[PAUSE]ing at the Unknown

A majority of my “under saddle” training has been in the discipline of Dressage. I was fortunate to have some wonderful trainers who truly understood that before any “under saddle” learning could take place, it was my responsibility to acquire all the “above saddle” learning, understanding, and integration of mind-body connections.

It was through this approach to learning that I came to understand that a horse, in a full halt, and most especially when that full halt occurred at X, was not passively parked. The horse is not simply stopped. The halt is a precise movement which requires focused practice to execute well. It’s more akin to hitting the [pause] button than the [stop] button.

The halt isn’t where movement ends, but IMG_7122from where all movement is born. The halt holds the potential of every single possibility of every single possible movement. It is a movement of absolute collection. It is a static movement. It is stillness with the electricity of lightening held within it. The halt is your horse standing before the threshold of the unknown, waiting for the most subtle of cues before springing forth into the precise movement that will propel them to safety, success, or authentic personal expression.

And that is the mindset I want to take as I stand before the unknown. I want to experience that [pause]. I want to feel the energy that is collecting within my body as I wait for the most subtle of cues/signs/messages which will inspire the movements that will propel me into safety, success, and authentic personal expression.

The unknown is NOT scary. If that were true, I would awake each morning in terror. My children who often (and especially now on summer break) have no idea what we’re doing that day would be on edge and in a panic all day long. It’s not the unknown that’s scary, it is our projection into the unknown that frightens us.

But if we take a moment to [pause], reflect on “What is possible in this moment?” (while holding the understanding that some of the most beautiful and wonderous possibilities are far from the reach of our imaginations), and finally [pause]ing to connect with the energy of these infinite possibilites, this electric current of potential, that is where your magic lies. That is what is going to propel you into the choices and decisions every single day that, once strung together, create a life that is infused with meaning, purpose, and soulful, authentic expression.

Speaking of authentic expression, I am in the process of a 100 commitment to myself to meditate for an hour each day. Upon rising, I make a quick video to capture any insights or messages I may have received and to reflect on my experience. Here’s the quick capture on my experience with the darkness of the unknown… [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpuq_dEU5Oo[/embedyt]

Although I began this journey with no intentions of creating videos, let alone sharing them with the world <yikes!> I felt compelled in some way to do just that. I want you to feel safe in being vulnerable with me, and so I must first be vulnerable with you.

I want you to know you don’t need permission to share the authentic expression of YOU with the world, or with your family or your friends or even with your Self! You also don’t need hair that’s been washed or brushed recently, skin that isn’t carved with lines and wrinkles and stained with spots and marks. You don’t need decent lighting, or a pretty background for your web cam.

You only need breath, and one single moment of being brave. I promise you, if you can find those 2 things within you, your life will change. Doors will open. Fog will lift. Synchronicities will follow you, all of your days.❤

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Melissa @TheWatershedFarm.com

Hello! I'm Melissa! I live, work, and play here at the farm. Occasionally I write about it. Less often I publish it. Thanks for being here to receive those rare moments. I appreciate you!

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