Zen for Riders-Another Milestone

Part I: Do You Really Know What Good Posture Is?

WOW! I finally got a chance to go to a Rider's Seat Combo Clinic with Tom Nagel and Karen Irland this week. Ever since I've become a CR Instructor, I've been hearing about Tom's course and the "missing link" to riding through the correct use of the psoas (pronounced so az) muscle. Tom actually calls it the First Key to Centered Riding, followed by the four basics, techniques and visualizations of Sally Swift's groundbreaking first book .
Sally actually uses the word psoas and shows the anatomy in her 2nd edition book but working with Tom, you are able to isolate the part of your body that represents the true CORE-the place of stability that so many of the best riders can access without thinking (see unconscious competence in previous blog).

Somewhere along the line, we develop habits that force our body to work harder, with tense, tight and often sore outside muscles. I've been told in the past that the key to a stronger back is to develp strong tight "6 pack abs". Turns out, according to Tom, that when you engage your core and the muscles of the psoas, you can create stability in you body that makes it easier to use the abdominals and all the other muscles of movement. With simple tone in those muscles, the psoas takes them along for the ride as you physically move through your day or participate in physical activity, including riding. So why the emphasis on six pack abs? Because you can see them and it represents achievement in physical strength. BUT DO WE REALLY NEED THEM TO BE THAT LARGE? Maybe if you're a competitive body builder. But for the average human, it's more about correct use of your body from the inside out. This was very revealing to me. It explains another comment in Sally's book, that says it is not about physical strength but correct use of self that makes riding so harmonious with your horse. So how do you use your self correctly and what does the psoas have to do with it?

It starts with posture, what those in the know call an independent seat. We have all become dependent on the chair we sit in and when you ride that way it creates an imbalance that not only upsets your horse, but forces you to tense and tighten your outside muscles to avoid falling over. The psoas, deep in the body, connects the upper body to the lower and when you adjust the lower back and pelvis by flexing this muscle, you actually LENGTHEN your lower back and level your pelvis-but you must let those six pack abs soften. With a simple exhale, release of the solar plexus and what Tom calls the scoop motion of bringing your pelvis up, you have created a stable center from which all else will emerge. The top part of the psoas is the core that stabilizes and the bottom part connects to hip flexors. And here was a real surprise for me once I practiced Tom's exercises. When you release the tension in your outside muscles, engage your core, it actually releases the tension all the way to the top of the head-all of a sudden I was moving my head at the top of my spine right where the vertebral column connects to the skull, my "pole" if you will. Now I have stability and my upper body feels longer and more mobile. I have LIFT.

This just gets better and better. But why should you believe me? To quote Mr. Nagel "If it's stable, it works." Try using your six pack abs next time you try to stay on your horse as he spooks at a leaf blowing in his path. You can show the doctor in the emergency room how buff you are as they're wheeling you to the xray department to count how many ribs are cracked on your left chest. Stability in your core and tone in your outside muscles (strength with flexibility) creates ease of movement. Now you're in self carriage (how many times have we heard that term without really knowing what it meant?) To ride in harmony our movement must be vertical and alternate from side to side as our 4 legged horizontal horse moves us forward. It works so much easier once you release the tension and develop simple tone in your outside muscles as you put your psoas to work. At the top of the body are the hyoid (pronounced hi oid) muscles that engage up to level the chin and release the shoulders. It is the scoop at the top of the body.

Having good posture used to mean sit up straight, don't slouch and while it appears from the outside that you are using your body correctly, we now know that a good posture in riding and in life means tone, self carriage with stability that allows freedom of movement, free from pain caused by tension and locked joints. As Karen would say, "How cool is that?"

NEXT: Part II Breathing or "Did You Know Your Horse is a Martial Artist"?