Rhythm, Blues, &.....HORSES

Our bodies crave RHYTHM; in utero our mama's heartbeat, a gentle sway of grandma rocking us, the swings at first-grade recess, and a long walk down the beach listening to the waves crashing in.

Perry (2021) recognizes rhythm as an essential component of trauma-informed care. Perry highlights the importance of patterned, repetitive, and rhythmic activities. Where do we find rhythm?

• Grooming our equine partners and syncing to the beat of their heartbeat, sitting deep in the saddle and finding peace in the 4 beat rhythm of the walk, the 2 beats of the trot, and the 3 beats of the lope. Rhythm teaches our body and BRAIN about predictability, it connects our bodies to the outside world and regulates our nervous system!

High anxiety and stressful situations force us to remain in the thinking part of our brain (the brainstem). If we want to make informed decisions and utilize higher-functioning skills, we need patterned, repetitive, and rhythmic activities to build cross-brain connections.

Perry, B. (2021). The neurosequential model network. https://www.bdperry.com/