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Mindfulness and Rock Climbing - Movement and Focus
By Matt L Walker

I walk up to the base of the cliff. "I can climb this - no problem". My talk reassures me that I can do this - my body is tense with fear and anxiety. My hands start to sweat slightly, I touch the coarse granite and feel the sun's warmth radiate from it. I certainly don't want to show my anxiety or fear, so I puff up a little more and get ready for the climb.

I climb up thirty feet and start to get into the hard section. I pause, climb up, climb down, recheck my equipment, climb up, and back down. My nerves are getting to me and my inner dialogue is a monologue of "I can't" and "it's too this or too that". Too hard. Too steep. Too hot. Too whatever. I am placing blame wherever I can - but not on myself.

I have repeated this scene countless times and watched others repeat this same scene countless times. This is status quo behavior at a climbing area - it is also status quo behavior in our work, personal, and spiritual lives. We seek answers and solutions to problems outside of ourselves and place blame when the answers and solutions don't work.

Rock climbing offers a mirror into our individual perspective and behaviors in the world. It offers an experience that gives us direct feedback into how we observe, communicate with others, tolerate adversity, set and work on goals, and give and receive support and trust. Seems like a lot of feedback? It is and don't forget that it is fun too!

Learning and growth, by their definition, take us out of our comfort zone and into the unknown. We have defined and developed our comfort zone over time as a way to control and anticipate our experiences - rock climbing can offer a physically and emotionally safe experience to test our self-defined comfort zone and open us to learning and growth.

As communication technologies develop at an increasing rate, sociologists, psychologists, and spiritual leaders search for ways to live a more mindful, productive, and peaceful life. Jon Kabat-Zinn's work with mindfulness meditation, 'The Four Agreements' by Don Miguel Ruiz, and Eckhart Tolle's 'Power of Now' each focus on keeping the conscious mind quiet and allowing intuitive abilities to come forward. The popularity of these works attest to our collective want of a more centered and present experience in the world. These works are focused on the journey of our lives, in the present, not on the destination. Rock climbing combines the physical and mental work of living in the moment and embodies the spirit of mindfulness.

I am often asked: isn't climbing dangerous? Rock climbing equipment, when used properly and after receiving professional instruction, is incredibly strong and safe. Often what we think of as dangerous is only a perceived risk - we perceive that climbing is dangerous based on a lack of information or projection of fear. Learning about the equipment and safety systems gives us the information we need to move from perceiving climbing as risky to understanding that rock climbing is a calculated risk that can become increasingly safe with education and supervised practice.

Is rock climbing only for the elite athlete or young and foolhardy? Not at all. Rock climbing is a life long activity that demands patience, persistence, and focus. It is an activity open to all body types and all levels of fitness. One of the beautiful aspects of climbing, apart from spending time outside in the fresh air and in amazing places, is that the challenge is self imposed. You are in control over what type of climbing you choose to do and the difficulty level - regardless of how difficult the climbing is on a universal scale, it is your challenge.

Rock climbing is a powerful teacher of focus and living and breathing in the moment - the destination is a sweet reward but the work and challenge is in the process. Climbing offers a unique and powerful opportunity to connect your mind body, and spirit.

Matt Walker is the owner of Inner Passage based in Tucson, AZ. He is a rock climbing guide and life coach. He can be reached at http://www.innerpassage.net and enjoys sharing his love of climbing and the outdoors with others.

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