Riding lessons for life #8

» Posted by Claire Affleck on May 29, 2009 in 0-mind, blog | 1 comment

Rhythm:

I recently had the honor of training with 2008 and 2004 Olympic Show Jumping Gold Medalist Beezie Madden of Cazenovia, NY.  While I warmed up my horse at the walk, trot, and canter before jumping she stressed the importance of “regulating the rhythm” of the horse.  It was up to me to set the rhythm and to keep it where I wanted it.  Only I could maintain it, speed it up, or slow it down.  This same concept carried over into our jumping work as well.  Of course, the better at regulating the rhythm that I was at the walk, trot, and canter, the easier it was to do over a course of fences.

On the drive home I reviewed the ride in my mind.  I kept repeating the phrase “regulating the rhythm” over and over until I realized how important that was in life out of the saddle too!  In our lives, we have complete control over the rhythm.  We can choose to keep things steady in our life, speed things up or slow them down.  Being able to do this is an important skill.

It’s a great feeling to sit back and look at your life in the present moment and think “Wow, I am so grateful for how things are right now.”  Our rhythm is good- nice and steady, not too fast nor too slow.

But the nature of the universe is to sometimes throw a lot at us at once and that’s when we think “I need to slow things down!”  That’s our signal that we need regulate our rhythm or be in danger of feeling overwhelmed and burned out.  In order to slow your life’s rhythm, take time out to mediate, breathe, smile, rest and make a conscious effort to clear your schedule and take time out for your own self and those you love.

It is also the nature of things to be dull sometimes.  This is also a signal to get things moving and spur your rhythm into a faster pace! Go for a bike ride, plant a garden, join a book club, take a dance class- spice things up, get out and connect, laugh and think outside the box! Try something new, different, and outside your comfort zone in order to stretch yourself to a new level.

As I said previously, it is the nature of life to sometimes throw a lot at us and at other times have things be a bit slow.  Each of these situations is a gift.  Each one gives an opportunity to do great, positive activities.  Regulating the rhythm of our own lives is completely within our own control.  We can choose when to keep things steady, when to spice things up, and when to slow it all down and take a deep breath of life.
Enjoy the rhythm of your life today!

Claire Affleck
Claire Affleck Training website
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