Hello my fellow equestrians and welcome to this practice.
Thank you for joining me and thank yourself for showing up for a few minutes of stillness and self-care.
This meditation will set you up for success in the saddle today and is a great practice to do at home before you leave for the barn or in the tack room before you get on your horse.
Find a comfortable seat.
You can sit on a cushion on the floor with your legs crossed or sit upright in a chair or in a tack trunk with your feet flat on the floor,
Hip distance apart.
Wherever you are,
Place your hands on your knees with your palms facing up so that you are open to all this meditation has to offer.
If you feel comfortable,
Gently close your eyes or you can lower your gaze to a fixed point.
Now let's take three release breaths together to settle in and let go.
Inhale through the nose taking in as much air as you possibly can.
Hold at the top.
Now exhale out the mouth with a big sigh.
Two more times.
Inhale.
Hold.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Hold.
Exhale.
For the rest of this practice,
Inhale and exhale through the nose.
Distractions are entirely normal so if your mind wanders,
No worries.
Just return to your breath feeling it come in and out of your nose.
Now picture yourself walking into the stable and finding your horse.
Visualize your horse with as much detail as you possibly can,
Their expression,
The texture of their coat,
The warmth of their breath,
And the feeling you get when you're around them.
Take a moment to soak this in and be with your horse.
Envision grooming your horse mindfully and then gently place their saddle on and quietly put their bridle on.
Before you get on your horse,
Take a moment to notice all the things that go into riding before you step afoot in the stirrup.
Have gratitude for your horse no matter where you are in your training.
Be thankful for your tack no matter how old or new it may be and be proud of yourself for making the time to be able to ride.
All of these things are considerable accomplishments in themselves.
Think of what you would like to get out of your ride today.
Could you keep it simple?
Sometimes one word is all you need like confidence,
Partnership,
Joy,
Or anything else that comes to mind.
You could also create a mantra like I trust my horse and my intuition in the saddle or I have the skills I need to have a great ride today.
Let your word or mantra come to you.
If nothing appears just keep breathing.
Stay here in the stable with your horse for a few minutes repeating your word or mantra or focus on your breath.
As you do this,
Feel the connection with your horse.
I'll keep track of the time you stay present in the moment.
You you you Slowly let go of whatever you are doing.
Now mindfully lead your horse to the mounting block and get on.
Before walking off give your horses scratch on the neck and heartfelt gratitude for the ride you're about to have.
Slowly bring your awareness back into your body.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Stretch your arms overhead then release them back down and gently blink your eyes open.
Thank you so much for joining me in this practice.
I'm sending positive vibes your way for all of the success you deserve.
Good luck and most importantly enjoy the ride.
