Watch

Meditating with Horses

Creator:
Published:
March 25, 2024
March 25, 2024
Watch how equine therapy improves the mental health of the people involved — and benefits the horses, too.

You might not usually associate meditation with horses, but you'd be surprised at what incorporating these animals into the wellness practice can do. Rita Lyden owns Oak Top Hill Horse Farm and leads people in this unique method of meditation.

Rita shares, "Even six minutes of just trying to be grateful, meditate, or be mindful can lead up to six hours of your body working in a more optimum place. When you bring horses into the equation, their brainwaves affect ours in a positive way because of where theirs sit normally, and their heart rates affect ours in a positive way because of where they sit normally."

Video Transcript

Rita Lyden: Even six minutes of just trying to be grateful, meditate, or be mindful can lead to six hours of your body working at a more optimum place. When you bring the horses into the equation, their brain waves affect ours in a positive way because of where theirs sit normally, and their heart rates affect ours in a positive way because of where they sit normally. They reduce the anxiety and those churning feelings.

(Session participants sit in chairs while horses walk around them)

All you need to do is be here now.

I like to just have city folk come down and experience a little dust and manure and flies and horses and crickets and the night sounds. So, welcome to Mindfulness & Meditation with Horses. The basic format for this evening will be some time getting acquainted with the horses on a first touching basis. We'll groom them. That releases the equivalent of oxytocin in them. They benefit, we benefit.

(Participants brush down horses)

So, I'll give you three minutes as a group. If anybody within the group would like to share any further thoughts that came to mind as they sort of reflected themselves.

David: Mindful of the things that are kind of temporary and being grateful for them while they last, before life changes.

Rita: I think it's helpful because it's not intuitive, but for horses when they are absorbing things that are new to them or stimulating to them, one of the ways that people who study this stuff have said it becomes obvious that they're processing it and actually in a positive way, they lick and chew.

Allow yourself to connect to the horses. Let their positive energy, their biology, help you. Stay in this space and breathe. Stay in this place of connection

You're very welcome, come back, all right.

Creators:
Grotto
Published:
March 25, 2024
March 25, 2024
On a related note...
Free Download: Contemplate the Cosmos With These Coloring Pages

Free Download: Contemplate the Cosmos With These Coloring Pages

Grotto

Good and Decent S2 | E1: Gratitude Despite

Good and Decent S2 | E1: Gratitude Despite

Grotto

How I Learned the Value of Meaningful Work

How I Learned the Value of Meaningful Work

Isaac Huss

How to Serve Others Without Burning Out

How to Serve Others Without Burning Out

Jessie McCartney

How to Combat Loneliness (For Yourself and Others)

How to Combat Loneliness (For Yourself and Others)

Clare Rahner

What to Know Before Visiting Someone in the Hospital

What to Know Before Visiting Someone in the Hospital

Erin Ramsey-Tooher

At-Home Workouts Based on Your Fitness Personality

At-Home Workouts Based on Your Fitness Personality

Marye Colleen Larme

Online Community Helps Women Suffering from Endometriosis

Online Community Helps Women Suffering from Endometriosis

Grotto

I Screwed Up Badly — Now What?

I Screwed Up Badly — Now What?

Mike Tenney

Why (& How) We Should Filter the Voices in Our Lives

Why (& How) We Should Filter the Voices in Our Lives

Krista Steele

Struggling With Medical Trauma? Love is the Answer

Struggling With Medical Trauma? Love is the Answer

Maureen O’Brien

Living the Season Between Thanksgiving and Christmas

Living the Season Between Thanksgiving and Christmas

Jessica Mannen Kimmet

5 Ways to Feel at Home in Your New City

5 Ways to Feel at Home in Your New City

Joe Kuhns

My Struggle with Porn

My Struggle with Porn

Christine Chu

Decompress in 5 Minutes by Asking Yourself These Questions

Decompress in 5 Minutes by Asking Yourself These Questions

Marye Colleen Larme

How to Have a Happy Thanksgiving This Year

How to Have a Happy Thanksgiving This Year

Grotto

This WNBA Player Reminds Us It's Okay to Fall Apart

This WNBA Player Reminds Us It's Okay to Fall Apart

Grotto Shares

A Therapist Explains 3 Common Relationship Issues

A Therapist Explains 3 Common Relationship Issues

Paul Campbell

Music Therapist Changes Lives with Tireless Work

Music Therapist Changes Lives with Tireless Work

Grotto

Overcome Self-Doubt By Taking Your Thoughts to Trial

Overcome Self-Doubt By Taking Your Thoughts to Trial

Ivan Brea

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll meet you in your inbox each week.