Spring Cleaning of the Mind and Body
Climbing does not always have to do with hitting the gnarliest crag or pulling the sickest stunt. That’s right, climbing and bouldering are beneficial for ANYONE who is willing to get out there and give it a whirl. It is helpful, though, to approach climbing with some awareness.
First, approach climbing knowing that any form of it will prove to be strenuous and will require a large amount of strength and stamina, be it indoor rock walls or an exquisite escarpment with a stellar view. This fact remains a constant, no matter if you are a beginner, an intermediate climber, or advanced competitor.
Rock scaling will also take high levels of courage and mindfulness to overcome the obstacles that lay overhead.
But the mindfulness brings a rewarding meditative peace. Sometimes, when you’re out on a precipice, posted there, soaking in the stillness of the land, the birds floating on the breeze just above your position, everything stops. The hustle and bustle, the racket of the world, all of life, seems to pause in that moment.
These things, the strength and endurance factors, the mustering of courage, the mindfulness and meditation, give rock climbing the fulfilling and multi-faceted experience of mind, body, and soul. Let’s dig a little deeper into each of these components.
Anchoring Anatomy
Climbing of any sort will truly test the entirety of your muscular system. Many times potential climbers will make the false assumption that climbing is in tune with only upper body strength. This myth will leave you hurting if you’ve only worked on chiseling your upper physique and not the other areas of muscle mass. Rock scrambling will stretch and utilize each and every ounce of potency your body contains.
Footwork and flexibility also go hand in hand with climbing. And, although it is far from a run on the local park track, climbing still works your cardiovascular system. There are many times when you are huffing and puffing at the top of a climb. In other words, look out calories, there is a new ‘high sheriff’ in town!
Mind Mending
As you begin your ascent and stare up into the sharp rays of the sun, holding fast to the sheer face of a bluff, you must prepare your mind. Clear out all of the crud that is caked to your frontal lobe and go forth with a simple clarity. This is a skill in itself; the climb is but a tool to assist you in achieving said clarity.
The more you force yourself to focus on the climb, the more you can push out those mind-plaguing thoughts of the office, or that report that is due Monday morning, or the collectors that hassle and harass your doorbell button.
While the climb may help to clear your mind, it is very far from a mindless act. In fact, your mind and thinking abilities have as much to do with it as your physique.
An ascent begins by immediately demanding body awareness and problem solving. The climbing route you take is fittingly called a ‘problem’, and your mind must come to one with your body in order to solve the enigma. There is rarely a direct route to the top.
Every move you make takes extreme focus and a well thought out plan of action. You must concentrate on where your next reach is, where to place your foot hold, and when to shift your body weight.
Along with honing in on your focus, simply being outdoors is said to decrease the symptoms that come with ADHD. It may also help to improve your memory, boost your creativity, and essentially can be just as, if not more, effective than antidepressants. That’s right! Rock climbing can combat many different levels of depression.
Soul Soaring
Who is it that typically holds you back from achieving your goals, or talking to that one crush, or even tells you not to wear that slightly risque outfit? The answer is quite simple. It is you.
More times than not, you yourself are your own worst critic. That voice in your head, the one that makes up your mind and tells you what you can or can’t execute, is often your most limiting factor.
While you are rock climbing or bouldering, you will begin to observe and note that you can remove those pesky limitations by stepping outside of them. This will most definitely carry on into other important aspects of your life. By pushing yourself to make the next move, you go against the grain of your limited mindset.
The more you climb, the faster you will notice a difference in your own personal perseverance and confidence. While hanging midway between the bottom and the top, the more driven you become to make it to the top. Once you begin to truly focus and even possibly transcend while you’re bouldering and climbing, your confidence levels will boost and notably change as you progress. You could potentially begin to notice the changes in your day-to-day life as well. Once-haunting tasks such as public speaking or big interviews may come with much more ease.
One of the biggest benefits to the soul that can be derived from rock climbing is its ability to drastically lower your stress levels. Exercising increases levels of norepinephrine, a chemical that balances our brain's response to stress. It is also said that many forms of exercise can combat addiction, depression, and many other mental illnesses.
Climbing, however, goes above and beyond your typical exercises. Many climbers claim that once they have cleared their minds and become totally engulfed in the flow of the climb, they enter into a euphoric mindset.
Basically, climbing is a big anti-stress device that can be used to remarkably reshape one's own being.
Fun and Beneficial
Undoubtedly, it has been made official that rock climbing is beneficial. Unlike most forms of exercise, rock climbing becomes a physical test that is in tandem with a mental test; you don’t just climb right to the top. It takes a well-trained body to make it to the top; it takes an active mind to judge the best route to ascend; it takes a well-rounded soul to commit to the climb in the first place.
Climbing will most definitely assist in reshaping your state of mind. Rock climbing is about you challenging and pushing yourself. It helps you stop thinking about competing and getting approval from others and allows you to preserve your own state of being. It is also a heck of a lot of fun! Clearly, there is much more to the sport than just hitting a crag and gaining a handful of bragging rights. Climbing, camping, and watersports are but a few of ways to truly tune, form, and shape your mind, body, and spirit. Embrace these outlets and embrace yourself as you discover yourself through such outlets. You are you! Push yourself to the limits while enjoying a great time, and your entire being shall prevail!
Always remember, stay %100 out there!
Climbing does not always have to do with hitting the gnarliest crag or pulling the sickest stunt. That’s right, climbing and bouldering are beneficial for ANYONE who is willing to get out there and give it a whirl. It is helpful, though, to approach climbing with some awareness.
First, approach climbing knowing that any form of it will prove to be strenuous and will require a large amount of strength and stamina, be it indoor rock walls or an exquisite escarpment with a stellar view. This fact remains a constant, no matter if you are a beginner, an intermediate climber, or advanced competitor.
Rock scaling will also take high levels of courage and mindfulness to overcome the obstacles that lay overhead.
But the mindfulness brings a rewarding meditative peace. Sometimes, when you’re out on a precipice, posted there, soaking in the stillness of the land, the birds floating on the breeze just above your position, everything stops. The hustle and bustle, the racket of the world, all of life, seems to pause in that moment.
These things, the strength and endurance factors, the mustering of courage, the mindfulness and meditation, give rock climbing the fulfilling and multi-faceted experience of mind, body, and soul. Let’s dig a little deeper into each of these components.
Anchoring Anatomy
Climbing of any sort will truly test the entirety of your muscular system. Many times potential climbers will make the false assumption that climbing is in tune with only upper body strength. This myth will leave you hurting if you’ve only worked on chiseling your upper physique and not the other areas of muscle mass. Rock scrambling will stretch and utilize each and every ounce of potency your body contains.
Footwork and flexibility also go hand in hand with climbing. And, although it is far from a run on the local park track, climbing still works your cardiovascular system. There are many times when you are huffing and puffing at the top of a climb. In other words, look out calories, there is a new ‘high sheriff’ in town!
Mind Mending
As you begin your ascent and stare up into the sharp rays of the sun, holding fast to the sheer face of a bluff, you must prepare your mind. Clear out all of the crud that is caked to your frontal lobe and go forth with a simple clarity. This is a skill in itself; the climb is but a tool to assist you in achieving said clarity.
The more you force yourself to focus on the climb, the more you can push out those mind-plaguing thoughts of the office, or that report that is due Monday morning, or the collectors that hassle and harass your doorbell button.
While the climb may help to clear your mind, it is very far from a mindless act. In fact, your mind and thinking abilities have as much to do with it as your physique.
An ascent begins by immediately demanding body awareness and problem solving. The climbing route you take is fittingly called a ‘problem’, and your mind must come to one with your body in order to solve the enigma. There is rarely a direct route to the top.
Every move you make takes extreme focus and a well thought out plan of action. You must concentrate on where your next reach is, where to place your foot hold, and when to shift your body weight.
Along with honing in on your focus, simply being outdoors is said to decrease the symptoms that come with ADHD. It may also help to improve your memory, boost your creativity, and essentially can be just as, if not more, effective than antidepressants. That’s right! Rock climbing can combat many different levels of depression.
Soul Soaring
Who is it that typically holds you back from achieving your goals, or talking to that one crush, or even tells you not to wear that slightly risque outfit? The answer is quite simple. It is you.
More times than not, you yourself are your own worst critic. That voice in your head, the one that makes up your mind and tells you what you can or can’t execute, is often your most limiting factor.
While you are rock climbing or bouldering, you will begin to observe and note that you can remove those pesky limitations by stepping outside of them. This will most definitely carry on into other important aspects of your life. By pushing yourself to make the next move, you go against the grain of your limited mindset.
The more you climb, the faster you will notice a difference in your own personal perseverance and confidence. While hanging midway between the bottom and the top, the more driven you become to make it to the top. Once you begin to truly focus and even possibly transcend while you’re bouldering and climbing, your confidence levels will boost and notably change as you progress. You could potentially begin to notice the changes in your day-to-day life as well. Once-haunting tasks such as public speaking or big interviews may come with much more ease.
One of the biggest benefits to the soul that can be derived from rock climbing is its ability to drastically lower your stress levels. Exercising increases levels of norepinephrine, a chemical that balances our brain's response to stress. It is also said that many forms of exercise can combat addiction, depression, and many other mental illnesses.
Climbing, however, goes above and beyond your typical exercises. Many climbers claim that once they have cleared their minds and become totally engulfed in the flow of the climb, they enter into a euphoric mindset.
Basically, climbing is a big anti-stress device that can be used to remarkably reshape one's own being.
Fun and Beneficial
Undoubtedly, it has been made official that rock climbing is beneficial. Unlike most forms of exercise, rock climbing becomes a physical test that is in tandem with a mental test; you don’t just climb right to the top. It takes a well-trained body to make it to the top; it takes an active mind to judge the best route to ascend; it takes a well-rounded soul to commit to the climb in the first place.
Climbing will most definitely assist in reshaping your state of mind. Rock climbing is about you challenging and pushing yourself. It helps you stop thinking about competing and getting approval from others and allows you to preserve your own state of being. It is also a heck of a lot of fun! Clearly, there is much more to the sport than just hitting a crag and gaining a handful of bragging rights. Climbing, camping, and watersports are but a few of ways to truly tune, form, and shape your mind, body, and spirit. Embrace these outlets and embrace yourself as you discover yourself through such outlets. You are you! Push yourself to the limits while enjoying a great time, and your entire being shall prevail!
Always remember, stay %100 out there!
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