December 17 – Lesson Learned What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward? (Author: Tara Weaver)
My sister Diane has an autistic child, Ian. Ian is 8 and is now Diane's greatest teacher. She's learning so much and changing in significant ways and is much more light and joyful. It's amazing to witness. She's constantly learning, and teaching, how to better communicate without words. She gave me the gift of going to Koelle Simpson's Horse Workshop in Keystone for a few days. Koelle is an equus coach and one of Diane's biggest teachers as well.
The bottom line is this: As herd animals, horses are highly attuned to energy - and when you get in a pen with a horse, the horse reflects the energy you bring into their sphere. If you don't lead it, it will lead you. And you can lead a horse very quickly after meeting it. I've seen and experienced it myself. Quick lesson goes like this:
Without telling us what she's doing Koelle gets into the pen with a horse she's never met (she does this all over the world with horses she's never met). With calm confidence she gets a horse to follow her. Then she tells you that you have 5 mins to try and do it yourself, like that. I figured I studied her movements, her calm way, and wonder how hard can it be?! Well, MUCH HARDER THAN YOU THINK. Everyone's stuff shows up in that pen - whether they're nervous, they want the horse to do something so they're more aggressive, they want to do well, they fear the horse, etc. What showed up for me was this:
If I'm confused as to why something isn't going a particular way as planned, I will go somewhere else and do my own thing. I'll try a new approach, but perhaps half-heartedly. And, I don't always trust my instincts (which was kind of news to me). Later we discuss how this helps and also hinders. At the end of the next day everyone is basically able to lead a horse.
Now I am more often noticing the energy with which I approach a task or something new. I am more aware that trusting my instincts is key and so I do it.
My sister Diane has an autistic child, Ian. Ian is 8 and is now Diane's greatest teacher. She's learning so much and changing in significant ways and is much more light and joyful. It's amazing to witness. She's constantly learning, and teaching, how to better communicate without words. She gave me the gift of going to Koelle Simpson's Horse Workshop in Keystone for a few days. Koelle is an equus coach and one of Diane's biggest teachers as well.
The bottom line is this: As herd animals, horses are highly attuned to energy - and when you get in a pen with a horse, the horse reflects the energy you bring into their sphere. If you don't lead it, it will lead you. And you can lead a horse very quickly after meeting it. I've seen and experienced it myself. Quick lesson goes like this:
Without telling us what she's doing Koelle gets into the pen with a horse she's never met (she does this all over the world with horses she's never met). With calm confidence she gets a horse to follow her. Then she tells you that you have 5 mins to try and do it yourself, like that. I figured I studied her movements, her calm way, and wonder how hard can it be?! Well, MUCH HARDER THAN YOU THINK. Everyone's stuff shows up in that pen - whether they're nervous, they want the horse to do something so they're more aggressive, they want to do well, they fear the horse, etc. What showed up for me was this:
If I'm confused as to why something isn't going a particular way as planned, I will go somewhere else and do my own thing. I'll try a new approach, but perhaps half-heartedly. And, I don't always trust my instincts (which was kind of news to me). Later we discuss how this helps and also hinders. At the end of the next day everyone is basically able to lead a horse.
Now I am more often noticing the energy with which I approach a task or something new. I am more aware that trusting my instincts is key and so I do it.