"Start Where You're At"

Well. Its been what…3 months since I last updated my blog?  Yeah.  I’ve been living, let me tell you.  I have so much that has happened in the last 3 months I am at a loss as to where to begin!  “Start where you’re at”, says Mark Rashid.  Who is Mark Rashid, you ask?  Well, let me tell you.  You can go and check out his website here:      Essentially, he is a man who has been working with horses for almost his entire life.  He has written many books, documenting in story-form his experiences and what he has learned.  All his books are wonderful, and you don’t really have to be “in to horses” to appreciate them.

 A few years ago I was introduced to his books and philosophies, and they opened a whole new realm of understanding and experiencing horses.  This was wonderful for me because I get it—when it comes to horses.  I came into this world hard-wired to easily understand and grasp all things horse-related…So the fact that all his philosophies about horses and horsemanship are totally applicable to Life…from parenting, to self-improvement, to relationships…is wonderful! I learn so much faster if I can understand it first through horses…then can apply what I learn to the rest of my life.

 I had a wonderful opportunity this July to attend one of his 3 day horsemanship clinics.  My parents were attending with their two horses, and invited me along to “audit” the classes.  The first evening was spent with Mark and his wife, Crissi, answering any questions the group had, then he presented his philosophy of horsemanship, strongly accented with what he has learned through the practice of the martial art, Aikido.  I couldn’t stop grinning for most of it, as what he was teaching so strongly correlated with what I’d been learning in and through yoga, especially Thai Partner Yoga, as the horse is your partner. He had the group practice breath work, the power of intention (the simple exercises were often mind-blowing), and gaining an understanding of what he meant when he talked about “feel”…all without having any horses around. My mind couldn’t get enough of it, yet I couldn’t process fast enough.  And I had read all his books!  Now I was actually putting into practice, with the master horseman-author himself, all that he talked about in his books.  Woah. 

One of the coolest things about attending this clinic was how it prepped me for my upcoming Bodhi YogaTeacher Training.  I was still on the Mark Rashid Clinic high when I attended my first of five Bodhi Yoga weekend classes. I was grateful for the chance to have learned some very deep and awesome concepts first through horses, because now it clicks so much faster in the realm of yoga.  I am just hoping to retain it! 

Remember that last post I did about running the Red Rock Relay?  Remember how at the end of it I wondered what the next “hill” would hold, and what the “view” would be like…?  Well, I’ve reached the top of the foothills, and have an amazing view of where I’ve been, and an intimidating but thoroughly exciting view of the mountains left to climb in front of me…so here goes…