Move Freely into Unconditional Love
This image spoke to my friend, Maureen; she recently pointed out that we can’t, or shouldn’t, or should at least think twice, before hugging people during the pandemic. Such a simple gesture, yet one that speaks volumes about who you are, how you are wired, and the significance of “hugs”.
One of my daughters and one of my best friends’ are not “huggers”. I forget that they aren’t until I wrap my arms snuggly around them and their bodies go tight, trying to pull away. Their physical response is not wrong, it’s just different, than mine. I have to remind myself of this, because on an emotional level their resistance can be easily misinterpreted as rejection - a personal hurt instead of their discomfort of physical touch.
When horses are allowed to act naturally and are not dominated by expectations, like us, they react authentically with a visual physical response. A horse walking away from the invitation by a human to connect, can be a felt and experienced throughout your entire body, what is called a somatic experience. When a person walks away, humans often stay “safely” in their heads, creating a cognitive story response about they exchange. Our four-legged facilitators naturally invite curiosity, instead of justification and defense. This opportunity for genuine feedback is one of the primary reasons most equine-assisted facilitators, educators, and therapists partner with horses.
I long for the day when we can again hug more safely. In part, because that will designate a shift from our current dark situation with daily increased COVID-19 cases. “Hugs” come in many forms - from leaving a generous tip to servers, to randomly sending a gift or card, to buying locally, as a way of saying ‘thank you’ to those businesses who have supported your community and now are desperate for your help.
The joy of giving when so much has been taken away, not only brighten someone else’s day, it feeds your soul, the larger collective that we share, and helps us get ‘unstuck’ moving more freely in unconditional Love.
Next Week …