238: Observing Without Judgement

The process of observing and then assigning meaning happens so fast in our nervous system that it takes practice to separate the two events. Often we have no idea we are even assigning meaning instead of just observing because our brains are predictive machines. It just feels normal to see something and immediately decide it is good, bad, right or wrong. It feels almost intuitive to decide a person or horse is just lazy, stubborn, has attention deficiencies or is just naturally high or low energy, which we like or don't like. Practicing observation, pulling our brain away from giving everything a meaning, is harder than it sounds but worth the effort. In the space of observing we have to slow down, pause our words and actions, and take in information. The information we take in about horses is what actually guides training, especially during rehab training or while developing balance for the first time. Timing yourself for just 5 full minutes of nothing but observation is how observational skills are developed and refined. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.wexfordfarm.com