Equestrian Tai Chi

with Jenny Pim

  • Home
  • About
  • EEFT Practitioners
    • Canada
      • Alberta
    • Ireland
    • UAE
    • United Kingdom
    • USA
      • Tennessee
      • Vermont
  • ETC Instructors
    • Australia
    • Canada
      • Alberta
      • British Columbia
      • Ontario
    • Ireland
      • Jenny Pim
      • Sinead Kehoe
      • Penny Dickson
    • The Netherlands
    • United Kingdom
      • Co Durham
      • Yorkshire
    • United States
      • California
      • Georgia
      • Maryland
      • North Carolina
      • Oregon
      • Pennsylvania
      • Tennessee
  • Programs
    • Equestrian Tai Chi For Riding Instructors
    • Equestrian Tai Chi For Therapeutic Riding Instructors
    • Interactive Equine Tai Chi
    • Equestrian Tai Chi & Tao Riding
    • Tao Riding
    • Equine Etheric Field Therapy
  • Podcast
  • Blog

Breathing To Prepare Yourself For Something Coming Up

Topic Progress:
← Back to Lesson

 

 
Sometimes when we ride, there’re certain places that we’re afraid of, maybe going by a particular house when we’re out for a hack, or maybe going to the bottom of the arena, where your horse always spooks.

Or maybe when you’re competing, you know you always get nervous when you hear your name being called to go into the ring, or when you’re called up for dressage or cross country.

If you know certain things are going to frighten you, you need to prepare yourself well in advance, so that you can face your fear and manage it, so that you can do the best you can for yourself and your horse.

Before you even approach what you think is going to make you afraid, you need to stay very aware, so that your fear doesn’t come sooner than you think and take you by surprise.

The best way of staying aware is to count your breath and to keep your body relaxed by practicing the following exercise.

  • Begin to count your breaths, a breath is a complete inhale and a complete exhale.
  • Put the principles of the Wu Ji Position in place.
  • Put the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, just above where your gums join your teeth and relax the root of your tongue (this helps your whole body to relax).
  • Sink you awareness into your Tantien.
  • Concentrate on breathing to and from your Tantien, as you count your breaths and keep your awareness there.
  • Keep your shoulders down and keep your armpits open. Don’t hold your hands too close together.
  • Keep counting your breaths and begin to relax your body by breathing to it as you’ve learned.
  • Relax your hands by breathing to the centre of your palms.
  • When you hands are relaxed, relax your hips by breathing to them.
  • Now breathe to your hands and hips together, as you continue to breathe to your Tantien and count your breaths.
  • Now begin to breathe to your feet as well.
  • You’re now breathing to your hands and hips and feet, as you continue to breathe to your Tantien and to count your breath.

By focusing on relaxing your body like this, the physical symptoms of fear are prevented from manifesting. Your complete concentration on your body helps you to keep your awareness there and prevents you from having negative thoughts that could frighten you.

If negative thoughts do come in, always replace them with positive thoughts.

Focus on performing this exercise very well, you need to almost attack it, a haphazard attempt at this won’t do.

Then either go by what ever it is that was worrying you, or do whatever it is that you want to do.

As you’re practicing this breathing exercise and keeping your alignments, make whatever it is that was going to frighten you, almost part of the background noise, while making sure that you keep enough attention in case you have to overcome any hurdles.

The more often you practice this, the more confident you’ll become!

 


 

← Previous Topic

Equestrian tai chi logo

Course Navigation

Overview of the course
Introduction To Your Energy
  • Safety Protocols For Your Practice
  • Guidelines For Your Practice
  • The Tantien
  • How To Feel Your Chi
  • How To Seal Your Chi
  • The Wu Ji Position
  • Gathering Chi
  • Gather The Moon From The Sea
  • Bring Down The Heavens
The Equestrian Tai Chi Form On The Right Module 1
  • The Wu Ji Position
  • Beginning Style
  • To Seven Stars
  • Pull Back To Pommel
  • Push Ahead Chest Height
  • Turn To The Right
  • Grasp The Bird's Tail Part 1
  • How To Establish A Good Practice Routine
The Equestrian Tai Chi Form On The Left Module 1
  • The Wu Ji Position
  • Beginning Style
  • To Seven Stars
  • Pull Back To Pommel
  • Push Ahead Chest Height
  • Turn To The Left
  • Grasp The Bird's Tail Part 1
Taoist Breathing For Riding Module 1
  • Benefits of Taoist Breathing
  • Guidelines For Taoist Breathing
  • Becoming Aware Of Your Breath
  • Breathing To Your Abdomen
  • Relaxing Your Breath And Becoming Aware Of Your Tantien
  • Relaxing The Gap Between The Two Parts Of The Breathing Cycle
  • Counting Your Breath
  • Breathing to your Kidneys
Awareness & Time Module 1
  • Why Not To Bring The Past Alive Again
  • Exercise To Diminish The Effects Of Your Memories
  • If you're going riding later today and you're afraid now
The Equestrian Tai Chi Form On The Right Module 2
  • Grasp The Bird's Tail Part 2
  • Grasp The Bird's Tail Part 3
The Equestrian Tai Chi Form On The Left Module 2
  • Grasp The Bird's Tail Part 2
  • Grasp The Bird's Tail Part 3
Taoist Breathing For Riding Module 2
  • Breathing To Your Hands
  • Breathing To Your Hips
  • Breathing To Your Hands And Armpits Together
  • Breathing To Your Hands, Armpits and Hips Together
  • Breathing To Your Feet
  • Breathing To Your Hands & Feet
Awareness & Time Module 2
  • View The Present as a Continuum
  • Why It Is Important To Relax In the Present
  • How To Relax and be Mindful In The Present When You Are Afraid
  • Maintaining Awareness Moment By Moment as you get to the Immediate Future
  • Expanding Your Perception Of Yourself so your Immediate Future feels safer
The Equestrian Tai Chi Form On The Right Module 3
  • Push Palm To The Right
  • Single Whip
The Equestrian Tai Chi Form On The Left Module 3
  • Push Palm To The Left
  • Single Whip
Taoist Breathing For Riding Module 3
  • If You Can't Get Breath In At All
  • If You Get A Sudden Fright - Breathing To Your Feet
  • Breathing To Prepare Yourself For Something Coming Up
  • Breathing When You Have Become Afraid
  • Breathing With Your Etheric Field
Awareness & Time - Module 3
  • First Method To diminish your fears about The Future
  • Second Method to diminish your fears about The Future
Taoist Breathing For Riding Bonus
  • Breathing To Your Legs Part 1
  • Breathing To Your Legs Part 2
  • Breathing To Your Legs Part 3
  • Breathing To Your Kwa
  • Breathing through your Side Channels
  • Profile
  • Contact
  • Log In|Log Out
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Safety Protocols

Copyright Equestrian Tai Chi® © 2025