Cultivating Curiosity & Connection

 

   

      Curiosity is something that I never realized until much later in life, can be the driving force of developing more awareness.  As I embark on this new Journey with my newest mustang, Luna (aka Luna ReaRea), I see how curiosity is so critical for me to truly see her true essence.  She has a similar sensitivity that my little Journey Man displayed when I first got him.  I look forward to carrying all the things he taught me to her.  This little mare, in the short time I have known her, has given me so much clarity on things I have taken for granted with horses.  I believe that each horse I interact with gets the best of me, in that all the lessons from previous equine teachers are what have led me to my beliefs in this moment.   Which changes day by day.  With curiosity also comes vulnerability.  Being vulnerable enough to allow her to teach me.  Being vulnerable enough to know she has as many, if not more, of the answers than I do on how we can communicate better.  I no longer see myself as a trainer as I once did, but as a facilitator.  Can I help facilitate her growth and mine?  Can I be curious enough and present enough to feel what the horse is trying to convey?  Luna shows me every day that you have to earn her trust, earn the joy of sharing space with her, and how quickly it can disperse. 

      I spoke recently with a student who said she had not been able to have a formal lesson with her mustang since the weather had been iffy.  I smiled at her and said, I so understand your thought.  I have been in your shoes, and where I am today is trying to have a different lens as to how we perceive a "session".  When we place formality on our session, we lose the ability to observe the little glimmers they may be conveying.  Formality gives it a sense of structure and agenda.  In reality, how we walk through the world before, during, and after a session with our horse can predict how we will be perceived.  Words carry energy, and I try to be mindful of the words I use, whether with my horse or not.  A session can be a visualization prior to interacting physically with my horse.  A session could be being mindful of doing the little things with excellence in my everyday activities with my horse. (grooming, hoof care, feeding, etc.)  A session could be doing a mindful walk prior to asking anything of them.  A "Session" is every moment we are with our horse, in thought or in person.  Don't get me wrong, rewiring our brains to see and word things differently is not something that happens overnight.  It takes practice!

     So back to my little mustang........  Please don't think that I see technique as unnecessary when interacting with horses, far from it.  I believe technique is only as good as the intention behind it, and can we develop enough trust in our horses before asking them to do a particular task?  Will they be able to have enough curiosity to seek the answer?  Have we broken it down enough so we don't cause frustration?  Do they trust us enough to know we will not push them beyond their window of tolerance?  Well, if you have ever owned a mustang, you will know that they not only need clarity, they demand it!  I say that in the most loving way.  When we try to dominate a horse, when we are the ones who were not clear enough in our presentation, then I personally believe we are just taking from them.  Not adding to their well-being.  

So winter has been tough here in southern va this year.  That's okay, my time of reflection allows me to go into spring with more clarity on how I want to be with my girls.  It has also given me some very challenging situations(weather-related) to be able to be consistent with the energy I take to them.  Especially the simple things.  Simple things are not necessarily easy, yet when we do them with mindfulness, we see the absolute clarity that it brings.  

     I look forward to warm weather and easier terrain in which to have more conversations with my girls.   I am also very grateful for the lessons they have taught me this winter.  

Everything is perceptual,  so add the pause to give yourself that moment of clarity and mindfulness.  As  Wayne Dyer so eloquently put it,  

"Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change" 

Thanks for your time, I'm rooting for you!

Marie

"Optimize the Journey, Increase your Awareness" MP