Do you ever think about the level of tension you hold in your body day to day?
Just walking around, sitting at a desk, driving, reading this……bring your awareness to how your body feels. Tense shoulders? Clenched fists? Often this isn’t even because we’re particularly stressed, we just get used to holding our bodies this way from times when we were stressed.
So, if we’re walking around holding areas of tension you can guarantee we handle and ride our horses holding these areas of tension.
Yet, we know any tension from us transfers directly to our horses. This could translate to our horse as nervous energy, blocking them, stiffness, heaviness or harshness when it is not intended.
If we want to achieve true softness and connection to our horses we need to get rid of this tension before we handle or work them.
The first step to dealing with this is to notice it, so if now you’ve brought your attention to it you are aware of it that’s a great start.
A pre ride warm up can be a great tension release, but sometimes it also requires a more mindful approach.
Next time you’re getting ready to ride or maybe just handle your horse take a minute to prepare your mind and body with a breathing exercise.
Start at the top of your body, notice an area of tension then take a breath in and as you breathe out imagine sending the out breath to that area and release the tension. Continue this throughout your body wherever you notice tension, or if you aren’t quite sure release your shoulders, hands, glutes and legs.
How does that feel?
Sometimes I take my online Friday stretch through this practice of releasing tension at the end of the session. Friday Stretch is one of the 3 pre recorded sessions per week in my online programme.
