I want to tell you about the day I talked myself out of listening to my own body 👇

I want to tell you about the day I talked myself out of listening to my own body. I was sent to the wrong paddock. I did not know that yet. The horse I was supposed to meet was an older mare — docile, maternal, safe. The horse I actually met had a very different history. Her owner had reported that she had tried to kill her during a riding event. I did not know any of that when I walked in. But my body did. I felt it immediately — something in the energy of that paddock was off. And then, quietly, a thought surfaced: go get your helmet. I never wear a helmet on the ground. I told myself I was being dramatic. I told myself I was making myself scared. I told myself my training and my experience were enough. I talked myself out of it. That is the moment I want you to sit with. Not what happened next — but that moment. The one where the body sent a clear, honest signal, and the mind — trained, credentialled, experienced — decided it knew better. Your nervous system does not have an ego. It does not care about appearing calm or competent. It just reads the room. The work of somatic practice is not learning to feel more. Most of us already feel everything. The work is learning to trust what you feel before your mind has a chance to edit it. The horse will humble you. That is not a warning. That is the curriculum. The Paddock as Laboratory — Melissa Jean, PT Peace & Love, Melissa 🥰🎥 @melissajeanpt #paddockaslab #somatichealing #interoception #nervoussystemregulation #horses #healing #equinetherapy #horsemanship #equestrian #biology #animals