By Andrea Steele and Gillian Belnap
You hear that phrase all the time, but do you really know what it means to “be in the moment” or “stay in the moment” or why it is so important for equestrians to “ride in the moment”?
Being in the moment means having an acute awareness of what “is”...what you see, what you hear, what you touch…your movement and what moves around you. To absorb this “is-ness” is to be “in the moment.”
Horses live in the moment. Their evolution as prey animals dictated their cognitive development: Survival required an acute awareness of what “is.” The horse’s mind operates by taking a continuous inventory of his surroundings as each moment occurs.
By contrast, humans live predominantly in past and future time and need a reminder to slow down and smell the roses. But that is what they must do in order to achieve optimal communication with their horse. In order to be fully accepted as the horse’s leader, as we all strive to do, the rider must learn to be in the present with the horse and enter his realm of moment-to-moment awareness.
Entering the Realm of Awareness
The philosophy and practice of tai chi and qi gong is based on being in the moment; and either is an excellent way to learn to be present in each moment—without thoughts of past experiences, worries of the current day, or future obligations. The emotional and physical state of being in the moment is linked to an awareness of energy flow and is enhanced by proper breathing and the relaxation of the mind and body.
Developing this level of consciousness begins with the exhale breath, in conjunction with deep-belly or diaphragmatic breathing. Called your dan-tien breath by tai chi practitioners, this form of breathing lowers the body’s center of gravity into the pelvic core where a tension-free and skeletally-aligned balance is easily maintained. This physical balance sustains the calmness and relaxation needed to open the pathway for acute awareness of internal and external surroundings.
The slow, deliberative motion of tai chi also fosters a meditative oneness between thought and energy flow that leads to an increased mind/body control within each moment and is not unlike the horse’s mental process. The slowness of the exercise further serves to align our movement to the slower natural rhythm of the horse. This will build a communicative bond between horse and rider as the horse perceives the rider as “speaking his language.”
Learning to “Be in the Moment” While You Ride
· Find your diaphragmatic breath and be able to release tension from your body. It is simply not possible to ride in the moment if you cannot breathe and relax into the horse’s movement. (See prior articles: “Knowing Your Dan-tien Breath” and “Knowing Your Level of Relaxation.”)
· Free your mind of thoughts other than of your horse and the task at hand. Train yourself to be conscious of the present. A silent mind understands what is going on and is aware. Being this focused takes practice and patience.
· Contemplate your energy movement: Think of the aid, then allow your mind to move the body to deliver the aid with precision.
· Consider the horse’s energy movement. The horse’s reality should be your reality. To accept the horse’s reality as your own allows you to share each moment and move as one.
The more time you spend in the moment with your horse, the more aware you will become. This awareness not only amplifies communication—the exchange of energy—between you and your horse, but it also leads to a heightened synchronization of movement—the exquisite union that occurs when energies combine and you and the horse move as one. Experiencing this union is to be in a consummate moment with your horse.
Riding in the moment is unsustainable without understanding the concept and having the tools to make it part of your subconscious posture in the saddle. A significant tool in this process is what the Asian culture refers to as chi—the energy that exists in all living things as a force of nature. Some people possess a natural ability to link their energy to horses (or to other animals and people). It’s a gift we call “whispering.” But for the rest of us, it can to some extent be a learned process.
It is fascinating how easily “being in the moment” can develop through the practice of such disciplines as tai chi or qi gong and how quickly a heightened communication with the horse can occur once you peacefully enter his realm of reality. Within that realm lies a spiritual relationship with the horse that riders can learn to experience.
So we leave you with our slogan: Practice tai chi today...your horse will thank you tomorrow!