The Ground
Toning,
Receiving support and Lift
In my Body-Mind-Centering
classes, nearly our first exploration was how to connect with
the ground. Such a simple concept, like, what was I
doing in a class room laying around on the floor?!
Well, let me tell you, it's a particularly sweet and
incredibly 'deep' experience. (And yes, it's more
than just flopping around on the floor!)
Naturally, I want to take this into my riding.
And I can't exactly talk a horse through a meditation like
the one in class! So I have developed a different
approach by finding connection through the hooves.
Initially this is done at the walk and then later, once you
can keep track of everything, at the trot and
canter.
It starts with finding the actual connection to the
ground -- the rim of the hoof. I use the concept of a
semi-circle and shading within the semi-circle to indicate
the amount of contact with the ground. Even shading
shows even contact. Deeper shading shows deeper
contact. Lighter shading shows lighter contact.
Whenever the horse's hoof lands on the ground, I am
imagining different shades of blue.
|
underside of foot |
concept |
|
even contact, support
|
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|
uneven contact, support
|
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In case you just had a thought this is nuts and totally
off the wall, this is a skill that is developed. The
information is accessed by asking for it and then using it
long enough to trust the information received. How you
use the information determines how you build up your ability
to access it. (Again, it's the dreaded 'guess and
check!')
To begin, pick a
hoof and ask yourself: is it making even contact? is the
horseshoe shape an even color? Notice the answer you get
back and the physical response in your body to the
answer. Ask this for about four or five
strides.
After a few strides, ask yourself: is the hoof
landing first (for instance) on the inside? and so
having stronger/deeper connection as the horse's weight
travels over the hoof? is the horseshoe shape darker
there? Notice the answer you get back and the physical
response in your body to the answer. If this is an
accurate assessment, there will be a sense of relief or
release. Ask this for about four or five strides noticing
if there is any relief or release.
For contrast and learning, now ask yourself the opposite
of the question: is the hoof landing last (for instance)
on the inside? or not at all? and so having
lesser/lighter connection (or none) as the horse's weight
travels over the hoof? is the horseshoe shape lighter
there? Notice the answer you get back and the physical
response in your body to the answer. If this is an
accurate assessment, there will be a sense of relief or
release. Ask this for about four or five strides noticing
if there is any relief or release.
Cycling through these questions at the walk for a few
laps about a single foot and your reactions will set you up to
start collecting information and recognizing it. It's
not theory or thinking it through, or analyzing it, or even
making it up. It's about noticing. The hard part
is trusting and not thinking. But after awhile, you
begin to recognize a response that tells you you've asked the
question accurately and a picture starts to form and it makes
sense.
This is tapping into the original way we learned as
children.
have fun! ask questions of yourself! listen to the
answers of your body.
And if you find this interesting, there is
more where this came from!
L
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