Ever since I started dreaming about Inner Freedom l’ve been dreaming about a mare. In a herd of wild horses it’s generally an older female, or mare, that leads the herd. We hear a lot about wild stallions and how powerful they are, and that’s true; yet the stallion is often pushing the herd in the direction the lead mare sets. This intuitive feminine energy has intrigued me for years yet two male horses, geldings, chose to join me in founding Inner Freedom’s herd last summer. These two horses are treasures; they teach me, we share so much love. Yet I’ve been looking for her…
And my efforts to find her kept going nowhere. Then last fall out of the blue a family friend informed my mom that her sister had died and left behind a mustang mare and companion female burro; the family was looking for a home for them. They were in Arizona though so it seemed distant. Then little by little, it felt more possible. The more I heard about these two the more I loved them, and then they were offered to me as a gift. A series of miracles followed and after waiting months for the pieces to come together and a very challenging four day journey for the ponies, including a trying loading experience, an ER visit for the woman transporting them, and two flat tires, they arrived several nights ago.
My heart overflows. The donkey wants affection for days and her ears are so much fun. The mare is curious and bold, funny, with a shiny black coat and thick mane I couldn’t help but braid with giggles and she enjoyed it too. And of course she’d find her own way to us, such a beautiful reflection of the power of the feminine, this mare. It couldn’t be forced; the stillness invites it, opening to receive.
Yet the challenges of their journey were so hard for me last week. I sat completely out of control here in Michigan receiving phone calls and texts informing me of the latest mishap states away. Old limiting patterns emerged and I struggled, so afraid in the unknown, sitting with the mental stories and what-ifs. I spent a lot of time with the two geldings and they reminded me that by connecting with my body I can become more aware of the truth inside of me – and last week it was often overwhelm, upset, or hopelessness. Not comfortable emotions, yet feeling what is true in itself opens the energy to move. The horses don’t judge overwhelm, upset or hopelessness as “bad” and something to be denied, fought, changed, analyzed, or resisted. For the horses, it’s simply e-motion, or energy in motion. As we let go of the fighting and the resistance within and feel what is true, we become more aware. Being in silence is supportive of becoming more aware, and the silence of being in the pasture with the horses is so nourishing. Awareness for the sake of awareness, of being in a body, on a planet, surrounded by life and the magic of embodied horses, simply having a human experience. Beyond good/bad, right/wrong, should/shouldn’t.
Now I’m sitting with the mare and burro for hours each day. Sharing space, getting to know each other, taking them out to graze and slowly introducing them to grass as we adjust their diet from rich desert mesquite beans to Michigan’s lush green pastures. The two geldings are very interested in the females, and while they wait to be in the same pasture and share life as a herd together, they have taken to all four standing together with the fence between them. I’m so grateful these ponies chose me, it’s been so rich and it’s only been a few days. I believe they will be a powerful addition to Inner Freedom and the humans that come to be with free roaming horses.
We’d love to explore horse medicine with you if you’re interested. We offer a single Grounding with Horses session, two sessions on two different days for the full Equine Guided Empowerment® course, and group sessions. In a few weeks we’re holding our first Sunday afternoon meditation group; if you’re interested in doing something like this in the future please email me. We’re also hosting a herd retreat next month: check out the announcement below for our first Grounding Herd Retreat on September 16 with River of Life Yoga here at Inner Freedom.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth and the herd
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