195 Hands on With Horses •Sam MacLean

Apr 13, 2021 | Acupuncture, Diagnosis, Listening, Methods, Palpation, Practitioner Cultivation & Development, Veterinary Acupuncture

There are yin and yang ways to be with a horse, or for that matter— with a person as well. That yin aspect might be yielding, but it’s far from weak. And having a broad receptive gaze allows us to see the wholeness beyond the so-called broken parts of those we are here to serve.
 
In this discussion with Sam MacLean we look at some of the multifaceted aspects of using touch and presence. The importance of not having an agenda, how a sense of yielding is essential to connection and the essential role of a loosely held sense of attention can guide our mind and hands in the work we do.
 
Listen in to this conversation on listening, following, presence and touch. And how something luminous we see in others is a reminder of some resources we carry within ourselves.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

  • The pivotal moment of “no where to go”
  • Yin and Yang aspects of horse people
  • Listening with the hands
  • What happens when you begin with yielding
  • Asking nothing from the horse
  • The difference between perishing and dying
  • The difference between intention and attention
  • Releasing the desire for results
  • Getting out of the way
Relax your armpits!

Your patient…whether human or horse…will be at ease and ready for treatment when they sense you are similarly at ease. Releasing tension from the muscles around your armpits might be a good first step toward a successful session.

Sam MacLean

Over the arc of my career I have worked as: a fitness professional, public speaker, university lecturer on the mind-body connection, non-profit fundraiser, integrated marketing communications specialist, and more. It took a midlife trifecta of a divorce, unemployment and a fall at the top of a mountain for me to finally re-orient my life toward my passion: connecting with horses. My mission is to be of service to horses and their guardians by creating heart-centered connections that support their return to harmony.

My whole-horse work focuses on equine acupressure, myofascial release, massage (tui na, shiatsu, trigger point), and reiki (animal and human). I am an associate instructor at Elemental Acupressure where I get to share my love of Chinese Medicine, specifically the Five Elements, with other people interested in helping animals.

Personally, my most meaningful work is providing compassionate comfort-care to horses, their guardians and herd-mates during the death or euthanasia process. It’s an honor to offer horses harmony in both life and in death.

 

 

Links and Resources

You can email Sam. 
Or visit her on Facebook, Instragram or Youtube. 

Here’s the quote from the seminar with Claude Larre, s.j., and Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallee (May 26,1990) that Sam read concerning how the desire to heal can be an obstruction to healing:

“You also must not be blocked in yourself, or full of desire to heal. You have to do your best, very quietly, and then let go. You must not have inner agitation or desires, even the best of desires; if you do not have desire, then you have a real relationship with the patient and are not forcing the patient to correct his spirits to please you. To be satisfied with yourself means to harmonize yourself. If you are quiet within—as you must be while doing calligraphy or archery—you will do good healing work.”

This came from a blog post by Erin Moran, you read more here. 

 

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