Calmness and Clarity
- June 2012
- Climb
hey Steph,
first up, thanks for sharing your thoughts on your blog, some of the posts have some really useful gear that you can apply to your own climbing / lifestyle etc. Having cut out all animal products from my diet & lifestyle about 6 months ago, it’s great to see someone who has chosen that way of life & who is also an inspiring athlete.
I remember seeing a clip of you on one of the Sender Films flicks, speaking about having a strong engagement with fear when you’re free-soloing. You might’ve also mentioned something about thinking good thoughts & learning to focus your attention to climb with calmness & clarity… or I might’ve just made that up, but you know what I mean hey? I’ve found meditation has really helped to train my mind to let unneccessary thoughts be just that and nothing more, but we’re all different so I’m wondering if that’s all you find you need to get your head to where it needs to be, as well as climbing / BASEing as often as possible, or if there is something else you’ve found has really helped you to remain calm and focused when pushing your limit on trad gear or when soloing etc?
thanks Steph, be good to hear your thoughts.
Michael
nb. gave my old man your book for xmas & must confess it was just so I could get a read myself – had a quick peek before throwing the wrapping paper on, looks like a cracker of a read.
Hi Michael,
Jumpers talk about “being current,” which is just what it sounds like. I notice that the more I’m climbing and jumping, the more comfortable I feel. I think it’s a pretty natural human trait to be comfortable with what’s familiar and apprehensive/dubious with things that are new or unknown. They both have their good points, obviously…
As far as maintaining calm, I also think meditation helps a lot. I like to do some yoga and stretching every morning when I wake up, for about 5-30 minutes depending on the day. I’ve noticed that seems to make me feel good too. Just thinking about things a lot is important for me too. I need a lot of time by myself every day, because I find that I can’t concentrate on my thoughts as much when I’m with other people. So having a lot of time and space for reflection is something I really need. I guess meditation can provide that, but I seem to need more alone time than I would be willing to sit in meditation, so I like to do things by myself–kind of a balance between spending time with others and doing things alone.
I also noticed a big difference in mental state when I stopped eating animal products. It’s undeniable that the majority of meat and animal products we get are full of chemicals in the form of hormones, antibiotics and adrenaline produced by the animals themselves when treated badly. After I stopped ingesting that stuff, I did notice that I generally had become more calm and maybe more soft-hearted, if that makes sense–sad things make me cry pretty easily 😉
Steph
