Dressage: the art of compassionate care for loving kindness

The beautiful and flowing equestrian sport of dressage has roots dating back to the writings of the Greek general Xenophon over 2,000 years ago. Since the Renaissance, modern dressage emerged, catalyzed by "The Rules of Riding" by Federico Grisone in 1550.

This sport is also an art form, with the horse and rider becoming seamlessly united in movement and grace. In dressage, commonly translated from French as "training," a sequence of movements defines the competition and is performed within a standard arena.

The horse becomes a graceful gymnast, masterfully moving with the subtle commands of the rider. The rider and horse become one, a magnificent display of horse and rider mastery, a blended union.

Certain schools also perform "airs above the ground," a spectacular show of movements where the horse completely leaves the ground, gently and instantly suspended in air.

The art and sport of dressage take years to master. The horse must completely mesh with the rider, as this systematic training requires consistency, patience, and practice.

This compassionate care creates loving-kindness and trust, as this aspect of the training is of utmost importance.

At all times, the horse must be treated with love and respect. There is a special connection that forms between the horse and its loving human, the two form a lifelong bond, a special loving relationship that lasts a lifetime.

This is the first and foremost prerequisite, as without a humane loving and compassionate relationship, the art vanishes. Noting this, we can see a correlation between dressage training and our own mindfulness practice.

We learn to be kind and loving with ourselves.

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As the Buddha expresses,

"The liberation of mind through loving-kindness has beauty as the highest perception."

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When we work with our mind, including mindfulness training with our thoughts, perceptions, and emotions, the important points to remember are gentleness and kindness. The greatest critic in our own lives is ourselves.

This is a self-defeating prophecy, as the more we are unkind to ourselves, the more our spirit suffers. We were all miraculously placed upon this earth as a treasure and jewel.

Knowing this, we can learn to be patient and exhibit grace to ourselves through our own internal training, with awareness and fresh, loving eyes. As the rider shows respect and kindness to their horse, we can do the same with ourselves.

Treating our inner spaces with care and love, grooming and gently nudging towards improvement and mastery, our dressage becomes refined and immaculate. The sport and art of life are our greatest show on earth; may we treat it with the awe and respect it deserves.

We are the perfect synthesis of horse and rider, unified in a magnificent dance, as we show ourselves and the world the compassionate loving-kindness and reverence we all deserve and inherently own.

And one day, with consistent training, we reach great internal heights as our "airs above the ground" become timeless and effortless.

Cheers!

Kether

Spunky Mind

"A good rider can hear

his horse speak to him.

A great rider can hear

his horse whisper"

Unknown Folklore