I've just landed back home from a fabulous several days in Cave Creek Arizona spent with my special Masterson Method® certification friend and Tevis amazawoman, Mary Jane Fridley. My second annual Masterson Method® Gathering, was once again held at the beautiful Sonoran Desert Carefree Farms. This turnout, affectionately known as the Jimboree by fellow MMCPs, was yet another event that managed to surpass my expectations. That's saying a lot, considering my mind was blown last year & I operated on that high for months following.
With an informational plug about the dogs at the Gathering, courses filled up over night. Woof Woof! I am looking forward to seeing my class next week in the first ever, newly launched Masterson Method® Beyond Dog Massage Read & Release online course!
This year I had a great time meeting new folks and reconnecting with others. And yet there were many I wish I had more time to know. Our days were filled with the kind of stuff only true equine bodywork-anatomy-enthusiast-geeks can enjoy. Read on and I dare you to check out these astounding individuals.
The lineup of presenters began with the remarkable Jillian Kreinbring @jilliankreinbringinspired.com teaching us how to walk with the horse in meditation. That's a big one to learn. To do this with consideration for enhancing the horse's mobility while developing good posture that falls into alignment, all with thought to what she calls the 'sacred geometry '. This will take practice. Sorry no photo, this gal was just too captivating!
Daniel Dauphine of Dauphin Horsemanship, (check him out here: @dauphinhorsemanship.com) dove deep into the horse's mouth, particularly the tongue. His presentation helped us understand tensions and primary issues that can easily, yet unintentionally, come from ill fitted bits, crappy design & poor metals. Not being a ‘bit’ rider, I found his talk fascinating and enlightening learning about flabby cheeks and the mouth seal. This man knows his stuff! Plus I learned a really cool male horse fact that I bet you don't know. Just ask & I’ll share this with you.
The lovely effervescent Keri Lake walked our group through what she calls 'navigating overwhelm'. This was a ‘Wow!’ session for me. I know I will be applying her 10 second techniques of internal reorganization when I find I need to get more present in myself. Again, I missed the photo opportunity, her talk was so deep I didn't want to interrupt by snapping pictures. This lady is pretty special, for more on what Keri does go to her site here, @generateharmony.com
This 4 day Gathering was filled with talks & demos from our 'Master' Masterson Method® Certified Practitioners, Coralie Hughes. Walter Saxe, Becky Tenges and the man who started it all, Jim. From this line up we got tips on what to look for before and after, learned about the Lovett Reactor System and the horses ability to be elastic, the geometry (more math!) in our techniques and a personal favorite, the fascial lines.
Back home today I spent time with one of our own horses, Tesla, giving her a full Masterson Method® Integrated Performance bodywork session. I applied new techniques, the Master’s personalized tweaked versions of old techniques and observations that I learned over these days. My girl, Tesla, is generally a challenge for me. She melted under what I brought back from Arizona. At the end of her session she was 2.5 inches higher between her scapula and withers! She held a nice lifted reversed U between her front legs and a soft relaxed tail. Not to mention, how loose her hind legs became. As they say, ‘the learning never ends’.
I have profound gratitude to Jim & all of the Masterson Method® crew that worked hard to put this unparalleled gathering together. Thank you!
Feeling grateful
Loving the Journey