It was a gorgeously warm afternoon in the Arizona desert as I stood shoulder to shoulder with a tall dark and handsome gelding named Axel.
Although it was my grief over a series of recent losses that had brought me to this workshop, I was still taken aback when Axel’s message came through.
Perhaps because I entered our session wanting to explore the deeper significance of my recent thyroid diagnosis and wasn’t, at all, expecting a correlation with my heart.
Or maybe it was because within the space of my grief it felt like my heart had been broken wide open.
But as the message: “You have closed your heart” landed in my being there was an instantaneous wave of emotion that rushed up and engulfed me in tears of affirmation.
This gentle giant remained quietly by my side as I let the waves of grief move through me. My heart feeling raw and ragged once again. And before walking away and ending our session he ever so gently massaged my heart with his energy, like a Reiki session, softening and opening …softening and opening …until a deep peace settled into my entire being.
What I have come to learn about myself, and what Axel taught me about my coping mechanism, is that I feel the world deeply. More deeply than I, myself, am even aware of at times. I am especially moved and affected by the voiceless; nature and the plight of the animal kingdom. I am aware that a part of me finds it very challenging to live in a world where there is so much destruction and violence.
Hence, I silently close my heart when it all becomes too much to bear.
Now whether my closed heart directly impacted my thyroid or not, I don’t know. But I do know that we are wholistic beings sourced from love; all parts of ourselves intricately connected to the rest and when there’s an imbalance in one, there’s a ripple effect.
And horses are very skilled at tuning in to our blocks. Helping us to peel back the layers that obscure our path to a balanced and joyful life.
I share my personal story with Axel because I see it, to varying degrees, regularly in my equine practice. People innocently disconnected from their heart. We live in a world that has pulled us out of our hearts and into our minds. Living through the lens of practicality and logic but never really getting to the heart of the matter.
As the world transforms around us; breaking down old systems and structures I believe the way forward into creating a new and sustainable life, individually and globally, is through the heart. More of us need to live and lead from the heart.
Krista is a certified Equine Assisted Learning facilitator and Coach, working alongside her wise herd of horses transforming the lives of those who seek a deeper connection to the wisdom of their heart & Soul.
Join us on a Soul Journey . Or if you would like to sample our work before investing in our Soul Journey package, you can check out our introductory workshop Connecting with Horses.
Or connect with us at 604-807-2255 or info@wisteriaacres.com . We would love to hear from you!