Woman in the Arena
ReFLECTIONS & INSIGHTS
Pay Attention to Patterns
“Pay attention to the intricate patterns of your existence that you take for granted.” (This blog inspired by the every day experiences of life while staying safe at home without horses during a pandemic and Pacific NW wildfires ) MORNING ROUTINE Every morning it’s...
Are You Doing Everything for Everybody?
"If you try to be everything to everyone, you'll be nothing to no one." LETTING GO The sorrel pony stepped into the arena, securely attached to a red, white, and blue rope held by her human partner, Carol. “Daisy” came up to Carol’s hip, which was within reach of the...
Change Your Energy, Change the Outcome
FEELING THE ENERGY I opened the gate and immediately knew where his head was going. The energy coming through the halter, down the rope and into my hand felt like the makings of a tug of war. Before he had a chance to pull away and dive into the lush green...
What Color is Your Horse?
"If you walk in the footprints of others, you won't make any of your own" FIRST IMPRESSIONS We hung close to the fence without interacting with the horses on the other side. The herd barely noticed us, instead gathering closer to one another as the rain dripped down...
Playing Can Save Your Life
This life lesson blog is a fictional re-creation of real life experiences with my students designed to maintain anonymity and confidentiality. “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”-George Bernard Shaw When was the last...
Overcome Overwhelm
When a situation arises with someone, in which we feel overwhelmed or ill equipped to respond appropriately, Brene Brown, renowned author, researcher and social worker says, we will react automatically in one of three ways: go along to avoid conflict, avoid the...
Cut Stress Off at the Pass
You can stop stress in its tracks and recover quickly from its fiendish grip. Scientists who study the human brain have determined that when you are stressed or scared, the immediate reaction is to run, fight, freeze or fawn (appease/go along with). In this state...
The Beginners Mind
EXPLORE In the past, I remember taking a horse into an arena thinking, “I don’t like beginnings.” Every time a new horse would come to me, their owner asking for help with training, I would remember the horse I’d just spent 6 weeks with and wished I could already be...
The Resilience Plan
This life lesson blog is a fictional re-creation of real life experiences with my students designed to maintain anonymity and confidentiality. EXPLORE Deb reached down to pick up the horse's foot as the mare stood quietly at the end of the rope in my hands. I shared...
Negative Thoughts Stop You in Your Tracks
This life lesson blog is a fictional re-creation of real life experiences with my students designed to maintain anonymity and confidentiality. EXPLORE This morning while on my way to give riding lessons to one of two remaining Centered Riding students, I discovered...