Easier Movement, Happier Life

Send Mary a message I'm sharing a quick, sure-fire way to tame your anxiety.  It's a simple, powerful exercise that you can do almost anywhere. And it'll not only reduce your stress and calm your nerves, it'll get you into a more creative, receptive state. That means you'll come up with creative solutions to problems. In addition to feeling happier and more confident,  the...

Send Mary a message Whether you want to improve your horse's athletic performance, confidence or comfort,  there's a KEY step that needs to happen.  And I'll tell you all about it in this episode.  This key step has benefits for you too. It refines your communication, enhances your feel and helps you connect more deeply with your horse. What's really cool is that when you help...

Send Mary a message If your horse expresses displeasure when being groomed, tacked up or blanketed, how do you respond? Do you correct your horse with a verbal " Hey, knock it off!"?   Or do you administer a slap? Or do you reassess what you're doing and (gasp!) actually LISTEN to your horse? This episode explores common situations that equestrians encounter with their horses. Horse...

Send Mary a message Want to move with greater ease AND feel happier too? You're in luck! Feldenkrais Method movement lessons not only help improve posture, flexibility and balance, but may help you cultivate greater happiness, optimism and wellbeing too. In this episode, Mary explains  how doing Feldenkrais movements can help you feel better about yourself AND give you the tools to keep impro...

Send Mary a message You may think that creating strong habits around exercise is a good way to achieve your health and fitness goals. But what if I told you that your exercise habits could be increasing your risk of strain, stiffness and plain old boredom?    In this episode, I'll share key elements that you can add to your movement program to make it healthier and more effective. And even mo...

Send Mary a message You've probably have heard that if you want to improve, you have to push beyond your comfort zone. You're encouraged to go to your maximum, to develop more willpower.  But is that approach REALLY serving you? In this episode, learn when it's more effective to stay WITHIN your range of ease and comfort.   You'll learn why pushing to your limit can backfire. A...

Send Mary a message Did you know that you can improve your movement simply by changing the very beginning of a movement? You can develop better body awareness and improve your coordination simply by pausing and changing the very BEGINNING of a movement.  This applies to any movement that you do, including riding, leading your horse, taking hold of your steering wheel, walking or any other movement...

Send Mary a message Do you think that you lack the talent, opportunity or confidence to ride better? Do you think that your horse is too stiff, spooky or lazy to do the things you really want to do?      If you answered yes to even one of those questions, you have have a limiting belief. And you're not alone.  Virtually all of us have a BUNCH of limiting beliefs in different areas of our live...

Send Mary a message In this episode, Mary shares inspiring thoughts from members of her Happy, Healthy Horsewomen community. You'll hear what they learned from their horses. And how their horses gently (and sometimes not so gently!) pointed out where and how they could improve. In listening to their horses, these women learned a lot about themselves. And not only did the improve their horsema...

Send Mary a message Do you want more flexible hips? Or do you wish you were more balanced, relaxed and confident in the saddle?  In this episode you’ll learn something that's ESSENTIAL to helping you achieve those goals.  And that's to identify the TYPE of horse person you are. I’m not talking about whether you’re a dressage rider, a jumper, a trail rider or a reiner. I’m talking about a...

Send Mary a message Learn 3 questions that’ll transform your mindset and help you reach your equestrian goals. First, you’ll get clear on what you really want.  Then you’ll learn how to harness the power of your brain to challenge your so-called limitations and start creating the reality where your dreams DO come true! FREE resources: 💥Unlock your horse's potential! Join our FREE 5-day chall...

Send Mary a message We’ve reached the FINAL 2 key things you can do to enhance your horse’s body and mind. I call this improvement Unlocking Your Horse’s Superpowers . You’ll hear why it's common for us to get stuck in routines that dull our senses and keep us trapped in unhealthy patterns. And how introducing novelty into your life can help you and your horse get free from those restrictions...

Send Mary a message There are 7 key things to enhance your horse’s body and mind. I call this improvement Unlocking Your Horse’s Superpowers . This episode will explore the 4th and 5th keys. In this episode, you’ll learn how common it is to habitually tense your muscles more than necessary. And how this chronic sense of contraction and strain interfere with your freedom of movement and restricts y...

Send Mary a message There are 7 key things to enhance your horse’s body and mind. I call this improvement Unlocking Your Horse’s Superpowers . This episode will explore the 2nd and 3rd keys. The way you breathe, move and direct your attention are felt by your horse, and they all play a role in shaping your interactions with your equine. This episode will explain how you can become more aware of yo...

Send Mary a message There are 7 key things to enhance your horse’s body and mind. I call thisimprovementUnlocking Your Horse’s Superpowers. This episode will explore the first key. You’ll learn the essential first step in helping you and your horse move easier and feel better while deepening and enriching your connection. The first key, which we’ll explore in this episode, sets the foundation for...

Send Mary a message Let me start by putting your mind at ease. This isn’t about the KIND of clothes you wear. It’s literally about HOW you dress. How you put your clothes on. And take them off. You’ll learn how putting on your shirt or jacket the same way over and over can create an unbalanced seat, a leg that creeps up and even pain in your back, neck and shoulders. Not to mention discomfort and...

Send Mary a message Want to get rid of a common cause of stiffness, soreness and fatigue? In this episode, you’ll learn a NEW way to use relaxation to improve suppleness, generate more power and enhance well-being. And this works for you and your horse!  It's likely that you and your horse have excessive tension in certain muscles. You’re overworking some parts and underusing others. It’s an...

Send Mary a message What do you do when your horse feels stiff, resistant, or “lazy?” Do you use stronger leg or rein aids? Maybe add a touch of spur or a tap with the whip? In other words, do you simply make your request LOUDER?  If you do, I’d like to offer you another option. One that will work a whole lot better. And FEEL a lot better to you and your horse too.  In this new approach, you'...

Send Mary a message What do you feel when you touch your horse? Maybe you notice that your horse is itchy. Or that a certain spot is tight or sore.  These observations, while important, only tell a very small part of your horse’s story. Would you like to learn a lot more about your horse? Like why she moves and behaves the way she does? I’ll give you a simple, powerful exercise you can do to impro...

Send Mary a message Do you ever hear yourself saying things like, “I’m an anxious person.” “I’m not confident.” “I’m stiff and uncoordinated.” “I’m a procrastinator.” “It’s so hard for me to improve.” Those labels you slap on yourself are LIMITING BELIEFS. They hold you back. They don’t help. If you’d like a simple, quick way to get rid of those limiting beliefs and transform them into beliefs tha...

Send Mary a message Do you wish your horse listened to you better? Do you want to stop pushing and pulling on your horse? Do you want to know what your horse is feeling and thinking? Do you want to be able to influence your horse in a gentle, partnership-based way? If any of those questions resonate with you, you’ll enjoy listening to this week’s episode of Easier Movement, Happier Horses. Want to...

Send Mary a message You make decisions all day long. From what to wear, what to eat, what to think, what to do with your horse, those are all decisions. Most of your decisions are unconscious. They happen automatically, without thought. Each decision you make helps shape your life. If you’re like most people, you’re making decisions based only on remembered experiences and images. You’re not using...

Send Mary a message  If you’re like many horse people, you set goals. Maybe you have a goal to improve your horsemanship, compete at a certain level or explore a challenging trail. And while goals can be useful, there’s a big difference between achieving a goal and getting the RESULT that you want. Overlooking this distinction can lead to disappointment and frustration. In this episode, I’ll walk...

Send Mary a message Did you know that your horse is included in your brain’s “body map?” If horses are an important part of your life, your brain has most probably mapped your horse in your brain. You always knew your horse was in your heart. Now you know your equine is in your brain too! In this episode, you’ll learn how to use this knowledge to improve communication to and from your horse. Which...

Send Mary a message Wouldn’t it be great to ride and handle your horse with ease and a natural feel? And to intuitively know how to best help your horse? In this episode, you’ll learn how tapping into your own body and mind can help you understand your horse more. We’ll dive into how you can develop the skill of “informed intuition.” It’s like intuition on steroids! And it’s a skill anyone can dev...