When I practice embodied presence - mindfully slowing everything down and becoming present to the moment through the body, I often hear a message that comes from a place outside of my usual thinking and experiencing patterns. Today the message came during a lunch break from a beautiful golden horse I was riding while on retreat in Mexico.
Don't be a cow. They're ruminants. They chew the same food over and over. Be a like a horse. We chew our food once, then move it into our stomachs to be efficiently digested.
The human mind can be like a ruminant, regurgitating and chewing on the past, looping about things that have already happened, or obsessively worrying about the future, repeating dark or fearful thoughts.
Biologically, humans are not ruminants, so this is toxic to the mind and body. Chewing on the past or future is a way of dissociating and disconnecting, and leads to overwhelming anxiety and symptoms of depression.
Perfectionists and Codependents are especially at risk.
Today I will practice increasing my awareness of any ruminating thinking and gently bring my focus back to the present moment. I will do so by focusing on my breath as it moves in and out of my body, slowing down my thoughts, and moving into the sacred state of embodied presence. If I cannot stop myself from ruminating on a particular situation, I will distract myself by calling a trusted friend, planning an adventure out of my comfort zone, or writing the situation on a piece of paper and surrendering it to fire to be transformed.
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