Mindful Connection With Your Horse

We can set the intention to be fully present in any moment of the day, and intentionally choose to notice any aspect of this present moment. We invite you to tune in to the connection with your horse. The next time you are with your horse, pause for a moment to notice how you feel towards him or her. Are you feeling connected? Are you bonded to your horse or do you feel disconnected? Tune…

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Forgiveness and Being Mindful

Last week Shreyasi attended the Edmonton date for the Oprah Winfrey Presents: Your Path Made Clear (Discovering Your Life’s Direction and Purpose) tour. There were several moments of recognition and truth in the evening. Through honest revelation of her experience, Oprah shared how she discovered her life purpose at various junctures in her life journey. So many of us have felt lost or at a crossroads at various times in life, and the wisdom of…

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A Mindful Experience

Being able to notice the present moment, just the way it is, can create opportunities to live life to the fullest. This particular way of noticing is something that can be practiced at any time and in any place. One brings intention to the process of noticing present-moment experience without forcing anything to be different than it is. We recently had the opportunity to visit a generous and kind family in the UK and spend…

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Mindfulness Exercise: Gratitude for Your Horse

Take a few minutes on your own to try this exercise. If being grateful feels difficult, you can imagine caring for your horse or sending them light or warmth during the exercise. If it feels natural when doing this exercise on your own, then try this for a moment or two with your horse. This is a brief version of an exercise we include in our upcoming book project, Sharing The Now: Mindfulness Exercises To…

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A Mindfulness Moment at The Barn: Breathing and Being With Your Horse

Here is an exercise offered in our upcoming book project, Sharing The Now- Mindfulness Exercises To Enhance the Connection With Your Horse. Try this the next time you are with your horses. This is an extension of the exercise on being with your horse posted previously. Phase 1: Start this exercise across the fence or stall door, at some distance from your horse. After taking a few moments to notice your breathing and your body,…

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A Mindful Reflection: Learning to Be With Your Horse

Take a moment to breathe with your horse. What does this mean? It is meant to be fairly natural and something you take for granted when spending time with horses. What we invite you to do here is to slow down and observe the moments as they happen in real time. The next time you’re with your horse, take a moment to pause and feel the bodily sensations of your breathing. How does it feel…

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Compassion sometimes means taking a break for yourself

We reflected the other day on how important it can be to notice whatever is arising in the present moment, while staying gentle with yourself during the noticing. Sometimes it means taking a break and staying kind with yourself even during times of disappointment. Things happen unexpectedly and, despite best intentions, sometimes it isn’t realistic to spend the time with your horse that day. It could be due to a scheduling issue, change of weather,…

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Reflection on Mindful Attitudes: Acceptance and Compassion

What does it mean when we practice being accepting and compassionate when we stay mindfully aware of what is happening in the present moment? Maintaining these two attitudes during mindfulness practices means that you aren’t fighting with the way things actually are. Acceptance and compassion will help you notice what is happening, note that it may not be ideal or what you had expected, but still decide to work with it anyway. Being attentive to…

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