Jin Shin with my Horse Black Elk

On my birthday, January 5, my Jin Shin friends came over to share Sushi and Jin Shin. I had just come in from a lesson that focused on 'relaxation in movement' with Black Elk. I was in a feeling mode, not in my head and very clear about what I felt about Black Elk. He tries so hard to please. He wants to do it perfectly, so perfectly that he has a terrible time relaxing into the movements, even though we have done them many times and he's really very good at each of them.

My fellow Jin Shin Practictioner's were listening and as I heard myself talk about Black Elk, I heard the words too. Perfectionism, trying too hard or as Mary Burmister says: Pre-tense.

We all agreed that he needed the heart flow. 

Kate and Pam work on Black Elk

In the lesson, we worked on asking for a movement and then not releasing or letting him quit until he showed signs of relaxation. (He was familiar with all these movments, but he tended to relax only AFTER he stopped) We wanted him to learn he could relax WHILE  he was moving. What I found during the lesson was that unless I slowed things down a lot, he would go and go but not relax, until he got to walk or stop. I felt if he could learn to relax while moving we'd both be happier.

So, Pam Frye, my Jin Shin teacher and I went out to work on Black Elk. He's an introvert, which means among other things that he's shy, and has trouble showing what he's feeling.  It also means he'll stand still while you work on him, which is great.

I did the heart flow on him while Pam worked on the 12's - which is all about unloading garbage from the past- releasing. Why we didn't have the camera going is beyond me. It was amazing. He dropped his head and began yawning and yawning, opening his mouth so widely he looked as if he wanted to vomit. (Horses can't vomit, by the way)  He twisted his tongue so it was sideways in his mouth, he stuck it out - untill about 8 inches of tongue was showing, he continued to yawn, stretching his neck down, shaking his neck, pawing, rolling his eyes, chewing, mouthing, sticking his tongue out again and again. Deep breathing, sighs. This went on for 10 minutes or more. Until he was quiet. He looked back at me with a big quiet eye.

His actions reminded me so much of some very intense therapy I had done on a very painful childhood issue. At times I felt as if I would vomit, and I would often dream of vomiting. In Elena Avila's book: "Woman Who Glows in the Dark" (a Çurandera) she says that naseau and vomiting are always signs of brining a soul back into the body, back to earth, to ground, to recapture that lost part of ourselves, it is a true spiritual cleansing. (see page 211)

I think this happened for Black Elk. For the past two weeks I have seen him come out more and more, playing with toys, with the other horses, acting like a big kid, cantering in lovely small circles.

And in our work together, he is learning to relax while moving.. but more about that later.