Always Magic To Be Found

Hungary

No matter how many times that I have visited or how long I have lived somewhere, there is always magic to be found.

Hungary

Portugal

India

India

Tasting The World With My Feet

An Indian woman explained to me that she likes the feel of the rice in her fingers as part of the eating experience. I realized that I like the feel of the Earth by spending a lot of time walking on it.

Happy 75th Gurudev!

Recently posted on the wall. Thank you! The path often feels singular and this helps to explain why.

Seven Years Later

2011

I haven't felt inclined to take many pictures this trip, because I am satisfied with most of the one's over the seven year time span. I did just replace my pocket camera, so with 40x, I was curious if I could get better shots of the young girl in the chair at the Navaratra Celebration. Canon has progressed as well!!

2018

Oh My--The Mystery!

The grace of being a peg moved to the other side of the globe, placed at the feet of a humble, enlightened Soul, encouraged to sit, and frozen in space while an energetic, composition mysteriously unfolds. Wow! India and my inner time continues to humble and blow my socks off simultaneously. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. The white, woman walking is still walking, white, and a woman.

Day One of Navratra 2018

Riding in Portugal

Always a student, so I decided to return to Portugal to ride with Antonio Borba who I worked with last year. I have learned that being a student means showing up for whatever unfolds, but questions are allowed. A friend and trainer decided to come as well. Bonus that we are on similar tracks for improving our timing, feel, and execution of conscious riding aids. The week was intense with our own two lessons a day and our deep discussions on the equestrian world.

As EquiSeers, it fueled our interest to create a learning facility for awareness and wellness through experiences with horses, but for non-equestrians and equestrians. What is most misunderstood in riding communication? The aids and the application of the aids. It was very insightful to ride horses trained in a different system and with a different feel. We are both experienced professionals, but it created a chance to study the root of the basic aids. We were beginners which is always useful. Grace.

Fun outing to the Portuguese Riding School--practice day.

Goodbye and Thank You

My day started and finished with continuous observation at the feet of this small mountain, Sopris.

I didn't miss the remarkable transformation of the trees. Mother Nature on fire with beauty.

Wild Horse Experience at Little Book Cliffs, CO

I was asked to write a short story about our adventure.

Beautiful pre-Autumn day, two fit endurance horses, a friend (Carol), and free time to see the wild mustangs. Even as a professional trainer, my time off meant riding and viewing horses. Just a few minutes after passing through the Cameo gate at the Little Book Cliffs, we spotted our first mustangs—mares and foals. They are viewing us as we are viewing them. Wild animals normalized to degrees of human presence. I experienced this while working on a game reserve in South Africa. The modern wild animals that are on open land, but still confined by ranches, homes, preserves, parks etc. Grateful for the BLM and visionaries/supporters who want to preserve a slice of “wild”.

After meeting our objectives within the first hour, we decided to head up the canyon and explore. Of course, we didn’t come prepared with a map or water. Cottonwood trail was the path and it required a combination of riding and leading. What a cool trail! Thank you BLM for the markers on the trees! The views were gorgeous and we were wondering how much the wild horses had helped create the design of the trails. We made it to the top and really appreciated who had the grit to put in a spring fed water trough. The horses were very glad and we drank some too!

Now what? Find our way back to the trailer, but by what trail? Cell service popped up, so Carol called the number for Friends of the Mustang to get guidance. Three options: go back the way we came (“No way!” was my reaction), go down an even more difficult trail, or have Georgia pick us up. It was 5:30 pm, it was going to be getting dark by 7:30, so we opted for the remarkable taxi service. We went another two hours on the trail to meet the trailer—a short ride turned into a seven plus hour ride. The horses were in good spirits and good condition.

Crazy amazing that we were not going to have to spend the night on the mountain. As Georgia pulled up with the trailer, we initially had no idea what a remarkable intervention it was that someone who didn’t know us had a rig and the experience to navigate the road to us. Wow! I was interested in knowing more about the mustang world and had been contemplating adopting one. How perfect that our rescuer had been involved with the local herd for just under twenty years. It was like a magic carpet had shown up. As she skillfully navigated the road and enthusiastically filled us in on the herd history, status, and more, we were in awe of her kindness, as we connected with a paved road. By this time, I was growing thoughts of writing a small book with a short chapter dedicated to different herd members. By 11:30 pm we were back to the trailer and by 1:30 am, we were unloading the horses at home. Surreal in many ways, but we were more then lucky.

Looking at photos of the herd, it has more then inspired me to look for an adoptable horse. Georgia graciously offered to give us a tour in the daylight. I can hardly wait!

One Of My Offices

Church in a rainstorm, on top of a mountain, while riding a horse alone. It is clear how important nature and animals are to me in this lifetime. Time is passing quickly. In six to seven weeks begins the return to the desert, Portugal, India, Hungary, Tennessee (to visit an elephant sanctuary in the U.S.), and the desert for the winter.

Fire almost contained, but amazing to watch.

The Mountain

View walking out my door to work.

Living in silence with a view of a mountain. Grace in the day-to-day beauty and opportunity for reflection. Nature, abundance, and quiet inspire humility, gratitude, Absolute Truth, and Absolute Love. The point is to stay within the integrity of every waking moment with consciousness and examination for right action.

My life is really simple right now riding an average of ten horses a day, walking to work, and driving off the property for supplies. It is a living meditation, so I can practice for moments that are more complex. The horses are such fantastic teachers and witness to my presence. I try to ride them from my inside to their insides. The deer, elk, hawks, and others are getting use to us passing by while conditioning and training. I could have almost touched a red-tail hawk today. Being accepted into the animal community is always a sacred point of connection:  sensing the honesty involved by a community that primarily senses vibration. It is inspiring me to read about the animal connection of the American Indians.

Fire by night, evacuation for a short amount of time.

Fire by day as it continues to smolder and burn.