Mary Wanless - Ride With Your Mind
MARY WANLESS presents crucial information on how the Ride With Your Mind approach to Rider Biomechanics can transform your learning, your riding, and possibly your life.
Out of frustration at her progression as a rider, Mary embarked on a journey to discover the 'how' of skilled riding - why couldn’t she learn to ride as skilfully as “talented” riders? Over more than 40 years she has decoded the hidden laws of rider-horse interaction and now teaches the skills that combine to create “talent”, both in person and through online courses at www.dressagetraining.tv.
In these podcasts, Mary talks about her journey to date, her key discoveries, and some pivotal moments. She illuminates her key points with metaphor and story, and, at times, presents insights derived from sports psychology.
Prepare to be entertained, to learn, to become curious, and to understand a little (or maybe a lot) more about your interaction with your horse. Check out these podcasts, and visit www.dressagetraining.tv for information about their vast library of online courses and webinars, presented by Mary and her Ride With Your Mind colleagues.
Mary Wanless - Ride With Your Mind
Ep. 67 Top down or bottom up?
Most riders can organize their body much better from the top down, or from the pelvis out, than they can from the bottom up.
Thinking of your core like the core of an apple means that it goes from top to toe, (and toe to top). We do an exercise whilst standing, that ‘centres’ you, and talks about the connection between your various diaphragms. (You have more of these than you realise!)
We gradually build the connection from the soles of your feet, through your calves and inner thighs, to your pelvic floor, psoas muscles, breathing diaphragm, trachea, throat and mouth. You are learning how to create ‘positive tension’ in your Deep Front Line - your core. We add the ‘bottle brush muscles’ each side of your spine, which I suggest provide the most helpful interpretation of the instruction ‘grow tall’.
Becoming able connect through your DFL and ‘grow tall’, whilst riding could take some doing, but this exercise prepares you well, especially if you actually practice it. No one standing in the supermarket queue will ever notice!