So, a mountaineer walks into a yoga studio...

I have always had a deep love for the mountains, woods, and being surrounded by beauty in nature. In fact, when I lived in Florida for two years, I had withdrawal because I missed mountains and elevation terrain so much. I always wanted to learn how to climb and do mountaineering, but never had anyone to teach me. It seemed so inaccessible.

Until one day, I met a friend in the Army who was an avid mountain climber. He took me to the climbing gym for the first time. I fell in love immediately, and so he began training me. For the next two months, I trained hard to learn as much as I could until the Army called my friend back to duty. As I delved into the climbing world on my own, I met more climbing mentors who helped me build skills and confidence both inside the gym and outside. Climbing expanded my ability to experience the mountains. I have been ice climbing in New Hampshire, summited Mt. Whitney in the PNW, and journeyed to Nepal to climb Lobuche in the Himalayas. And outside of these adventures, climbing also introduced me to the power of yoga.

1. What brought you to the yoga mat for the first time after being an athlete for several years?

When Army duty called my first climbing mentor away, I didn't know anyone at the climbing gym yet and had no one to train with. Yet the two months of training had stuck with me. I remembered exercises he taught me to increase my movement and mobility for climbing and general fitness...they were yoga based movements. So when I saw the posters at the climbing gym advertising "Yoga for Climbers," I was intrigued. By this point, I had learned there was heavy overlap between the climbing community and yoga; every good climber was an avid Yogi.

I walked into the Yoga for Climbers class alone, not knowing what to expect, but figured I would attempt it to try to continue training to improve my climbing. On the squishy floor of the climbing gym at old Earth Treks Columbia, without a yoga mat, I hid in the back and mimicked what the guy in front of me did.

Fast forward, and I decided to complete my 200-hr yoga teacher training and have been a teacher of vinyasa power yoga for a couple years now. I also did some additional workshops and teach HIIT/yoga combination classes. Oh, and yes, I bought a yoga mat.

2. What were your biggest reservations or doubts about yoga before you started practicing?

I was afraid--afraid of being out of my element. From my years in the Army, I was accustomed and comfortable with traditional gym workouts, track and field. But, I was afraid of being "bad" at yoga, because it's a competition just like other sports, right? I was afraid of being vulnerable as the new guy, and people seeing my weaknesses.

3. How has yoga changed the way you climb?

It has absolutely impacted my climbing technique for the better. Yoga has complimented my climbing in so many ways--because it is literally honing and strengthening the same climbing moves--off the wall. Every move you make in yoga is a move that helps you ascend vertically. It's also a great counter exercise to rehabilitate and train your muscles. Personally, it has helped me with wrist strength and mobility.

4. What would you say to yoga skeptics in the climbing world?

Make moves or fall trying. If you're cool with taking a whipper on the wall, what's really stopping you from falling a few inches onto a squishy mat in crow pose?

-Joshua Mickahail