if wishes were horses

This morning I happened upon a PBS broadcast of Dr. Christiane Northrup, MD, someone I have followed for many years, first encountering her wisdom in the pages of East West Journal, the old macrobiotic magazine. She is a wonderful healer, teacher and holistic ObGyn. She mentioned something in the broadcast which intrigued me when she described the power of an image to cause a measurable hormonal response in the body. She suggested that we all need to have access to an image that makes us “melt” inside, that really moves us and puts us in touch with our love and concern – for some it will be a baby or small child, for others a kitten, puppy or a helpless baby bird. Everyone can probably name one that works for them. Apparently it is well-documented that release of the master hormone DHEA is triggered by this type of thinking -- specifically in women, but I would imagine that positive hormonal reactions are connected to all human feelings of deep care and concern.

Today especially I had wanted to share an inspiring image and a wish for us all for the year to come. When I pulled Dr. Northrup’s book off my shelf to see if I could find the relevant passage, I found it overflowing with inspiration. I highly recommend the book: Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, which has been called “a masterpiece for every woman who has an interest in her body, her mind, and her soul.” From the final paragraph:

“Commit to living your dreams – one day at a time. This is the process that is required to heal our families, our communities, and our planet. May you go forth now, to take a nap, to embrace a child, to feel the sun on your face, or to eat a good meal slowly, knowing deep within you that the next step for healing and living joyfully is already there, waiting for you to listen to it, waiting to be born into the world – through you…”

Above you see a photo that has caused any number of big, burly martial artists of the male gender and equal numbers of women to “melt” in response. Calvin is a special horse I met at the Centered Riding Instructors’ Clinic in North Carolina and Liz Rome (introducing daughter Keeley to Calvin) is the beautiful, patient and skilled rider chosen by his owner to ride him during the 3-day clinic. I felt a special connection to Liz – she had an earnest and determined, yet open quality about her, in addition to her obvious riding expertise and experience. She was also the same age as my own daughter. Even as a novice rider, I could appreciate the way she handled Calvin. She was just the calm, quiet, patient and steady leader he needed to reassure him through his fear issues.