Pre-Climb Routine — Breathe and Start

Full session

1. 1. Learn it calm (at home, 5 min) Sit comfortably. Breathe in through the nose for a 4-count, out for a 6-8 count, ten rounds. Long exhales down-regulate the nervous system — practice it relaxed so it's available when you're not.
2. 2. The pre-climb version (60-90 s, before any climb that matters) At the base: three long-exhale breaths → scan and release tension (jaw, shoulders, hands) → visualize the first few moves and the first rest → one process goal for the climb ('quiet feet through the crux') → start climbing within a few seconds of finishing, before the brain renegotiates.
3. 3. On-route reset At any rest stance: one long exhale, unclench the jaw, look at the next section instead of the last one. A 5-second reset mid-route buys back more than any extra shake.
4. 4. Make it yours Keep the structure, adjust the parts — a routine only works when it's automatic. Same order, every climb, until it runs without thinking.