In this Mindfulness Moment, we describe a focusing exercise that you can use at any time of the day. Particularly when you are heading out to the barn, it is helpful to tune in to yourself before going near horses. This exercise helps prepare you to notice with intention, and to stay receptive and mindful of the horse’s safety and your own. Horses pick up on our internal states; this ability to detect our inner states and body language appears to be a survival skill and tends to fine-tune over time depending on the horse’s innate temperament, life experiences and how well he or she knows you. This is how horses survive within the herd, and the same “intuitive skills” that horses practice with their herd extend to their time spent with humans.
We include here an excerpt from our book project, Sharing The Now: Mindfulness Exercises to Enhance The Connection With Your Horse. This exercise allows us to release our emotional and physical tension before we spend time with our horses. As mentioned though, you can return to it at any time that you would like to become wholly aware of the present moment.
What do we mean by grounding? Grounding has various meanings; in this context, grounding refers to being wholly connected with one’s immediate environment and, in this way, anchoring one’s focus back into the present moment. Here is a quote to reflect on what grounding can mean.
“In the vessel of your body, you yourself are the world tree, deep roots in the Earth and a crown of stars. Your essence bridges dimensions.” Elizabeth Eiler
A Mindfulness Moment: A Focusing & Grounding Exercise
Notice how you feel inside your body at this moment. Are there specific body sensations right now, such as being tense or relaxed? Where do you feel these sensations in your body? Feel the body sensations without trying to change them.
If you notice the body sensations in this way and they start to overwhelm you, consider taking care of yourself in some way. Noticing does not mean making yourself suffer. Noticing in a mindful way just means that you are not turning off what you sense in your body. If you choose to, allow yourself to continue sensing the body sensations from one moment to the next. However, if you are overwhelmed by a body sensation, then you may choose to adjust your body position, stretch, or focus on another region of the body which isn’t as uncomfortable. In this way, you are noticing yourself in a compassionate manner.
Notice the feeling of your feet on the ground, and the way that the air enters and leaves your body as you breathe in and out. Check in with your five senses. In other words, what are you seeing right now? What do you hear and/or smell? Can you taste anything? Are you aware of the sense of touch and whether you are making physical contact with particular surfaces or objects in the environment? Notice how your body feels in the present, from one moment to the next.
After noticing how your body feels, focus on your state of mind. Are there particular thoughts right now? Do you notice any emotions present? If so, what are they? Do you find them pleasant, unpleasant or neither? Are you able to notice the thoughts and/or emotions, without feeling stuck or getting caught up in them? Do you need to take care of yourself by focusing away from your state of mind and back on to your body, or by breathing through the tough emotions or thoughts? If you have to make adjustments, take the time to do so intentionally and patiently.
Finally, notice how focused you are in the moment. What is the quality of your awareness right now? Does it seem easy to concentrate or are you distracted? After tuning into all of these things inside of you, take a few deep breaths in and out. As you do this, shift your attention away from this exercise and onto something else.