The Blue Door.

Osk has still not produced her foal...her belly is only a foot and a half from the ground. Guess she is a twelve month mother! She is well, energetic, and always hungry.
So I will talk to you instead of The Door.

Mandala has become a place of great peace, learning, relaxation and heightened intuition for so many people. All of the animals, horses, cats, dogs and humans offer great friendship, comfort and challenges. Tonight I am going to talk about "the door".
Those of you who have spent time at Mandala will be quite familiar with The Door. Right now it's blue. It's very old, having lived here for 39 years and being an antique in a previous life. It leads from the kitchen to the tackroom to the stable. Its a work of art, engrained with designs created by the many dogs and a few cats that have opened it ( or tried).
Shaymas, the giant size afghan, left the deepest marks that reach highest up the door. Cleo was always more accurate and one swipe with her paw usual hit the latch.
So why does this door, that opens so easily for dogs, warrant a spot on my blog? Well, it doesn't open easily for people. Once in a while someone will say "Why don't you fix your door?" And my reply is always "Because its not broken" as I gently swing it open for them, the latch cooperating on the first try.
This door requires a lot from people. It asks them first to be gentle...you can't fight it. It asks them to remember to breath, or find the ground with their feet, or center themselves. Often it reflects what they do when they are riding or handling a horse. Today someone was struggling and I suggested they drop their chin ( their "above the bit" position put a lot of tension in their back, shoulders and arms) and as they followed that directive, the door swung gently open. And yes, that elevated chin did show up in their riding!
Sometimes all it asks of you is to be willing to ask for help.
Like with so many things at Mandala, I thank it daily, appreciating the help it gives me in teaching others. And once in a while it even catches me when I am in too much of a hurry, feeling too stressed or forgeting the deep connection that I have to Mother Earth and all that is.