'Aha' moments. Riders and coaches love them!
How often do you get one of these special 'lightbulb' moments?
Would you like to have more of them?
Do you know how to recognize them when they happen?
How do we make them last longer?
.....let's take a look, shall we
In this case, I was teaching a Balimo Seat Clinic. In these clinics we typically use both mounted and unmounted exercises to remove tension or 'blockages' from an area of the rider's body.
Then the rider repeats the movements she was riding prior to the exercise. Herein lies the key to the 'aha' moment.
At first the rider must remain silent and focus on what she notices, if anything, has changed for her. Sometimes it's a feeling in her body, sometimes it's the way her horse reacts. The first 30 - 60 seconds are important here. It is in this small window of time that the rider has an opportunity to gain a new feeling - a new awareness. It's a little like looking at a star in a bright sky. If you look directly at it, it disappears - but use your soft eyes and alas, it reappears.
For this reason I explain to the rider before they remount that this little window is available to them. And if they can use it to gain a small feeling, then they are on their way to creating a better habit, via establishing it in their muscle memory. Their homework becomes the exercise used to find that 'aha' feeling. When done daily over about a four to six week period, riders will find that this new feeling becomes integrated into their riding.
oh, and if you're curious to experience this for yourself, join us at our next Balimo Seat Clinic. We'll be waiting for you.
...... more on muscle memory next time..
Joan Adler
Author of A LEG UP - Pilates for Riders