Lead with Heart & Horses: The Sentient Land
SUMMARY
In Episode 4 of the Lead with Heart & Horses Podcast, I introduce what my podcast "Lead with Heart and Horses" is about - that my podcast explores intuition, horses, and what it is to feel a certain wildness, for those interested in a new relationship with horses and how horses support a deepening of intuition and connection to wild nature. In this episode, I share my personal experiences connecting to the land and the spirit of nature, with words inviting you to experience the soul of the natural world. I explore the concept of the land as sentient, conscious and aware, and the unique awareness of horses that brings us in touch with the land on a. new level, if we hold the space for this. I touch on techniques for relaxation and mindfulness when interacting with horses and the land, and also introduce the concept of feeling the land through the 'heartbeat of one's feet, inspired by the physicality of the ‘second heart’ of the horse’s hooves.
A Podcast on Intuition and Horses
I introduce my podcast "Lead with Heart and Horses," explaining the purpose of this podcast to explore intuition, horses, and wildness. I discuss the podcast's target audience, which includes people who own horses, those own both horses and land, those who offer equine-assisted services, horse enthusiasts, and those interested in intuition and a new relationship with horses. I also speak to the podcast being part of an evolution of connection with horses to reconnect to our soul, and to nature.
Reconnecting with Nature's Soul
I discuss a few personal experiences connecting to the land and spirit in nature, sharing how I feel the land's energy and presence within me, even when away from the land. I explore how modern life often lacks a sense of vitality and connection to the natural world, leading to an emotional and spiritual collapse.
Exploring Sentient Land Concepts
I explore the concept of the sentient land, focusing on the experience of being connected to the land and its energy. I mention a book titled "The Sentient Land" and a different book titled “The Sacred Life of Plants,” and reference ancient belief systems like animism, which views everything as alive. I speak to my intention to have an exploratory conversation about this concept without labelling the concept as right or wrong, or engage in a full debate, but rather to explore what it might be like to experience such a connection.
Sentient Land and Consciousness Exploration
I speak to the concept of a sentient land, exploring how everything in the environment, including plants and animals, possess energy and a form of consciousness, that can be considered to be an energy that moves within the space between atoms. I speak to the feeling of magnificence that can happen, when we allow ourselves to slow down to sense the sacredness of all existence. I also speak to the role of the heart in sensing and shaping our experiences of the world. I touch on the unique awareness of horses, which can help humans connect more deeply with the present moment due to the neuroscience of how they have less neural network filters on reality than humans do, and so have a more immediate experience of the moment, and I mention our upcoming book on neuroscience and horses, written by Hillary Schneider and myself, and our retreats and online course of the same focus.
Nature's Portal: Horse and Soul
I discuss the importance of reconnecting with nature and the sentience of the land, drawing on my simple studies of being on the land and sensing what I may know. I explain how horses can offer portals to an enriched experience of the sentience of the land, to enhance awareness of the natural world and one's own soul. I share techniques for relaxation and mindfulness when opening up to the guidance from horses, speaking to the benefits of observing and sensing without needing to touch horses, and rather to deepen into the subtle energies of the moment. I also introduce the concept of feeling the land through the heartbeat of one's feet, offering this exercise as a way to connect to the land. I offer that a re-connection to the land, and to the sentience of the land, and a reclaiming of our knowing of the soul of the land, and the soul of ourselves, allows us to experience a wholeness, a purity, a balance, a fulfillment, a contentment and a vitality, that allows us to experience well being on all levels - physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.
Maia
