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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
Today, we would like to reflect on another mindful attitude, Non-judgment. We illustrate how tuning in to the present moment when applying this attitude can influence how we relate to horses. Here is an excerpt on this topic from our upcoming book project, Sharing The Now: Mindfulness Exercises To Enhance The Connection With Your Horse. When you notice everything that is occurring in the here and now, even if you don’t like what you are…
One of the things we often explore on the blog is how the presence of horses has a calming and often healing influence on people. Here is some common research exploring this topic. An often-cited example of the tangible calming effects that horses have on humans’ autonomic nervous systems when they spend time together is the research completed by Dr. Gehrke, in collaboration with the Heart Math institute. The autonomic nervous system mediates a human…
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…
Here, in our perspective, are some of the possible benefits of staying mindfully aware with our horses. Reflect on these the next time you are at the barn to gauge whether they may apply to you and your horse! We explain these more in our upcoming book project, Sharing The Now: Mindfulness Exercises to Enhance the Connection With your Horse. Better flow in a session with your horse Noticing things you hadn’t before Increased closeness…
Here is an exercise you can try whenever approaching a horse. Horses, being prey animals, are extremely sensitive to the non-verbal signals and body language that you project when you are in their vicinity. Being aware of your state of mind and emotions, or even your “state of energy” if that is a term to which you can relate, can help you tune in to what you are relaying to your horse. This exercise, suggested…