Durchlassigkeit It's
for riders, too
I found this lovely quote in the book The Art of
Learning:
With riding, we talk about horses needing
durchlassigkeit. I think riders need this even more so!
I love this word! 'lassig' is 'to
allow.' Or 'to leave' or 'to let' or 'to let
be.' 'Durch' means through. 'Keit'
just means we're talking about the noun version of this
concept. Altogether: durchlassigkeit means the
quality of allowing through.
There's no force. There's no resistance.
And you, too, may pass.
What's the benefit of this?
Considering size, the horse wins. If you're tight
and resistant, you are a solid object the horse can
move. (off it's back.) If you are 'through-allowing'
you stay on the horse.
If you're tight and resistant, the part of you that should
be moving is not, and instead of being un-impacted by the
horse's movement, the force of that movement is going into the
thing that isn't moving - your hip socket, your lower back,
your neck, etc. Not only does this probably result in
more gripping, and more tightness and less moving, it's
causing damage. To you and your horse. No
beuno.
When you are 'through-allowing' you horse moves in freedom
and you stay on it's back. Win-win.
An Approach
Centered Riding is based on Tai Chi and I have studied
marshal arts for nearly as long as I've ridden using the
Centered Riding approach. In movies there's a lot of
'attack' things going on. What you'll learn first,
though, is how to get out of the way. How to
evade. How to not be there. (Which is really
compatible with the horse's approach to life! run first,
stand and fight if you have to.) (OK - yeah, movies
would be no fun if was just Bruce Lee, or Chuck Norris, or
Steven Seagal, or Jackie Chan running for two hours!)
To understand the idea of 'through-allowing' I like the
idea of 'dissolving' things that are solid. I just watch
them evaporate, like mist in the morning sun.
Another image I like is simply erasing it - the way you would
erase a chalk board or a white board.
Or, if you're into sensate communication, putting a heat
lamp on something and melting it feels wonderful.
Another concept which can be useful is to think about
being a bean bag. (with enough tone to stay on the
horse!) Where are the beans moving? Where are
they stuck? How moving are they?
With images, you don't have to make things happen.
You simply need to accurately perceive what is happening
and observe it. Your 'right brain' that doesn't use
words will take that information and adjust
appropriately. It can adjust better than your 'left
brain' could ever figure out or comprehend.
Interested? Call or email or pm and and set up a
lesson! This is what I teach. Let me share with
you how
to use these concepts for greater understanding and
harmony with your horse. The fabulous rides follow.
Lynn Centered Riding Instructor & Level
III Clinician
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