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Is Riding A Horse Like Dancing With A Half-Ton Gorilla? ©

Imagine dancing with a half-ton gorilla! The band strikes up a leisurely waltz. You, a mere 140 lbs. more or less, sweep around the ballroom floor with your powerful partner who weighs 1000 lbs. more or less. Or was that you stumbling, stepping on your partner�s toes, stiffly, resistantly, annoyingly failing to stay in synch? Were you soon out of breath? Or was that you having the time of your life, joyously swinging and swaying in perfect harmony with your partner�s exhilaratingly heaving, rhythmic strides?

Now, for a minute, take a deep, slow breath, release it, close your eyes and picture yourself dancing again with your half-ton gorilla. Imagine that you are agile, happy, and hugely enjoying the splendid waltz. The gorilla is laughing too, a wide toothy smile. Swooping and swirling, you both revel in the glow of boundless energy.

Now, switch gears. Take another deep breath, hold it and let the waltz continue. What do you notice? How does your body feel? And how about your partner�s body? Your partner�s face? Smiling? Frowning? Bewildered? (Take a ''catch'' breath if you need to.) What about ''perfect harmony''? What about ''joyously swinging and swaying''?

Now resume breathing normally, and notice as you do that your body takes a couple of minutes or maybe several to recapture the merriment and ease of motion that flows. Tension has a habit of hanging on, lurking around.

Continue to breathe slowly and deeply in and out. In your imagination replace your half-ton gorilla with your most favorite riding horse. Gently settle down onto the horse�s back. The waltz begins. Your horse moves forward picking up the rhythm at the walk, a lively walk, gracefully then passing into a trot, full of animation and delight from head to tail. Are you dancing too in perfect harmony with your partner�s every swinging stride? Is your heart joyfully full of the pleasure of sharing the generous energy of two happily partnered individuals? Or are you back there with the half-ton gorilla, Humpty-Dumpty on horseback, holding your breath, stiffly fumbling and stumbling, while your partner struggles?

Whether your partner is a biped or a quadruped, whether you are standing face to face or astride, the movement is always about the dance, the interdependent blending of two individuals in motion. Feel it. Would I rather have Humpty-Dumpty on my back or a classy ballroom dancer as my riding partner? Then remember, anyone can be Humpty-Dumpty; achieving the grace of a ballroom dancer takes practice. Any half-ton gorilla can tell you that.






© Mary-Charlotte Shealy 2007