A few years back, before the Bright Lights Book Project became my major time suck, I was focused on making the mind-body connection. My two goals were first to become more physically fit and secondly to become a better rider. This complemented my interest in Centered Riding. Making this connection made sense to me, and yes, I did achieve my goals.

But the adage “change is a constant” proved again to be true. I was a Level 1 Centered Riding instructor, and I thought, was soon to be a Level 2 instructor. This was my only aspiration. I organized clinics locally and brought Susan Harris and Peggy Brown here, for two, two-week clinics. I participated in them both.

At the conclusion of the second clinic, I asked Susan and Peggy both if I was ready to be promoted to level 2 and Peggy gave me a flat out no. Susan deferred to Peggy, this, after she’d once told me I’d done more for Centered Riding than anyone she knew.

Fern

That was that. I was not the best rider, nor was I the best instructor because I was at the time the only Centered Riding instructor in the state. I thought I made it up in other ways but apparently not.

I continued to converse with Susan Harris and visited her twice in New York. She had an obesity problem and died three years ago. So went my remaining connection with Centered Riding. In retrospect, the Centered Riding instructors who evaluated me (And Peggy Brown was one of them) were the least centered people I ever met.

At the same time, I was doing my Centered Riding thing, I took Ti Chi and Feldenkrais classes. The Ti Chi teachers were more interested in their own self growth than they were in their student’s growth. And the Feldenkrais teacher was also a terrible teacher.

All these pitfalls . . . I kept riding and drew upon what I knew after some dreadful mind body experiences.

Now another door is opening. Yesterday afternoon I went to Tae Kwon Doe class and resumed my body awareness training. Like Ti Chi, Tae Kwon Doe is a martial arts class. I think the basic premise behind them all is mind/body awareness.

I just took one class. I did terribly. Ron, the instructor, he said something that made a whole lot of sense, which is that you must do something 10,000 times before you’re good at it. What came to mind was this – this echoed the sentiments of Dan Coyle, the author of The Talent Code. Coyle did a study of those he considered to be superior athletes and determined that repetition is key. Ron said that in order to do the moves well, one must do them 10,000 times. No one had ever told me this before, but of course I’d read it.

I now have just one goal, which is to again be a good rider. I hope that I will return to and complete the body/mind connection.

Next: 64. 3/6/24: Arrrgh