Aren't brains brilliant!

Last night was somewhat unusual for me!  I think its worth writing about even though the subject matter is a little... well, yukky!

I hadnt been feeling too well all day, headache and a bit queasy but figured that it would pass so went climbing anyway.  Whilst belaying I felt decidedly dodgy but, knew I would have to second the route so tried to focus on something else; the colours of the lichen on the rock, the sound of the water nearby, and controlled my breathing.  When I seconded the route I actually found I climbed pretty well, concentration was good and physically didn't feel too bad.  

As I was waiting to ab off, I began to feel worse and worse and eventually threw up.  Not my most glamourous of moments!! I then wondered how on earth I had managed to have those 20 minutes or so climbing without feeling awful. 

I think the interesting thing for me here is just how powerful the mind is in controlling our body.  Because I had to second the route, and because I needed to focus on the moves, I found I was able to block out thoughts of being ill; indeed I didnt even feel that ill whilst climbing! Only on reaching the top and relaxing did the waves of nausea return.  Fascinating to me that when your concentration is absolutely in the physical here and now, there really isnt room or time to think about anything else - fears, worries, doubts, illness even!

We know that things like stress and worry have a huge impact on our immune system and body organs.  The exciting thing for me is learning how to manage our body through our minds, ie if its possible for psychological processes to negatively influence the body, then it follows that psychological processes can influence the body positively if we learn how.  A good example of this is in terms of managing our physical state to prevent escalation of anxiety when climbing (eg diaphragmatic breathing and relaxing muscle groups can "trick" the mind and body into thinking we are relaxed and slow down the adrenalin response).   There are also studies that suggest that just thinking about exercise can be pretty effective, and being even more mindful of what the body does when we train it can enhance the training effects.  Aren't brains brilliant!! 

more feedback

Really pleased to get some more feedback in this week and I have posted it below.  It really makes it worthwhile when I hear that people have been able to take the techniques and apply them and take their climbing up another level.

“Its been just over a week since the course and as usual I have been mulling all the things over that I learnt. Initially I wasn't sure if it had helped me as I seemed to be shying away from leading again!. I was making excuses about the weather and feeling tired ( all valid reasons but not entirely true). But it was this monday just gone that was the real boost I needed. I was climbing on the Orme with my husband. Again my thoughts were of not wanting to really lead but I was happy to second stuff.  I kept looking at this route Bauxed which I had seconded a few weeks ago and led with the gear in few years ago. I wasnt happy that the first piece of gear was quite a way up but managed to find a canny thread! I still wasn't going to lead it. And this is where the lovelyiness starts. My husband was so encouraging. He said that my climbing had really improved, that the route was well within my capabilities, that I was climbing like a leader now rather than a second as i was taking far more time to look around and work moves out. This really gave me a big boost.  He has never discouraged me or rubbished my climbing but these words really helped.

 

So I set of to lead the route! I was so much calmer and even when he started talking to these two youngsters whilst belaying I reminded him once to watch and refocused on the climb. It was brilliant. I really concentrated on my breathing, slowing my actions down, looking around for gear and the next moves and before I knew it i was near the top and the crux moves. I started to get anxious but after breathing and looking around for that confidence boosting bit of gear i rehearsed the moves in my mind and set off. I did better than when I last seconded it. I even paused at the top to take it all in and savour the feeling. I felt totally chuffed with myself and not because of the grade because of how great it all felt. It was stunning evening with fantastic views of the Isle of Man big grins all round.

 

I was out again with on Dinas Mot and again I was able to really put some of the techniques into practice. It was great to be climbing and enjoying the movement and flow. The self talk seems to be more positive or else I'm refocusing quicker. I'm looking forward to the weekend and I'm sure I will still have some anxieties - this is ok and natural – climbing’s dangerous! So a big thanks to the 'Smart Climbing' workshop.”

Please tell us what you thought of:
Bryn’s ropework and rescue workshop?
 
"Very good and very useful. It helped to consolidate info learnt on previous course’s as well as introducing news tips and technique’s. A day would have been even more useful with tips and advice on rope work whilst climbing. I’ve been out practicing some of the skills learnt with great success."

"V. useful.  Personally – I need lots of work in this area, it takes me a while to absorb technical stuff – so I would have liked a longer session, in order to practice more"
  
 
Rebecca’s psychological skills workshop?
"Excellent. A lot of what was said made sense and was very helpful. I found the mindfulness and the re-focusing particularly useful as I’m always listening to the negative self talk and letting it take over. I have since found some of the techniques useful in a number of situations, and was really chuffed with how calm I stayed whilst on a difficult route recently. The length of the workshop was about right also." 

"V. good.  Lots of time to dig underneath fears and concerns, and I liked the practical tips for managing same.   I wish I had taken notes, but I will make good use of supporting information provided, and notice that you also have information on your website to use"

 Lucy’s movement and techniques workshop?
"This was another useful workshop which again help consolidate and hone previous skill’s. It would have perhaps been a little more beneficial if there was more time for constructive feed back after climbing a few routes either indoors or on a single pitch trad route."
"Good but would have liked more practice at specific techniques, particularly climbing more overhanging terrain e.g. Egyptians etc"

 Victoria’s yoga workshops?
 "Excellent if a little painful at times! Really helpful to put the yoga into a climbing context and highlight the importance of stretching and increasing flexibility. Would really like to continue with this and have tried to use some of the positions learnt."

"Very stretchy!  I like yoga anyhow, and am quite bendy so enjoyed the sessions!  New type of yoga for me, so interesting"  

 
Falling off practice?
"EEK! Despite my huge anxiety about this I did find it helpful but feel that it is something to keep practicing. I felt the discussion before hand helped put the practical more into context and didn’t feel pressured to take great falls straight away." 

"This is a difficult area for me – so found this session useful.  Not sure I completely overcame my hang ups about it, but the singing technique helped me to relax!"
  
Lizzy’s injury prevention workshop?
"Interesting and useful. It highlighted how poor I am at looking after my aches and pains and I really need to take proper care and seek appropriate help and advice sooner. The workshop could have been a little more interactive though I’m not sure how." 

"I like Lizzy’s relaxed style of imparting information.  This session came at the end of the first day so I was quite tired and didn’t absorb as much, plus the room was very cold.  Perhaps more interactive session with half the session based on practical stuff for increasing resilience/preventing injury (maybe introduce nutritional elements too?) and half the session based on actual problem solving for members of the group (I know this may be difficult without actual hands on consultation, but general guidance might help??"

"I really enjoyed the slide show with Colin Goody on Saturday night. He was so interesting to listen to and such an inspiration. I was good to be reminded how climbing can and has broadened the scope for other brilliant outdoor activities. I think you have a unique course and was really impressed with the holistic approach as so often climbing gets lost in just number crunching with the emphasis being how hard you climb! There so much more than that. Thanks loads to you all. :0)"

Some feedback

Just thought I would copy in some of the feedback I have had so far after the open workshop...

Food and accommodation 

What did you think of the bunkhouse? "Nicest bunkhouse I’ve ever stayed in"

What did you think of the breakfast materials?  "Plenty of variety and quantity. Better than I expected"

What did you think of the coffee and cake at V12? "Hard to believe a climbing shop would do such a nice latte!!"

What did you think of the food at the Gallt y Glyn evening meal? "Again very good. Great pizza"

Workshops:

Psychological skills: "Really helpful in perspective of why I climb and handling the anxiety when it comes up.  The whole cycle helped me identify some key areas of how I can break the cycle and climbing for two day afterwards I found these techniques worked in helping me remain calmer (across lead on trad, sport and even top roping) – although I am sure sounding like ivor the engine with my deep regulated breathing is not the norm!"     

Yoga: "Really enjoyed these and looking for a class locally – highlighted flexibility issues for me and lower body, but also a great positive for me in terms of upper body flexibility and the balance (usually blame my weaker left foot for poor climbing, but managed the tree on it that morning and took the whole excuse away and a positive for me on balance side) – wish I could do this sort of thing every time I go climbing". 

Ropework: "I wasn't expecting the rope technique session but it turned out to be a real valuable update for me (as Bryn will tell you I still use a double fisherman's to tie two ropes together!) , and I appreciated the way Bryn and I had the chance to talk about pros and cons and how he was able to offer explanations as to why one thing was better than another etc. There is always a risk and a cost in changing habitual habits (like what know you use) so its important to have that personal experience angle."

Falling practice: "Very pleased with how this went – after the morning on a top rope wasn’t sure how far I would get, but pleased with the content and also how the progression built up to allow my to progress at comfortably level – slumping on top rope to then slack etc really worked for me, especially when compared to other courses where they have pushed straight to lead falls.  Went back to beacon  on Monday to follow on and managed it even in a busy room of people, real progression for me.  I think the only thing that would have improved this section, would have been to take a fall/slump onto “real” placed gear to start the process of building up trust again."  

"Overall I really enjoyed the experience and as a last effort to re-fire my enthusiasm for climbing I have to say a success.  The combination of other peoples fears and reasons for climbing as well as the time spent with the group and just feeding from the enthusiasm has helped me to rediscover the desire to climb. Having spent two days after the course in the area and climbing for the second day I found the course had helped give me some skills and techniques to help bring anxiety under control and to continue to enjoy the climb. Going forward I am looking forward to continuing to reinforce the positive messages from the workshop and activities with my training, climbing and continued desire to now fall on a rope (indoors at least)"

"Thanks again for a great weekend Rebecca. What a fantastic and inspiring weekend. It was a pleasure to meet you, Lucy, Bryn, Victoria and Diane, but also what a great bunch of people came to the weekend! I have never liked wall climbing at any level (physical, intellectual or aesthetic) and I came away from Saturday having had my belief in my own technical and psychological ineptitude at wall climbing well and truly confirmed! However, feeling more positive after Sunday I have made a promise to myself to start going to the wall a bit- not 'to do' the big overhangs but to see how far I can get up them. I also want to spend lots of time on the bouldering wall just enjoying doing what Lucy taught us with no achievement pressure. I really valued that time with Lucy, since I learnt to climb at Plas y Brenin back in 1977, I don't think anyone has ever talked to me about 'how to climb' just what to climb. How refreshing was that! It was also quite emotional watching Lucy climb  that 6b as if she was walking down the street- emotional both from the sheer aesthetic of watching such a consummate technician move, to a slight poignancy over lost opportunities (do you know the McGough poem that starts something like - it seems unlikely now that I'll score the winning goal for England at Wembley..!) I have to say though- Colin was a real antidote to that in the evening!"

Relaxing after a great workshop!

Its been extraordinarily busy in the run up to the open workshop which finally came to fruition last weekend.  Twelve climbers aged between their twenties and fifties attended a packed weekend, covering technique, ropework, falling practise, yoga, anxiety management, body awareness and injury prevention and management, as well as some serious cake eating and an evening lecture by local septegenarian climber Colin Goodey!

Formal feedback is starting to come in, but over the course of the weekend I watched with joy as some people overcame fears of falling, improved their technique, gained confidence in their ropework, and tried some new activities (groin work in the yoga and mindful sultana eating!).  As always there are things I would do differently, but as a whole the weekend was a great experience with a really lovely group of people.  Hopefully they will post their comments on here too!

So, this week has been a chance for me to reflect on both how it went but also what I taught and what it means to me to climb mindfully.  An evening bouldering session helped me to clarify that I love the movement of climbing, the carefully placing of body in balance, the focus on both the specific parts of your body and also the body as a whole.  But also, climbing with great people in what is a beautiful part of the world.  Perfect:)

Finalising workshop plans !

A wet day in North Wales means a day off from cragging and a day just sorting out the final details for the workshop next weekend.  The workshop is full with 12 people attending, all with very different aims, experience, and sticking points, and as ever I am really looking forward to meeting everyone.  It is both challenging and rewarding to try to individualise the psychological techniques so everyone can take away something that works for them, to help them get the most out of their climbing.

So, the programme includes, climbing specific yoga, some mindfulness practice, some falling practice, movement and technique coaching, and self-rescue and ropework problem solving.  Hopefully the weather will cheer up again so we can be outside as much as possible but we can work around the weather!  Colin Goodey will also be speaking on the Saturday night about why he is still climbing at 72 years of age - and he has even more new routes under his belt since last year!  And the weekend would not be the same without coffee and cake courtesy of V12, and pizza's at the Gallt Y Glyn!

Just had a great update as well from one of last year's clients, you can read about it here ; always nice to hear that people are able to take things away from the workshop and put them into practise and take their climbing on a bit further.

So, all that remains for me to do today is, to make up folders for the clients for next weekend, and fit in a little indoor training session for myself as well as some stretching a meditation tonight!  A fulfilling wet Saturday!

Late night descent

On Tuesday eve a friend and I made the most of the evening sun by climbing Jubilee Climb on Dinas Mot.  The route was bathed in the evening sunlight, and was a varied and enjoyable climb, with delicate slabs (my favourite bit!) and strenuous jamming cracks (yuk!).  Knowing it would be a long evening I put my head torch in my chalk bag and tied my shoes to the back of my harness.  What I should also have done was eaten something before starting out - I find I need to eat very regularly or I get dizzy and very ratty!  The sunset was gorgeous and we topped out about 9:30 pm.  Finding the abseil off proved tricky, and knowing there were 2 abseils in a dark gully we decided to walk off the long way.  About halfway along the walk off I felt decidedly despondent thinking we would "never" find our way down and would be wandering around in the dark "forever".  Luckily I know that for me this negative thinking is borne out of low blood sugar so I didnt take it too seriously, but I always think its interesting what the brain chatters about in moments of stress.  Of course it was totally unrealistic to think I would "never" get down - what, never!!! and that I would be stuck up there "forever"!! Catastrophising like this is one of the things our brains do, and because our thoughts can seem quite powerful, as though they are us (rather than a part of us) we can get sucked into believing them.  Think about the number of times you say "I'll never be able to do X move/ route" .  Is that really true?  Or do we really mean, we can't do it right now?  Or perhaps we haven't even tried yet.  I think this relates back to a previous post about adopting an open and curious attitude, rather than writing yourself off before you start.

The weather is changing but I am resisting catastrophising, trying not to say "oh,, thats it now, we've had our summer".....  :)

Stay curious!