Reflections with the Herd - The Power of being Present.

I’ve spent a lot of time out with my herd over the last few weeks. I’m always amazed at what I learn sitting in a field with my horses. About them, about myself and about how to be in the world. Several weeks ago I brought a new yearling to join my herd. Dara is her name, more about her in a different post, but the other day I was sitting out watching the interaction with my other horses. As I enjoyed the quiet morning, a couple of adult coyotes wandered thru the field. My alarm bells immediately started to go off, how will Dara react, she’s still little, is she a target, will they harm her? All these panicky thoughts running through my head. And as I watched, all of my horses raised their heads in awareness, Dara jumped slightly and looked at the older horses. And they just snorted and went back to grazing. And so Dara watched the coyotes for a moment and wandered over to Whiskey, one of my older horses, and LAY DOWN. Talk about giving me heart failure. And then the coyotes continued on their way into the pasture next to me and over the hill. Immediate relief for me, and then curiosity.  Why were they not stressed about a predator invading their space? The awareness and caution in their demeanor were evident, why would Dara lay down, putting herself in a very vulnerable position?
One of the beautiful lessons to be learned from horses is their ability to be present in the moment. As prey animals, they are highly sensitive to their environment, their survival depends on it. But to remain in a state of alarm is unsustainable and exhausting, which would also threaten their well-being. All emotions and energies in their space are information to them. They gather this information and assess whether it is a threat to their survival, and take action. Or go back to grazing. The presence of a predator in their space did not at that moment represent a threat. They were merely passing thru. It was my filter and expectation that create panic in me. I wasn’t reading the space for the energy that was currently there, I was already anticipating a worst case scenario. What opportunities have I missed by being predisposed to a certain outcome? What can I learn from making an effort to be fully present to what is, instead of what I expect, or hope, or fear?
This power of presence has been reinforced for me lately. In recent weeks I have had a couple of dear friends deal with the loss of their parents. One lovely lady has had both her parents pass within a couple of weeks of each other. They were quite elderly, their passing not entirely unexpected, but it can be a difficult space to navigate. Chatting with my friend as she and her sisters spent valuable time with their father in his last days here was both heart-breaking and heart-warming. A long life well-lived, he told her he had no regrets. Her ability to remain fully present in the moments she had with him, savoring the connection with him as he navigated his own transition was inspirational. Providing a calm presence for her sisters as they too came to grips with letting go. Being comfortable with the discomfort. No expectation of controlling the outcome. The veil between this existence and the next almost tangible. The peacefulness of just being present. What an incredible gift. What a powerful experience.
And so my practice for the next couple of weeks is to take a moment, and be present. Be more observant to what is. Be more aware of what swirls through my mind that may be unwarranted at this time. What are my filters that color how I see the situation? What can I do to let go of judgements and expectations, guilt and fear? What opportunities arise when I look for what is instead of what I think should be? The possibilities are endless….
What do you see when you are fully present? How does that impact how you show up in the world? Trust in the moment, be present, and see what gifts can come from that.