RSM Blog
Rider's Seat Method
Inhale up, exhale down. Using vertical breathing for growing and centering.
A lesson with Jessica, riding Chloé, using vertical breathing for centering (exhaling down) and growing (inhaling up). The concepts of centering and growing can be found in Centered Riding® and this was part of my presentation for the 2021 Centered Riding® Virtual Symposium.
Further examples and exercises using vertical breathing are presented in my Rider's Seat Course.
The Psoas Muscles
Where are they and how do they flex?
The truth is...out of sight, out of mind.
Unconscious Competence
Why most of the riding world doesn't know about the psoas muscles.
Experienced riders use their psoas muscles without being aware of it.
The following quiz shows how we unconsciously process information.
Read the following text:
FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE-
SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC
STUDY COMBINED WITH THE
EXPERIENCE OF YEARS
Now count the number of F’s in the above text before reading further.
How many F’s did you count?
Most people initially count three...
Pick the Weeds
Pick the weeds is a metaphor for time and resource management.
The more resources you have, the less time you will need to get the job done. The less resources you have, the more time you will need to get the job done.
When you are with your horse, ask yourself, what are the weeds I need to pick in order to accomplish what we will do today?
Time and Space
Are you a time or space person? Time people live life through the filter of time. Everything is based upon time. Space people are more concerned with the experience of what is happening. What is the orientation of your horse?
Tom Nagel
Author
Tom's experience and expertise is in the basic biomechanics of how human bodies work. He practiced Aikido for seventeen years, obtaining a 3rd degree black belt before retiring. He is an advanced practitioner of Zen Bodytherapy®, a bodywork discipline that combines deep tissue and alignment work. Tom started his Zen training in 1977 under the guidance of Tanouye Roshi and became a certified Zen teacher in 1986. He has been conducting clinics for horseback riders since 2000.
