INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND EDITION

INTRODUCTION

TO THE SECOND EDITION

More than ten years have passed since I started working at the first pages of this book. Since then, many things have changed in my life, in my way of practicing Yoga and climbing, and experiencing deep connections day by day. In the same way, the general awareness has changed considerably concerning Yoga, which has spread in society and climbing, with different pros and cons. Even though ten years ago Yoga was already known in the climbing world, also thanks to some famous “yogi” climbers, climbers who knew and practiced it were still few. Especially in Italy, except for some mentions or short articles, there was almost no source discussing extensively the connection between these two disciplines. Moreover, climbers had not showed an explicit interest towards Yoga yet. For these reasons, the publication of the first edition of Yogascent has been a gamble, the result of which was not foreseeable: many were surely prepared to accept the usefulness of Yoga in relation to climbing, but at the same time, the community of climbers was also reluctant to consider a more spiritual conception of climbing in relation to Yoga and other holistic disciplines. This uncertainty played a key role in the writing of the first edition, simplified since the beginning to be as effective as possible. The objective was first of all to disseminate what is, in my opinion, a fundamental aspect: the awareness of what Yoga is in connection with climbing and its spiritual nature, trying to approach climbers without too many complications. For this reason, at that time I made a description of the techniques of Asanas, Pranayama and an introduction to meditation, contextualizing them in a brief but (I hope) effective way for what concerns the philosophy of Yoga, without discussing some more “advanced” topics, which would have deserved more insight though. Moreover, what I reported was the result of my experience, at that time, as a climber, practitioner and just graduated Yoga teacher, together with the little knowledge already available of Yoga for climbing. Since then, the situation has evolved considerably. Personally, besides the prosecution of my never-ending path of improvement as a Yoga teacher, I have started teaching it in different contexts and spots. This allowed me to get in touch with hundreds of climbers, both at the beginning of their Yoga experience or already practicing it. Teaching regularly and exchanging views with them, gave me the opportunity to become more sensible in evaluating their reactions to the practice, their needs and the different ways to perceive Yoga in relation to climbing.

In parallel, personal practice and study of both disciplines allowed me to constantly investigate the different sides of a spiritual approach to climbing, exploring many aspects and discovering new connections.

This has inevitably brought me to enrich my knowledge and experience, going beyond what I had reported in the first edition. As a result, there was the need – personal first of all – to revise some concepts from a new and deeper perspective, but also to meet the necessities of different climbers in their approach to Yoga, that I did not fully understand before. On the basis of this, I have started the hard work that led to this second edition, where many parts have been extended, some revised, while others are completely new. In addition to these aspects, the need to broaden the first edition was even stronger due to the spreading of Yoga in the climbing context. During the last ten years we have witnessed a boom in the practice of Yoga and climbing, that become very popular and fashionable, also through the influence of media. Some have approached Yoga moved by a real need to discover a deeper relation with themselves; many others approached it moved by curiosity and by the media impact in both disciplines. This situation played a role at two levels in the decision to revise the previous edition. On the one hand, all the topics that I had left behind in that edition, considering them a bit too “heavy” for a first introduction to this discipline, can now be dealt more easily thanks to the good disposition that climbers are showing towards the practice of Yoga. This is why the more theoretical and holistic aspects have been discussed more deeply in the present edition. On the other hand, the current spreading of Yoga often involves a shallow approach to the practice, compromising the spiritual component that is its essential foundation. This entailed a considerable confusion: therefore, in this second edition, I tried to explain the meaning of Yoga techniques at a spiritual and holistic level, with the hope to pass the idea that being a Yoga practitioner is something different from being a good gymnast. In fact, concerning Yoga for climbing, the task of the teacher is even more difficult. The path of Yoga in Asanas has an important and fundamental starting point, that should not pass in second place. This is even more true if, thanks to Yoga, our objective is to reach a new body awareness while we are climbing. However, to “start with the right foot”, it is necessary to contextualize the meaning of body and physical practice according to Yoga. Here lies the great risk that climbers are facing. We all know that climbers are a very determined category of athletes, very disciplined and methodical in training, but that often risk to transform passion into mental rigidity, obsession, unhealthy competitiveness and even “paranoia”. It is clear that if Yoga is seen as a means for body performance in the realization of extreme positions, then there is an increase of those aspects which are, in fact, contrary to the yogic path.

It will be thus impossible not to notice (which I verified personally in these years) how many climbers approach Yoga not to become more aware and have a different perspective in climbing, but to bring in the Yoga practice competition and performance, which are already excessive in climbing. Yoga – if well taught – can help climbers understand how climbing itself is an opportunity of inner growth, without giving up taking risks and facing limits. Advanced Asanas, engaged sequences, challenging boulders and multipitch routes, should become an essential tool to take on new challenges, discover our limits, get out of the comfort zone, but experiencing them as means that bring us in a meditative state, as tools of spiritual growth. Here lies the hard task of a good teacher of Yoga for climbing and one of the main reasons that led to the present edition of Yogascent.

During the hard work of revision in which I engaged in this second edition, I have received the crucial help of my partner Cristine, who supported me in the writing with her contribution as a Yoga teacher, naturopath and “colleague” both in teaching and in personal practice. Together we studied, discussed, examined and revised many parts, and she even dealt personally with themes in her sphere of competence (such as, for example, practice during pregnancy or after child birth, Mudras and others). For these reasons she is co-author of this edition. Surely many topics still deserve to be discussed. Moreover, studies, practice and experience of the years to come will likely reveal further aspects of Yoga related to climbing. In this respect, it would be a pleasure for us to receive the feedback of anyone who wants to bring his or her own point of view and experience on the connection between these two amazing disciplines, as well as suggestions to broaden this work in the future. The desire of sharing is surely the main reason why we embarked, many years ago, on this hard but exciting writing journey!

Good reading and good practice to everybody! Alberto Milani, January 2021