12/ FEBRUARY 2024 THE RIDER We Can Hustle: Seasons Come and Season Go. How will you flow with them?


By Shelby Olyschlager Well friends, it is a new


year. A new cycle in the modern world has come to completion and we begin the cycle yet again. One year, 365 days, 52 weeks, 12 quick months that make up our timeline of what it means to continuously live on this planet. So what do you do with this information of a new year starting while the old one comes to an end? What do you want this new year to bring you and how do you want to evolve into a higher version of yourself? I feel that our birthdays


are more of a connected time to reflect on ourselves as we officially pass a new age of growth. The day we change and grow “older” is the best time to reflect on who you want this next ver- sion of yourself to be. Who do you see for yourself with this new number that will never be repeated again? These are the questions


that January 1st bring up as well. How do you want to make this year a little bit better than last? This article is more of a


warning to be careful of the new year resolutions and the restart of a cycle as an at- tempt to start “clean” or with an empty slate. One which I don’t know why we believe that; why do we need a clean slate or a cycle to end fully in order to feel this sense of empowerment to finally take control of the reins of our life? Do you want to be in


control of January 1st or will January 1st be in con-


trol of you? Decide if you want the beginning of a new year to determine your abil- ity to make the changes, to evolve and level up like you know deep inside of you that you want to? Personally, my answer


is obvious. I choose to be the one in


control of that “feeling” of a clean slate and the “feeling” of a new beginning. Why? Because I don’t believe in “needing” a certain date to determine how I am going to feel and how I am going to move forward with this day, and with the next day , and the next, and the next. I choose to follow the


path that feels the most nat- ural for me. I believe Spring is the time to embrace the cycle of rebirth and begin- nings. To follow with the natural cycle of our planet and when the sun shines harder than it did before, we can begin to feel its energy pouring into us as we reflect on who we want this rebirth


of ourselves to be. Just as plants & animals


come back to full life in that season, we can also take ad- vantage of that natural call- ing to grow, develop and evolve into something we weren’t before or in the depth of winter. We are a new being, with new oppor- tunities and chances to rise up alongside our gardens. But, this is something


you must decide. You can decide to go easy on your- self this winter and this “new year”. You can decide to embrace the darkness while waiting for the light. You can decide to flow with the seasons and feel per- fectly at ease with that knowing you are just apart of nature, doing what nature does — not force a single thing. Nature simply just does,


it just grows when the time’s right, it just allows itself to be swayed by the course of the cycle and maybe we can incorporate that into our


Equestrian Breathwork –


Riding is an In- side Job


With Holly Barnett, REMT, CSF Have you ever consid-


ered the way you breathe in- fluences how well you ride? Your breath is an autonomic process, meaning you don’t have to consciously think about it for it to take place. While it may not have oc- curred to consider but that doesn’t mean you should as- sume all is well. Your breath influences


your health and performance in many ways on so many lev- els. Given you can go for weeks without food, days without water and mere min- utes without air – it makes sense that you might want to pay more attention to your most vital nutrient, the AIR you breath! On average you’re tak-


ing 20,000 – 25,000 breaths per day and there is about an 80+% chance (according to statistics) that you’ve devel- oped poor breathing patterns due to modern lifestyle over the years. Posture and stress are two leading factors while breathing through the mouth and over breathing are two of the most common patterns. These dysfunctions are detri- mental to your health and ul- timately erode physical and mental performance. Even elite athletes suffer from


breathing dysfunctions – until recently we just


haven’t been paying enough attention to our breath. There’s extensive re-


search on the ill-effects of im- proper breathing, making it a no-brainer to include this as a baseline line self-health care priority. Lack of proper oxy- genation (*not a lack of oxy- gen!) is a result of imbalanced biochemistry of the blood and leads to a cascade of health is- sues. Fatigue, brain fog, lack of endurance, feeling the need to breathe through your mouth during exercise are all signs you could very well have a breathing pattern dysfunction. This year we explore


breathing patterns and bene- tame


fits and how they impact not only your ride but your rela- tionship with your horse. I’m excited to share all I’ve learned over the past few years as I delved into all thing’s breath, became a breathwork facilitator and cre- ated a scientific breathwork method that has been helping equestrians around the world. Make 2024 the year you and


train BREATH!


Holly Barnett – Breathwork Facilitator, Founder of Intero Breath, Equine Bodywork & Saddle Fit Expert www.inter- obreath.com


your


lives too. Because, no one is blaming the bear for hiber- nating, or for the flowers not “sticking it out” when the conditions clearly aren’t meant for them to flourish. So this new year, decide “how” you are going to be- come in this time; with the natural cycle of nature as your forefront of thought. Yes it is a new year, but you don’t have to accomplish it all within the first 30 days of January, you can choose to let yourself feel the season and know that that is per- fectly ok. The thing with cycles is


there is always another one — another day, another hour, another minute right around the corner. You get to decide how you want to begin that “new cycle” every single time. I think you know within yourself what to choose. Have a great winter and


embrace the natural sway of nature. Just know you have time, you have a new cycle


Send us all your news for the next issue of The Rider! Deadline March 5th!


coming up and you get to choose how you feel about it. For your sake, please go easy on yourself, enjoy all you can and embrace every season for what it is and what it will make of the next. Every season is impor- tant and it’s important to feel them fully and full of love and acceptance.


Shelby Olyschlager Bio: Shelby is the host of the


We Can Hustle Podcast. She strives to deliver weekly support, education and con-


nection for everyone going through their own unique journey with horses. As a barrel racer, she has learnt through her own trial and error how to create real changes within ourselves and within our equine part- ners. She shares her lessons and the lessons of guests on her show and social chan- nels. “It all starts with our- selves. If we can approach life with empathy, an open mind and determination; we can all achieve what we set out to do.”


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