The Story Behind Mindful Mountains Collective
After my indoor climbing accident in September 2017, my family and friends were so awesome in supporting me as my body healed, but there was only so much they could do or say to support me through the mental mountains I was facing [and continue to face] as I got back to all my outdoor sports.
Every stage brought on different challenges, some have been easier to navigate and others have felt confusing, frustrating, and hopeless. I have resigned to the fact that the last five percent of the pain in my back is the new norm. My sensitivity to crowds, noise, and people’s energy has amplified. I still have moments of “identity crisis” where I dive deeper to ask do I even enjoy climbing anymore or can I change what enjoying climbing looks like to me now. ***
Back to the scene after getting out of the hospital.
So, I would graciously acknowledge the words of encouragement and the "don't be so hard on yourself" type comments but most of what I felt was "you just don't understand, it's not that easy" and, honestly, it's because I sure as hell didn't understand.
The most powerful moments were and still are being able to talk to other people who had a similar experience. Through hearing their stories, I felt a little less crazy and gained some insight that continues to help me through my journey. As I continued talking to numerous athletes about their own recovery, I realized I was not alone in these feelings.
Having a strong base of mindfulness, meditation, and breath work from yoga provided me with some incredible tools to support the process of healing, but what I, along with many others, was missing was the power of community. The goal of Mindful Mountains Collective is to create a supportive community for outdoor athletes who are recovering or have recovered from accidents, along with sharing some mindfulness principles. Each hour opens with guided breath work and mindfulness practice, followed by a sharing circle where you can tell your story or simply listen, and wraps up with a guided relaxing meditation.
***Although I listed many of the challenges from my accident, please know that I have found more beauty and created more opportunities from those challenges.