.

SUMMARY:
Have good hygiene Put effort into your appearance. Move with poise and grace Be feminine Be generous with your smile.