Mindfulness and mastery in the climbing gym

​I fill my mouth with water, and move it around. I have read somewhere that when you are nervous, your mouth becomes dry and your brain interprets this as being nervous. Keeping the mouth wet is a trick to make the brain think that it is not nervous. «Mouth is wet, ok so I´m so not nervous.» Despite being so smart, the brain seems pretty stupid sometimes too. I take a deep breath and get to work on the yellow climbing holds. Fingers finding grip, and feet pushing the body upwards. 1 clip, 2 clips, 3 clips. The heart beat starting to race. I take a deep breath again and continue. 4 clips. It was on the 5th clip I had to cheat a little the last time. Had to use one of the green holds, but I will not this time. Mouth has become a little dry again. Trying to get some saliva going while inhaling calmly. 5 clips. Yay, made it past 5 clips. Encouraging cheers from below keeps me moving. Move by move, upwards and onwards. 6 clips, 7 clips.

I know the route, I climb it well on top rope, but right now I´m climbing lead.
Climbing lead means that you´re not attached to the top of the wall, but clip the rope in as you go. It´s heavier and if you fall, you fall a little longer. So it´s a little more mentally demanding, but in return the feeling of mastery is greater. As with everything else, it´s all in my head. If the head refuse, the body soon follows. Agility is lost, while nervousness eats away muscle power. Even though I know it's safe to fall, my head often objects when I climb lead. But not today. Today, my head is in the game.

3 more clips, then the top anchor. You´re awesome Lisa! My pulse is racing, fingers feeling sweaty and a little tired. Chalk, falling like snow onto the belayer below. The last holds are a little smaller, but now I'm on a roll, I'm going alle the way up. 8 clips, 9 clips, 10 clips. Only the last one remaining. Slightly nervous, my fingers tightening their grip. 3 deep breaths before I move my foot and go for it. The fingers find the last hold, but just as I am about to pull myself all the way up, it slips. For half a moment I am in the air before my legs hit the wall a little further down. So close !!! A mix of adrenaline and pride rushes through my body as I smile down at my friend holding my life safe and sound in her hands. That was pretty awesome!!

It´s in the climbing gym that I find my favorite form of mindfullness. Thoughts and worries are put aside for a while and you are just completely present. The mind is cleared and the focus is on what you´re doing. Especially when you go a little further out of the comfort zone than you normally do. As I have done this week. After a session like this, I walk out with a feeling of being unstoppable. Ready to tackle whatever comes my way. It´s a refill of mental strength and self-confidence. The feeling I´m walking out with this Friday afternoon, is something I wish everyone gets to feel.