Being in the Presence of Animals – A Mindfulness Meditation
My favourite place to be is standing in a field with horses with no agenda. For a while, I questioned this and thought maybe I should be doing something. Then I realized that the act of doing nothing and my desire to just be in the presence of nature and horses was allowing me to regulate my nervous system.
In this busy world, it can be difficult to be still and lean into the pleasant sensations around us, while being present with the sensations in our body. With this meditation, we focus on doing both in hopes of bringing a sense of safety and regulation to our nervous system.
I invite you to do this meditation in the presence of the animals in your life, whether that is you’re your dog, cat, horse, or with the support of an Equine Assisted Therapist and equine partner. If you do not have access to animals, you can also do this by visualizing a memory of a time you were with your favourite animal and allow this picture to be what you lean into.
If you are doing this meditation in the presence of horses, we are purposefully not touching the horses. If your horse approaches you, that is okay, but we want to be alongside and just in the presence of horses. For that purpose, doing this mediation over the fence might be best.
Meditation outline:
First, allow yourself to stand comfortably in a safe place that allows you to close your eyes or lower your gaze.
Notice the ground beneath your feet, how your shoes feel, and rest your arms comfortably along your sides.
Start with three deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Allow yourself to focus on the sensation of breathing, how this feels in your body, leaning into what feels safe or pleasant.
Remember that you are safe to move towards the sensations of breathing, exploring the rise and fall of your body.
Shift your attention to the sounds around you, notice what they are and how they make you feel. Are these the sounds of the animals? Are these the sounds of nature and the environment? Are these the sounds of the neighbouring areas?
Allow yourself to notice and name these sounds, each time leaning into how they make you feel and notice how you feel in your body as you lean into them.
Shift your focus back to breathing and do three more deep breaths, again focusing on the sensation of breathing, the rise and fall of your body.
Begin to notice and move towards the sensations in your body. Remember, we are approaching them without any agenda or desire to change them, we are only approaching with curiosity. What do you notice?
Shift your attention to the smells around you, notice what they are and how they make you feel. Are these the smells of animals? Are these the smells of the environment?
Allow yourself to notice and name these smells, each time leaning into how they make you feel and notice how you feel in your body as you lean into them.
Shift your focus back to breathing and do three more deep breaths, again focusing on the sensation of breathing, the rise and fall of your body.
At this time, notice and move towards any sensation in your body that might stand out to you. Remember, we are approaching them without any agenda or desire to change them, we are only approaching with curiosity. What do you notice? What are they doing now?
Shift your attention to the taste in your mouth, open your mouth wide and notice the air that comes in, notice how your mouth tastes and feels.
Allow yourself to notice and name these tastes, each time leaning into how they make you feel and how you feel in your body as you lean into them.
Shift your focus back to breathing and do three more deep breaths, again focusing on the sensation of breathing, the rise and fall of your body.
At this time, notice and move towards sensations in your body. Remember, we are approaching them without any agenda or desire to change them, we are only approaching with curiosity. What do you notice? What are they doing now?
Notice any sensations that have changed, moved, or spread, allowing yourself to follow these.
Now, open your eyes and look at your animals. Ask yourself, what do you see? Notice the details and characteristics of the animals in front of you. What are they doing?
Notice, if they notice you. Are they being curious about you? Are they approaching you?
Lean into what you see and how this makes you feel, and notice how you feel in your body.
Lean into what feels good about this. Are there any pleasant sensations in your body as you watch the animals?
When ready, close your eyes again or lower your gaze, and allow yourself to do three deep breaths.
Lean into what feels safe about the space and environment you are in and what might bring you joy in this moment.
To end, open your eyes, and share a moment of gratitude and thanks towards your animal companion.
This outline is only a guide to practice this meditation, and you do not need to do it exactly as written. The key elements include:
Leaning into the surroundings around you
Titrating between focusing on your surroundings and back on sensations in your body
Allowing space to focus on breath
Connecting with your senses and allowing for regulation
Leaning into pleasant sensations
Only being in the presence of animals and not trying to change anything
If you enjoy this meditation and have frequent access to animals, lean into this activity consistently, playing around with spending a few minutes to even half an hour.
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