EQUINE-IMITY
The Science and Spirituality of Equine Guided Yoga
By: Fotini Chandrika Walton
Horses have gifted the spiritual practice of Yoga with a direct path to the science of the Heart.
The Horses lead us to our inner compass where we can access our innate ability to live a life of connection, clarity and creativity.
This innate way of Being supports a sense of equanimity that helps humans cope with the demands of modern-day life.
The Horses lead us to our inner compass where we can access our innate ability to live a life of connection, clarity and creativity.
This innate way of Being supports a sense of equanimity that helps humans cope with the demands of modern-day life.
In the eyes of the Horse, the lines between our strength and our weakness become blurred in the present moment where wounds become wisdom and we are seen through the eyes of keen awareness and non-judgment. The literal meaning of Yoga in Sanskrit (the language of yoga) is “unity” and it is in this moment, this sense of being seen from the space of the Heart, that we truly experience a union with the Natural World. In commune with the Natural World, we experience the true essence of Life! In relationship with the Horses in my care, I have experienced friendship, support, encouragement and, ultimately, “samadhi” or “awakening”. In our evolution as partners in Equine Guided Yoga, the Horses have generously extended these offerings to me and the many clients whom we have served together, helping them create lasting, positive change in their lives. The word “ashva” means “horse” in Sanskrit, but it can also be translated as “not yesterday and not tomorrow.”
FOND CONNECTIONS
I didn’t grow up with Horses. The stories of my early life are surrounded by concrete jungles and a lot of dark places. Inside and outside. Animals were my fondest connections. With them I felt loved, understood and seen. The more they provided me the opportunity to dream, the more I wanted to be with them, listen to them, love them.
From as far back as I can remember, I was fascinated by Horses. Where I grew up, Horses were few and far between until I came across Riverdale Park, which was home to two Clydesdale Horses. They became my best friends. Reliant on my own resources since the age of 15, my time was spent focused solely on survival and working hard to complete an education. Having moved more times than my years (at that time) and attended almost a dozen schools, it was difficult to make steady, lasting friendships with humans. In between school and work, I would ride my bike to see my new and treasured equine friends. I would sit on the ground beneath their muzzles giggling from my heart space at their curiosity and character. My friendship with the Horses was easy, simple and pure. It wouldn’t be long before I would move again, but the memories of the Horses would remain in my Heart forever.
Horses became the “dristi” or “focal point” of my mind’s eye during times of stress and anxiety. I would see them running wild and free and it would give me hope that one day I would know freedom from the hardships of my young and challenging life.
As an adult, I began a regular practice of Yoga to heal from the trauma I held in my body from the earlier years. Life was good now but my body still believed that I was somehow unsafe. I had long since seen my Clydesdale friends but was now in a position with a vehicle and a good job after college, to begin to explore this vision that I held so close in my “ajna” or mind’s eye. The vision of Horses.
The timing of exploring Horses while diving deep into a Yoga practice was not by accident. It would form the groundwork for an Equine Guided Yoga modality that married the science and synchronicities of both being with Horses and practicing Yoga. I was fascinated by the way the Horses were quickly able to guide me to a place of equanimity; a state of being that is the entire premise of the Yoga practice. Horses brought the somatic nature of Yoga off the mat by their non-predatory way of being that offers a sense of clarity, deep connection, encourages creativity and gently demands present moment awareness.
FOND CONNECTIONS
I didn’t grow up with Horses. The stories of my early life are surrounded by concrete jungles and a lot of dark places. Inside and outside. Animals were my fondest connections. With them I felt loved, understood and seen. The more they provided me the opportunity to dream, the more I wanted to be with them, listen to them, love them.
From as far back as I can remember, I was fascinated by Horses. Where I grew up, Horses were few and far between until I came across Riverdale Park, which was home to two Clydesdale Horses. They became my best friends. Reliant on my own resources since the age of 15, my time was spent focused solely on survival and working hard to complete an education. Having moved more times than my years (at that time) and attended almost a dozen schools, it was difficult to make steady, lasting friendships with humans. In between school and work, I would ride my bike to see my new and treasured equine friends. I would sit on the ground beneath their muzzles giggling from my heart space at their curiosity and character. My friendship with the Horses was easy, simple and pure. It wouldn’t be long before I would move again, but the memories of the Horses would remain in my Heart forever.
Horses became the “dristi” or “focal point” of my mind’s eye during times of stress and anxiety. I would see them running wild and free and it would give me hope that one day I would know freedom from the hardships of my young and challenging life.
As an adult, I began a regular practice of Yoga to heal from the trauma I held in my body from the earlier years. Life was good now but my body still believed that I was somehow unsafe. I had long since seen my Clydesdale friends but was now in a position with a vehicle and a good job after college, to begin to explore this vision that I held so close in my “ajna” or mind’s eye. The vision of Horses.
The timing of exploring Horses while diving deep into a Yoga practice was not by accident. It would form the groundwork for an Equine Guided Yoga modality that married the science and synchronicities of both being with Horses and practicing Yoga. I was fascinated by the way the Horses were quickly able to guide me to a place of equanimity; a state of being that is the entire premise of the Yoga practice. Horses brought the somatic nature of Yoga off the mat by their non-predatory way of being that offers a sense of clarity, deep connection, encourages creativity and gently demands present moment awareness.
HOW THE HORSES
I am in awe of how the Horses, are able to identify the areas of imbalance in a human and to so gracefully bring them to the surface for exploration and expression. It is no wonder that the spirituality of Horses is honored in many ancient texts, including the Baghavad Gita with Krishna arriving in a chariot pulled by two white horses. And the Qu-ran, where it is said that for “every barley corn given to a Horse, Allah would forgive one sin.” It is apparent that we have recognized the true meaning of “Horse Power” for thousands and thousands of years, honoring the unspoken, unexplainable magic that Horses have offered human evolution. In an extension to studies conducted by the HeartMath Institute (1), Dr. Ellen Kaye Gehrke concludes that the “calmness and autonomic state of horses has a greater influence on the human response rather than the other way around.” Horses can effortlessly bring us to a place of calm, coherent, connection that can offer clarity of insights and opportunity for creative expression.
The Horses have also long encouraged us to express ourselves by guiding us to the areas in the brain where we gain clear access to our Self. Many sketches and sculptures created by humans (like the “Horse of Lourdes”, carved out of mammoth tusk an estimated 15,000 years ago, found in a cave in France) are ancient depictions of the beautiful Equine beast. This is a commonality within the Yoga practice with ancient Yogis sharing the fruits of their practice through poetry, art and music. We create together, Horses and Humans. A harmonious world through Heart connection. The Horses lead us to dance with self-expression through the creative arts. In their book “Talent Development III) authors, John Ruscio and Teresa Amabileit state, “We summarize our research on motivation and its impact on creativity by what we call the intrinsic motivation principle of creativity: People will be most creative where they feel motivated primarily by the interest, enjoyment, satisfaction, and personal challenge of the work itself and not by external pressures. People are most creative when they are primarily intrinsically motivated rather than primarily extrinsically motivated.” In their calm connection, Horses release external pressure on Humans and offer the opportunity for expression from the Heart. It is clear that Horses are conducive to creativity by the influence of their “calmness and autonomic state.”
I am in awe of how the Horses, are able to identify the areas of imbalance in a human and to so gracefully bring them to the surface for exploration and expression. It is no wonder that the spirituality of Horses is honored in many ancient texts, including the Baghavad Gita with Krishna arriving in a chariot pulled by two white horses. And the Qu-ran, where it is said that for “every barley corn given to a Horse, Allah would forgive one sin.” It is apparent that we have recognized the true meaning of “Horse Power” for thousands and thousands of years, honoring the unspoken, unexplainable magic that Horses have offered human evolution. In an extension to studies conducted by the HeartMath Institute (1), Dr. Ellen Kaye Gehrke concludes that the “calmness and autonomic state of horses has a greater influence on the human response rather than the other way around.” Horses can effortlessly bring us to a place of calm, coherent, connection that can offer clarity of insights and opportunity for creative expression.
The Horses have also long encouraged us to express ourselves by guiding us to the areas in the brain where we gain clear access to our Self. Many sketches and sculptures created by humans (like the “Horse of Lourdes”, carved out of mammoth tusk an estimated 15,000 years ago, found in a cave in France) are ancient depictions of the beautiful Equine beast. This is a commonality within the Yoga practice with ancient Yogis sharing the fruits of their practice through poetry, art and music. We create together, Horses and Humans. A harmonious world through Heart connection. The Horses lead us to dance with self-expression through the creative arts. In their book “Talent Development III) authors, John Ruscio and Teresa Amabileit state, “We summarize our research on motivation and its impact on creativity by what we call the intrinsic motivation principle of creativity: People will be most creative where they feel motivated primarily by the interest, enjoyment, satisfaction, and personal challenge of the work itself and not by external pressures. People are most creative when they are primarily intrinsically motivated rather than primarily extrinsically motivated.” In their calm connection, Horses release external pressure on Humans and offer the opportunity for expression from the Heart. It is clear that Horses are conducive to creativity by the influence of their “calmness and autonomic state.”
FROM THE HEART
I have witnessed many clients leave their time with the Horses in a state of higher awareness and fresh perspectives that reflects in every area of their lives. The Horses guide the experience as they invite each unique individual to walk from their Heart.
A year ago, I met with Sharon, a middle-aged woman at a crossroads in her path. Her head was telling her to stay at her job for sake of security and stability, but her Heart was asking her to leave her job in order to pursue her dreams of sharing her art with the world. She felt stuck and unsure which way to turn. When she arrived on the farm, our mare Isa, was waiting for Sharon at the gate, facing the driveway. Sharon felt this reflected her current situation. I invited her to envision the post about 15 metres away as her “dream” and asked Isa to provide some clarity. Sharon haltered Isa and began to walk to the post. Isa became anxious, making circles around Sharon and not moving forward. It was clear she and Isa had lost their connection. I invited her to remove the halter and continue to walk toward her “dream”. She walked forward, without looking back. When she arrived at the post, she looked back to see that Isa had closely followed her. She had let go of the tight grip of fear and control. She was leading from her Heart, experiencing pure connection and the clarity of her creative “dream”.
Just a few weeks ago, I received an email from Sharon: “The experience of being with Isa has been life changing/life centering and became my anchor point in life. Words can’t really express the experience but I felt as though it guided me back to truly know what it is to rest in stillness and in my centre and get out of my head. I knew what I needed to do which was to honour what my body, heart and soul were telling me and I retired a few months later. I really don’t know if I would have found the clarity and the peace to make that decision without the session with Isa.”
I have witnessed many clients leave their time with the Horses in a state of higher awareness and fresh perspectives that reflects in every area of their lives. The Horses guide the experience as they invite each unique individual to walk from their Heart.
A year ago, I met with Sharon, a middle-aged woman at a crossroads in her path. Her head was telling her to stay at her job for sake of security and stability, but her Heart was asking her to leave her job in order to pursue her dreams of sharing her art with the world. She felt stuck and unsure which way to turn. When she arrived on the farm, our mare Isa, was waiting for Sharon at the gate, facing the driveway. Sharon felt this reflected her current situation. I invited her to envision the post about 15 metres away as her “dream” and asked Isa to provide some clarity. Sharon haltered Isa and began to walk to the post. Isa became anxious, making circles around Sharon and not moving forward. It was clear she and Isa had lost their connection. I invited her to remove the halter and continue to walk toward her “dream”. She walked forward, without looking back. When she arrived at the post, she looked back to see that Isa had closely followed her. She had let go of the tight grip of fear and control. She was leading from her Heart, experiencing pure connection and the clarity of her creative “dream”.
Just a few weeks ago, I received an email from Sharon: “The experience of being with Isa has been life changing/life centering and became my anchor point in life. Words can’t really express the experience but I felt as though it guided me back to truly know what it is to rest in stillness and in my centre and get out of my head. I knew what I needed to do which was to honour what my body, heart and soul were telling me and I retired a few months later. I really don’t know if I would have found the clarity and the peace to make that decision without the session with Isa.”
I, along with my family, have found a place of freedom within where we, both Horses and Humans, can experience connection, clarity and creativity. Horses remind us we can choose to connect with the beauty, grace and courage within others and ourselves, even in times of challenge and change. They remind us to take a deep breath and be in the clarity of our bodies’ wisdom, rather than become stuck in the rat race in our minds. They remind us to let go of the heaviness of our emotions and dance with them through creative self-expression. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. In the present moment, here and now.
In the equanimous space of the present moment. Together with the Horses. ~*~
In the equanimous space of the present moment. Together with the Horses. ~*~
