Wednesday, April 15, 2009

"Soft, fuzzy part"

... My heart overflowed with gratitude for the honor of partnering with the horses and my clients. A perspective client came to the farm for a free consultation (we meet, they meet the horses, experience the space of the farm, and we all collectively decide as to whether we are a good fit).

The first thing that struck me was the horses that usually meet and greet visitors were remarkably absent. I looked for them, and they were busily occupied in the troughs, seeming to not notice our visitor. That gave us space to be able to move through the high-use area to what we call the "playground", where two horses were laying down. This woman had shared with me that she was a bit intimidated by horses, so I was particularly grateful for their wisdom in having not overwhelmed her with their size.

After exchanging some background information, I offered her to notice in her body what wanted to happen. She said that she would really like to go over towards one of the horses who was laying down, with his head up and quietly alert. I watched her ground and center herself, and then walk over to the horse. The energetic conversation between the two of them, and the other horse laying down a short distance away was quiet, respectful, tentative and joyfull. She stopped a distance away from the horse she was approaching and stayed there in the heart-based conversation for a brief time. She then moved out of her body and into her head and I could see the doubts coming in and the analysis of what she "should" do. Up to that point, the horse had been really connecting with her, inviting her into his vulnerable space. When she went into her head, he dis-engaged and turned his head away. She took that as a sign that they were done and made her way back over to me. She looked happy, and a bit confused.

We spent a few minutes talking about what she noticed, what made her stop, and what made her come back over to me. She shared that she doesn't tend to let people in, and then expanded that to herself - she longs to connect with the "soft, fuzzy part" of herself, but creates limitations and boundaries that keep, even her, out.

I offered a reflection that the boundaries she was describing is what I just watched her play out. The light bulb exploded over her heart and her eyes flew open! "Yes! That is what I just did! Can I try again?!" "Of course," I replied! This time her approach was fully grounded and centered and the horse again welcomed her into his space. She came to a stop near his head and he reached his nose up to nuzzle her. They exchanged a beautiful moment of connection. She exhaled, then he did as well. And then, the most remarkable thing, he layed himself all the way down and rested his head at her feet and sighed. She stayed for a few moments, marinating in the magic of the moment before coming back over to me with tears in her eyes. The sun could not have outshined her - she was simply luminescent.

She had not only recognized the pattern of this limitation in her life, she recognized how it feels in her body, and moved beyond it! She touched her sofy, fuzzy part!!! Einstein said something to the effect that, once your mind has been expanded to even consider an idea, it can never go back to the way it was. She not only imagined breaking through that limitation, she did it! And, her whole being now knows what it feels like to move through that barrier and how rewarding the connection is on the other side.

It was beautiful to watch and I am so grateful for the grace that brought her to us.