Relative Something

*this* John W. Hays' take on things and experiences

Posts Tagged ‘attention

Scratch Fest

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IMG_iP1628eWhen I walk in the door at home after work, Pequenita kicks it in to high gear, meowing and rubbing herself against my legs in a plea for attention. The second I settle somewhere to take a load off my feet, she climbs aboard.

I am at her service, giving her whatever she seems to want the most, in terms of massage and scratching. Her head shifts up and down, to and fro, moving to direct my fingers to the next sweet spot.

I suppose we both gain something out of the exercise, but I get the impression that she tends to enjoy it just a little bit more than I.

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Written by johnwhays

August 31, 2016 at 6:00 am

All Here

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Focusing on the concept of being “all here” is akin to the moment when uttering the phrase, “I’m all in.” To say you are “all here” reflects something of a simultaneous conscious and meditative state. It is a practice of experiencing a hyper-awareness of everything you feel within, in conjunction with the sights and sounds of the environment surrounding you.

It is an exercise of recognizing the energy radiating from your very core, realizing how far beyond your physical boundary it reaches, with attention to the external stimuli imbuing influence. In a moment, you can be aware of your breathing while sensing the involuntary flexing of your toes as a bird’s tentative song wafts through an open window.

Our horses are brilliant at helping me slide into a place of feeling “all here.” Silently standing among the herd in a mode of total relaxation, while also practicing the art of keen awareness to everything, provides a unique equine experience that most of our visitors miss out on, due to the natural tendency of people to be excitedly verbal.

Of course, I have the benefit of being alone with the horses. Experiencing the herd in this unique way can be achieved with a group of people, as long as there is coordinated attention of all present toward focus on the exercise.IMG_iP0912eRW

Cyndie has a different opportunity to be “all here” with the horses when she is riding them. Here she is with Cayenne in a photo taken by Rachael Walker during a lesson earlier this month.

I feel richly blessed to be learning to practice this relaxed awareness the horses have shown me, even when away from them and involved with other activities. It is an exercise of aligning with my authentic self, breathing into being “all here.”

It generates a feeling of wholeness that feels divine, with echoes of the equine.

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Written by johnwhays

September 26, 2015 at 9:48 am

Attention

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allowing the obvious
to get all the attention
and energy
in quests to address
assorted issues
appearing worthy
we get nowhere
upon our treadmills
pounding out miles
fixing this
fixing that
at least we think
and tell ourselves so
but nothing happens
truly genuine
in terms of change
until we go back
with better focus
to look again
where we’ve previously chosen
obliviousness

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Written by johnwhays

September 2, 2015 at 6:00 am