As I think about writing my last column of the year, I ask myself how I can pack the richness of the year’s experiences, the growth and changes that have occurred as well as some valuable horses healing humans healing horses information for you into a short paragraph!?

So this is what I’ll do… I will give you some of my favourite insights into how a conscious horse-human connection is so helpful, followed by an update on a subject I am most passionate about, topped off by a few photos from my last visit to the New England Brumby Sanctuary (NEBS).

1. Have you noticed the pull between wanting to fit in and belong and wanting to stand out and be different? They are like two forces pulling in opposite directions, creating internal (and external) tension. I spoke about this with several young people in their twenties and they could really relate to this conflict. We agreed that all the way through school in a mainstream system, individual uniqueness is not encouraged.

Recognizing and nurturing our uniqueness create peace, contentment and self-love, which relieve this tension. The need for comparison dissolves and competition becomes friendly, playful, inclusive and with everyone walking away a winner.

Horses know and live this inclusive uniqueness. They are always authentic and themselves with a unique place in the herd. They are unique and belong at the same time. This is what we can learn from all of nature – the Gumtree doesn’t try to be a Poinciana. A lettuce hardly aspires to being a potato. The rose doesn’t look down at the ‘weed’ with an air of self-importance.

When I sit with my herd I observe and feel them, I marvel at their individual traits and their unique expression. Invariably I get an increased awareness and a deeper sense of myself and of everything surrounding me.

I am impressed at how horses play, how they test their strength and speed and if there is an outcome with a ‘winner’ and a ‘looser’ (human terms), even the ‘looser’ comes back for another round. Winning a play fight seems to mean nothing beyond that. No conclusions are drawn from the outcome. No judgements are passed. As humans we observe a pecking order in a herd of horses with one horse being over another yet the higher-ranking horse is not any more important in the tapestry of the whole herd and greater whole. Humans find that hard to understand. Horses understand their own and each others uniqueness.

2. Highly sensitive people and empaths can experience feeling anger around people who are incongruent and don’t express outwardly what is really going on inside but instead act from a mask.

Horses perceive incongruent people as a threat to the integrity of the herd as these people are not in touch with their internal environment and therefore cannot draw cues from it as to the external environment. Horses respond to this tension between the pulling forces. They feel unsafe and may stay at a distance, withdraw altogether or even show signs of aggression as a protection (aggression – anger).

It is not necessary to work things out or necessarily be peaceful and happy. All that is required is to become congruent, the pull in opposite directions seizes and a stillpoint emerges even if just momentarily. This is the moment when people often sigh and horses yawn. Tension is released and the energy flows again.

How?

First, set an intention of holding space for yourself and within this space establish a regular practice of paying attention to your breathing, feeling your breath flow in and out of your body (or being stuck), sensations arising in your physical body, emotions rising (or wanting to rise), thoughts crossing the mind (accept all, then change your focus back to your breath and body) and inner voices speaking to you and sometimes even back and forth amongst themselves (no, you are not crazy!).

Early Sufi practises and the teachings of Jesus already speak about this… set the table, invite the guests, let each one speak so every voice feels heard and can relax and not try so hard to be heard… making peace between the waring parts within follows naturally.

From this place of peace and safety, allow your own light to come forth and shine. Be a light upon yourself. Shine your light upon the world.

There are some of a few of my favourite shots from my last visit to the New England Brumby Sanctuary near Guyra in NSW. Enjoy them and please do visit the website of savethebrumbies and maybe you can adopt a Brumby too!?

For more information on Beate Sommer go to: taketime2smellthehorses

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Aliya gallops. Photo: Candida Baker

 Living in conscious awareness of the moment, in the same way horses do, can dramatically increase our sense of well-being, writes Beate Sommer from Take Time to Smell the Horses.

I’m going to begin by telling one of my favourite stories from Wisdom of the Sands – Discourses on Sufism (Vol.1) by Osho. It’s a slightly modified version, because I’m replacing the traditional camel in the story with a horse.

A Master was travelling with his disciple. The disciple was in charge of taking care of the horse. They came to an inn later that night and it was the disciple’s duty to tether the horse, only he didn’t bother and simply prayed to God ‘Take care of the horse’.

The next morning the horse was gone. The Master asked, ‘Where is the horse?’ The disciple answered, ‘I don’t know. Ask God. I told him to look after it. I am not responsible because I asked God very clearly! And don’t you go on teaching “Trust God” and so I trusted.’ The Master said, ‘Trust in God but tether your horse first – God has no other hands than yours.’

It is easy to trust in God/Spirit and be lazy. It is also easy to not trust in God/Spirit and be a doer. It takes practice to trust in God/Spirit and be a doer at the same time! God/Spirit is the real doer. We are just instruments in his/her hands. Every little action is God/Spirit working through us

Our life energy plus divine support is embodied trust. We need both – acting with strength and surrendering. Our most powerful tool is the breath, breathing our own breath and being breathed by Divine Breath. Going through life we find ourselves in a diverse range of experiences – sad, happy, successful, difficult, busy, peaceful – and it is important to live with compassion for the world for every sentient being and for ourselves. In my studies of the Aramaic Beatitudes (see my blog: www.beatitudeway.wordpress.com) I recently came across this definition of compassion: Compassion is the joyful suffering of growing which replaces the anxiety of not trusting life.

So what does all of this have to do with horses other than that in the story I have changed a camel for a horse

Well, it is in the horse’s nature to be relaxed and trusting and when a situation requires attention to deal with it efficiently and then go back to relaxed grazing. It seems to me that horses live from a still and peaceful inner place from which all activity arises, unfolding and expanding from this sacred space within. Society, however, is built on distracting us from being in this stillness, which causes us stress, tension and pain.

In my studies of Sufism I also came across the following: From a still centerpoint we unfold into a larger circle with definite boundaries; this begins by our rediscovering sacred space inside. (The Sufi Book of Life, 99 Pathways of the Heart by Neil Douglas-Klotz)

Being with horses can teach us to become fully aware of ourselves and how to truly be in each moment, connected to this sacred space within, connected with others and our environment and connected with God/Spirit. This connection is the beginning of a deep relaxation, letting go of the stress and tension we have let build in our bodies. Being around horses encourages us to explore the stillness in our center and how to let all activity arise from there

Take some time today in nature and with the animals and rediscover the connection and awareness of all the various parts of yourself, including a broad range of emotions. Do this through breath, your own breath (as in conscious breath exercises) and Divine Breath (allow your natural breath by allowing your body to breathe you). Breathe and be breathed. Herein lies your empowerment and joy.

The horse possesses the grounded power of Earth and the whispers of wisdom found in Spirit. Taking time to be with them is a way to access earthly and divine power.

You can contact Beate Maria Sommer on www.taketime2smellthehorses.com

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When a group of nine musicians, singers, horselovers and healers all came together for a day with Beate Sommer’s herd of horses at Aurora Valley, just outside Bangalow, some very special magic happened, and it just goes to show that love, as the song says, is a many splendoured thing…

From the top:

The gathering; Butters, the Shetland pony, meets Ketan, from Switzerland; Butters and Ketan, and Rose joins in; Doug plays a tune to Tammie; Gary serenades Buffalo; Wild thing, you make my heart sing – Gary and Rose; Doug and Buffalo in the groove together; a little moment between Butters and Doug; the herd decides to hang out with the humans; Elvina and Tammie; Marliese and Tammie; Please don’t go…(Photography: Anne Schrimpf)

“It was an extraordinary experience,” says Sommer, “there was a mutual seeking out, admiration and enjoyment of each other’s company.”

If you are interested in experiencing a unique horse experience contact Beate Sommer at Aurora Valley Take Time 2 Smell The Horses  taketime2smellthehorses Heart Centered Emotional Intelligence and Energy Healing facilitated by HORSE.

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