Show notes
In this episode of the Finding Elevation podcast, host Lisa Thompson discusses the impact of mindfulness and mindset on performance for mountain athletes. She shares how practices like meditation, intention-setting, visualization, and breathwork can transform both climbing ability and overall wellbeing. Key Discussion Points The connection between mindset and performance, initially noticed when a seemingly capable climber turned around early on Mt. Rainier due to mental barriers (00:01:00) Research showing meditation physically changes the brain to improve focus and decrease reactivity/fear (00:07:00) Tips for building a meditation practice, starting with just 5 minutes a day (00:21:41) Using mantras and intention-setting to override negative self-talk and reframe challenges (00:29:15) Leveraging visualization to pre-experience difficult sections of a climbing route (00:35:59) Not ignoring fear but categorizing it and reframing it before moving forward (00:33:24) Community and Engagement Links Studies: NIH study Purdue study Your brain doesn’t know the difference between what you think and experience Meditation Apps: Calm Headspace Insight timer Book: The Mindful Athlete by George Mumford