Meditation and mindfulness

Have you ever tried meditation? Perhaps you think it’s not ‘your thing’. But what if I told you that regular meditation practice could improve your connection with your horse as well as your overall wellbeing? Interested now? Meditation has so many benefits for your everyday living, but it’s true that learning to incorporate it into your life takes some time. But, if you could have the following, wouldn’t you put in that time…?

• improved focus and concentration
• reduced stress and anxiety
• becoming more in the present moment
• better memory
• lower blood pressure
• a stronger immune system
• improved sleep patterns

When we meditate, we usually become aware of where our mind wanders and how distracted we can be in day-to-day life. Our minds are designed to think and help keep us safe, but this often leads to overthinking, which then takes us away from the present moment.

When we’re with our horses, being in the moment is all the more important because that’s exactly how horses live their whole lives. By being present with your horse in mind and body, you can have more open communication and establish a better connection, and meditation can really help you to achieve this. In order to be able to do this more easily, I suggest taking regular opportunities to be mindful with your daily tasks and set aside a little time to carry out a meditation practice each day.

Make a special space

Create a space at home where you can do your practice – a nice area where you can sit and breathe. You don’t need to have a lot of room. For example, I have a small corner in my bedroom where I like to sit.

If you’re comfortable with sitting on the floor, great – if not, a chair is fine. I have a cushion to sit on and, for extra comfort, two smaller cushions under each knee if I’m sitting cross-legged. You don’t need to have a special meditation cushion, but there are ones you can buy if you wish to.

Keep warm by wrapping a blanket or shawl around your shoulders. Our temperature often drops when we meditate and a blanket also makes us feel taken care of. You deserve that. I often have a lit candle or some flowers nearby. Whatever works for you is fine, just try to make the area special so you enjoy being there.

Find out how you can improve your riding mindset with meditation in March Horse&Rider – get your copy today!