When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For the time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
My friend Suzanne Weinberg writes, “I think with my animal loves, there is just an automatic softening – and that contains all of what you write about: vulnerability, nakedness, etc. and more — presence, love, generosity, simplicity.”
I have not written about Nelson much lately. But the last couple visits have been very good. He is opening to me again. He stays with me and is his inquisitive, sweet old self. Even with big flies bothering him, he stays calm and connected. He still does not want to do any of the movement games that we were playing a few months ago and I am good with that. He will tell me when it is time. What I want more than anything is that sweetness, the presence, love, generosity and simplicity that Suzanne speaks of.
Recently an animal communicator said that my horse Amadeo no longer wanted the pressure of performance. He wants to just be a horse. I was surprised because he has not been able to perform and there has been no particular pressure on him to perform. But when I looked more deeply at my own emotional messages to him, the pressure, the expectation is there. For his whole life, he has been seen as that: a horse with a job and expectations. Because of his allergies, his injuries and his volatility, he has also been like a boy in a bubble. Small turn outs, no way to get in trouble.
Last week the barn manager, Melvin, started to put him in a big field across the street. We thought let’s see what happens. Since then, we have noticed that he is calmer, more balanced. Soon, we are hoping that he will move up to Little Brook Farm and be able to be ridden by the wonderful Summer Brennan. Relationships and connection without the old pressures.
ps. If you have not seen Summer’s work with the Mustang Amado, check it out on the Little Brook Facebook page.
Authentic Movement is a contemplative movement practice that nourishes creativity and imagination through a practice of intuitive and spontaneous movement. Movers allow themselves “to be moved” following whatever impulses (for both movement and stillness) arise from the body. The teacher acts as a compassionate witness, affirming and giving meaning to the experience of the mover.
The class also include SourceWork – guided somatic meditations for deepening awareness and discovering new movement possibilities – as well as embodied writing and drawing practice.
This class is perfect for those who are seeking to deepen their creativity and connect to the body in a way that encourages both profound listening and improvisational ways of living more fully in the body. It is also appropriate for therapists and coaches who wish to bring a more embodied consciousness to their practice.
Series of four classes Wednesday evenings at my studio in Sharon, CT,
