Recently I had the opportunity to summit Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in South East Asia and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I wasn’t too sure what to expect, other than the fact that I had a good couple of days of hiking before and that it was going to be cold up there.

Two of my closest friends and I set out on early Saturday morning and 20 hours later, we reached the peak of Mt. Kinabalu at 4095.2m, completed the “Worlds Highest Via Ferrata” (according to the Guinness World Book of Records) and made our way back down the mountain.

I’m in fairly good shape and I jog and do yoga on a consistent basis but I don’t attribute my success on the mountain solely to the physical activities in my life. I have a daily meditation practice that I adhere to faithfully and there’s no doubt in my mind that my meditation practice contributed to my overall success and enjoyment on the mountain!

Let me explain how meditating improved my mountain climbing experience….

Breathing:

I’m not sure if you’ve experienced high altitude environments before, but to fill you in, the air becomes more and more thin the higher you climb. Altitude sickness is something experienced by people of all fitness levels and there were many climbers along the way that suffered from the lack of oxygen.

Thankfully, my breathing technique has vastly improved since I started meditating. I was able to focus on taking deep, full breaths with slow exhales as I hiked the final kilometers up the mountain. One of my friends had a difficult time controlling her breath and she was constantly taking quick, shallow breaths throughout the final leg of our journey. She did not enjoy herself and unfortunately, wasn’t able to take in the beauty of the trip throughout our journey.

I reminded her to mindful of her breath and to take long, deep inhales and exhales. This helped her to a certain extent but because it didn’t come naturally to her, she still struggled to enjoy her journey.

I’m very grateful that my breath was in check for this hike (thanks to my daily meditation practice!) as it allowed me to live in the moment and enjoy my beautiful surroundings.

Along The Way:

Yes, there were times when I wanted to be whisked up the mountain by a helicopter and the thought of camping out along the way also crossed my mind, but for the majority of my 2-++ hours of hiking I was in a relaxed state of flow. My movements were effortless (for the most part!) and I was living in the moment. Thoughts would come and go but I really ceased the moment for what it was and lived in the present.

Looking back on my experience now, I believe my hike up the mountain was Active Walking Meditation at it’s best. I slowly hiked up the mountain at a steady pace and my mind was completely at ease and in the present moment.

Again, this definitely contributed to the overall success and enjoyment of my climbing trip and I ‘m thankful that my meditation practice came into play when it was most unexpected.

The Summit:

We reached the summit at 6:00 am in the morning, just in time for the sunrise, and it was an absolutely breathtaking experience. Again, when I reached the top I was in a relaxed state of mind and I was able to truly connect with the oneness of my surroundings.

I remember taking deep breaths as I soaked in the beauty of my surroundings and this was not the case for everyone. Most people were exhausted, frustrated and freezing cold and unfortunately they weren’t able to live in the present like me.

All in all, it was an amazing experience and I personally owe my enjoyment and my positive state of mind throughout the excursion to meditation. This is just another example of the many meditation benefits waiting for you to discover and I look forward to the day when you discover these treasures!