There’s a beautiful phrase I hold gently in my hands, that I’ve adopted as one of my mottos for living.
“Birds coast when they can”
Every time I say it out loud to myself, I’m met with the glorious vision of a bird in flight, that proves these words to be true.
Now, as you travel through your day, really pay attention to the birds you see as they move through the air. Even the tiniest bird, with the smallest of wings, will have moments of suspended rest. Moments not only of surrender, but of expectation; expectation that the currents around them, the landscape they are a part of will carry them for part of their journey.
Birds coast where they can is a reminder to let yourself be supported.
A reminder to look for opportunities for ease, and where you, yourself, may be complicating things in a way that isn’t necessary. Doing too much for what is required.
The experience of allowing yourself to be carried wherever it’s possible is what makes the experience of flight- of life- sustainable. It doesn’t prevent the moment forward; it’s an intrinsic part of it.
With our horses, in work, in life, in the experience of a minute and an hour, there is a time for effort and a time for coasting. And how much we allow for this, our relationship between the two will define both our longevity and wellness, but also our capacity to offer back; to be a part of a cyclic energy exchange that sees us move and work in relationship. Not as separate entities.
Birds coast when they can.
Where are the opportunities for you to coast?
How can you allow yourself to be carried?
And what are all the ways you argue against allowing this to be the case?
Be kind to your gentle selves,
xx Jane
