In her book, The Tao of Equus, author Linda Kohanov shares her personal journey, revealing that it wasn’t until she fully embraced the wisdom of the horse that she finally felt comfortable being human. With this revelation as a springboard, Episode 22 weaves together, strand by strand, a beautiful story of what it means to be human.

As humans, each of us has the innate capacity to sense truth. In the absence of conflict or resistance, the doorway to wisdom, clarity, and the next possibility opens, and an ancient, lost language re-awakens within us. But somewhere along the line, we forgot.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years ago, our ancestors began building societies. Alongside these advancements came rules and structures that gradually confined humans within societal "boxes," dictating what is considered “right” and “normal.” And eventually, we also began creating our own individual boxes, layering them one within another and burying our true selves beneath countless layers of confinement.

Horses, on the other hand, do not recognize boxes. They see straight through the layers of “stuff” we have accumulated and reveal to us the truth: there are no boxes. They guide us into awareness of how deeply we have sheltered ourselves from ourselves. We are then left with the work of shedding the layers and uncovering our authenticity, as well as supporting others on their own journeys of self-reclamation. Horses have generously agreed to be our guides on this journey, to walk us home, if we let them.

Podcast Participants:

Will Brown - https://palmandlotus.com/
Jillian Kreinbring - www.jilliankreinbringinspired.com
Gray Kyle Graves - www.wholehearthorsemanship.com
Leanne Haight - www.facebook.com/leanne.haight
Chris Adderson - www.forthehorse.com
Kerri Lake - www.generationofharmony.com

Consider, for a moment, what it might be like to be truly competitive, but without a combative edge or drive to dominate. Is it possible?

Competition can give us so many great things: community, physical and mental challenges, and goal posts by which to measure our progress - it can bring out our best and showcase our preparation, dedication, and talent. The darker side of competition is when we are motivated by comparison, rather than inspiration, causing us to turn against our fellow competitors, our horses, and even ourselves. How many of us can strive for high levels of excellence while maintaining a positive, emotionally balanced energetic space? And how many of us can do it with the eager, focused engagement of our equine partners as well?

When we have a clear sense of self, our values, and our purpose, we come to realize that competition is rarely about others; it’s about our personal journey, our commitment to growth, and remaining in integrity, regardless of external circumstances. Competition becomes a test of character - a pursuit of goals, not rivals.

Podcast Participants:

Shea Stewart
Tik Maynard
Jessica White Plume
Daniel Dauphin
Barbara Schulte
Kerri Lake

Episode 20 is our Volunteer Episode! It’s a very special conversation among the dedicated hearts who have been working behind the scenes for many months to coordinate the Compass Conversations podcast and who are now working to breathe life into the Intuitive Learning Foundation.

The volunteers considered the following paragraphs and seed question, and the rest, as is our custom, was organic:

We are all stewarding each other. We often consider ourselves stewards of nature and animals, but what if animals and nature are also stewarding us to steward each other? Through intuitive connection, shared experiences, and loving interactions, the non-human world selflessly offers unlimited opportunities to feel accepted, seen and loved.

In our relationships with all non-human life, we have the opportunity to experience ourselves without competition and with nothing to prove. We can experience the common ground of life with lives that are very different from our own. What does it take to experience this common ground with other humans, as well?

Our desire to care for others without greed or judgment, and with an open heart, is a reflection of nature’s stewardship of humanity. The beauty of nature can inspire us to remember who we really are - to be unconditionally invited, again and again, to “re-member” humanity in the vast body of life. When humans listen with a willingness to learn and connect through our heart, we are receiving and re-sharing the gifts of unconditional love that our extended family of animals, plants, insects, minerals, sky, and water are eager to show us.

With the above as a setting, the group spent most of the hour considering the following question: How do our experiences with non-human life guide us in stewarding one another as humans?

Podcast Participants
Kate Coldren
Holly Postlewaite
Hestie Kleinhans
Chloe Garrison
Tina Cormier
Charlene Couch
Majda Pazman
Clare Morris
Kerri Lake