12/10/2022
Creating space
A lot of what a good bodyworker does is create space. Space in the body for movement, rebalancing, reduction of tension and consequential expansion of muscles and fascia and breath and flow. Creating the space for the horse to reclaim the integrity of their body, the movement, function, balance they have lost – or may have never had.
Creating space externally, to allow the horse to feel safe to make these changes, is just as important as the physical work itself. Horses won’t just “go there” because I have shown up; I need to establish an atmosphere of trust, no judgement or expectation, calm and allowing. And the horses will tell me when I’ve slipped out of this space, when I’m looking at them with too critical an eye, when I’ve stopped paying attention to my breath, when I'm not pausing enough.
Seems to me that we could all benefit from paying a bit more attention to the space that we, and others, create around us and our horses. How do you feel when someone comes at you with a hurried agenda, no time for a pause, no time to take a deep breath – or ten - as part of a process? I think I just held my breath writing that sentence.
Cognitvely, we know that horses learn best when they are relaxed and allowed to “soak” in a moment of learning before being asked to do the next thing. It’s no different with bodywork. Relax, soak in the moment of release, before allowing for another shift. Knowing when to stop, when the horse has reached her capacity for release in that session.
What kind of space are you creating for your horse, for others in your life? For yourself?
