Yoga for Equine Body Workers:
An Introduction to Breath, Balance, Mudras and Mantras
By: Paula Pevato, PhD EBW
Essence and energy, body and breath, are indivisible: when the body does notmove, essence cannot flow; when essence cannot flow, energy becomes stagnant.Sun Ssu-Mo, Tang Dynasty PhysicianWhen I embarked upon my first course in equine massage, immediately I began to compare many of the equine body workers’ (EBWs) physical postures with yoga poses, or asanas. As a certified yoga teacher, I was intrigued with how many of the poses that I teach mirror an EBW’s postures, such as extended side angle pose, and thus would be beneficial to the EBW’s body mechanics. Other poses, such as downward dog, are great leg strengtheners, as well as terrific openers for hips, shoulders, hamstrings and even the heart. EBWs certainly need a combination of suppleness and strength in all areas – mind body spirit – layers of balance, or ‘essence and energy’. Certainly, yoga can help us to achieve these layers of balance that enhance our massage practice for the ultimate benefit of our equine clients. This initial exploration evolved into my externship essay for the equine myofascial release course wherein I matched yogasanas with EBW stances, therein creating two separate routines for EBWs, one restorative and a second at the level of a hatha I sequence. I also added a few hand poses, or mudras, and wrote about the importance of breath, or pranayama, for the EBW. This approach is similar to how I assist many riders through the application of specified yogasanas in balancing their seats with the goal of achieving samadhi, or union, with their horses.
If you are a seasoned yoga or yogini, then you are aware of yoga’s many benefits and already may have a regular yoga practice. You will also be conscious of the beneficial qualities of proper breathing. If however you are new to yoga and reluctant to incorporate traditional yoga into your EBW warm-up and maintenance, you might begin simply by trying a basic breathing exercise, balance posture, a mudra and lastly add a mantra of your own or recite A Yogi’s Prayer abridged and excerpted below.
Over the next several issues of this newsletter, I will be presenting photos of and guidelines for yogasanas alongside traditional yoga poses, noting the similarities, benefits and any possible contraindications, as applied directly to the EBW’s body mechanics. In addition, other beneficial poses will be explored, poses that alone or in sequence (vinyasa) could be completed as a warm-up before a long day’s massage schedule, practiced during a 10 or 15 minute break between sessions, or used as a restorative routine at the end of the day. As with any new exercise, it is suggested that you consult your physician or other health care practitioner such as your naturopath to ascertain that a yoga practice is appropriate for you, as well as prudent to follow a few safe practice guidelines: begin with simple postures; breath through every posture; move slowly through positions, and keep postures for a few breaths if possible or as long as you can without feeling too much tightness in your body (if it hurts, it isn’t yoga, according to Mark Whitwell!); try different routines; in addition to your yoga mat, use props if necessary such as a rolled blanket, yoga strap, pillow or bolster; and, always rest at the end of any routine (Savasana or Corpse pose), reflecting upon and giving thanks for your practice.
Yoga, Sanksrit for ‘union’, is meant to assist practitioners achieve samadhi, the final limb of Patanjali’s eightfold path: the ecstatic or unitive state in which the meditator becomes one with the object of meditation. In that context, applied to the EBW, could yoga necessarily assist in becoming one with the equine client? Whether it is ‘true unity’ as described by natural horseman Tom Dorrance, or samadhi, yoga for the EBW is a natural fit in his or her own maintenance for mind-body-spirit. As EBWs, we may experience many pathways that can bring a sense of calmness to our equine practice, a calmness that in turn resonates with our equine clients, given their innate ability to sense the slightest ripple of emotion. In future articles, I will explore further these various pathways to maintaining peace and tranquility in your equine practice through yoga, whilst centering yourself before, during and after an equine massage session.
The goal really is quite simple: an EBW whose movements are infused with the balance that yoga can provide will not only offer a more effective equine massage, but also maintain a healthy body, mind and spirit.
Pranayama: Breath Precedes Movement
‘The breath’, according to TKV Desikachar, ‘is the intelligence of the body’. Many yoga teachers incorporate breathing into their classes simply because pranayama, as the formal practice of controlling the breath, ‘lies at the heart of yoga (Cummins). Prana literally means ‘life force’, and ‘can be found in air, water, earth, sunshine, humans and animals’ (Lee). And yes it is also found in our EBW practice! If you listen closely, horses are quite connected with prana, and use the breath to communicate many emotions. How satisfying is it, as an EBW, to hear that long deep sigh from an equine client? It is worth a thousand ‘yes I am totally relaxed now thank you very much’! Ayama, meaning ‘extension’: thus prana and ayama combined denote a ‘series of breathing exercises designed to lengthen life’ (Lee). Many yoga traditions outline different types of breath-movement, but regardless of tradition followed the basic premise represents a common denominator: that through pranayama, the ‘mind is calmed, rejuvenated, and uplifted’ (Cummins). Pranayama also serves as an ‘important bridge between the outward, active practices of yoga…and the internal, surrendering practices that lead us into deeper states of meditation’ (Cummins). For the EBW, this deeper state can lead to a more profound equine massage routine, where EBW and horse are both in a meditative-like state guided by the breath.
Commencing a yoga practice in itself can be overwhelming, with its myriad of yogasanas, vinyasas, mudras, then add pranayama and mantra to that mix (I won’t even mention bandhas or root locks!) and suddenly it does not seem so simple. Relax. It is that simple. Different yoga traditions may teach alternate styles of breathing, emphasizing one or a combination of several, such as:
• Ashtanga: Ujjayi Pranayama (victorious breath, ocean breath, Darth Vadar breath)
• Integral: Deergha Swasam, Kapalabhati (rapid diaphragmatic breathing), and Nadi Suddhi (alternate nostril breathing)
• Iyengar: Viloma Pranayama (stop-action breathing), Ujjayi, Kumbhaka (breath retention)
• Kundalini: Breath of Fire (rapid diaphragmatic breath similar Kapalabhati in other traditions such as Integral Yoga)
The foregoing breathing exercises are perhaps slightly advanced for a newcomer to yoga, and are unnecessarily elaborate given the uncluttered goal of pranayama for the EBW: to envisage such breathing practiced during an equine massage session. Thus, the preferable approach is that practiced in accordance with T. Krishnamacharya and his son T.K.V. Desikachar. Krishnamacharya taught that breathing is the foundation upon which all other practices are built (Cummins). This tradition is followed closely by teachers such as Mark Whitwell who stress the importance of breathing in his classes, reiterating again and again how ‘breath precedes movement’ and the breath represents ‘strength receiving’. Yoga is more personalized and thus one breathing technique for one person may not be appropriate for another, just as one asana may benefit one person but may not be suitable for another.
In Equine Massage: A Practical Guide, Jean-Pierre Hourdebaight recommends that when approaching any horse, ‘ensure that you are calm and relaxed’, and avoid starting a massage session if you are ‘stressed, anxious, tired or fearful’. Sometimes, we might arrive at a barn having negotiated crazy traffic jams, sudden changes in weather (if you life in extreme conditions of snow, sleet and ice for instance!) or you’ve just had one of those days. ‘Don’t stress’ as my South African colleagues would say! Try the breathing exercise below in order to bring you back to a sense of calmness before you begin a massage session.
Adapted from the Viniyoga tradition of Krishnamacharya, try this simple breathing exercise at home. You may be seated in a simple pose (for instance, cross-legged or if your are more advanced, either in half or full lotus) on your yoga mat or lying down, slightly reclined with a pillow supporting your knees (and one under your lower back if you would like a gentle shoulder opener): choose whatever pose is more comfortable. Just like a horse, in yoga, breathing is accomplished through the nose. Place your right hand on your upper torso and your left hand on your lower belly. Try inhaling ‘from the top down, emphasizing an expansion of the upper chest first, then the middle torso, then the lower ribs, and finally the abdomen’ (Cummins). On the exhale, feel the breath leave your body in the opposite direction of the inhale. Your hands should rise and fall with the sequence of your breathing. See if you can create a rhythm to the inhale and exhale. Watch your breath: does it get stuck at a certain point? Does it wander or is there a certain pattern to your breath? Don’t worry too much about where the breath is going, just be aware of your patterns and see if you can regulate a slow, deliberate and steady breath movement. When you are ready, try lengthening the inhalations and exhalations, as well as adding a slight pause between inhales and exhales. Keep your attention on your breath. Our minds tend to wander, so this is a good exercise for keeping your attention on your equine client and the massage routine during a massage session. Try the breathing exercise at first for 5 minutes, then keep adding 5 minutes until you are able to stay present with the breath for 15 minutes. If you are able to apply this level of mindfulness in breathing to your equine massage practice, ‘you will begin to balance your inner and outer awareness, and experience an awakening’. What is the awakening? It is to be fully present in your equine massage session. And your equine clients will love you for it!
Yogic breathing’s additional ancillary benefit is to quiet one’s mind, the vrittis in Sanskrit, or chatter, that tends to dominate our minds throughout the day, chatter that needs silencing when working with a horse and thus make the session a pleasant experience for both EBW and horse. ‘We have a tendency’, writes equine therapist Hourdebaight, ‘to let our left brain dominate, leading to rationalization and criticism thereby reducing our perceptions’. Hourdebaight recommends practicing relaxation, adapting your ‘breathing rhythm to that of the horse’, and allowing the ‘right brain to dominate, giving us more nonverbal intuition’. Through practicing different techniques of pranayama, whilst observing that breath precedes the movement, filling asana and deepening every pose, the EBW can apply these deep, slow and energizing breathing techniques during a massage session. Not only does the breathing help one stay focused and relaxed, when the EBW allows ‘both hemispheres’ of the brain ‘to function in harmony’, the balance will enhance ‘perception and effectiveness’ (Hourdebaight). I support these observations, and would add that the EBW’s massage routine is enhanced, given that a calm, relaxed and focused EBW will in turn feed that state to the horse, whose sensitivity and heightened awareness picks up on the vibration of such emotions.
Tadasana: Be the Mountain
As noted above, this article series will draw similarities between many asanas and the EBW’s massage poses. The fundamental aim for both yoga practice and the EBW’s massage routine is the ability to stand for long periods of time. As such, tadasana, or mountain asana, may be considered as the first and most important common denominator. Tada, meaning mountain, ‘is the quintessence of stillness and stability…[symbolizing] the line that connects heaven and hearth’ (Phillips). As EBWs, we are aware of how long we are on our feet for one massage session. Add several sessions in one day and that work can be exhausting. With maintenance of proper alignment, we can assist greatly in stabilizing our posture and breath, whilst saving energy by avoiding unnecessary movement and resultant fatigue. Hence, establishing a solid foundation through mountain pose can achieve proper posture that, in turn, will help the EBW to ‘feel well grounded in [their] work and more centered’ as well as to ‘feel [their] own body’s energy field as well as [the] horse’s energy field’ (Hourdebaight). Thus, rather than be like the mountain, instead be the mountain.
Here’s how: incorporating your breath work throughout this pose, stand on your mat with your feet positioned shoulder-width apart. Spread your toes as wide as you can (try spreading your fingers then try doing the same with your toes), lift your toes a few times too before placing them firmly on the mat. Connect with the mat. Feel that your feet are grounded like a mountain’s foundation. Keep your knees ‘soft’ (slightly bent at the back of the knees) rather than locked. Drop your shoulders from your ears, keeping the neck and shoulders soft and relaxed. Your chin should be tucked in slightly, pointing forward, and your head and neck feel centered above your body. Soften your eyes, jaw, mouth and tongue. Your gaze or drishti, should be forward, straight ahead rather than towards the floor or ceiling. Arms are placed gently at your sides, either with palms of your hands pointing inwards (but not touching the side of the body) or palms facing outwards. Inhale, and feel your spine erect and strong. Exhale, and ‘feel gravity pulling your feet down into the floor and drawing your tailbone downwards, while above the waist you grow up towards the sky’ (Phillips). Try standing in this manner for 5 minutes, working up to 15 and incorporating the breathing exercise as noted above. The breath contributes to the lengthening of your spine effortlessly and assists in your finding stability. Tadasana’s significance is in this pose’s ‘natural elongation away from a solid base’ (Phillips), which is what the EBW will aspire to both in every asana and during a massage session. This pose ‘teaches us how to balance on two feet and find length in the spine and freedom in the breath’ (Lee).
Tadasana mirrors quite closely Hourdebaight’s detailed description of achieving and maintaining proper balance during an equine massage routine. ‘Good posture’, according to Hourdebaight, ‘is essential to giving a good massage’. He recommends to be aware of your posture during an equine massage session and to make any corrections as you go along. With much practice, your equine body mechanics will benefit from the practice of tadasana as the foundation pose from which all standing poses emanate.
Mudras: Everything is OK
Hasta mudras, Sanskrit for hand gestures, are positions that lock and guide energy flow and reflexes to the brain. Each finger represents one of the five elements: thumb (agni or fire), forefinger (vayu or air), middle finger (akash or ether), ring finger (prithvi or earth) and pinkie finger (jal or water). Common mudras include: guyan, active guyan, shuni, surya or ravi, buddhi, venus, jupiter, prayer, bear, and buddha. By curling, crossing, stretching and touching the fingers and hands, thereby assuming certain hand postures during a yoga practice, one can talk to the body and mind as each area of the hand reflexes to a certain part of the mind or body. Although mudras cannot be fully explored here, one can try experimenting with mudras to help soften hands before a massage, ultimately improving touch on the horse and making the experience softer, gentler, deeper. For instance, jnana mudra is likely the most recognizable and can be practiced quite readily, sometimes informally called the ‘OK’ mudra: in a seated position, place your hands on the ends of your thighs by your knees, palms facing outwards. Join the tips of the index fingers with the thumbs and leave the other three fingers open. Jnana mudra is often used in meditation and symbolizes the individual’s union of one’s soul with the Infinite (Phillips).
A Mantra for the EBW
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
Rumi, Sufi Poet
In the tradition of Kundalini yoga, wherein Yoga Bhajan introduced to the West this style integrating breath, asana, chanting and meditation, we may combine the breathing exercise with tadasana and jnana mudra ‘to liberate healing flows of energy from the base of the spine’ (Cummins), and add one last ingredient: a mantra. Traditionally, a mantra was a sacred communication given to a disciple by a teacher and represented the link between the two intergenerationally. Assigned for life, mantra was supposed to be repeated over and over again during mediation. The purpose of the mantra was to prevent the mind from wandering, given that the mind always had something ‘to come back to when its starts wandering’ (Phillips). Once mastered, the vibrations of the words became rooted in the unconscious. For the EBW, a mantra can encapsulate the essence of tradition by helping to prevent the mind from wandering during a massage routine, through practice in yoga and meditation. The mantra can be one of your own personal choosing, such as a line from a favourite poem or song. Or you may wish to recite the following excerpt from A Yogi’s Prayer during your practice, yoga, meditation or massage routine alike:
Most of all, let the beauty we love as EBWs be what we do: to create the space for horse’s to heal, feel peace and express unlimited joy. Namaste.
Further Reading:
