Meagan Hruska, MS, LMHC

01/05/2026

I’ve always loved learning from my uncle Ron and hearing his profound and advanced knowledge on the body! This is why I also continue to learn more about the body and incorporate somatic and body based practices into my sessions.

Even if you aren’t riding or working with horses, we have often used placing your tongue to the roof of your mouth as a simple way to feel grounded and connected to your body. I know there is so much more to this (esp. with body alignment, fascia, posture etc.), but we do use it in mental health too. So if you’re looking for a way to connect and feel grounded in your body, try placing your tongue to the roof of your mouth. It helps regulate and calm your nervous system and reduce stress/ tension, among other benefits to the body. Try it out and see how it feels 🙌🏼🙌🏼

2026, The Year of the Horse!

Original post by: Ann Montgomery-The Mindful Rider
March 5, 2022


“A number of years ago I had an interesting lesson with a student. The rider was struggling with getting a constant contact with her horse. After watch both of them move around the arena for a while and seeing the mare, chomp, and fiddle with her tongue and bit I asked the rider “where is your tongue sitting in your mouth? To this the rider stopped the horse and said ” how the hell did you know that” so it turns out that this rider has a gap in-between one of her upper molars and she has a habit of twisting her tongue to place the tongue in the gap.
When I asked her to place her tongue softly onto the top of her mouth the horse became quite in its contact and as the lesson went on the horse began to move freer in the shoulders, the rider’s tonal quality of her arms into her hand and fingers became a soft tone.

So why is this so, I asked myself, and did some research.

Why would the riders tongue affect the horses tongue so much?

Well from what I have researched the hyoid bone is part of the tongue movement apparatuses as the omohyoid muscle origin site at the superior border of the scapula and can vary in location and in size, and at times the muscle also originates from the superior transverse scapular ligament. The attachment of the central tendon can be only to the clavicle or to the clavicle and the first rib.

Wow I thought so when her tongue curls up a whole tension goes from her tongue down to her shoulder which must create a tension down her whole arm to her hand. This in turn puts a tension onto the rein and bit which travels onto the horse’s tongue, so guess what this also affects the horses hyoid bone and his omohyoid muscle into the shoulder causing the tight steps and fussy mouth. It’s a circle of tension.”

Continued in comments…….

01/04/2026

01/02/2026

Welcome 2026!! 🥳 I feel so privileged to know so many amazing people through my work as therapist, whether it’s working with clients in the office or at the barn. Reflecting on this past year, I continue to feel so blessed to be able to build real relationships with my clients and to be apart of each person’s or family’s journey, no matter what it looks like.

And even though it’s a new year, by nature’s guidelines, we are still in winter. So I intend to continue to allow space for rest and slowness and would encourage us all to allow that for ourselves too ❤️ Happy New Year, everyone!

P.S., enjoy the “picture” of the year from our equine services team. Given the heaviness a lot of us experienced this year, I thought a funny photo might be good to add in!

Happy 2026!! We know that this was a year of ups and downs for all of us. Although it is technically a new year, it’s okay to still be resting and reflecting, given we are still in a winter season by nature’s guidelines.

We as a team continue to reflect with gratitude on all this year has been and everyone that’s been a part of it 😊 as we move into 2026, our intention is to continue creating a safe space and strong foundation of community, healing and connection for all who are apart of or will be apart our services. Our team is also committed to continue embodying the same inner work we ask our clients and participants to engage in💚✨🙌🏼

Thank you all for being with us this year in our journey! If you are also looking for a new motto or phrase of the year, you might consider what our team goes by. It has been foundational for our herd as humans and horses:

“Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast”
“Relationship over task”

We also thought it might be fun to include a picture of the year! Enjoy this one of Diana and Parker! I think it might sum up a lot of how many of us felt this year 😅🤣 (for context, Parker had just slobbered all over the back of Diana).

12/30/2025

I think this is so well said ❤️✨

12/27/2025

Given that the holidays can sometimes feel so fast, jam packed and rushed, we can often find ourselves going from one thing to the next. Our barn crew is here to remind you that it’s okay to slow down and take some time to be! We want to remind you that presence and slowing down is also a beautiful gift to give and recieve, whether it’s with our families, kids, friends, animals or ourselves 😉✨

Most of our team was able to come together yesterday and just slow down. We were able to lean into being present with each other and our horses. No agenda, no rushing. Just slowing down, taking in the fresh air, being outside in nature, and spending time with one another away from technology.

We did some grounding into our own bodies too, and one of our therapists led us in some “volcano” breathing (thanks, Amber!). It helped us release some of the tension and stress of the holidays we all have experienced in some way. I have attached a link at the bottom demonstrating what this looks like.

We all hope you continue to enjoy the holidays in whatever this looks like for you! We also hope you give yourself permission to take some time to slow down and breathe when you need it too💚

https://www.usd207.org/apps/video/watch.jsp?v=387461

12/26/2025

Merry Christmas and happy holidays from our place to yours!! ✨💚🎄💫

11/27/2025

Per Dr. van der Kolk, one of the leading experts in trauma, “Study after study shows that having a good support network constitutes the single most powerful protection against becoming traumatized…. traumatized human beings recover in context of relationships.”

And I might add, in the context of healthy relationships- “any” relationship doesn’t help us recover. It’s the corrective relationships, the people that are willing to see us, hold space, show up presently, and let our authentic selves be known and accepted.

I recognize how hard it is to find these corrective experiences and community. A good therapist can be a first good step (or a horse! Which is why I love being able to be apart of Dusty Boots Barn Equine Services, where horses and humans create healthy partnerships together!). And so can support groups that good therapists put together to bring people together. Shout out to all the amazing therapists I know creating these spaces 🙌🏼🙌🏼

I hope that we all keep striving to create more opportunities for community and relationships in our daily lives! It’s powerful medicine 💚

11/26/2025

With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, not only does gratitude and blessings come to mind, but also connection, gathering, community and shared experiences.

Our community and who we surround ourself with has such a pivotal impact on our well-being. Sometimes this is family, sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes it’s friends, or support groups or colleagues. Sometimes it’s our animals. And for a lot of us, sometimes we might be missing this piece in our lives.

I hope to continue to build a community and space for those who are looking for connections and relationships. I want to continue to create opportunities for others to have a safe space for experiencing support, belonging and community. A place where each of us can be seen and held by others for who we authentically are. 💚 I’m still in the process of cultiving this vision!

This is one of the reasons I am hosting this free event for men. I am posting the flyer below for anyone interested! I have the majority of spots filled but have a couple open yet.

For those interested in signing up for the last couple spots, or anyone who has questions, please contact me at the phone or email listed on the flyer.

11/22/2025

“Watch Parker bring some fun and play into the pasture! We even did a little running with him 😅 if you watch until the end, you can see his full out run. It felt like such freedom being in that space with Parker, where he chose to fully express this side of himself ✨

Being able to share this moment with Parker might encourage us to all reflect and look at what it might look like for each of us when let ourselves run free in our full expression 🥰”

11/20/2025

Love this 🙌🏼🙌🏼 how you speak and engage with your own body is so important.

11/12/2025

Free event for men! See details below:

The men I’m currently working with in therapy have inspired me to host a free event: How to be present and hold space.

My intention in hosting this event is to help men further rise into their own power. I also hope it begins to shift the narrative around what mental health services and therapy can be for men.

Being present and holding space is a common theme that has come up with the men I’m working with. They keep hearing that this is needed from them, but most admit they don’t know what it means.

Honestly, as much as we are using these words and phrases, especially with men, I don’t think a lot of us truly know what it means to hold space or be present in our lives or with others. It’s not just men, it’s a whole lot of us.

This is a skill and way of being that is hard to explain with words. I’ve learned it’s best to model and demonstrate space holding and presence first. Then, the men I’m working with know what it feels like before they learn to do it. Most of us have not had someone truly be present or hold space for us, so it makes sense why it feels so “vague.”

This event will provide an opportunity to experience presence and space holding. There will be some twists to this event that will also add a challenge! It will require some elements of learning this in challenging conditions: the dark, cold and being out in nature with no cell phones or technology.

The additional challenge will be spending times in our pastures with 1200lb. horses. Horses are master teachers in holding space and being present, so they will be part of this event. You do not have to have any horse experience.

There will be no outside distractions. It will be powerful and hands on. It is something to be EXPERIENCED.

It will also be an opportunity to connect with and be around other men brave enough to open themselves up to cultivating more presence in their lives, families and communities.

This event is NOT a therapy session but we will have other therapists present at this event so that after, we can answer any questions around what therapy ACTUALLY is and assist with any curiosities around mental health services in general.

I’ll be releasing more details on it soon, but tentative date is Saturday, December 6th from 4-7pm. It will be open to any man 18+. Limited spots will be available.

If interested, wish to attend or have questions, you can message me on here or email me at meaganhruskacounselingservices@hushmail.com

10/07/2025