(I’m going to reference horses in this but you can place your child, your loved one, your colleagues all in the position of the horse)
As a yoga teacher I know all to well that what energy I carry effects others. Because if this I take my time before classes to settle my energy, to release any stress I may be carrying from the day and to make sure I’m in a calm present state for when people arrive.
This ultimately causes them to calm quicker than if they’d arrived to a stressed out yoga teacher, it helps start the process of relaxation.
In their book The Compassionate Equestrian Dr Allen Schoen and Susan Gordon talk about Transpecies Field Theory (TSFT) & Compassionate Field Theory (CFT)
My Transpecies Field Theory (TSFT) proposes that there is a dynamic, continuously interactive, behavioral, energetic field (the surrounding flow of energy) that impacts all living beings involved. If everyone in the field behaves in ways based on their various past programming or habitual behavior patterns, they will have certain effects on all others in the field. Once we recognize this field exists, the next exciting step is that we realize we can actually have a conscious impact on this field by focusing our intention on a particular positive thought or emotion, such as compassion.
This theory explains that everything we carry within us regarding emotions, whether from the past or present affects the way others feel too and this is not only with humans, it goes a long way to show that other species feel it too.
In fact everything on this earth is energy, science has proven this, and that includes our emotions. This energy is constantly being exchanged between us and the beings that surround us and so the energy we emit is felt by the people and animals around us.
Horses like babies are extra sensitive to energy as energy is their language, body language and the energy that the body radiates tells them how you are feeling, whether to be worried or feel safe, whether to stay on alert or relax. As we get older we rely more on the spoken word and this I believe is to our detriment.
We take what people say to us as the truth, and don’t listen to our gut (our subconscious brain that is reading the body language) when we try to explain and maybe can’t because it was a “feeling” we discount it and go with logic over instinct.
But our horses don‘t communicate like that, they are purely on instinct, on feelings and emotions. And if we recognise that we can have a whole new conversation with them.
When we acknowledge that our energy has an affect on our surroundings we can then make the choice to create an energy for the good.
Just like I do when I set up for my yoga classes we can create an energy within us and around us that helps our horses and other people to feel calm. We can create an energy that allows horses to slow down and feel safe, so that they can disarm and relax.
By taking some moments before we get out of the car and enter the stable to breathe and decide what kind of energy we want to “inflict“ on our horses we take that time to acknowledge what we are doing And the affect we have on them.
But this doesn’t stop as we enter the yard, it continues throughout our time with our animals, by being conscious of the energy that we are holding, whether it is calmness, nerves, excitement, stress or anger we can make the choice to change this before we ask something if our horse. There is no point in asking for something if you’ve already sent a very loud signal through your energy that your terrified, even if you may “say” you’re fine!
Taking time (and I mean seconds) to check in and become aware of the energy you are holding will change the way you communicate with your horse and how you train with your horse.
One thing that the best equestrians have in common is because they do it all day every day most tend to be calm and confident when around their horses, this means that they already start from a place of receptiveness and the relationship can progress in a calm way.
Still not convinced? Take a moment to imagine you’re in a safe space, relaxed reading a book, or listening to some music. Then one of your most stressed highly strung friends walks into the room, talking quickly, telling you to get up and get going, complaining about her day, whilst pushing you around the room, shouting into the room next door where her other friend is, having a conversation but at a level where everyone can hear....how do you suddenly feel? Still relaxed and calm?
In truth you probably felt her energy before you knew she’d arrived, and by the time she’d gone i doubt you feel that same sense of chill you did before.
This behaviour is what I observe (and know I’ve done) in the past. The horses standing chilled in their box eating hay, and then the human arrives, stressed from her day at work and the journey there, excited to see her horse and yard friends, catching up on the gossip over the stable wall, while mucking our and with no compassion or present awareness pushing the horse (the animal they love the most) around the stable. All because they aren’t aware of their actions, of their energy and how it’s making their horse feel.
The beauty of starting to realise this is, we can change, we can make a difference, by asking a couple of simple questions to ourselves and then taking time to breath.
• What energy am I carrying from my day?
• Would my horse want to feel this energy if he had a choice?
• Is my energy matching my horses natural calm state?
• Do I want to affect my surrounding with this energy or can I take a moment to make the shift?
• What positive calm thoughts can I bring into my mind?
• Can I take 3 deep breaths into my belly and slow the exhales, with each exhale visualising releasing the stress of the day.
• Would my horse choose to be around me now?
Find out more about The Compassionate Equestrian at their website https://www.thecompassionateequestrian.com/