A Year of Mindful Living July - Connection
If you are a human walking this earth you’re probably connected to the internet, social media, Instagram, YouTube, cell phones, texting, unlimited information and breaking news 24/7. It can be challenging to unplug from the worldly noise and honestly be with yourself, friends, family and nature in a way that brings meaningful connection instead of stress, not enough-ness and fear of missing out on the next great thing. So our focus this month is Connection.
I'm in the mountains of Colorado again this summer, the place that calls to me to reconnect in a very different way by disconnecting from all of the above.
Don’t get me wrong technology is amazing and keeps us connected in miraculous ways that didn’t exist a few short decades ago, but it got me to reflect. A few years ago, I found myself in the round pen with a horse grappling with the concepts of connection vs disconnection. In my world, connection was something I worked very hard at, which I put a lot of energy into and disconnection had been a negative experience. What I learned very clearly from Buddy (my horse teacher) was just the opposite! Let me explain. In the round pen, I worked very hard to connect with Buddy and he was not interested in the least! I was frustrated trying every trick to entice him. My equine coach suggested I was trying too hard and working from my head with an expected outcome. She asked me, what would it look like if I showed up differently? What? How would I do that? You see, horses are sensitive prey animals, who naturally come into resonance with their environment holding up a mirror non-judgmentally to help us humans gain insight. They respond quickly to our energetic presence because they are constantly monitoring their own internal state first and are always engaged in present moment awareness, calling us to congruence as well. I was not in my body showing up authentically, I was trying to create an outcome that I thought I was supposed to do! My Equine Coach suggested dropping into my body paying attention to my own senses and see what happens. So, I began to walk the perimeter of the round pen dropping into my body and heart with no expectations to connect or do anything else. I listened to the birds, felt my feet on the ground, smelled the spring air, felt the breeze on my skin and watched my feet take each step.
Buddy dropped in right behind me! He was resonating with my authenticity and congruence. Oh, he would stop now and then to scratch or attend to his needs, but quickly reconnected to my energetic presence that felt true and desirable! When I stopped walking he stood beside me joining up in an incredible horse hug. My take away that day was life shifting!
True connection created true intimacy, it allowed me to experience unconditional love and acceptance just for showing up more real, it fed my spirit and I felt part of a larger whole where I could see myself more clearly. Disconnection I learned, shifted to a positive experience. It allowed me to rest into myself…. open space….. go inside and reconnect with myself, it created time to re-evaluate and try something new, it invited total presence to reestablish my grounded-ness, my vulnerability and self-discovery opened, and it was an opportunity for me to practice unconditional love and acceptance of myself. Since then, horses have taught me how to create healthier boundaries, refine my leadership skills, become aware of the energy I bring into my relationships and recognize how my communication skills needed work! Equine assisted learning is a remarkable fun experience used with individuals, couples, and career/leadership building. It identifies patterns quickly and provides the opportunity to try something different, experience the new outcome and discover ways to bring the new insights back into your real world. I loved the results so much I decided to become an Equine Coach myself! I get to play with these beautiful teachers at The Twisted Tree Ranch.
In Gratitude,
Pam