Mindful Riding
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Blog
  • Contact

Transitions

12/31/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture

The chaos of the Christmas holidays is behind us and the New Year is fast approaching. As we transition from 2018 into 2019, it’s time for rest, reflection and renewal.

Rest- I encourage you to spend some time on self care and rest as we shift into the new year. Find the quiet, or create it around you with the intention of discovering the stillness within yourself. It’s in that stillness that we can quiet the mind and begin to listen to the whispering inner voice of the heart. It is in this space where we can connect to our intuition and inspiration. If you struggle with finding your purpose, or feel like your life is spinning out of control around you, it’s in this quiet time that you can begin to connect with your inner knowing, to Source. In this restful time, sit or walk in nature, journal, paint, write. Find the time, even if it means waking up 15 minutes early just to have some time for yourself.

Reflection- What happened in 2018? Who did you become this year? In what ways have you grown? Reflect back on your experiences. Did you achieve your goals? If not, what happened? To me, more importantly than whether you accomplished what you set out to is how you have grown. Did you face your failures with grace and determination or with self hatred and ridicule? Reflection is the best way to start charting your life forward.

Renewal- Who do you want to become in 2019? What characteristics do you want to build upon? What goals will you set to help you accomplish this? The transition from one year to the next is a new beginning- a chance to start new and embrace whatever you envision for yourself. My belief is that we are reborn each day if we choose to be, so even if you set those New Years Resolutions and fail at them in a few weeks, don’t quit and say “well I’ll try again next year”. Each day, each moment, we have the opportunity to make a choice. We can stay in the status quo, perhaps not living the life that we wish we had but we are comfortable in the known. Or we can take a chance, face our fears and embrace the unknown. Take that first step forward into living the life of your dreams. Each day, do something that moves you towards the life you imagine. Experiment, try new things, open yourself to new experiences. You never know where you end up when you follow the breadcrumbs.

When watching a dressage horse working, it’s in the transitions where we can see if the horse is truly on the aids. It’s the transitions that tell the story. If the horse isn’t on the aids, the transitions will be hollow, non responsive or unbalanced.

The same can be said for us as well. How do we handle transitions? When change happens, as it inevitably will, how do we face it? Do we stiffen and resist or do we relax into the shifting experience? The Buddhist philosophy of impermanence teaches that the nature of the Universe and of humanity is in constant change. American Buddhist nun and writer Pema Chodran explains “When we resist change, it’s called suffering. But when we can completely let go and not struggle against it, when we can embrace the groundlessness of our situation and relax into it’s dynamic quality, that’s called enlightenment.”

Change can be uncomfortable but lean into it rather than resist it. Allow yourself to feel what arises within you and then let it go. It’s in allowing this energy to move through you that you can find peace and happiness.

So, in these last few days of 2018, I invite you to rest, reflect and renew yourself and remember that this power is yours all the time, not just at the passage into a new year.

May 2019 bring you abundance and joy!

​
I invite you to Awaken to the Truth of your Divine nature. You are love, you are loved and you are always enough.

Jenna
0 Comments

Magic

12/8/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture

Last weekend, we were lucky enough to have classical riding master, Charles de Kunffy in for a clinic. We have been bringing him in twice a year for many years now and each time we count our blessings that as a man in his 80s, he continues to impart his wisdom on those willing to learn.

In his Saturday lecture he said something simple yet very profound. He said “the magic lies in taking a piece of nature and elevating it to art.” He probably said it much more eloquently than that but you get the idea. This was the first time in all these years that I heard him refer to training as magic and it really resonated with me.

In our pursuits to become the best rider we can be we must not lose sight of our main objective - amplification of the horses gaits through gymnastic exercises aimed to supple and strengthen the body and calm the mind. Only through patience and understanding of the horses character and physiology can we sculpt our horses into willing and eager partners.

If we can move from ego into a higher plane of existence we can create a beautiful piece of living art, that is the horse. As the sculptor uses his hands to mold clay into something to inspire, we can use our body and intention to create a harmonious experience where both horse and rider unite by the force of love and compassion into something truly magnificent. As the sculptor creates, so do we, as riders, and as with any artistic endeavor, we discover a more honest, authentic version of ourselves along the way.

If we allow love and kindness to be our guide, we cannot falter. It’s when we are rooted in ego and the need for external validation that we allow our path to be clouded with insecurity. This path can only lead to suffering- not just our own, but our equine partner as well.

Can you think of a time you lost your patience with a horse? Perhaps you were overcome with frustration, not necessarily with your horse but with yourself for not being a good enough rider. Or perhaps you doubted yourself or became angry for a mistake that you made in the past that is coming back up now.

In these moments, be kind to yourself. Be kind to your horse. Horses are so incredibly energetically sensitive- they can feel your emotional state immediately. Take a moment prior to each ride to center yourself with some deep breathing. Connect with your intention to provide your horse with a training session that will allow his body to feel more supple and his mind to be more relaxed.

By all means, set goals but be mindful of your mental and emotional state as you work towards those goals. Keep your horse a willing partner and don’t make him into a machine just to bend to your will. Let love always be your guide.

This is where the magic happens- connecting into the beauty of divine inspiration and allowing it to be creatively expressed through your communion with the horse.

I wish you the most beautiful, divinely guided rides for you in the coming weeks, that you may find connection to that magic- we all have access to it, if only you know to look within your own heart. And please, embrace the magic.

I invite you to Awaken to the Truth of your Divine nature. You are love, you are loved and you are always enough.

Jenna
0 Comments

Thanksgiving

11/22/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture

Ahhhh, Thanksgiving, the smell of turkey roasting in the oven, all assortment of sides, fresh baked bread and the sweet smell of pecan pie. Family and friends gather together for fun and games. After the meal, folks may take a leisurely walk or settle down for a nap or to watch a game of football.

Thanksgiving means something different to everybody but I think we can all agree that it’s a day that we all pause and take a moment to reflect on all we are thankful for.

It’s a day totally dedicated to gratitude, and for that reason I have come to love Thanksgiving a little more each year, especially now as a parent of young children so that I can instill in them a sense of gratitude for the things that are most important in ones life.

Good health, clean water and the overall abundance we experience as a citizen of the western world are so often taken for granted. Until one is faced with illness themselves or experiences the loss of a loved one, it’s easy to focus on our daily stresses and worries and lose sight of the bigger picture.

So, today, as you gather with family and friends, I encourage you to take a moment and really reflect on what you are most grateful. The simple things. The feeling of love when your child brings you a flower, the warmth of an embrace with someone you love, the connection you feel with others as you gather around the Thanksgiving table.

Give thanks to those who are no longer with us in the physical world, yet still remain in our hearts, shaping us into the most beautiful versions of ourselves.

Choose today of all days to be incredibly present. Don’t stress about the dishes, don’t worry about the mess the kids are making as they play. Instead, open yourself to the love all around you. Choose gratitude.

I challenge you to keep a little of this Thanksgiving spirit each day of the year. Take a moment at the beginning and end of each day and give thanks for all the wonderful blessings in your life. Especially when you face great challenges and heartache, a gratitude practice can help you to stay grounded and connected to the abundant love that is all around us.

Life is a gift.
​
Happy Thanksgiving!

I invite you to Awaken to the Truth of your Divine nature. You are love, you are loved and you are always enough.

Jenna

0 Comments

Embracing Imperfection

9/27/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture

This week is the final week of preparations for the show that we work towards all year- Regional Championships! Manes are getting pulled, the horse trailer is being serviced, and in our training rides we work on those final little details that will influence the quality of our tests next week. And you know what? I hate the week before a big show! Well, hate is maybe a bit too strong a word...

Our group has ten horses heading down to Houston next week for the show and I know, for me, I tend to get hyper focused the week before a show, which can be both a blessing and a curse! (But honestly it’s more stressful than not)

In today’s blog, I invite you all (and myself) to embrace imperfection. Maybe that seems like a negative thing to say before a big show. Maybe that comment seems like I’m lowering my expectations but it’s part of my beliefs that we are all here for growth and anytime we get outside our comfort zone we out ourselves in a place to experience growth.

I’m not sure there are many other sports where we can get 30% taken off the score and be pretty happy. In school, a 70% was barely passing but in Dressage it is considered “fairly good”. Boy are we gluttons for punishment! This sport tends to pull in the perfectionists yet perfection in unachievable. The sooner we realize this the better! Even if a 10 is given (which is a rare event indeed), it means excellent, not perfect. The world record at the Grand Prix is a 87.46%, held by Olympic champion, Valegro. That’s the highest score given in the international Dressage ring. Ever.

So, please, I beg of you to stop the quest for perfection now. You’ll save yourself so much heartache! Instead, focus on what is truly important- your individual journey of growth and development with your horse.

Think about how far you’ve come. Think about all you have learned on this incredible journey of riding. Who have you become as a person? In the quest towards achieving our goals, it’s not about what we accomplish but rather who we become in the process.

Give yourself some credit. We can be so incredibly hard on ourselves. Whether we win our class with a 75% or score in the 50s, what do we look at? What do we see? We see how we could have made it better...where we lost points. While it is a great thing to strive to better ourselves, it is not worth it to destroy self esteem in the process. Then we end up in a cycle that can be very hard to break out of.

Striving to be better leads to being overly critical and unkind to ourselves which leads to a destruction of our confidence which makes it impossible to become better!

Accept yourself just as you are. Instead of looking ahead and seeing how far you have to go, look back and see how far you’ve come. Think of all the goals you have achieved and what you have learned in the process. It’s all about progress, not perfection!

I’m not saying to just be content where you are at and never aim to get better but realize that growth is a journey, not a destination. It’s through time, through experience and especially through making mistakes and through failure that we experience the most growth. Have compassion for yourself through this experience.

I’m going through this right now in my riding. As I spend more time at the FEI Level, I am realizing more and more really how forward thinking the horse needs to be to be successful at this level. My knowledge has expanded a lot this year, which is great, but it has illuminated some areas I need to go back and repair in my horses training. Instead of beating myself up for making mistakes, I am going to shift that perspective to one of gratitude. I am so glad I’m learning these lessons now so all my future horses will benefit from this knowledge! Plus, going through the process of teaching my horses more about true engagement now will make me a better trainer for my clients.

Changing your perspective is a choice you must make. It often requires reprogramming your subconscious if your routine your whole life has been to beat yourself up when you make a mistake. We see life through the lens that we have developed through our life experiences. If your lens is based on negativity and the thought that experiences are happening to you rather than for you that is precisely the experience you will create for yourself.

But guys, this is so hard to put into practice so please be kind to yourself. Even with all I’ve learned and all the tools I now know about and use to keep myself from getting self destructive, I still have days where I question if I know what the heck I’m doing! I have times where I get angry with myself for not training my horses better in the first place. I know there is nothing productive about getting in that state but hey, what can I say? I’m human. I’m a work in progress.

My goal for championships? While it would be fun to win a regional championship (and I really hope I do!), I am going to go into the show arena and simply ride my horse the best that I can. At the end of the day, that is all I can do. I can’t control if other horses in the class have nicer gaits than my horse. I can’t control the scoring or what the judges think about my freestyle music. All I can do is ride my horse forward, straight and balance them the best that I can. I aim to keep my horses (and myself) confident and hopefully we all have some fun too.

Horse training is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a journey often spanning many years so remember that one ride is only a small moment in time. We have good days and bad days and so do our horses. Learn from those tough rides and move on.

So please, love yourself, imperfections and all. It’s not your life experiences that define you but rather your reaction to those experiences. So, this week as I prepare myself and my horses for the show, and next week as we compete, what determines if I win or lose? For me, it won’t be the score and it won’t be the placing but it will be how I handle myself if and when adversity arises. I will base my success on how I feel the moment I leave the arena after my test. If I did absolutely the best I could, what more could I ask for?

I invite you to Awaken to the Truth of your Divine nature. You are love, you are loved and you are always enough.

Jenna
0 Comments

Creative Expression

9/20/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture

So, y’all, this weekend I got a tattoo. Me, 34 year old mother of two who drives a minivan and doesn’t even have my ears pierced got a tattoo. Who knew I was so cool! (Haha, just kidding!)

This year, for me, has been about creative expression as a spiritual practice. I believe that our creative gifts are innate within us and unfortunately many of us lose our connection with creativity as we grow older.

When I was young, in middle school and high school, I was an avid writer. I never went anywhere without a notebook that I filled with stories and poems. Somewhere in my late teens I lost part of myself. I stopped writing all together. Maybe it was the identity shift between being a teenage girl living at home to a college student living on her own, who really had no idea what she was going to do with her life. Perhaps it was the death of my grandmother, who was a writer and a huge inspiration to me, when I was 19. Whatever it was that made me move away from the creative inside of me, it was not a conscious decision.

Those years when I was disconnected from that inner creator were some of the most difficult in my life. I didn’t know my purpose and I held on to so much frustration and anger because I was not embracing my true self. I was trying to be the person everybody thought I should be. When asked, “Who are you?”, I genuinely had no idea.

For years I stayed inside that comfort zone of familiarity. I was miserable and unhappy but it was comfortable in a morbid sort of way. On the surface, my life looked perfect but inside I was hurting and felt so alone. Then the guilt would come...”My life is wonderful right? I have everything I need and more. What right do I have to be unhappy?”

Those years thinking that outside validation was the only way I could find happiness were sad and lonely times for me. I would allow dark times to overwhelm me. I didn’t have the knowledge or the tools to be able to pull myself out of the pit. About four years ago I was burned out. I questioned my purpose. I had always felt that I was destined to do something important but I had yet to find what that was. It was only when I journeyed inward and found happiness within, in my completeness, that my life truly began to shift.

Here I am now four years later and I feel like most days I embrace life. Yes, life has its challenges and some days I feel I’m doing a better job at living my best life than other days. And some days are just really really tough but at least now I know who I am and I know ups and downs are part of life but it’s not letting those tough times destroy you that leads to the greatest growth in life.

Direction, purpose and connection to something bigger has really propelled me towards how I feel today. Now I see challenges as opportunities for growth. I feel my purpose is to help serve others by helping them wake up to who they truly are.

We are all creators in one way or another. Think back to when you were young- did you have some sort of art form that helped you to express who were? Dance, painting, sketching, writing, music? I think most of us had something that we did to express ourselves until it was snuffed out by our peers, society or our families (most of the time with well meaning intentions). What was yours?

I think this disconnection from our true selves, from Spirit, is a big reason we feel so unfulfilled. It’s why we may dream big but live small for fear of upsetting the status quo. For living small is safe (or we perceive it that way)- it doesn’t require courage or vulnerability, but by living small we are denying the world, and ourselves our creative gifts and, in essence, denying who we truly are.

So I encourage you to reconnect with your creativity, in whatever form best expresses you. For me, it is writing. This blog, in a sense, is a spiritual practice for me. While I would love if others would find my words helpful or inspiring, ultimately this online journal is for my own growth as I embrace vulnerability and share a piece of my Soul with the world.

So, for me, my tattoo represents creative expression. It encourages me to not play it safe just because it’s comfortable and to do something that scares me if it means embracing my true nature.

You don’t have to go out and get a tattoo but I do encourage you to step outside your comfort zone. Reconnect with the child within you that loved to paint, or to sing or to dance. Allow your inner artist to emerge to help you connect back to your truest essence of Spirit.

I invite you to Awaken to the Truth of your Divine nature. You are love, you are loved and you are always enough.

Jenna


**Make sure to sign up for our Artists Way 12 week course that starts October 1! It will be a combination of in person and online meet ups so anybody can join! Go to www.mindfulriding.com to sign up!
1 Comment

Dream Big

9/13/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture

The World Equestrian Games is going on this week and I splurged and bought the FEI TV live stream and have been watching the best riders in the world compete these last couple of days. (GO USA!)

Watching these incredible riders gives me inspiration for the future but also has me reflecting on my past and how my own dreams have morphed and changed over the 20+ years I have been riding.

The first big dream I remember having related to my riding career was that I wanted to be on the Olympic Eventing team. (Granted I was 15 and had competed in one green as grass horse trial but I digress) My grandma always told me, “If you’re going to dream, you might as well dream big!”.

Several years later I made the switch to Dressage and was hooked. Goodbye cross country fences, hello dancing horses! I remember, one day sitting in the high school cafeteria and ended up sitting with a Dressage rider and I remember being in complete awe that she was showing 2nd Level! At the time I was brand new into Dressage and had competed in my first training level competition. Even still, my dreams were big and each Olympic Games I watched, I would imagine what it would feel like to march in those opening ceremonies.

When I was 21 I was so sad to see my Young Rider Championship goals evaporate. I had not the trainer or the horse to help me realize that goal but I pushed on. I dreamed of going to Germany to ride and I did thanks to a very kind heated barn owner that I worked for for a time.

I dreamed of my bronze medal, then my silver and finally my gold. I held onto those team hopes and started breeding horses hoping to breed my own superstar. Then, I attended a conference several years ago where a prominent international rider said that in order to be successful on the international stage, you had to “sell and upgrade, sell and upgrade.” I did a little soul searching after that conference and decided that, although I could see her point, “selling and upgrading” just wasn’t what I wanted to do. I would much rather see the training through, all the way, developing a harmonious relationship as I go, even if that means I will be sitting on a little less extravagant horses. And I am 100% ok with that.

My Olympic dreams have changed into dreams of helping riders step into the best versions of themselves. I am loving developing my four current mounts, three of which are at the FEI level and the fourth is a super pony that I absolutely adore riding. Will I go to the Olympics on him? No, but he puts the biggest smile on my face everyday and that kind of joy is priceless.

This is my tenth year as a professional rider and trainer and even though the Olympic and WEG goals aren’t what I’m striving for right now, that doesn’t mean that I may not choose to pursue that in the future. That’s the beauty of Equestrian sport- there was a Japanese rider at the Olympics that was over 70!

My point is, goals and dreams change. They change as you change. If you are constantly growing as a person, it stands to reason that your dreams will shift as well. Let your heart guide you in the direction of your dreams. Dream, and dream big. Let nothing hold you back.

Don’t let anybody tell you that your dream is too big or too small. If you desire with all your heart to be the next Charlotte Dujardin, more power to you! If your dream is to compete at your first recognized show, your first regional championships or ride with an idol of yours, go for it! Imagine how it will feel, visualize the whole experience! Maybe you dream of riding a piaffe or you dream of owning your very own horse. Whatever your dream is, OWN IT!

Harriet Tubman said “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

If you don’t know what your dream is, what fires you up? What experience excites you? If money or time were no object, what would you do with your life? Do something each day that propels you closer to that dream. Your dreams truly can become your reality if you have the patience, determination, perseverance and faith to follow them. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

I invite you to Awaken to the Truth of your Divine nature. You are love, you are loved and you are always enough.

Jenna
1 Comment

Inspiration

9/6/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture

Thursday is my blog post day. I made a promise to myself that on Thursdays I post my blog that I have (hopefully) written earlier in the week. This week I have not been feeling super inspired or creative so I asked my husband what he thought I should write about this week and he said, “Inspiration”.

Who better to write about inspiration than the uninspired? (I’m only partly kidding) Oh, how I love the word inspire. It’s one of those words that warms my Soul. The word inspire can be defined as “fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.” Perhaps I feel such an affinity for this word because I feel it so fully encompasses what I feel my purpose is.

For me, inspiring others to embrace their true authentic self with love and compassion is my highest ideal. Connecting back to this idea helps me open myself to the creative flow of the Universe.

Here are a few ways that you can find inspiration:

Share your passion- For me, nothing fires me up like teaching. I can be working one on one with a rider in a lesson or teaching in a group setting. I can be sharing my passion of riding and training, or, spiritual and personal development principles. It’s that energy transference between teacher and student that I find thrilling, especially when the student understands something that they may have previously struggled with. What’s your passion? Share your creativity with others. Show your paintings to some friends or let someone close to you read your poetry, not for the external validation but for the good of putting your creation out to the world.

Allow others to share their passion- Find a riding instructor that is passionate about teaching. Not all great riders are great teachers so find someone that you feel has both a riding and teaching philosophy you can believe in. Go on a retreat or sign up to attend a lecture or motivational speaker. Try to find someone that is passionate about their craft and open yourself to their enthusiasm. Positive energy is contagious!

Read something inspiring- This one, perhaps, seems obvious but sometimes when you are feeling overwhelmed and lacking inspiration or motivation to ride, write, work out etc... reading someone else’s experiences about it can certainly help give you a boost. If you struggle getting yourself out to the barn to ride, consider reading The Ethics and Passion of Dressage by Charles de Kunffy or Riding Towards the Light by Paul Belasik. If you struggle getting inspired to write, read a few passages from your favorite author. If you write poetry, read some poems to get in the rhythmic flow.

Listen to someone inspiring- Who inspires you? See if you can find a YouTube video of them speaking or a podcast that you can listen to when driving to work. Go audit a clinic of your favorite instructor or watch them coach on video. When I need a little energy and inspiration boost, I like to listen to Inspire Nation, a podcast that features inspirational authors, spiritual leaders, athletes and entrepreneurs. When I really want to get into a flow for a writing topic a little more spiritual in nature, I like to listen to Matt Kahn and Pema Chodran.

Join a community- Join a community of like minded people! You’ll see this one come up time and time again because in this world that is more and more technologically connected, people are more disconnected than ever. Join a barn that has a great vibe or join a moms group or a church. If you write, join a writers group. If you love to dance, join others that also love to dance. Get in on that great group energy!

Get moving- Even if you don’t feel inspired to write, write anyway. If you don’t feel like going to the gym even though you said you would, go anyway. Get out of the house. Take a walk in nature or go ride your horse. Half the battle is just getting started. Once you start, you gain momentum. You never know when that beautiful divine inspired creativity will hit you- you might as well have pen or paintbrush in hand!

Finally, breathe, take time for yourself. Listen to your heart. If it says take a break, take it. It’s 100% ok and natural to not be inspired, motivated and enthusiastic all the time. When you feel blah and like sitting around and watching Netflix, it’s ok! Do it. Reset and you’ll be surprised that your creative juices often flow again after a break.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Show yourself love and patience when you’re struggling and when you do feel inspired, girl, share it with the world!!!

You are the only one with the gifts you have to offer the world. Express yourself, share your passions and love abundantly!

I invite you to Awaken to the Truth of your Divine nature. You are love, you are loved and you are always enough.

Jenna
0 Comments

Overcoming Stress

8/30/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture


Ok y’all I’m not going to lie, it’s been a tough week, and boy, those difficult days are really good for personal growth! (Or, at least that’s what I try to tell myself). I’m sure you all can relate.

How can we stay centered when it feels like things are falling apart around us?

For me, I feel that I have made a lot of progress in my path of personal development. I do not feel like the same person I was five years ago, and that is a really good thing! The me from five years ago was really insecure about a lot of things- my riding, my body, my ability to talk with people. (I can be painfully shy!) It didn’t matter how much success I had in the show ring or how busy my business was- I still felt like I was never good enough.

Soon after I had my first child, I began to rewire my internal programming and shift my perspective. I worked to cultivate self love and I can honestly say today that I love myself- imperfections and all. But this week has been trying.

Our personality, developed when we were young, is based on our experiences with family and society which often reinforces a feeling of lack, or, not enough. Whenever things go awry, that old wiring kicks in and voila- we begin to live from a place of fear, anger, worry, anxiety, etc...

So, how do we pull ourselves back up when we feel like our world is falling apart and nothing is going right?

Here are are some tools you can use to return to a better frame of mind. You won’t be able to solve your problems in this self destructive mindset so today’s post will focus on how to get out of that funk!


  1. GRATITUDE- It is said that there are only two root emotions- love and fear, and that all other emotions stem from one or the other. Fear manifests itself in a variety of negative emotions and the best antidote for fear is gratitude. Taking a few minutes at the beginning and end of the day, or anytime when you start to feel stress and cultivate a grateful heart. You will be amazed how much this practice alone can shift you from a place of fear to a place of love.
  2. HONOR YOUR FEELINGS- Don’t repress your feelings, allow them to come up but don’t identify with them. Don’t say “I am stressed”. Rather say, “I am feeling stressed.” It seems simple, but it’s an important distinction to make. What do you feel physically from this emotion? How does it make your body feel? Once we honor what we are experiencing, we can begin to heal. Repression is never the answer.
  3. MEDITATION- By learning how to go within and connect with your inner knowing, you can find peace and stillness, even when your environment is chaotic. Meditation is not about eliminating your thoughts and feelings, but rather not identifying with them. Let your breath be your anchor and start your practice with 3-5 minutes of quiet stillness and build up to 15 minutes.
  4. MINDFULNESS IN NATURE- Get outdoors, connect with the earth. Take your shoes off and sit in the grass. Or take a swim and allow yourself the gift of being TRULY present. Pay attention to your senses- do you feel the cool breeze on your skin? Can you feel the warmth of the sun on your face or the coolness of raindrops on your hands? Do you hear birds singing or perhaps the sound of the wind as it rustles through the trees? Get in touch with your five senses out in nature- this is my favorite mindfulness practice and can really help you move from head to heart!
  5. CONNECT WITH ANIMALS - This is another way to connect with nature. Animals have an amazing way of pulling us into the present moment, if we are open and allow them to. Studies have shown that being near and touching animals can reduce blood pressure and decrease stress. So, pet your cat, play with your dog, groom your horse, or do what I did and walk some goats!
  6. WRITE- Writing is a practice very dear to my heart. I always kept a journal growing up, as my mother and grandmother did before me. Writing can be a beautiful, spiritual and meditative experience. It can be a cry for help or a strongly worded letter of frustration to the Universe. It can be whatever you need it to be. There are many techniques you can use- journaling, automatic writing, soul writing. There are many great books out on these topics but I really love Janet Conner’s “Writing down your Soul.”
  7. OPEN YOURSELF TO GROWTH- Look for the lessons in each challenge you face. How can this situation help you grow into the person you want to be? Last night, I was up most of the night with my sick infant. My normally very happy girl is sick for the first time and at times was inconsolable in her crying. I may have shed a few tears with her and rocking her in the dark at 5am I could feel my love, compassion and empathy grow. (And I was very grateful for a hot cup of coffee this morning!)
  8. GET INSPIRED- Listen to some upbeat music or an inspiring podcast. Read some poetry or dive into an uplifting book. Reconnect with your goals and purpose. (Try feeling stressed when listening to “I Just Can’t Wait to be King”!)

Learn your triggers- This has been key for me in getting to know myself in a deeper way. Understand when and why something triggers you. The first step of any sort of growth is awareness and from awareness we can begin to make a choice in how we react.

True Confessions: As I said at the beginning of this post, this week has been more challenging than most. After a long, somewhat emotionally tumultuous horse show, we had a tire blowout on the trailer on the way home. Then the spare was low and we spent over an hour trying to get it filled up. We had five horses on the trailer and the baby in tow. I took some photos from the spot where our trailer blew the tire to share in this post- about finding beauty all around you, even when circumstances are tough. Luckily, the baby was happy and we made it home safe, sound and relatively sane.

The next day we had some personal issues and this one really brought up some old stuff. I had the awareness when the old programming came up and instead of shutting it down, I went with it, which was the first time in a long while I allowed myself those negative thoughts. I let my self critic speak up and shut out the voice of my inner spirit. It was like putting on an old pair of riding breeches...that were moth eaten, stinky, itchy, restrictive and didn’t fit right.

The next day I made a decision - I am going to live my life in love. I’m going to let love guide me in all things and the next time these old fears and worries come up, I’m going to show myself and my loved ones much more patience and compassion. I am not perfect - far from it but I am doing my best and at the end of the day, that’s all I can do.


This is a pretty long post (so thank you if you are still reading!) but it’s an important topic as so many of us struggle each day with worry, fear, stress and anxiety. By being more present, we can begin to shift our perspective from those fear based feelings into one of love.

I invite you to Awaken to the Truth of your Divine nature. You are love, you are loved and you are always enough.

Jenna

Picture
Picture
1 Comment

Finding Faith

8/23/2018

2 Comments

 
Picture

Last week I wrote a little about the importance of having faith in yourself in order to achieve your goals. However, I realize this is not so simple for some of us as our core beliefs dictate that we are not good enough or unworthy (of love, happiness, success, etc...). Today I will give you some tools you can use to move through these feelings.

“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Truer words have never been said. Your beliefs create a self fulfilling prophecy in your experience. However, your beliefs are often untrue. I can tell you right now that every single person is worthy of love, compassion and belonging but it doesn’t matter what anybody says if you believe in your core that you are not worthy. Until you experience universal love and abundance, it can be hard to believe that it is there for you.

We create our thoughts and our thoughts create our reality so it is in the clearing out of thoughts that do not serve us that we can begin to heal and grow. The first step is to not identify with your thoughts. Observe them but do not identify with them. If you constantly reaffirm the belief that bad things always happen to you and that life is unfair, you will continue to create that experience in your life.

On the other hand, if you can begin to shift your beliefs into one of endless abundance and love, you will start to see that experience come into your life.

I have a few tools you can use to begin to really believe in, trust and love yourself.

#1- KEEP PROMISES TO YOURSELF. If you say you are going to workout in the morning, do it. If you set a goal of competing in a horse show at the end of the month, don’t flake out just because you are afraid you will fail. Push yourself, trust your intuition and value the promises you make to yourself. Write those promises down and value them as a contract with yourself.

#2- FORGIVE. Forgive yourself for not being perfect or not being where you thought you would be when you set out on your journey. Trust in the process and look back to see how far you have come and continue to push forward. At the end of each day, write down what you have learned about yourself through the day’s experiences. Forgiving yourself is the first step towards self acceptance. Self acceptance leads to self compassion which is a necessary feeling when we talk about building your best life.

#3- PERSEVERE - Half the battle is just continuing to show up everyday. Even when you feel tired, go to the barn. Groom your horse. Allow him to pull you into the present moment. Dig deep, don’t ever give up. Keep getting out there, work hard and do your best.

#3- AFFIRM YOUR BELIEFS- I am a big fan of affirmations. When in the first stages of finding faith in yourself, you may not want to start with a huge affirmation that your subconscious totally calls BS on. If you’re a beginner rider, it’s probably best not to start with “I am an Olympic Rider”. Perhaps start with “Each day I gain more knowledge and experience and I am becoming the best rider I can be.” Have fun and create your own affirmation that stretches you but is also believable. As you develop more faith in yourself, you will be able to stretch those affirmations to step into greater and greater brilliance!! In the months leading up to my Gold Medal, I would visualize a wonderful test and the feelings of what it would feel like to have that medal. Then I would say, oh so confidently, “I AM a Grand Prix Rider”. At first it was just a saying but over time I really began to believe it.

#4- ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST- This is the final agreement from the awesome book, The Four Agreements. Ask yourself, am I doing the best that I can? If the answer is no, find ways to get re-inspired and back on track with your goals and dreams. Be honest with yourself. If the answer is yes, have confidence in that. Be gentle and kind with yourself especially in areas where you feel you fall short.

#5- COMMUNITY- This really may be the most important one of all. We all need good support and encouragement when we work towards our goals. Sometimes we struggle to find faith in ourselves but if a friend or coach that we trust can see something inside of us that we can’t yet see, we can begin to find it too.

Find a supportive community! For my riding friends, join a local club or GMO (group member organization). Take lessons or board at a barn that has a very supportive and uplifting atmosphere. Volunteer at a local show to meet folks and surround yourself with the type of people who inspire you and treat you with respect! Sadly, there are a lot of people out there with insecurities that project onto other people by tearing them down, criticizing unfairly or gossiping. Ask yourself how each relationship serves you and try only to surround yourself with people that have traits that you aspire to. Motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, says we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. Choose wisely!

I hope you can use some of these tools in your own life to begin to find faith in yourself so that you may step into the best version of you!

I invite you to Awaken to the Truth of your Divine nature. You are love, you are loved and you are always enough.

Jenna
2 Comments

Growth & Goals

8/17/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture

Over this past weekend, my husband Martin, earned his USDF Gold Medal. In our sport of Dressage this is a huge deal as it shows that the rider has shown adequate proficiency at the highest level of our sport.

Oftentimes, the journey towards achieving a goal can be a tumultuous road of setbacks, intense emotions and self discovery. One moment you feel in control, excited and hopeful. The next you feel completely dejected and like a total failure.

I think back to my experience earning my USDF Gold Medal. Boy did that Grand Prix humble me! I had no idea how tough the experience would be. I have always trained my own horses and the level of forward energy, engagement and balance needed for the Grand Prix was really eye opening for me!

When I look back on the experience and reflect all that I’ve learned, I can appreciate that it was in the failures that I grew the most as a rider. With each 58 or 59% I would reflect on what movements I needed to improve but, I really would go home and work on basics, trying to make my horses balance better, his trot more cadenced and his body more supple. When the horse is in the right energy, engagement and balance, the movements come easily.

I did have times where I would question if I were a good enough rider to train my horse...I had never even ridden passage- how was i supposed to train it? Fortunately, I was able to draw from my past experience- I had never ridden tempis until I did, I had never ridden a pirouette until I did, so, I knew that one way or another I would figure it out. Ultimately, my intense faith in myself won out and I did earn my gold medal.

With each perceived failure, you have one of two options: give up or dig your heels in and give it all you’ve got. Half the battle is just sticking with it. Have faith in yourself and know that accomplishing your goal can be a reality if you keep the right perspective. Perseverance is everything!

When you finally achieve what you have been working towards, you will be grateful for the end result but it’s in the hard work, the struggle, the failures, and the tears that you will experience the most growth. It’s in this growth that we become better riders, better athletes and better people.

Surrender to the experience. Be present each day as you work towards your goal because when you finally do achieve it, this glorious time of adventure and learning will only be a memory. We tend to focus on the future...if only I had XYZ, THEN I would be happy but, happiness is now, in this moment. Embrace it.

I wish you all the most beautiful experience of learning and growth as you journey towards your goal, whatever that may be.

I invite you to Awaken to the Truth of your Divine nature. You are love, you are loved and you are always enough.

Jenna
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    This blog will be all about personal growth. I will discuss different topics and issues, some relating to horses and some not. Feel free to comment! 

    Archives

    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Blog
  • Contact