Healing the Heart of Humanity…

Friday, April 19th, 2024

The horses at Dove Creek continually amaze, humble, and inspire awe in me. People who come here to partner with the horses, bring along their stresses, worries, pain, and despair.

Of course they do – life is hard! Whether it’s for a one-on-one session or in a group, the horses are here, patiently waiting for the humans. Holding space in their relaxed yet aware state – ready for whatever shows up. It’s as if the horse embraces each one through their enormous heart space, allowing all that the person is carrying. Their problems and burdens are welcome.  One horse, Rosco, aka “The Shaman” is a large stocky bay roan with warm inviting eyes and the strongest leader in the herd. Watching Rosco connect as people come forward, he lifts his head and greets through his felt sense. I always wonder how the horses perceive us really, but we know through research that they attune to our energy – our emotional state, thoughts, intentions, body posture, muscle tension, breath rate, and assessing our congruent or incongruent states of being.

Most of us block certain feeling states, unpleasant emotions that linger in our bodies, preventing us from truly living. That creates an incongruency inside, meaning we aren’t okay with how we feel, so we project another way of being to mask our difficult feelings.

Here is the beautiful thing – the horse can sense it. A lovely lady I will call Mary recently attended one of our groups, and admitted she was extremely afraid of horses. After I shared some of the interesting character traits of horses and why they are curious and connected to humans, Mary responded with interest. As I led the group through a deep breathing practice, ahhhh relaxation crept into Mary’s body and mind, releasing some of her fears. She became braver, and once she connected to Rosco through touch, she trusted him to lead her. She felt safe enough be in his compassionate presence.  This was a new experience for Mary because she did not feel safe in many parts in her life. She struggled to trust people. Throughout the meditation, every horse nearby stood still, holding a powerful space for the participants to relax, release, and uncover their own peace and calm.

Horses are willing partners for us when we seek their guidance and direction – the epitome of benevolent compassion!

 

Love,