The time I spent with a new client this morning brought the importance of energy front and center.
This was a pretty quirky mare. As soon as I stepped into the stall, she had a wariness about her. Not fear, so much. Just her being watchful of me. I was told that she had a previous owner with some heavy handed training methods. The mare was in a constant state of being corrected….stick to shank without a break.
This presented a bit more of a challenge for our massage session. My first task was to become still, not just physically, but in every way possible. Once I placed my hands on her, I never broke contact. Staying fluid while working muscles this large puts you in an altered state very much like meditation. Increasing pressure could never become what she would perceive as a correction or aggression. That would put her in a defensive state. Getting past the mechanics of massage and discovering our choreography was essential. Combining Reiki with the massage was such a help. It was an awesome experience, but at the same time, exhausting.
She made me remember something that I heard Jimmy Wofford say in a clinic I attended many years ago. He was speaking of training practices. He said “The heaviest burden that a horse will ever carry is the weight of a man’s hand.” Massage and Reiki are the polar opposite of that statement…..no awareness of hand, just focus on healing.
During her post massage walk, she wanted to escalate her energy level dramatically. I chose a cotton lead over her normal shank. We started with little real estate….maybe a 5 meter circle. Loose lead and a soothing voice and the light touch of my hand on her neck when needed. We were finally able to expand to a 20 meter circle for a turn or two. She relaxed into my hand again and we finished our walk with a loose lead and head gently bobbing with each step.
Hopefully for our time together today, this mare felt the touch of a healing hand and the energy of that healing. It was a blessing to me.
