FLOWING WITH LIFE CAN BE LIKE RIDING A HORSE!

Last Sunday my children where going for horse-riding lessons. At the last minute my son was sick, so I replaced him and went for the lesson myself! It was a last minute decision, but in that moment, it came flooding back to me how passionate I had been about horses when I was younger. I remember how much I loved visiting the horses on our farm everyday and feeding them apples. The horses would come running over to us when they saw myself and brothers and sisters approaching the paddock.
This happy time continued until I started to ride the horses. I had quite a few bad experiences with horses taking off on me or throwing me off their backs, until I became quite frightened and lost my interest in horses and riding all together–fear had set in!

For the lessons, I was fortunate to go to a wonderful stable in Centennial Park, here in Sydney. The riding style they teach is gentle and really works with the horse to gain the best possible experience for the horse and rider. The instructor was all about creating a flowing experience. She explained that if you throw a wet towel over a horse, it is relaxed and limp and the towel will stay on the horse easily with no effort. However if you put a dry towel on the back of a horse it will fall off in a moment as it is stiff and dry. Also the horse would not do a thing I said until it developed RESPECT for me and then we started to work together.

My instructor said as we parted “Horses have a lot to teach us” and I thought about riding and life! Here is what I learnt:

1) Have respect for yourself and others will respect you.

2) Value your ideas and creativity.

3) Relax into life, so that you are soft and open to the many wonderful gifts that it has to offer.

4) Strength is always in expressing your true nature–kindness and gentleness.

5) Learn to get right into your body and heart and feel the joy of life.

6) Most of our communications is energetic, learn to communicate with the most powerful energy in the world – love.