Why do we so often give our power away? Sometimes we don’t even realize we are doing this until we take a moment to pause and connect to ourselves. We begin to understand that we are upset because of some outside situation that isn’t going the way we’d like. Somehow, we started to leak energy and lose our center rather than just owning our emotions, focusing on the possible solutions, and moving forward with greater awareness.
It’s so easy to become upset at the news, toxic people, challenging work situations, and our dreams heading in new directions we didn’t choose. However, how we relate to an issue IS the issue. How we do one thing is how we do anything. These are the premises and core beliefs in my equine-partnered life coaching business. I believe the horse is the most potent teacher to learn power lessons from by what they mirror to us in reflective metaphors. A 1,000+ pound prey animal embodies both gentleness and strength in the most meaningful of ways; this is why it’s called horse power!
What’s so brilliant about the horse is that she can become startled in one second because of a perceived threat and back to grazing in the next. She doesn’t live in fear but rather relaxed alertness. She doesn’t give her power away to outside influences either. The way she diffuses her “upset” is a potent thing to watch. We can learn so much about ourselves by simply observing a horse and then choosing to accept what she models as a solution for our lives.
Horses embody being centered, grounded, and present. We know that our true sense of inner power lies in the present moment but we don’t always live that way. The horse kindly reminds us that we have the power to return here again and again, through breath and our response to a situation. I teach people the critical practice of conscious choice which can best be summarized in the quote by Viktor Frankl who realized this in the worst of conditions, the Holocaust. He said that “between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
If he could choose compassion, letting go, forgiveness, kindness to self and others despite the darkness in his life and, a prey animal can choose to gently breathe through chaos, so can we. May they both remind you that you are powerful beyond measure. The darkness is only temporary and will pass. You were born to be a bright star. No matter what, shine anyway!
To learn from the power of the horse and shine brighter in the world, please contact Kate Neligan for an equine-partnered coaching or healing session.
310-909-9820
This article is part of Mels Love Land MiniMag Issue 16 | BIG LOVE more info here
Brought to You By: Melanie Lutz
Writer/Storyteller/Filmmaker/Love activist @MelsLoveLand on IG and Twitter
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