Whether you are a horseperson or not we all of activities in our lives that are inherently Mindful. Think of something you do that absorbs all your senses. Something you may be passionate about or really interested in. And when you are doing that something you aren’t thinking about anything else! You are literally in the moment, curiously aware of everything around you with a broad view, and every sensory part of your being is engaged.

My high school students and I discussed this topic by thinking about when they are most Mindful. Their answers were everything from reading, swimming, basketball, to painting. These activities are things the students ENJOY doing and chose to do. Not a forced or a have to do it list. But, I want to do…blank.

As we continue down this journey of Mindfulness it helps if you can feel and recall when you ARE already Mindful. Mindfulness is not a new thing or a new word but a way of describing when we are at our best! Living in the present moment, not thinking about unrelated things, enjoying what we are doing while being calm.

As a Mindful Studies teacher I have thought a lot about this. I like to point out to my students that they are already being Mindful in so many ways. The trick is to get to that Mindful state when you are doing all the other things that life throws at you. The things you don’t want to do, don’t like to do, or are uncomfortable surprises.

The more you can pull your already developed Mindful traits into other parts of your life the easier and more productive life becomes!

Horses and music have been a huge part of my life. When I was 3 years old my folks took me and my older brother, who was 8 at the time, to our first horse back riding lesson. I will preface this with some family history and horses. My dad’s father had several jobs and one of these jobs was to break and train horses in their town. My dad grew up with horses and animals of all kinds. And he wanted his family to grow up in the country with a menagerie of animals including horses.

A 3 year old is not a tall person. But, my most vivid memory, the moment I became horse crazy, was walking into that dark old barn, breathing in the sweet smell of hay, leather, horse, and being able to see only these creatures from their knees down! That’s all I needed to see. Done. I was quickly and firmly scooped up by the “Old Wrangler” as my dad called the horsewoman, plopped onto the saddle, and sent out the barn door to a huge pasture. The rest of my riding lessons were more like a saddle nap. No, literally, after a few loops around the pasture I would fall asleep in the saddle with my trustee steed, Old Flame, underneath me! My mom, a city girl, finally got use to the fact the horse wasn’t going to runaway with me and that I had found my personal heaven.

My brother on the other hand was having the opposite experience. Maybe it was because the big black geldings name was Wahoo! Or maybe it was because my brother wasn’t all together thrilled with the idea of being an actual cowboy. Either way, he and Wahoo had quite a rodeo. He didn’t ride much after that.

So, for whatever reason we find our special things that really make us happy.

The magical relationship with a horse as a partner is it has a brain, feelings, and can sense even the slightest tension, stress, or anxiety in the rider. How is that for a Mindfulness feedback machine! If your tense the horse becomes tense, anxious, and worried. The horses breathing speeds up with yours, muscles become tight, and now it is fight or flight time because the two of you have fed off each others feelings.

Not only is this interesting and relevant to Mindfulness but it can also be dangerous as a rider! When it becomes a matter of safety or even the difference between life and death, horse people have been taught to be extremely aware of their own nervous system. We are taught to be aware of our own breathing. Taught to not only be aware of what every muscle in our bodies are doing but how it is effecting the 1000lb horse underneath you. When you are a Mindful rider you are truly in the moment and ultimately trying to be at one with your horse.

My life with horses has taught me a lot about Mindfulness even before I knew “Mindfulness: was a thing. My hope for you is to take your already learned Mindful traits and apply them everywhere. Experiment and see what changes in your world.

More about the Mindful Musician another time.

Gratefully,

Mary