Welcome Chinese New Year, the year of the horse. This year, this world will present increasingly more difficult tasks to perform and endure, our ‘horsepower’, more than ever, required to sustain us and our communities. Horses represent a ‘call to action’, and this is a ‘fire’ horse year, the horse that embodies intense energy and rapid change – no better time to mobilize strength and commitment than now.
Horses are known for fierce independence, yet they’re loyal, social, and form lifelong emotional bonds with each other. They understand group dynamics and necessary cooperation amongst all members. ‘Horses are herd animals, leadership in horses is shared between a few of them and they hold the herd’s safety as a priority. A
fire horse is playful and involves others in the tension release and brain recalibration that play stimulates. This sort of leadership style benefits humans, too. A good human leader shares responsibility, lifts up the community, shares resources wisely so all thrive, has energy, humour, intelligence, and clarity.’ ***
Perhaps the horse’s sensitivity and deep insight will promote good will and compassion this year – let’s study that. There are stories of horses as support animals who visit hospital palliative wards, offering companionship and healing – let’s emulate them. Horses press ahead, rush and charge, but know when to step gracefully around obstacles, picking their way forward, modelling careful, deliberate perseverance – let’s propel ourselves headlong into our precious lives and also remember to take our sweet time.
Wishing everyone a spirited, emphatic, joyful, creative, socially positive horse year.
***Thank you, Paola di Paolo, dedicated yoga colleague and horse-whisperer.
