In my social, work and equine life, there are times where I will say to the folk around me that certain things are close to tipping me over the edge. Recently I’ve maybe said that a bit more than normal! Little things can occur that are triggers for me feeling completely wound up – and that I know I react to. However, life is all about balance, and I recently read an article that talked about the exact opposite to triggers! Glimmers!
Glimmers aren’t the huge life changing moments that rock your world – they are the little things that occur and make you take a breath, or smile. We are all individuals, so mine will probably be different from your; some that I can think of with Frankie are:
- The sun shining on us when we canter up the hill
- Being able to count and feel the 1-2-3-4 when riding between jumps
- When he walks towards me in the field
- When he sees me at the stable door and comes to say hello
It’s not huge, it may only last a second, and it certainly doesn’t make the criteria for a blog or Fb post. They are just the little moments that make me smile a bit, when I know we have made a bit of progress or just enjoyed time together.
But there’s something even bigger than that… Psychologist Dacher Keltner talks about the “8 wonders of Awe” that exist in the everyday world around us:
“Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast and mysterious that transcends your current understanding of the world”
They activate our vagus nerve and bring our nervous system, heartbeat and breath into sync. Not only that, they can help boost general well-being!
The 8 wonders include: Nature, Music, Visual design, Collective effervescence, Spirituality and religion (Mystical Awe), Life and death, Epiphanies (Big Ideas), Other people (Moral Beauty, Acts of Humanity, The Wonder of Others)!
Awe could be seen to be a mix of wonder, admiration, respect, sometimes accompanied by a little bit of fear or dread. It can be triggered when we experience something that is cast, or difficult to fully understand – like some of those amazing natural beauties like standing at the waterfall at the Hermitage, or the Grand Canyon. Awe is that feeling that stops you mid-stride.
For riders, it might look like:
- That feeling when you hack to the top of a hill and looking out over miles of countryside, listening to the birds and feeling your horse underneath you and feel so completely delighted
- That moment your horse locks onto a fence and you fly over it feeling like youre properly working as a pair
- Doing a dressage test when everything feels fluid, together and beatiful
It’s not just thinking “that’s really nice.” It’s “WOW”.
Research shows that feeling awe:
- Reduces stress and inflammation in the body
- Lowers anxiety
- Can quiet the negative inner voice that sometimes we all feel
- Is a positive emotion that can be beneficial for both mental and physical health
Not just that, but when it happens it can actually change our perspective. A good example of this might be when competition or camp nerves start to take hold. You know that feeling when we
- Feel like a situation is a HUGE deal
- Start to feel totally overwhelmed and unsure
What happens next?
- That jump that is totally within our capabilities becomes enormous.
That lesson that we have been looking forward to starts to feel like a test and we forget to breathe - The competition suddenly feels way more important than it has done
Sound familiar? The good news is that Awe can flip that around completely!
Instead of zooming in on the pressure… Awe helps you zoom out.
It can remind you:
- This is one round
- On one day
- With one horse
- On a very big planet where most of this doesn’t actually matter as much as it feels
And in that moment?
- The pressure softens
- Your breathing steadies
- And the capable rider you already are comes back online
The best part? It’s everywhere You don’t need a fancy clinic, a huge event, or a dream venue to feel this.
Awe lives in ordinary yard life too:
- Early morning mist over the fields
- The detail in your horse’s coat when you actually look while you pat them
- That quiet moment leaning on the stable door taking in how fortunate we are
These are not small things. They are powerful resets for your brain and body.
So here’s your gentle nudge…
Next time things feel busy, pressured, or a bit overwhelming:
Pause.
Lift your head.
Take in what’s around you.
Let yourself have that moment of:
“Wow.”
Because sometimes the quickest way to feel calmer, braver, and more confident in the saddle isn’t doing more, it’s noticing what’s already there.
Read The Art of Brilliant’s blog on The Science of Awe here.
