Cathy Woods with her horses
During our body, mind, equine workshop we learned how to use yoga to improve our horsemanship, yoga stretches for equestrians and had a little saddle time with yoga. Woods, a long time equestrian and yoga teacher, talked a lot about being present in the moment with awareness, as well as body awareness.

Yoga on horseback
“My goal is to assist yoga students in becoming more aware, conscious riders,” said Yoga Instructor Cathy Woods. One of Cathy’s goals for us was to harness in the moment. She shared with us that she doesn’t consider herself an expert equestrian. Her equine workshops are more about becoming an aware rider.
“Being in the moment with yoga means uniting our body, mind and spirit. Our energy can become so fragmented,” noted Cathy. “Yoga is about unifying that energy.”
While many of us in the equestrian world enjoy a level of competition, either on the trail or in the arena, Cathy cautions that “yoga is not about athletics or competition. It’s about awareness.”
Yoga stretch for equestrians
Tears rolled down my checks as we walked and trotted around the arena. My present moment awareness was over-whelming for me. I fought to control my emotions, totally caught off guard by the feelings of frustration and sadness that were welled up inside me. I tried to focus on my breathing, all the while, wiping my hot tears from my face. After a few laps on the rail, we walked our horses into the center of the arena and shared our thoughts. The other riders were feeling connected with their horses while I felt a disconnect, not so much with my horse, but my body.
Body, mind, equine
What did I learn from this experience, the yoga of horsemanship? I learned that it’s okay to feel sad about the loss of range of motion since my joint replacement surgery. I also learned to be more gentle with myself and accept where I am at the moment. I’m curious to learn more about the body, mind, equine connection and hope to join Cathy at the C Lazy U Ranch in Granby, Colorado for a three night women’s equine retreat.
To learn more about Cathy Woods Body, Mind, Equine Yoga workshops call (828) 479-9373
Beginning yogi and equestrian Nancy D. Brown enjoyed stretching her mind and body while researching this article. I was a guest of The Resort at Paws Up during the Cowgirl Spring Roundup.