One With The Herd
By: Heather Rusk
It has taken many years, and a health crisis to realize the benefits of meditation, mind/body stillness, and presence within myself as well as in the horse/ human relationship.
Heather Rusk
I came to horses as an adult. From time to time, it felt like it was a bit too late to start, but then sometimes I actually appreciated the wisdom and clear set of discernment skills I began my adult equine adventure with.
When I was in my late twenties, I worked as a successful Art Conservator. I was the youngest Conservator at that time to achieve professional accreditation by over 10 years. I had published internationally, but something was terribly wrong in my life. Not only was I not happy, but I was sick and getting worse. Before my thirtieth birthday I was on short-term disability from my job. I was told to prepare myself for deteriorating health, that my mobility would be drastically reduced in less than ten years and if I wanted to have children the only way I was going to be able to do it, would be if I had full time help. Within a year, I quit my job and made a commitment to discover what the root cause of the illness was. Not just my own, but what is at the root of all illness. The first thing I had to do was to set up a whole series of changes in my life. I realized that I had not been a participant in my own life, but that I had allowed myself to be defined by a whole series of external circumstances. I was not the director of my life, but my life circumstances were directing me. I was not present, and I had to figure out how to get myself back (although from my perspective today, I am not sure I ever knew who I was in the first place).
Ten years later, after a marriage break up, I found myself sitting watching my children in their Friday evening group riding lesson, when I realized it was the happiest hour of my week. That day I signed up for riding lessons. What I found was that I didn’t love riding. I wanted to be face to face with a horse, not on their backs trying to master balance and a form of communication with a horse, when I didn’t understand myself. I started enjoying the time I spent wandering the paddocks interacting with the horses, more than the lessons themselves.
When I was in my late twenties, I worked as a successful Art Conservator. I was the youngest Conservator at that time to achieve professional accreditation by over 10 years. I had published internationally, but something was terribly wrong in my life. Not only was I not happy, but I was sick and getting worse. Before my thirtieth birthday I was on short-term disability from my job. I was told to prepare myself for deteriorating health, that my mobility would be drastically reduced in less than ten years and if I wanted to have children the only way I was going to be able to do it, would be if I had full time help. Within a year, I quit my job and made a commitment to discover what the root cause of the illness was. Not just my own, but what is at the root of all illness. The first thing I had to do was to set up a whole series of changes in my life. I realized that I had not been a participant in my own life, but that I had allowed myself to be defined by a whole series of external circumstances. I was not the director of my life, but my life circumstances were directing me. I was not present, and I had to figure out how to get myself back (although from my perspective today, I am not sure I ever knew who I was in the first place).
Ten years later, after a marriage break up, I found myself sitting watching my children in their Friday evening group riding lesson, when I realized it was the happiest hour of my week. That day I signed up for riding lessons. What I found was that I didn’t love riding. I wanted to be face to face with a horse, not on their backs trying to master balance and a form of communication with a horse, when I didn’t understand myself. I started enjoying the time I spent wandering the paddocks interacting with the horses, more than the lessons themselves.
Benefits of Stillness
Different forms of meditation and meditative practices had become a part of my recovery process. I started going and just standing beside a horse; slipping into a still and meditative state. I found that the horses I enjoyed the most would usually end up coming to stand near me and they too would just relax; they actually chose to be with me when I was in this quiet state of stillness.
It was really only when other horse people would make observations about the horse's preference for human interaction that I started to notice it myself. Some curious horse owners would observe that their horses chose to stand close to me; and they would ask, "What are you doing to attract my horses?"
It wasn’t until this started to happen regularly, that I realized I was onto something with this simple practice I had spontaneously developed years earlier. I began to see the value in the practice and witness the benefit it had on me. I had the privilege of a flight animal not only feeling safe in my presence, but also sharing in a way which made me feel that they considered me a part of their herd, or as close to that as possible. This was and continues to be something that fills me with immense humility and gratitude.
I realized that when I was present with myself, not only did the horses want to be with me, but they chose to trust me. They are, for the most part, ever present. They live in the moment and they don’t understand projections into the future especially, and as a rule not into the past either. The horses were just there with whatever was going on, even if it was nothing; in fact, especially when it was nothing.
I began getting excited about sharing these moments with others. However, I often found the barn to be an exciting place and the time spent there was channeled into DOing rather than BEing. Barns can be busy and active places where social chatter is a big part of the experience. One day I brought lawn chairs out for a friend from the city and myself. I asked her to find a place close to a fence, so she could keep herself out of flight lines if the horses felt they needed to leave in a hurry. We sat quietly. An entire herd of 7 horses came to stand with us. We ended up having gentle and intimate interactions while they shared their rest time with us. Most of the horses actually came close and chose to sleep, as they sleep with their own herd.
This was a turning point in the life of my friend. Sitting with the horses, bringing stillness to her body, changed her ability to bring stillness to her mind. Bringing stillness to her mind allowed her to connect to herself, so that she could be present with the horses in a calm, quiet, connected and peaceful way. It is really very apparent that this state is a state horses not only love but feel very safe within. The results are instantaneous as the behavior of the horses changes in response to the changes in the human. This experience supported her, bringing greater calm and presence to everything in her life. She shared that, “The experience felt like I was in another dimension, one of peace and calm where I felt “at one” with the horses”.
Why breath?
Consciously used, the breath can be a very powerful tool of relaxation and supports high vibrational states of being. It seems like a simple bodily function, but its benefits, when consciously applied, have a very broad and deep altering effect on both the physical and energetic bodies. Consciously modifying the breath is the simplest form of meditation. It fosters a calm sense of wellbeing, and it clears and brings stillness to the mind. Breath is my primary tool for becoming present in my body and therefore in my mind. It is the foundation for all the work I do in myself and with others.
Different forms of meditation and meditative practices had become a part of my recovery process. I started going and just standing beside a horse; slipping into a still and meditative state. I found that the horses I enjoyed the most would usually end up coming to stand near me and they too would just relax; they actually chose to be with me when I was in this quiet state of stillness.
It was really only when other horse people would make observations about the horse's preference for human interaction that I started to notice it myself. Some curious horse owners would observe that their horses chose to stand close to me; and they would ask, "What are you doing to attract my horses?"
It wasn’t until this started to happen regularly, that I realized I was onto something with this simple practice I had spontaneously developed years earlier. I began to see the value in the practice and witness the benefit it had on me. I had the privilege of a flight animal not only feeling safe in my presence, but also sharing in a way which made me feel that they considered me a part of their herd, or as close to that as possible. This was and continues to be something that fills me with immense humility and gratitude.
I realized that when I was present with myself, not only did the horses want to be with me, but they chose to trust me. They are, for the most part, ever present. They live in the moment and they don’t understand projections into the future especially, and as a rule not into the past either. The horses were just there with whatever was going on, even if it was nothing; in fact, especially when it was nothing.
I began getting excited about sharing these moments with others. However, I often found the barn to be an exciting place and the time spent there was channeled into DOing rather than BEing. Barns can be busy and active places where social chatter is a big part of the experience. One day I brought lawn chairs out for a friend from the city and myself. I asked her to find a place close to a fence, so she could keep herself out of flight lines if the horses felt they needed to leave in a hurry. We sat quietly. An entire herd of 7 horses came to stand with us. We ended up having gentle and intimate interactions while they shared their rest time with us. Most of the horses actually came close and chose to sleep, as they sleep with their own herd.
This was a turning point in the life of my friend. Sitting with the horses, bringing stillness to her body, changed her ability to bring stillness to her mind. Bringing stillness to her mind allowed her to connect to herself, so that she could be present with the horses in a calm, quiet, connected and peaceful way. It is really very apparent that this state is a state horses not only love but feel very safe within. The results are instantaneous as the behavior of the horses changes in response to the changes in the human. This experience supported her, bringing greater calm and presence to everything in her life. She shared that, “The experience felt like I was in another dimension, one of peace and calm where I felt “at one” with the horses”.
Why breath?
Consciously used, the breath can be a very powerful tool of relaxation and supports high vibrational states of being. It seems like a simple bodily function, but its benefits, when consciously applied, have a very broad and deep altering effect on both the physical and energetic bodies. Consciously modifying the breath is the simplest form of meditation. It fosters a calm sense of wellbeing, and it clears and brings stillness to the mind. Breath is my primary tool for becoming present in my body and therefore in my mind. It is the foundation for all the work I do in myself and with others.
Our society and lifestyles are full of low-grade stressors. When we become stressed or afraid, our nervous system causes our breathing to quicken so that it can better respond to a stressful situation. It also works the opposite way. If we slow our breath, it has a calming effect on our nervous system. The endocrine system secretes hormones that calm the body as a response to the slowing and deepening of the breath. Imagine the implications this simple practice can have on our generally high stress lifestyles.
I invite you to check out this article on diaphragmatic breathing: www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-athletes-way/201705/diaphragmatic-breathing-exercises-and-your-vagus-nerve.
As seen in my friend’s experience, these relationships with horses can provide us with profound benefit in shifting our internal and external relationships. I am healthy and active today and have been for many years now. I credit simple adjustments, like bringing this type of breath meditation (presence) into my daily life. ~*~
I invite you to check out this article on diaphragmatic breathing: www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-athletes-way/201705/diaphragmatic-breathing-exercises-and-your-vagus-nerve.
As seen in my friend’s experience, these relationships with horses can provide us with profound benefit in shifting our internal and external relationships. I am healthy and active today and have been for many years now. I credit simple adjustments, like bringing this type of breath meditation (presence) into my daily life. ~*~
Try this short, simple meditation and see if you feel any differently afterward.
This breathing exercise uses the basic technique of taking breath in through the nose and out through your mouth.
Sit down in a quiet place with your feet flat on the floor and your eyes closed. Choose a place where you will not be interrupted.
• Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose. With each inhale imagine the breath going right down into the base of your belly.
• Exhale slowly imagining all the breath, right down to the base of your belly goes out through your mouth.
• Imagine your belly softening and all the tension clearing from your body.
• Continue this process until you feel calm, peaceful and as though your belly has released every particle of tension and every muscle in your body feels relaxed.
**How do you feel? Differently than you did before the exercise?**
You can try this simple breath meditation any time you like. Sit out in a pasture on a chair, or just bring horses to mind while you are quietly at home.
This breathing exercise uses the basic technique of taking breath in through the nose and out through your mouth.
Sit down in a quiet place with your feet flat on the floor and your eyes closed. Choose a place where you will not be interrupted.
• Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose. With each inhale imagine the breath going right down into the base of your belly.
• Exhale slowly imagining all the breath, right down to the base of your belly goes out through your mouth.
• Imagine your belly softening and all the tension clearing from your body.
• Continue this process until you feel calm, peaceful and as though your belly has released every particle of tension and every muscle in your body feels relaxed.
**How do you feel? Differently than you did before the exercise?**
You can try this simple breath meditation any time you like. Sit out in a pasture on a chair, or just bring horses to mind while you are quietly at home.
Heather Rusk Bio
Heather is a Certified Equi-Bow Practitioner (equine bodywork) based in Southern Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada. She has a passion for supporting and exploring new protocols for the rehabilitation of conditions that reduce the wellbeing of horses. A large portion of her time is spent working with horses that have been discarded because of acute physical conditions. She facilitates Mind Body / Consciousness Based Healing support groups and one-on-one sessions with horse and human. She also mentors equine professionals to develop perception and communication skills that are clear and accurate. Heather spends her personal time developing relationship and communication with the horses and other animals she knows, listening to what they have to say and integrating that into the vision of the world she wants to create.
Email: hlrusk@icloud.com Websites: Heatherrusk.com Newearthequine.com
Email: hlrusk@icloud.com Websites: Heatherrusk.com Newearthequine.com