• Email: [email protected]
  • Blog
+1 (802) 823 2888
The HERD Institute
  • Home
  • About
      • Our Mission, Vision, Values
      • Our Team
      • Find A Practitioner
      • Testimonials
      • Become A Member
  • CERTIFICATIONS
    • About The HERD
      • Overview
      • Military Spouses Funding (MyCAA)
      • Foundation Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP)
      • Advanced Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP)
      • Equine-Facilitated Learning (EFL) Level 1
      • Equine-Facilitated Learning (EFL) Level 2
  • Events
      • At Home with The HERD™
      • Equine First Aid
      • Gallery
  • Publications
    • About The HERD
      • Books
      • Blog
  • SHOP
  • Contact Us
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
blog

Kumbaya

Last month saw our first hurricane preparation at The HERD Institute. We are incredibly thankful that Hurricane Dorian spared us a direct hit. I cannot imagine the horrific devastation that this storm has caused for all those in its path, and my heart goes out to all those affected. Thanks to friends and neighbors who have been through this before, I am grateful that I am now equipped to prep for something like this. Yet another learning curve in my journey of living Stateside.

With all of that, I am recognizing, more and more, how change is the only constant in my life. Every day, something new presents itself to me, whether it be a new business challenge, an opportunity for connection, or the whispering winds of knowledge that I have yet to gain. Deep in my bones, I can feel the pull towards all the ways in which I want to develop the institute, provide support to our students and graduates, and expand the reach of the work that we do as equine-facilitated practitioners. I am motivated, committed, and dedicated to our vision to create a global community committed to furthering the work of the pioneers of our field. I am excited, curious, and hopeful for all the incredible services that all of our graduates are now offering to the communities they serve. So many moving parts, continuously changing, shifting, and growing. And, I am exhausted.

As I write this, I can look out of my office window and see my horses grazing in the pasture. When I do, I pause and breathe. Inhale, 2, 3, 4…exhale 2, 3, 4. Repeat. I notice the tension in my body, in my jaw and shoulders specifically, and intentionally yawn to release some of it. I can hear my friend and colleague, Sarah, in the background talking with an old high school friend of mine who has stepped in to help us revamp our website. They are laughing as they work together, and to my introverted ears, it’s too much, and I’m irritated by the sounds, so I stick my noise-cancelling headphones on to block them out. I wonder then, if I’m irritated because I’m exhausted, and what else might I be reacting to more viscerally than usual, and what else I might be blocking out, if I wasn’t so tired. I sigh, and again notice the tension in my shoulders and jaw. Taking a deep breath, I tell myself to “suck it up” because I have work to do. And then I laugh.

I laugh because I recognize the compassion that is needed in myself, for myself, is still something that I’m working on. I laugh because the sounds of my friends sharing moments of joy actually delight me. I spent the past weekend with some incredible women on our Empowering Women through The Daring HERD™ retreat, where we discussed the importance of knowing our core values, and the ways in which we sabotage ourselves in our quest to live to those values. We talked about the need for connection, support, and hope in order to build the resilience needed to live courageously. The women were moved to tears as I read Brené Brown’s Manifesto of the Brave and Brokenhearted. As we invited the horses into the process, the mares we were working with chose to stand with us as part of the circle. They weren’t doing what they were trained to do. They were allowing themselves to be where they needed to be. For the women in the group, it represented their desire to join us in unity.

In the work that we do as equine-facilitated practitioners, we often highlight the ability that horses have to simply be in the moment, present in the here-and-now, and offer that to those we work with as evidence of a more peaceful, tranquil, and connected way of being. As if that’s what we should all aim for. In an ideal world, I would agree. I have also encouraged people to take a breath and focus on the here and now – it’s a core philosophy in The HERD model after all – and when I do, the feedback is usually that the participant feels more relaxed in that moment. That’s all well and good, but how do we translate that into every day life with all its associated pressures? How does that help to alleviate some of the stresses in our lives, and the burdens we might carry?

Recent studies have shown that intentional breathing exercises can help to activate the vagus nerve, which forms part of the parasympathetic nervous system, the regulation of which impacts our capacity for social engagement, trauma recovery and resilience. Bringing our attention into the present moment allows us to momentarily press the pause button in our lives, breathe, ground, and center ourselves. It is in this pause that we can reach for and access any available support, evaluate our choices, and reconnect with others. The connections that we reach for, and hold on to, in those moments of pause allow us to feel less alone in our struggles, and helps us to weather the impending storms.

Recently, one of my friends expressed her frustration with how this approach might lead to a “touchy-feely”, Kumbaya attitude where struggles are voiced but nothing is done, and at some point we all need to suck it up and get on with life. In this, I understood her urban definition of Kumbaya as the sitting around a campfire and singing variety; a naïve optimism that as long as we love each other, everything will be okay. This led me to wonder about the apparent gap between a Kumbaya approach and the polarity of just suck it up. It also led me to questioning how the refrain of Kumbaya got such a bad rap.

Historically, Kumbaya is acknowledged as pidgin English for “Come By Here”, and was sung by black folks in southern plantations, a chorus of unity to bring strength to each other, an anthem against oppression, and a plea for salvation through prayer. So much for the apparent polarity to the “suck it up and get on with it” mentality that it’s supposed to represent. The existence of the song and lyrics of Kumbaya are, in fact, a cultural containment for hope and resilience, without which it would not be possible to move forward to get things done. Kumbaya is the ultimate definition of acknowledging our struggles while shifting our understanding of what it means to suck it up. Kumbaya calls for strength through unity in order to carry on. Because no man is an island, and we all need support. Whether we are facing injustice, grief, uncertainty, or the reality of whatever hardships we face in life in that moment, we need the help of others to alleviate what sucks.

Once again, I’m reminded that it is never either/or, black or white, right or wrong, but always both/and. So moving forward, I will be taking on the mantra to Kumbaya the Suck out of life. So bring on the storms, and we will breathe and weather through them together. But maybe not the hurricanes ;-).

Warm Wishes,

Veronica
Executive Director

October 11, 2019
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
  • Visit us on Yelp
https://res.cloudinary.com/dtlmnbals/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1661253878/kumbaya/kumbaya.png?_i=AA 1024 1024 [email protected] http://herdinstitute.com//wp-content/uploads/2022/06/The-HERD-Institute_Logo_Transparent-300x300.png [email protected]2019-10-11 17:10:102023-01-17 20:12:14Kumbaya

Join Our Newsletter

Archive

  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • October 2021
  • August 2021
  • June 2021
  • April 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • June 2019
  • April 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018

Pages

  • Home
  • About
      • Our Mission, Vision, Values
      • Our Team
      • Find A Practitioner
      • Testimonials
      • Become A Member
  • CERTIFICATIONS
    • About The HERD
      • Overview
      • Military Spouses Funding (MyCAA)
      • Foundation Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP)
      • Advanced Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP)
      • Equine-Facilitated Learning (EFL) Level 1
      • Equine-Facilitated Learning (EFL) Level 2
  • Events
      • At Home with The HERD™
      • Equine First Aid
      • Gallery
  • Publications
    • About The HERD
      • Books
      • Blog
  • SHOP
  • Contact Us

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

And stay up-to-date on any new offerings to aid in your journey.

HERD Institute logo white

In THIS HERD… You Really Belong!

  • Link to Facebook
  • Link to LinkedIn
  • Link to Instagram
  • Link to Youtube

Our Offerings

Publications

Membership

EFP Certification

EFL Certification

At Home with The HERD™

HERD LOGOWEAR

About Us

Find A Practitioner

Our Team

Mission, Vision, Values

Become A Member

Testimonials

Blog

Connect with Us

Email: [email protected]

Call: +1 (802) 823 2888

Hours of Operation:

Mon.–Fri. | 9 AM–5 PM (EST)

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

 © 2023 The HERD Institute | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Designed by mPrint Creations

Marvelous MistakesWhat Are We Giving Thanks For? Scroll to top