In this exceptionally-written article, titled Koelle Simpson’s Equine Therapy and published in Oprah Magazine, the author takes us through the experience of Equine Life Coaching. It beautifully unveils some of the gifts that horses have to offer us–far beyond what we might expect.
Since infancy, Avery—like most of us—has done what she’s supposed to do, not what she wants to do. She knows how she’s “supposed” to act as a wife, mother, employee. But in equine life coaching, there is no “supposed to.” There is you, an animal, and the present moment. What you do with the situation is your choice, and for Avery, choice is an unfamiliar prospect.
Follow Avery’s story and you might find yourself nodding in recognition or even tearing up (as I did). I especially appreciate the author’s integration of a possible scientific explanation for what seems unexplainable:
I believe this [ability to communicate with horses without using words/intuition] may have to do with mirror neurons, the brain mechanism that some scientists believe helps us empathize with others’ feelings. These neurons fire when we watch people act in a way we can envision acting ourselves; it’s thought that they also allow us to vicariously experience the sensation people feel as they take that action. Scientists are still learning why and how information passes through mirror neurons, but I’ve often wondered whether they don’t also help us intuit the thoughts others think or the emotions they feel. If it does, then it may be possible—given the highly social nature of horses—that they would be sensitive to this phenomenon as well. Perhaps this is why, for thousands of years, riders from Alexander the Great to the Lone Ranger have felt an uncanny understanding for, and from, their mounts.
Please read more on the Oprah website.
horsebackyoga.wordpress.com 