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Notes on Boundaries
Bonnie Treece
An open heart allows you to feel,
hear, and decipher even in the midst of your cyclone head so you can
energetically gauge the situations you find yourself in and respond
differently than you have in the past. Being open-hearted can prevent us
from creating the same realities over and over even if they aren’t
serving our highest good. When working with horses this is a powerful
tool and has been valuable for dealing with my own boundary issues.
.....
For instance, through becoming more sensitive and horse-like I have
found it increasingly difficult to be in large crowds. Because I am no
longer disassociated or “shut down” to my senses, I feel overwhelmed by
all the energy I can feel from so many people at once.
As I have developed my senses beyond
sight and hearing I have realized the value of protecting my own energy
field and not let the energy of others penetrate or drain mine. Karla
McClaren offers many wonderful techniques for grounding and energetic
protection in her tape series Emotional Boundaries.
The electromagnetic field generated
by the heart is the most powerful rhythmic electromagnetic field
produced by the human body. The heart’s magnetic component is about 5000
times stronger than the Brain’s magnetic field and can be detected
several feet away from the body.
New data suggest the Heart’s field is
directly involved in intuitive perception and may receive this
information before the brain. The heart’s field permeates every cell and
may act as a synchronizing signal for all the cells in the body in a way
similar to information carried by radio waves. The pulsing waves of
electromagnetic energy generated by the heart create fields within
fields and gives rise to the interference patterns when they interact
with magnetically polarized tissues and substances. Nerve cells that
fire together, wire together.
Studies by HeartMath®
have shown that the heart’s electromagnetic field can be detected by
other individuals and can produce physiologically relevant effects in a
person five feet away. I have practiced feeling the electromagnetic
heart field of horses. I can sometimes feel it as far as 100 yards away.
By moving toward and away from the horse I can get a sense of where I
end and where they begin. I hold out my hands in front of me as I
approach the horse. When I get a tingling in my hands I know I’ve hit
upon one of their energy bands. I learned this technique from Linda
Kohanov when I studied as her apprentice. It is a valuable lesson for
anyone who has no understanding of what healthy boundaries feel
like. When personal boundaries have been violated for long periods of
time the body and mind forget what healthy boundaries are, or never
learn them in the first place. The same is true for horses whose
physical boundaries have been repeatedly encroached upon.
I practiced facilitating this
technique with two of my students and the results were very interesting.
Working as partners they traded off doing the exercise. I had a horse
tied at one side of a forty foot diameter round pen. One student was
blindfolded and the other was the guide. Starting as far away from the
horse as they could stand, the guide was instructed to lead the
blindfolded partner toward the horse. The person with the blind fold on
was instructed to hold their hands out in front of them and stop when
they felt a shift in their body or a tingling in their hands. Each
student experienced the energy bands differently however they detected
the bands at approximately the same distance from the horse. They had no
way of knowing they were sensing the bands at similar distances. Both of
them detected energy bands at a distance of thirty feet. The sensations
they described were varied: golden light, soft, having something gentle
wrapped around them, heavier air. At twenty feet from the horse each of
them again described a change: purple light, a charge, hard to breathe,
a pulsing vibration in a band, harmonious. At five feet they both
reported another shift: the colors blue and lavender, protective
masculine love, active fluid breathing.
For humans, having healthy boundaries
takes practice utilizing grounding techniques and feedback from others.
Learning about the energy fields of the horses teaches us about our own
boundaries and energy fields. The ability to define your own personal
space physically, spiritually or psychologically is required before the
ability to determine the space of another is achieved. Without clear
boundaries we don’t know where we end and the other begins. This can
leave us feeling smothered or lonely depending on where the unhealthy or
imbalanced boundary is residing. If it is too close we lose our own
sense of self. If it is too far away no one can make contact with us and
we may feel lonely and disconnected from relationships to others. When
the boundaries are healthy between two beings the result is an
interaction that is beneficial to both. Both can feel trusted and safe.
According to Kathleen Barry Ingram,
MA,
“If our boundaries are clear, consistent and congruent, those who
approach us will energetically feel our space before they ever enter
into our field or engage in an interaction. Healthy boundaries set a
border or limit. They can be spoken or unspoken. They are a way to
protect ourselves without creating walls. They set a semi-permeable
barrier between us and others."
Horses
react to having their boundaries violated the same way people do, it is
just more visible.
© Bonnie Treece
2006
Next issue….
Developing healthy boundaries in your horse relationship.
About Bonnie Treece and Horse’s Way:
At Horse’s Way Equestrian
Arts, we have witnessed that connecting with horses guided by a
facilitator has the potential to promote healing by recognizing when we
are emotionally congruent. We invite you to discover your inner world,
open your heart, and honor the unique gifts you’ve been given. You will
embrace the wisdom of your emotions, empathic abilities and authentic
untapped potential. For over 15 years Bonnie has participated in,
co-facilitated, and hosted workshops relating to the integration of
physical, psychological, and spiritual uniqueness. She is now
integrating her love for horses, Epona training, artistic talent, and
engineering background to bring forth her fascination with the Science
of the Heart. Partnering with her gifted herd, Bonnie facilitates a
distinctive Process of Equine Experiential Learning that reveals and
revives one’s authentic expression.
For more information about
workshops, private sessions and study programs please visit
www.horsesway.com
.
© Bonnie Treece
2006
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