I have the
good fortune of having at least a few moments almost every day for mindfulness
with horses. At times it is just a few
moments of intentional mindfulness while they finish their feed or it is
moments of mindful task oriented intention while tending to hoof care or simply
grooming. Other times the mindfulness is
reserved for periods of intentional meditation.
All of these times bring meaning in their own way.
There are
others times when I have the fortune to share these mindfulness experiences,
not just with horses, but also with fellow human beings. Each of these mindfulness moments bring their
own variances colored by the personal histories and presence of the
participants. The horses bring an
intuitive understanding of each individual present and their responses to the
situation offer to enlighten our human understanding.
The language
of the horse is subtle and often silent but when we are attune, it is always enlightening. Horses speak plainly but often we humans miss
the subtleties until the moment is past and thus lose the opportunity to
understand ourselves and the horse better in the moment of the exchange. Sometimes we miss the silent language all
together and have no awareness of the communication. Sometimes we hear but choose not to listen
and continue to coerce our human ego upon the horse and the environment
oblivious to the connection that could have been.
The lesson
for me is, listen with awareness. Absorb
the meaning. Respond genuinely. Sounds very much like the ago old advice of
Carl Rogers Person Centered Therapy: unconditional positive regard, empathic
understanding, genuineness. The theory seems
so simplistic but the perfection of the application is a complex and ever evolving art.
May we be safe.
May we be peaceful. May we be in
harmony. May we release all traumatic
fixations and trust in the creative nurturance of the universe.
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