Showing up with Openness and Authenticity

For a variety of reasons, social contact with friends and extended family, neighbors and co-workers has been limited because of the global pandemic. Many folks have wisely heeded all the public health recommendations by wearing masks, practicing physical distancing, and frequently washing their hands. This is good.

In the midst of all this, I believe that living beings need a certain amount of physical contact.

Many of us get that contact from our furry friends. Dog and cat caregivers know that stroking a dog, cat, or other animal can lower blood pressure and help you quickly feel calmer and less stressed. I have been deeply grateful for the two kittens that my daughter insisted we adopt after they were abandoned. Multiple times each day, at the expense of work interruption, I enjoy petting our cats.

Recently, I had the extraordinary experience of being hugged by a horse. I don’t mean that the horse wrapped its hooves and legs around me. Nonetheless, I was hugged!

I was exploring the opportunity to interact with horses who act as “coaches” to humans. I entered the indoor riding ring and was invited to sit on a chair with two other people who would lead the coaching. Almost immediately, two large un-haltered horses came over to me. They smelled me. I talked with them, touched their noses and foreheads and interacted in this way for several minutes.

Soon after, the barn cat came over and sat on my lap. One of the horses was interested in smelling and then licking the cat on my lap. For several minutes the horse who I eventually named “the Hug Doctor” began licking the cat, mostly on its back. Since the cat was sitting on my lap and since a horse’s tongue is fairly large, my knee got soaked.

Eventually, the horse walked away. I decided to stand up and approach the horses. One horse didn’t really want to have much to do with me. This big brown horse had its ears back and walked away. The other horse, the Hug Doctor, let me approach.

I started by talking softly and gratefully to the horse. I started stroking it. I stood close and enjoyed the connection I felt. And then, it happened. The Hug Doctor leaned into me and gave me a sustained horse hug, connecting with the core of my body.

I stood still, with a well of emotion rising from my belly and heart. After a moment, I wrapped my arms around the horse’s neck. Of course, this was an overstep on my part, but still a natural reaction. Slowly, the horse stepped away. I was stunned and immensely grateful that the horse knew what I needed.

So, what does this have to do with Dialogue Education and learning-centeredness?

I found and continue to find, that when I show up with openness, authenticity, love, curiosity and wonder… amazing things happen. This has been my experience as a consultant and facilitator, a parent and friend; a wholehearted human.

What does this story of the horse hug offer to you as a reminder of your own humanity in this turbulent time?

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Andrea Van Liew is a GLP Partner and Chair of the GLP Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team. Here are other blogs written by Andrea.

Here are other GLP blogs connected to openness, authenticity, love, curiosity and wonder:

  1. Dialogue Education and Love
  2. Dialogue Education and Love: the power of sacrifice
  3. Confessions from a Former Workshop Rockstar
  4. One Funeral, Two Learning Tasks

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