Good Shepherd Gabriel
I’m Gabriel
My path to working with horses is unique in the sense that I wasn't raised around them. I was led to horses through my work in the mental health field, as a mindfulness practitioner, and understanding the healing modalities of the human mind have made it a perfect fit. I am certified in equine Shiatsu massage therapy through the National Certification Board For Therapeutic Massage And Bodywork.
My professional background has been in the creative visual and musical arts field where feel and instinct are what result in true creativity. I've found this same creative feel and instinct is present in how I approach working with horses. Constant observation of subtle shifts of energy. There is where communication is happening that is outside of language. This is the flow of energy that makes bodywork special and powerful. This is presence and patience.
Why Horses
A horse is always seeking to answer the question, “Am I safe in this moment?” All of their senses were designed to observe the present physical reality and measure their safety in real-time. A horse is a perfect companion to lead us towards being more mindful of our physical body and physical reality than getting lost and absorbed in our cognitive realm–over thinking our way through life or letting our imagination become our reality.
Horses allow us to confront our fears and past experiences with courage, free of judgment. Because of their sensitivity as flight animals horses can teach us to be disarming to others and to ourselves as we become humble servants to them.
A horse spends less time in the cognitive realm and more time in the emotional/physical realm. They uniquely invite us to do the same and in doing so, show us that true connection happens beyond our thinking mind.
Equine Shiatsu
Shiatsu is one of the oldest forms of therapy there is–healing with hands. It focuses on the flow of energy in the body Ki (key). Shiatsu means finger (Shi) pressure (Atsu), and it’s usually our thumb that provides the most pressure along the bodies energy channels known as meridians.
Shiatsu is a path of gentleness and encouragement, learning to read body language and leading the body to relax and release emotions that become stagnant, so that the life force can flow as it was meant to naturally. A horse’s truest expression is movement. How we help them return to that natural movement is through relieving their tension in a graceful manner.
