There have been times when I felt separate from Horse.
Times when life has been overwhelming or when my mind was filled with anxious thoughts.
And truly, it was then, and only then, that I have felt separate from Horse. And it is during these times when I am also separate from my true self. It was during these times that I leaned away from the Truth and allowed the ego-mind to consume me.
Somewhere along this winding road, I came undone and returned to my Self, fully leaning into Spirit.... I became One with my Self. I became One with Horse.
I became One with All That Is.
Truth is, we are all always that Oneness. Countless studies prove our interconnection with one another. There is much evidence to prove our interconnection with Horse.
Over the past twenty years of healing explorations and undoing the many things I believed to be true, it has become clear that we are taught to feel separate from one another. We are taught that everything we should strive for is outside of ourselves. These extremely limiting beliefs have created shocking amounts of anxiety, depression, addictions and overall dis-ease in society. They have also created massive harm and disconnection in much of the Human-centered ways in the Horse world.
Non-duality is my chosen path of Horse Stewardship. It is my chosen path of Life.
This 'path' need not be an end-goal of some sort. It is always there but it is only through a process of unlearning and through a whole lot of trust in that organic process that we can all experience its essence in our lives with Horses.
Non-duality can be simply defined as a "oneness of being" where there is a unified consciousness and all beings join together in the nature of interconnection. It is from this special, sacred space that we have the opportunity to learn the 'Language of Synchronicity'.
This language of the sentient being is one we can feel rather than necessarily hear; a fluency of deeper understanding of the unspoken; a curious listening of the brilliant Heart.
I can't even begin to describe the 'magic' I have witnessed when clients arrive here with a willingness to be curious and open to the learning of a new language that is rooted in the connection of one's mind, body and spirit.
Everything changes.
Not only do I witness the changes in the essence of the Human, but the connection that forms between Horse and Human from this place of non-duality is palpable and I can feel it emanate throughout my own being.
A simple word or thought that is 'triggering' can move someone right out of this space, and, that too, can be felt as a shift of energy and awareness.
When the energy returns home to the Heart, the Horse reflects this information with a sense of ease and returns to a shared space of connection.
“‘Non-duality’ is actually a translation of the Sanskrit word ‘Advaita’, which simply means ‘not two’ and points to the essential oneness (wholeness, completeness, unity) of life, a wholeness which exists here and now, prior to any apparent separation. It’s a word that points to an intimacy, a love beyond words, right at the heart of present moment experience. It’s a word that points us back Home. And despite the compelling appearance of separation and diversity there is only one universal essence, one reality. Oneness is all there is – and we are included.” ~ Jeff Foster, Life Without a Centre
When we open our hearts to the abundance of beauty and brilliance that is who we all are, we can walk with our Horses in new ways. These new ways do not promote any hierarchy but rather encourage the connection of heart where the sharing of information is pure and plentiful, without judgment or distortion. The Horses feel us in the shift, as this their fluent language, and, undoubtedly find comfort in knowing they are being seen and heard in the unified Field we share.
When we walk in this way with Horse, we walk in this way with Self, we walk in this way with each other and, most of all, we walk in this way with Spirit.
Together, Horse and Human, we are reminded of the power of unity and we are reminded that we are never, ever walking alone.
The paradigm of Nature itself reflects this spiritual concept. If we observe super organisms like a Colony of Bees, a School of Fish, a Pack of Wolves, or, of course, a Herd of Horses, we can see, in action, the idea that there is the micro experience of life and then there is the macro experience. This macro experience is an example of being connected to one another in a greater life force energy. And each one of those super organisms is part of an even greater force, which is the force of Nature where all sentient beings are in symbiotic relationship with one another.
So, where does that leave us, the Human. And, in this case, the Conscious Horse Steward?
It leaves us right here, right now.
Doing the 'inner work' to live from the space of our true Nature so that, we too, can be a part of this great ecosystem of non-duality, where we run with the Herd, rather than separate from them. When we are not present for the experience, we are no longer in the sacred flow of Oneness. We separate ourselves and step back into the illusion that we are alone.
It is important that we consistently and consciously choose what we contribute to the Herd and this is where Horse Stewardship becomes an invitation to re-discover the true essence of self and to allow it to heal so that we are in greater alignment with our selves and Horse.
I am grateful to meet you here, in this vast Field, where we share in the wonder of presence and are guided by our innate gifts of wisdom and intuition of heart. We are guided by the purity of Horse.
You don't need to 'get there'. You are already here, now.
In the sacred space of unity,
Fotini Chandrika and The Sacred Horse Teachers
**You are invited to 'Be Here Now' and join us on October 1 for a full day of Silence where we will meet in the Field, united with Self, each other, Nature and the majestic Horse!** (check out our Calendar of Events for more details).