Healing And Horses

Ralph Waldo Emerson said "Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of solitaire. It is a grand passion. It seizes a person whole and, once it has done so, he will have to accept that his life will be radically changed." Alte ative Healers from all over the world share some very basic concepts. First - healing is a matter of balance. If you are out of balance in any area, then disease can begin. Simply curing the disease won't necessarily correct the imbalance. If you were to go to the doctor with a stomach complaint, he/she might run some tests, arrive at a diagnosis and give you a pill. If you were to go to an Energy healer, he/she would spend a lot of time talking with you to understand what is going on - not just with your stomach, but in your life. n We have two major systems of health care in this country today: conventional western medicine and alte ative medicine. Most doctors align themselves directly with the conventional western medicine which depends heavily on the multimillion dollar pharmaceutical industry. An increasing number of them are also adding the holistic medicine as a component in their treatments. The holistic approach treats the body, mind, and spirit as one unit and relies on using natural products. An increasing number of people are using only the holistic approach to staying healthy. Ancient Indian healers would spend time in prayer or trance to see what the spirits have to say about your problems. Often a healer will go into the woods in search of the right medicine plant for his patient. In Western Medicine certain drugs treat certain illness and there can be many deadly side effects which the patient may have to deal with. On the other hand, drugs can be thought of holistically as they too are products of what you think and feel about them. That's why the placebo affect is so persistent. Herbs are different in several ways. First, there are many herbs which treat the same conditions. Traditional healers see herbs as allies with a spirit of its own. One healer may use an herb such as mullein for lung problems, while another healer might use horehound. Both herbs work equally as well, but one works better for one healer than the other. If we put this into the perspective of the drug industry that has helped many we will find that often in this world a drug developed for one problem actually solves another or solves a different problem for another species other than humans. Our subconscious mind accepts whatever we choose to believe. It does not know the difference between right or wrong, nor truth or false information. It does not know when you are kidding, joking, or whatever. It just accepts whatever you say or think. Therefore, what you choose to think about yourself and your life becomes your TRUTH. We have unlimited choices about what we can think. Most of us have foolish ideas about who we are and many rigid rules about how life should be lived. Often ceremonies are used in conjunction with herbs. Each individual healer has his own repertoire of ceremonies which has either been handed down from healer to healer or given him by the spirits. You will probably never see an MD smudging a patient with sage or shaking a rattle while singing a curing song. But these work and often will do the job as well if not better than surgery. Animals are part of healing traditions, too. Since they have spirit, it isn't surprising that people with pets often live longer, happier lives than those living alone. If you want to see a nursing home light up, arrange to take some dogs and cats for a visit. You will see the light come on in many an old tired eye. Horses are very valuable in physical therapy of sick, injured and handicapped people. People with spinal cord injuries as well as many other problems see improvement from therapeutic horse back riding. The horse's walk mimics that of a human's and stimulates and strengthens back muscles which the person cannot move on his own. The resulting benefits include increased mobility and less pain. People with balance problems are often helped, too. And who could be depressed very long riding on a horse? Many people experience their first taste of freedom on horseback. Horses are also seem to know what a person needs to be shown. We have an expression in out horse training "Everything is everything else". What the horse teaches us is often what we need to learn about life in general. Horses live only for the present and mirror back to us who we are with surprising accuracy. So, if you are feeling out of balance, visit a horse. nnwww.zenhorsemanship.comnn