You might not usually associate meditation with horses, but you'd be surprised at what incorporating these animals into the wellness practice can do. Rita Lyden owns Oak Top Hill Horse Farm and leads people in this unique method of meditation.
Rita shares, "Even six minutes of just trying to be grateful, meditate, or be mindful can lead up to six hours of your body working in a more optimum place. When you bring horses into the equation, their brainwaves affect ours in a positive way because of where theirs sit normally, and their heart rates affect ours in a positive way because of where they sit normally."
Video Transcript
Rita Lyden: Even six minutes of just trying to be grateful, meditate, or be mindful can lead to six hours of your body working at a more optimum place. When you bring the horses into the equation, their brain waves affect ours in a positive way because of where theirs sit normally, and their heart rates affect ours in a positive way because of where they sit normally. They reduce the anxiety and those churning feelings.
(Session participants sit in chairs while horses walk around them)
All you need to do is be here now.
I like to just have city folk come down and experience a little dust and manure and flies and horses and crickets and the night sounds. So, welcome to Mindfulness & Meditation with Horses. The basic format for this evening will be some time getting acquainted with the horses on a first touching basis. We'll groom them. That releases the equivalent of oxytocin in them. They benefit, we benefit.
(Participants brush down horses)
So, I'll give you three minutes as a group. If anybody within the group would like to share any further thoughts that came to mind as they sort of reflected themselves.
David: Mindful of the things that are kind of temporary and being grateful for them while they last, before life changes.
Rita: I think it's helpful because it's not intuitive, but for horses when they are absorbing things that are new to them or stimulating to them, one of the ways that people who study this stuff have said it becomes obvious that they're processing it and actually in a positive way, they lick and chew.
Allow yourself to connect to the horses. Let their positive energy, their biology, help you. Stay in this space and breathe. Stay in this place of connection
You're very welcome, come back, all right.
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