August is almost upon us, and here in northern New England I can hear the cicadas buzzing and crickets chirping. A flock of geese is gathering in the field next door. It's both the height of summer and the end of summer.
Sometimes life is so busy, it's hard to truly focus and be 100% present while riding. So I've started a regular practice that has been incredibly helpful and successful for me.
Try this: Each time as I begin a ride (usually at a walk on a long rein, but I can do it anytime), I allow all the busy thoughts to just whirl around uninterrupted. There are a few that keep recurring. I take a deep breath in, and while blowing it out through pursed lips, I see the biggest worry/distraction/thought blowing away. I tell it I can't have it right now. It can come back later, but right now I'm blowing it clear from my mind. I do this two more times. It seems that 3 is the magic number. Whatever 3 things are foremost in my mind, I blow each away in turn. So I've relaxed my mind and through the breathing relaxed my body as well.
Sometimes, I think I know what the three things are for sure, yet when I take the breath and blow, something unexpected pops into my head. So I let it come, and I blow it away. Even when I think I "know" what's bothering me, this exercise lets underlying or suppressed thoughts surface and show how much they were really at the heart of matters.
3 breaths, 3 worries sent away and a greater feeling of peace and well-being. Happy Riding!!