Ep. 60 | The Body Mind Connection Is Like A Horse and Rider

Today during my run, I realized that the relationship between our body and mind is a lot like a horse and rider. In order to work most effectively, there needs to be mutual respect, kindness, and teamwork. How do you respond when your body is bucking, rearing, or injured? Listen to this episode to think about what kind of "rider" you have been. 

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Transcript

0:59

Hey Life Boosters! This is Dr. Amelia, health and life coach and recovered burnt out veterinarian here to help you ditch the yo yo dieting, people pleasing and perfectionism by breaking the norm and living a life that energizes you from within. So I just got back from a morning run because that was what my body was really craving. It was like the perfect temperature outside. It was like in the 50s. Sun was just coming up. There were just ducks everywhere, one duck was just living its best life in the sprinklers which made me just so happy to watch and I just had a little thought that I wanted to share. So my goal is that this is going to be a quick podcast episode. And before I dive in, just wanted to give a heads up, if you are a veterinarian, I am hosting a free series. It's called Beat the Burnout, What We Should Have Learned in Veterinary School. And I have just kind of like, you know, had it in terms of like waiting for the veterinary profession to make real change. Because if you are... Not a veterinarian, you may not be familiar, but our profession has a very high burnout and even suicide rate. And there's a lot of talk about it, and yet I just feel like we're not making like a huge amount of progress. Um, with the vets that I talk to and just the general norm in the profession. I think that we really need a big revamp. And I am just ready to... Start that change. And my goal is to really empower one vet at a time by teaching them the tools and skills that I now have and that I pass on to my clients that really work for change quickly. That really helps people who are feeling... Stuck and overwhelmed unhappy in their jobs when they have these tools like anti anxiety tools, Mindset shifts, when they feel comfortable speaking up for their boundaries and have clarity even on what boundaries they need, Then it changes everything and they start to enjoy their job again. So I'm going to be sharing some super cool Tips that I just feel like every vet needs and my goal is that you know, not only is that going to help that vet or veterinary student to feel better, but they're going to be empowered with these skills and this knowledge that they can pass on to those around them, the veterinary team, their colleagues, friends, we can start a powerful ripple effect and I'm super excited. So in the show notes, I will leave the link to sign up, but it's basically Have a great day. Bye. Bye. You can go to www. lifeboost. today/ beat burnout and you can sign up. Okay. So as I was running, my body was just really feeling it and I was running up a hill and I just felt like, Hmm, I think I could, like, I'm feeling like I want to step it up. And so I just kind of like checked in my body with my body. It was like, do we want to do this a little faster? And my body was like, hell yeah, we do. And in that moment I was like, huh, this is kind of like, like a horse and it's rider. Like my mind was kind of like checking into my body and like, Hey, you want to go into like the next gear? Like almost if you think about like a racehorse, you know, stepping it up into that next level. And I thought, you know what, that's kind of a good analogy of the relationship that you have with like body and mind. You can really think of your mind as like the equestrian and the rider and your body as the horse. And really looking at the relationship that you have with your horse, your beautiful, elegant, but fragile, sometimes, horse. So if you, I grew up riding. I started when I was six and I rode all throughout up until college. And then I came to a screeching halt once I, um, was in vet school'cause I went to school at UPenn in Philly and, uh, you know, in vet school you're just stuck in survival mode. And so I never ever thought that there would be a point in my life when I wasn't really riding. Um, but here we are. So anyways, um, horses are beautifully designed, you know, they're elegant, but they're powerful, but they also can get injured easily. So I want you to think about, you know, what type of rider are you because are there times when maybe you're expecting your horse, your body to be running as fast as it can every single day? Like maybe sometimes it's tired, and it's not really wanting to canter or gallop and maybe it's resistant to that But are you kind of just like bullying it or pushing it to do that anyways? Thinking that it's just being stubborn. You know leaning into like when is your body saying? Hey, you know what? I kind of I need a break because if you want a horse that is always there for you You're thinking like you are a team. You and your horse. You have to understand each other. You're always communicating and, and communicating through the signs that that your horse is giving through its body language and its actions. And thinking, are you respecting and are you staying curious when your horse isn't doing what you planned or what you want it to do? And maybe that is that it's not, it's not performing in the way that you want. And thinking, like, are you giving it high quality food? Have you maybe been giving it too much food? Maybe you feel like you want to be showing your horse love and the way that you're doing that is like tons of treats, maybe. When really maybe your horse just needs more attention and more quality time. Or, when your horse isn't doing what it needs to be doing, have you been honoring rest? Because these horses are incredible athletes, right? They can do a lot, but they will break. They will get injured if they're not having time to recover. There's only so long that they can, you know, in order to be jumping or racing, they need that time to rest. And then also thinking, you know, horses, they sometimes rear and buck and, and really leaning into that, like thinking about like, when is my body kind of rearing, is there something that's scaring me and thinking, are you trying to bully your horse and just being like, Oh, you're fine. Just go stop, stop being difficult. Or is it helpful to be like, wow. Hmm. What's scaring this horse. What is, why do they think this plastic bag is, you know, a monster? Really just because we may not think that something like a plastic bag is scary. They have a very different perspective. And that can sometimes be the way that your body is. Your body may be saying, Hey, whoa, this is feeling like a lot. This is feeling scary. And our minds our our conscious minds have a tendency to be like, you're fine. You shouldn't be stressed about this. It's okay. And that's not always really helpful, right? If we're just kind of gaslighting ourselves into being like, no, you shouldn't be afraid of this. This isn't a scary situation. Our unconscious mind picks up cues around us that our conscious mind may not be aware of. And so it may be picking up things in the environment that it is thinking are threatening. And whether or not they actually may be threatening in reality, It's so much more helpful and productive if you get curious and try to see it from your body's perspective. Like, why, why is there resistance here? Why is this feeling scary or intimidating? And instead of just bullying it to push through, Maybe it just needs. Maybe you just need to like, give it a pat on the neck. Maybe you need to give yourself a second. How can you reassure your body that you are safe so that you can move forward in a way that feels good? Not in a way that feels even more scary and bullied, you know? And, and leaning into the energy too. There are times when horses are just wild, right? They are hard to control, you know, is your body having impulses and cravings that, that you're feeling just out of control with and instead getting curious like why is it understandable that my My body is behaving this way or my horse, you know, if your horse is crazy Maybe it's because it has been raining and it's been cooped up in its stall for a few days Right, like has it needed movement that it's not getting Is there just a lot of pent up energy or maybe stress that it hasn't been able to release? And thinking about that with your body, too. If your body's behaving in these outbursts or these ways that are feeling out of control, really instead of judging it, always embracing that curiosity and thinking, Hmm, why is it understandable that my body is behaving this way? Maybe you have been way too controlling. Maybe you haven't been letting your body Just do what it naturally wants to. Maybe you haven't been honoring like the nourishment that it needs or the movement. Maybe you've been trying to be too rigid with the rules in life. Anytime you are too rigid and holding yourself back or white knuckling, your body is going to revolt eventually because that's not natural. Your body is always trying to speak to you in the only way it can, through its signs. And if you're not listening, eventually it's going to start bucking. It's going to be like, you know what, I tried to tell you that this is too restrictive, that I need more nourishment, or that I need you to be paying attention, to that I'm really stressed, I need to be told that I'm safe, but you're not listening, so instead I'm gonna like, eat all the donuts. And I'm gonna just like order this food that I know is gonna make me feel like crap because I just can't take it anymore. I need a break from you being so rigid and controlling, right? So I just wanted to share that little analogy that popped into my brain during my run and just really encourage you to, you know, maybe this week, start to pay attention to what kind of relationship do you have as a rider and horse? Are you treating that horse, your beautiful body, in a loving and respectful way? Are you being a kind and understanding owner who is there? Are you remembering that you are a team? You work together so well when you respect each other. Remembering that your body cares more about you than anything else in this world. And so anytime your body isn't cooperating, there's a really valuable lesson as long as you ditch the judgment and then you embrace curiosity, you approach the relationship with your body with kindness, and you really lean into what you need to feel good inside and out. So I hope that helps you today. Wishing you a wonderful week. And if you haven't already One of the first steps of partnering with your body is knowing how to tell your body that you're safe when things are feeling overwhelming or you're feeling out of control and You can get my free Favorite one minute anti anxiety tool. It is my secret weapon and That alone can be a total game changer. That's a free resource you can now sign up for. I'll leave the link in the show notes. You can also get it if you visit my website, www. lifeboost. today. You can also always send me a message on Instagram I'm@lifeboostwithamelia. When you sign up, I will share with you a 4 minute video that walks you through my favorite, it's a 1 minute anti anxiety tool, I'm gonna explain it, you're gonna go through it a couple of times, you're gonna feel amazing. And then I will send you 6 powerful ways that you can use it in order to be decreasing stress, changing habits, getting better sleep, empowering those around you, um, and totally revamping your mornings so that every morning feels way more doable sounds pretty great, right? That's because it is and you can get your copy by signing up. Okay. Bye Cheers to your inevitable health, happiness, and success.