Equines are present-moment, sentient, and relationship-based prey beings. They do not mentally dwell in the past or become distracted by future worries. They live authentically in the present moment, even while continuously participating in cooperative relationships.
Wild horses travel up to 20 miles on most days, yet wherever they happen to be is where they really are – in body and mind – grounded in their being on the earth and among other beings.
An Emotional 90 seconds, and then YOU GET TO CHOOSE Harvard brain scientist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor explains, “When a person has a reaction to something in their environment, there’s a 90-second chemical process that happens in the body; after that, any remaining emotional response is just the person choosing to stay in that emotional loop.” When interruptions or even sabotaging situations knock you out of your flow, consider how much time will pass until you return to your previous mood and flow? Horses shake it off immediately, down-regulating/returning to homeostasis very efficiently. Just another way that mustangs reserve their energy for true emergencies. One moment a mare will squeal and pin her ears at another nearby mare, and the next moment they are peacefully grazing side by side. They arrive at an understanding rapidly and return to the present activity – grazing to keep their energy reserves up as they go along. When emotions are allowed to blow in blow up and blow out, whether or not the interruption was resolved, we can indeed reclaim our peace much sooner. The Mustang Mentors can help you get there soon! Strengthen your emotional intelligence and resilience w/mustang magic
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In the high deserts of Colorado, family bands of mustangs walk single file along game trails for up to 20 miles in a day. Because grass is scarce, and so are the few distant watering holes. Additionally, mustangs are wired to graze-a-bit and walk-a-bit, repeating this for up to 16 hours daily. This keeps their energy and hydration in a healthy balance at all times. The prey animals are keenly aware that they may have to run long distances from predators at any given moment. Therefore, grazing as they go along toward a watering hole is essential. Recall, however, that there may be no grasses to graze within a 5-mile radius of the water hole. Therefore, it's a 10-mile round-trip journey without food. Graze As You Go I often refer to mustangs as the "Prius" of the desert. They are compact and get great gas mileage. Yet how does "grazing as you go" apply to us in a culture designed around 2 or 3 meals daily. Or is it referring to snacking throughout the day! haha. Actually, it's an apt allegory for restoring balance and keeping our batteries charged up for emergencies. Giving us higher resilience to burnout, stress, and anxiety. Grazing as you go means disrupting the energy-draining pattern for a quick fill-up -feeding yourself mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.
Growing Some Hide
A mustang's hide is an apt illustration of advanced personal development. Through the centuries, wild horses have adapted to their challenging environments brilliantly. In the Western U.S., these sentient beings have thick skin that helps the horses to survive in the heat of summer and the cold of winter! Hide regulates temperature, retaining warmth in the bitter cold and providing cooling ventilation in the heat of summer. Yet horse hair on hide is so sensitive that a 1,000-pound mustang, extending more than five feet in length from its nose to the tail can feel a fly land on its rump. Then respond with a swish of the tail to swat it off. By the way, it doesn't spend the next 10 minutes complaining about the pesky flies. How do you recover, and how long does it take to recover, when sabotage occurs? It is less important to try preventing or even finding who’s responsible for the sabotage, and it’s much more important to focus on how you can respond (not react) to it. In other words, it is not about the original surprise, nor about how to react to it. Instead, it’s all about how you choose to respond to the original action that helps your recovery. Response – ability: The ability to choose a response that works for you rather than reacting at the undermining cause. Emotional hide increases your tolerance and flexibility when things don’t go your way. You can remain open to what wants to happen next. The sabotage does not cancel your day, and in fact, with a positive response, the sabotage can actually lead to something better! To grow some hide, consider:
(Story continued) In the pre-dawn light, we saw the dark figures of two older horses who escaped their “equine assisted living” area. They had been grazing along the road’s shoulder, and seemed perfectly content. Had we reactively ran toward them with adrenaline flowing they would have fled away down the road. Rather, we took some slow deep breaths and forced ourselves to walk. Calmly approaching the horses, we greeted them and gave them scratches. They walked along with us back into their pen, and we sighed in big relief that no injuries had occurred. Now, we could have been upset at one another or the horses, but that would not have helped us to adjust and go on with our day. However, feeling grateful for the safety of everyone decreased the adrenaline and restored some energy. Your day does not deserve to be canceled due to sabotage. Grow some hide and make it a great one! Want a mustang mentor? https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTYyMTQw
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