Synopses & Reviews
Between 60 and 80 percent of human communication is nonverbal, spoken in the physical languages of movement and touch. But while we are and#147;talkingand#8221; all the time, we lack a clear vocabulary and syntax of the body. In this fascinating book, dancer, choreographer, and visual artist Paula Josa-Jones combines her two greatest passionsand#151;movement and horsesand#151;in order to help us develop somatic awareness: Consciousness of breath, integrated and coherent motion, and development of movements and touch into sensitive channels of communication. Through stories and exercises, Josa-Jones demonstrates how connecting with the horse can develop this awareness. The body and mind of the horse and the human, she writes, are connected at the deepest levelsand#151;anatomically, energetically, psychically, spiritually, and emotionally. And because horses are authentic beingsand#151;their inside feelings and intentions match the outside expression and behaviorand#151;our interactions with them can help us become more aware of our inner emotional landscape and its relationship to what we are expressing outwardly. Horses offer us the opportunity to become more trustworthy and more comfortable in our own skin. By listening inwardly, feeling the connections between our mind states and our expression, we become more attuned to the currents passing among us, more able to blend, empathize, and act with balance, sensitivity, and kindness.
Synopsis
For years horse trainers and equine experts have sought new ways to tap into that which for many remains elusive: the ability to use the human body, and our often neglected power of intent, to explain to the horse what we want, as well as receive in and understand his answer. From the Feldenkrais Method(R), Alexander Technique, and yoga, to Tai Chi, Aikido, and other martial arts, we have used various areas of study seemingly unrelated to horses and riding to gain new insight as to how to achieve a soft, fluid connection with our equine partners.
Now in this fascinating book, dancer and choreographer Paula Josa-Jones examines this age-old conundrum from a whole new angle, combining her two greatest passions: movement and horses. Through stories, strategies, and over 65 meditations and gentle exercises, Josa-Jones shows us how we can develop greater somatic awareness away from the horse, as well as how being with the horse can help this consciousness continue to evolve. The result is we not only have a closer, more intuitive connection with our horses, we are more trustworthy, more comfortable in our own skin, and better prepared to act with balance, sensitivity, and kindness in all our relationships.