“One is confident when present in the body, present in the moment, filled out to the edges, connected to and able to take action toward what is of most concern.”
~ Denise Benson in Strozzi-Heckler
In this day an age of the faster the better, of workaholics, of new technology every minute, of traffic, deadlines, and most importantly productivity… when do we humans get to stop and ask ourselves “how am I feeling?” Or when making decisions, how often do we stop and check in to see what our “gut” or instinct is saying? We spend so much time in our heads, and are doing, doing, doing without taking a moment to stop and just “Be”. Sometimes the most effective way to get things done is to get out of our heads and drop into our bodies. Through bodily awareness we can access our ancient instinctual wisdom to help us navigate through the concrete jungles of our world.
What does this all have to do with Stand InBalance and Equine Assisted Growth & Learning you might ask? Well, it has everything to do with the horses and how they can teach us to embody mindfulness.
Because horses are fully present and without agenda or judgement, they invite us to be the same. It’s actually more difficult to not be present around the horses. And this is where the deepest and most effective work transpires, the work of Embodied Mindfulness.
Embodied Mindfulness is the ability to be aware of our bodies, aware in the moment, and present with ourselves and others. When we begin to practice Embodied Mindfulness we are no longer at the mercy of our old habits or the pressure we feel from others to do things their way. By becoming aware of our animal nature and innate drive for survival we develop the capacity to respond with “choice” versus “reacting” to the pressures of life. Working with the horses can help us become better humans. From them we learn to be present and aware of our inner world and how it is projected and perceived by our external environment. With this awareness and understanding, it is amazing what we can accomplish in our lives and relationships.
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