Shedding

Posted by The Divine Cowgirl on March 30th, 2009 at 10:00am

There are many tell tale signs that spring has arrived. Some are beautiful and even sensual like the blossoms popping on the cherry trees, or the leaves unfurling on the trees. In the barn it is shedding time. I swear that over the years I have eaten my fair share of hair and dirt as the horses go through the transformational process of shedding.

The entire winter coat is released with the help of elbow grease from their human companion or the nearest tree which they use to rub off their seasonal pjs. In a sense they are leaving behind last year’s old clothes. In releasing the old, the new sleek coat is revealed, slick and beautiful in color and shine.

In shedding, horses begin with the new coat each year just as winter yields to the promise of spring and new life. What a metaphor for humans. The simple act of shedding gives us an opportunity to lay down our old and worn “coat.” I know so many people who are tethered to the past. Season after season they carry old coat after old coat until the weight of the “coats” cause mental, physical and spiritual breakdown.

One young woman I know carries the old coat of her mother’s disapproval. Her unwillingness to shed the need for approval has hampered her creative mind and the callings of her soul. She is trapped in the between – one foot firmly planted in the old and the other reaching for a new experience. Without shedding she can’t be fully present to what this season’s coat is waiting to reveal; to shine. In her case, she is suffering because she is seeking outside approval from a parent who is not capable of meeting her needs. Though an adult, she has carried the “coat” of her childhood into her adult life.

In many ways we are pack rats, not just with stuff that we buy extra storage for, but with our emotions and history. We cling to the past and our perceptions of our history even when the weight of the “stuff,” the layers of coats, zaps our strength and impedes our living “this season.” Often the “coats” we hang onto are our fantasies or fairy tales of how life should be.

The journey of the Divine Cowgirl is learning to live the present moment. It is about leaving behind old and wore out ideas, emotions, history and stepping into our new season fresh, curious and open to what the unknown will bring.

I can tell you that spring grooming during shedding season is hard work for the human. The horse on the other hand loves the process – the deep massage with the curry comb and the outcome of release from winter pjs can bring pleasure to the animal. It can take up to a month to free the spring coat from the old. And the work is worth it.

I wonder if we are as willing to do the work that liberates us from our old “coats?” It takes effort and commitment to leave the old behind. Is this the spring you are willing to do the work? To let go, drop the old and step into spring revealing our new coat?

Here is a journal or creative project you might want to try: draw and label the “old coats” you have been layered in. Write the emotional price they are costing you. Then in your mind’s eye or as a activity, simply remove the coats – leaving them behind as you step into this season’s new coat. Step fully into the present! Claim your new spring!

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