1. Setting Things Down: During the first clinic I attended with Pippa Callanan (an exquisite teacher of horsemanship/French Classical Dressage), she handed out a worksheet called “Developing Symmetry through Asymmetric Movements.” It was a simple table: 9 Rows long, 3 Columns wide and was supposed to have something to do with riding. I looked at it and my eyes went cross and I thought it might be in French, but upon further investigation, it wasn’t. That didn’t matter, though, because I still had not a clue what it meant. Pippa explained it further, and while I’m sure what she was saying made complete sense, it was still over my head. Instead of being determined to figure it out, I said to myself: “One day, I’m going to take a look at this, and I’m going to know exactly what this means” as I folded it up and tucked it away in my notebook. This was October 2022. I have come across it a handful of times since then, picked it up, taken a look, folded it back up and said: “still nothing.” It happened again this week, except, this time when I opened it up, I knew exactly what it meant. Gosh, it was so simple I almost forgot how utterly confusing it was to me all the times prior I’ve looked at it. It was a good lesson for me to remember; some things ought to be sought out with intensity, but sometimes it’s better to rest in the not-knowing and trusting that the knowledge will come in due time. Had I stressed to figure it out at the time I first saw it, it wouldn’t have done me much good even if I did understand as I had none of the finesse to properly execute it at that time. It also was sweet evidence of the progress I’ve made over the past year and a half since meeting Pippa. I’m beyond grateful for the gifts that “setting it down” gave!
2. Names & Meanings: Over the past few years we’ve been learning the importance and impact of names over our lives. If you think of it, names are something that are constantly spoken over us; how would it not have an impact? As I’m starting to look towards breeding a couple of my mares this year, I decided it was a good time to revisit their names. Though I liked all of the ones we had named previously, and in their own ways they are special and meaningful as my dad and I came up with them together, I still have a deep desire to have their names really mean something that we are striving for. A vision, direction, a reminder. So, AQHA has the submissions and soon I will have a herd of “Valor” – as all of their names have something along those lines in it, based off of their personalities and Job 39:19-25. More soon
3. Slow Starts; Fast Finish. For the month of February, I had the opportunity to ride with a group of ladies in our local indoor arena once a week. This last Wednesday was the last ride and I was simply not up for it. I was tired. It’s a process to haul in and all that goes with it with a toddler in tow. I mustered up all I could to go outside, get Rocki in the trailer, drop Kadima off with my mom, and head towards the arena. The whole way, I wanted to turn back, go to the coffee shop, do my taxes (yes, that’s how bad it was!). I was one minute from the arena and still trying my best to talk myself out of it. I came to an agreement that I would ride for at least 15 minutes and then go work on taxes if that’s what I still wanted to do. Thank goodness the start is always the hardest! I got on Rocki, (bareback still), and began doing lateral exercises to help release tension in her hamstrings (our current project). My ride lasted well past 15 minutes, and I enjoyed every second of it. As I was leaving the arena, I was thinking over my ride and timeline to accomplish my goals; questioning whether that ride was worth anything as we never even broke a walk. I knew our work was intentional to what she needs right now and it felt so good to just do that, but I also need to make sure she gets conditioned. I realized like most things in life, the slow starts are often the best starts and will make up time in the end. Rocki and I might spend months of our precious time just doing the “mundane,” but these intentional slow starts I believe, are what will give us those fast finishes.
4. The Man in the Arena: This one probably doesn’t need introduction, but this famous passage from a speech that Thomas Roosevelt gave came across my path again today at precisely the right moment (see below for passage). Though I can see through the “slow starts,” self-doubt has still been hitting me hard lately. I seem to be reminding myself often that my horses haven’t competed at the level I need them to before, we have a lot of body work to do, a lot of emotional work, and a lot of conditioning, and on top of that will need to come the seasoning. I opened up “Daring Greatly” by Brené Brown and the introduction begins with The Man in the Arena passage. She follows it up by explaining that this is vulnerability and says that “the uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional. Our only choice is a question of engagement… When we spend our lives waiting until we’re perfect or bulletproof before we walk into the arena, we ultimately sacrifice relationships and opportunities that may not be recoverable, we squander our precious time, and we turn our backs on our gifts, those unique contributions that only we can make.” What a timely encouragement to “dare to show up and let ourselves be seen.” The arena context is just a cherry on top!
5. Going into the Resistance: This is a theory from somatic movement I’m learning as I’m working through my own bodies tightness and imbalances. On Wednesday, when I barely made it to the arena to ride, Rocki was, of course, having a nervous episode upon arriving. As previously mentioned, her hamstrings are tight and stifles have always been thought to be “loose.” I began by stretching her on the ground, but not the usual way I have done in the past. This time, I went “into the resistance” by lifting up her hind leg to shorten the hamstrings and lengthen the stifle region; opposite of what I’d expect to work. Slowly I’d have her follow her foot back down and forward. I did this a few times each side and at the end of it, I had a very calm horse that was ready to safely hop on bareback. “Hmm…” I thought, “Well that was cool!” I suppose this is another point of somatics, and also life. Kimberly from Well-Being by Design and my Pathways Counselor has said: “We can’t heal from what we are not ready to feel.” Interesting. It seems that “going into the resistance” offers multi-faceted forms of healing. Are you ready to go into the resistance and find your healing?
5 Steps Closer, thank you for coming along.
Nicole & The Team,
Uriah, Kadima, Birdie, Blondie, Dean, Grace, Rocki, Salily, Shasta & Shmini
