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First Halter for Omega and Unity!

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First Halter for Omega and Unity!
 
I just had to link the footage from each of the Soul Sisters together, because this so embodies their beautiful differences and how I am connecting with each wild horse in their own way.
 
This is footage from yesterday, the first day I put a halter on either of the Soul Sisters. I worked with each of them for about 30 minutes to prep them for this and the video is the actual First time they had a halter put on.
 
Unity is first and she has been so in tune to my Energy Flow from the start. I connected with her through mirrored Grazing Mode Energy and she melted into the ground, growing roots deep into the earth and grounding herself in our shared space.
 
Looking at this you might think she was just oblivious to the halter and not concerned about it at all, but she certainly was cautious at first. (I have not used any ropes or anything of the sort so far, so this is the first introduction for both horses to something that is not just my physical hand, touching them) I did a lot of prep with her, basically practicing every component of putting the halter on, as an individual task. From slipping a rope over her muzzle, to draping a rope around her throat latch, to even pretending to tie the rope beside her left eye. I did all of these things as individual tasks and helped her build confidence with each component before doing it all together.
 
Unity’s left side is her slightly more cautious side, so for me to tie the halter on her left was a really big deal. She had been uneasy about me touching her ear moments before this footage. So I practiced that and it quickly became something that actually brought her peace, not fear. That is why I am doing it as I halter her.
 
With Omega, I used an entirely different form of communication, but it was also entirely the same, in that I broke everything down into small pieces and practiced each thing individually. You can only tell a horse ‘yes’ to one thing at a time (this goes for your kids, yourself and the universe too) so when I have a goal that involves the horse experiencing many new things. Like putting a halter on, I must slice it down to all the pieces of it, so that I can clearly say Yes to one piece at a time. It would seem this would be a slow process, but it is amazingly fast, because it actually makes sense to the horse.
 
So, any of you that have been following know that I am using a lot of Positive Reinforcement (+R) with Omega. Now, this is not just being nice and giving her lots of positive encouragement. I do that with both horses, more so this is actually a technique used by Dolphins trainers (and many horse trainers now days too) It builds confidence in the horse because it offers them some control. It also gives you a crystal clear way to say Yes, that thought was Right! Omega has done very well with it and I thought it only natural to use this communication to introduce the halter.
 
I broke all the components of haltering down into every layer needed. The layers were different with Omega than Unity, and not because of the different forms of communication, but because of the different doorways in which I can enter each horse. This is a bit of a whole new subject, but in a nut shell, Unity’s door is on her shoulder and Omega’s is in front of her face. So, I took this into consideration as I planned the ‘how’ of placing the halter on each wild horse for the first time.
 
With Omega, seeing as she loves having some control in the situation, I thought it would be fun to let her meet me halfway and put the halter on herself as much as possible. So our prep was a lot of having her drop her face into the halter. We practiced the nose of the halter separately from the throat latch part. I basically taught her to drop her head until she made soft contact with the rope, be it around her muzzle or under her throat-latch area. We also worked a lot on my hands up high, beside both of her eyes, which was scary for her at first. This was a necessity if I intended to put the halter on from the front, which I did. I also practiced, moving into her left eye to pretend to tie the halter rope. This was the biggest challenge for her, because like Unity, her left eye is her more fearful side (a lot more so that Unity though) but it was amazing how fast she got it. (btw, if you are watching this with the sound off, everytime you see me deliver a food reward to Omega, it follows my ‘cluck’ that tagged the moment she thought about dropping her head, therefore saying Yes to that thought. As we progress I will not continue to need to cluck and reward EVERY time she thinks about lowering her head, Ultimately I will simply hold the halter up and let her drop her nose in and she will keep her head low as I tie it. But at this stage in the process, it serves as a great reminder to her that Yes, she is on the right track, this gives her HUGE confidence and relaxes her)
 
After all these pieces and layers were fine tuned, we simply put it all together. Which is what you see in the clips, the last step.
 
Today, I used the same methods to put fly masks on the Soul Sisters (yes, Omega helped me put on her’s 😉 ) and for the first time they could stand in the bright sun and have shade, everywhere they are. I used some old ones I had, as I am still searching for the perfect brand to use for these girls. They will pretty much live in them, so it needs to be just right. I very much appreciate all the feedback for recommendations on fly masks for shade. Lots of options out there.
 
from our light to yours Mary Miller Jordan and the #SoulSisters

Journal Entry 4.2.17

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#SoulSisters Journal Entry 4.2.17

Removing Omega’s Necktag!

I love how this deeply meaningful process of removing the necktag, on each of these very unique Soul Sisters, truly showcases how they each think, interact and process. Which is so beautifully different of course, but still the same.

One thing that is the same, is that I strive to read their needs. When they become a bit uneasy with what is happening, I do not rush to complete the task, but rather I do the opposite. I take a breath and create space for us to regroup. The way in which we regroup is very different for each horse, but the need to create the space for it, is the same.

If you recall from Unity’s tag removal video. It was all about energy flow and touch. Oh how her energy is intoxicating! There were moments when she stepped back and I simply mirrored that, walking forward to stay with her, to maintain the same relationship between her physical self and my own. Unity allows me to reassure her by scratches on the neck. I was excited to find a sweet spot under her mane that she LOVES to have scratched. When she became a bit uneasy, that rub under her mane helped her settle back ‘into’ me. And when the tag was fully removed and I drew away, Unity replied by filling the space up deeply and entirely with her presence. Freely flowing right back into mine. It was amazing, it was Unity. (here is the video link if you want to see –> https://www.facebook.com/iamherdmustangs/videos/1618688374827295/ )

Omega’s thinking process was quite different and therefore my way of telling her yes and creating space for her, was equally unique. In the very beginning of the video clip, you see her start to curl her head around to me. This was because she was a bit uneasy about what I was doing. I recognized that and I took the language she and I had created, to pause and just hold my hand still. This is familiar to her and she replied by touching my hand with her face. When she did, I said yes (in Omega’s case I said yes by the click and reward) After she received this confirmation from me that we were still in familiar territory, although I was doing something quite new, she shifted towards Grazing Mode and so I continued.

There are multiple other times I continued to do the same thing. Any moment she became a bit uneasy and shifted away from Grazing Mode I held my two hands out for her to move back into them. When I felt her face and neck on my hands, I clicked to say yes and rewarded and then continued taking the tag off.

You can see I did this multiple times. On one hand it could look like I was simply shoving food down her mouth to keep her distracted. ha! … Honestly, anything can and does look like anything to anyone. The fact is things will and do look drastically different depending on what lens you are viewing them through. When working with another Being, it is deeply beneficial to try to see through their lens, not your own. And this process is deeply beneficial for our own Self as well. Anytime we can get out from behind our own lens and get outside of our Self a bit, it invites a deeply enlightening experience. It invites new clarity and vast room for growth. To move out from behind our current lens is a necessity for new Unseen to move into new Seen.

When you think about how it must feel to Omega, to have this newfound control over a very fearful situation. A control that is safe for us both and fully in our highest good. A control that causes her to relax and softly touch my hand in order to receive a yes and reward from me. I think when you step out from behind your own lens enough to see it a bit through her eyes, it starts to make sense. And most importantly, it surely makes sense to her. And that was her request ‘Make it make sense.”

That is truly my intent with Omega, to get out from behind my own lens so that I can see through hers. It is the only way to become the herd-mate she needs and desires.

They think I am most pleased, with both Omega and Unity, that they both allowed me to help navigate us ‘through’ the process of the tag removal. They both needed different communications styles, but they both were fully engaged and fully willing to create space With me to process things when it became uncomfortable.

It is seemingly such a simple task, to just untie a neck tag, but it means so much to me. It is so representative of moving into something brand new. A new kind of wild freedom. Not a reintroduction of their former lives. Their wild lives on the South Steen mountain could never be recreated under the warm Carolina sun that basks over our Be LIFE Farm. But it is a whole new kind of freedom, and it is wild and amazing in its own way. A freedom where they have 2 legged herd mates, as well as other mustangs that adore them all and make it a personal mission to keep them safe and comfortable and happy. A freedom where their wild Souls will guide the hearts and lives of countless others, through our non profit I AM HERD, a place where horses help humans to ‘hear their own hearts’ – Something a wild mustang knows how to do oh so very well.

A wild freedom where their unique ‘I Am’ is completely honored and respected and where the ‘Herd’ creates an image that is reflected back by this beautiful world in infinite ways.

I am deeply honored to share this path with these wild Mustangs, they continue to be my biggest mentors.

from our light to yours, Mary Miller Jordan and the #SoulSisters

video by Ivy Schexnayder

Omega ~ Soft Connection

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Omega ~ Soft Connection

My open hand over her face means to drop her head to the point her eyes drop below my hand. I adore this image Ivy Schexnayder captured of the emotion in motion.

The energy, mind and body are so connected, if we can guide just one – the others will mirror.

For Omega to willingly choose to physically drop her head in ‘body’ causes her mind and energy to mirror with softness and relaxation.

– Mary Miller Jordan

Journal Entry 4.1.17

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#SoulSisters Journal Entry 4.1.17

Oh I love this clip! This was just before I took Omega’s tag off and it was the last thing we did in ‘prep’ for that moment.

As I explained earlier, I went through a series of layers to help empower Omega’s confidence with my presence, with the intent of a ‘soft connection’. I used +R (Positive Reinforcement) for much of this, as it really speaks to Omega.

Some of the layers were a shift in Omega’s energy towards Grazing Mode, then Omega touching one of my hands with her face, then her allowing me to touch her face with one hand and then … this …

TWO hands was a new step and quite scary at first for Omega, so I stepped back to her touching my hands, and saying ‘yes’ to that … then progressed back up to touching her face.

(to say ‘yes’ I cluck/click to tag the moment I want to say Yes to and follow with food reward)

I so love how you can see her processing this. You see her shy away a bit at the presence of both of my hands, then you see her process and try to lean into me a bit. I knew she had the confidence within and understanding to do more, to give a more deliberate shift into my hands and so I waited. And she did! You can see her really ease over, letting her face touch both of my hands at the same time! I of course said yes to that!!!

Another benefit for Omega to this type of interaction is it keeps her jaw moving. This simple physical movement in body is one that will help move stored up tension in the horse and help them release. It is why some horses are ‘nervous grazers’ – they go crazy wanting grass when they get nervous. The process of chewing/grazing actually calms them down! So the fact that this keeps her chewing is an added benefit as well 🙂

Next video up is Omega’s tag removal! Similar to Unity’s, but of course oh.so.different.

from our light to yours Mary Miller Jordan and the #SoulSisters

video by Ivy Schexnayder

droplets of the same ocean

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I reach out to them as if they are the same, but even my intent within each hand must be unique to connect with two deeply unique #SoulSisters

Omega is the white frothy cap on the wave as it rushes to the shore. Excitedly, anxiously ready to pound itself into the sand and then quickly rush back out to sea.

Unity is the deep dark water that runs so far below the surface, that man cannot even reach the depths of its flow. Waters moving silently among the vast unknown.

Both droplets of the same ocean. The same droplet of water that moves through Unity in the vast depths of the deepest seas, that same droplet travels miles up up up to meet Omega, where it is carried on an adventurous wild ride along the tippy tops of the white water waves and you can almost hear it giggle as it flails itself onto the hot beach sand. Shaping every grain and every shell and every creature, as it wildly and freely moves across.

Shaping simply by its own wild presence. Shaping for but a fleeting moment before it rushes back out to sea, to dive into the depths of the ocean and immerse in Unity once again.

These Wild #SoulSisters are simply vessels, deeply amazing unique vessels for the same droplet of water to shape the sands of this earth by its simple wild presence.

I am honored to share a droplet with them and with you.

from our light to yours Mary Miller Jordan and the #SoulSisters

image by Ivy Schexnayder

Journal Entry 3.31.17

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#SoulSisters Journal Entry 3.31.17

Connecting with Omega is entirely different than connecting with Unity, but I find that I am loving it just the same, for different reasons.

Omega’s thoughts move FAST, even faster than her feet. I am still amazed at how she has shifted in such a short window of time. In this clip you can see the +R (Positive Reinforcement) being used again. This speaks so clearly to her, because of the simplicity of it and the control it gives her.

In this clip I guide her on the circle and once she offers a nice soft shape to the circle I ‘cluck/click’ to cue her that was correct. I follow with a taste of the Alfalfa from the scoop. This simple task is so empowering to her. It offers her a taste of control, but in a very healthy way. In her eyes, she has trained ME to offer her a gift in exchange for this nice soft circle around me. And she is right, she has! I fully intend to allow her to train me to offer her a gift in exchange for many other brilliant feats as well, just like what you see next in the video.

After her reward for the circle, I invite her to soften into my hand. This is a step by step process and is a bit like a math class in college, there are prerequisites that must be completed first. Actually it all has important layers, or steps. Each fundamental to the next and there is a clear intention that runs throughout it all.

The Intent is to create a soft connection between us. Most of the footage that I have of Omega to date shows her pinning her ears at me and displaying all sorts of signs of dis-test in my general direction. There have been moments of softness, but most of the time there is uncomfortable discontent hanging in the air, from her to me. Having Unity help bridge the gap and show Omega that I am ok was helpful and very interesting, but it was not enough to change Omega’s inner viewpoint. So my Intent to create a soft connection between us is important to recognize and OWN.

Intent is everything. The ‘How’ shows up from the Intent. It is very easy to get hung up in the details of the ‘How’ that we have decided on. This ‘How’ may have initially been based on a clear Intent, but if we lose site of the Intent, the How can quickly take over and we find over-selves fixated and funnel focused and often times digging a hole deep into the How – when perhaps the How no longer serves the Intent.

So, remembering Intent is priority. How is secondary and How will undeniably fluctuate. We must be ready to roll with the How and allow it to do its job, which is to carry us to the Intent. But we deeply limit the power of the How, when we become fixated on what we think it looks like.

Intent – Soft Connection

How – First empower Omega by allowing her to control my cluck by circling me. Once she is showing that beautifully shaped circle, cluck and reward. Once she has done this a time or two she begins to shift to a slightly more grounded state. It is not from being tired, because she is hardly moving around me at all. Just once or twice, but it is in the control and understanding of her situation that moves her towards a place of more Grazing Mode energy.

Once I see this shift towards Grazing Mode, I can cluck and reward it too. I can actually cluck to say “YES Omega” to mark the very moment I see her begin to shift energy from nervous, chaotic energy to energy that is Grazing Mode. And I did that quite a bit. Even standing beside her, when I stood closely at her side and held my hand out, it made her very nervous. I would wait until she softened towards Grazing Mode, just a bit, and cluck to say Yes to that, then reward. So, second is rewarding the shift towards Grazing Mode energy and I can do that within anything she is doing. The circling at movement or standing beside me, or anything else. The key is that whatever she is FEELING/DOING the split second I cluck – that is what she will register as YES. And I can only reward ONE FEELING/DOING at a time. <– This is very important, I can layer things, but can only say Yes to ONE thing at a time.

Invite her to touch my hand. Once, she was consistently moving towards Grazing Mode, I added a new layer by putting my hand by her face and inviting her to move her face into my hand. It was important that I did not touch her at this point, but rather allow her to touch me. This gives her the control and thus gives her comfort.

Something else I want to mention, creating a ‘doorway’ to touch a horse the first time on the FACE is not something every horse desires. Unity did not, her first open doorway was to her neck, not her face. Imagine going up to a friend and petting them on the face to say hello. Not that great of a feeling is it??? Well, imagine having your eyes so far apart that you cannot even see that hand coming to you – plus you are a wild horse and are in preservation mode. I mean, it just makes sense that to force a horse to be touched on the face is pretty intrusive. Unless that is where they choose for their doorway to be. And that was the door Omega picked. Her face. I surely did not want to say no to her doorway, because any doorway that results in a soft connection is ok with me, but I did want to be extra careful in how I opened it up. It was the only way for it to open up. So, allowing her to touch my hand with her face was deeply empowering for her and built her confidence greatly.

Touching her face with my hand. I move my hand to her face to make contact. This is harder than her touching me, and it came AFTER all the above. Also, if at any time I lost where we were at, I would go back to a previous layer. Sometimes all the way back to letting her circle me and saying Yes to the soft circle. Many times going back to rewarding the direction of energy towards Grazing Mode. So, my How kept changing depending on what she needed. … But when she was ready for this step, I would touch her face with my hand and say Yes with the cluck when I made soft contact.

There are so many layers to this, so much more than I can describe in one post or in even a couple of video clips. But it has progressed so very well. The possibilities of all the things Omega can do to get me to say Yes are limitless!

There are no limits, only the imagined ones.

from our light to yours Mary Miller Jordan and the #SoulSisters

video by Ivy Schexnayder

Journal Entry 3.30.17

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#SoulSisters Journal Entry 3.30.17

I knew it was time. Time to give Omega and myself some space for one on one connection. Just like Unity and I had benefited from. So, I eased Unity into the side pen and allowed Omega to stay in the large round pen. They were both very relaxed with the set up. Again, they shared a rail and were never out of sight from one another, or even very far apart. It is so important to me that I honor their connection. It has not felt right before now to even put one rail between them, but as comfortable as they are in this set-up and the fact that they both desire to connect with me in very unique ways, well it was more than enough for this to feel right now.

Omega is still afraid. I am the vast unknown and what is unknown is feared. By wild horses and wild humans. The unknown is scary and scarier still if you do not feel grounded in the Unseen peace that is always available, but easy to forget. That has been Omega. Quick to fly away from her fear, and even quicker to attack it. But to grow roots and allow that fear to penetrate her space? Oh no, she wants none of that. She is determined to remain in a place where she understands the world. Where things make sense to her. And I am not of this world and I do not make much sense to her either.

‘You must make it make sense.’ I have heard this silent request from every fearful wild horse I have met and many fearful wild people too. When living in a place of fear, things making ‘sense’ becomes even more important than ever. The thing is, when things start to ‘make sense’ you begin to take that unknown, thus fear factor away. I knew that Omega was going to require a unique way of communication in order to help her make sense of me. You see Unity is making sense of me clearly, but Unity is not Omega and Omega is not Unity. I needed to think of a way to help me make sense to Omega’s unique and fascinating brain.

As with anyone that feels some underlying fear, Omega loves control. She loves to be able to control her environment, her world, her peers. She wants to call the shots, because when she does and when the world responds, for a moment she feels stronger. For that moment, she feels in control of the Unknown that brings such fear. So, if I could just start to give her some control of her world, then maybe, just maybe that control would give her the confidence to allow herself to see into my Unseen, my Unknown, into the fear that she sees in me. And I know if she simply will ‘look’ at it. The fear will disappear, because that is what fear does – when we face it.

During this first session with just Omega and I, she gave me many ideas of brilliant things she can do to start to ‘control’ her environment in her mind. Now, this is a tricky concept … I must be careful what type of control I give her. For example, to give her the control to boldly charge me with her ears pinned and try to push me out of her space would not be a beneficial type of control for the future of our relationship. I must select behaviors that are in the highest good for our relationship together. A horse and human herd has unique dynamics, as much as I like to pretend I am a wild horse, I am not. It would be no big deal for Omega and a wild horse to charge one another, and strike and bite and ekk and whatever. … and that is exactly what they would do. But I would likely get the short end of that stick and it would surely not result in a relationship that resembled two wild horse friends. So, I must be smart as I guide Omega to uncover the behaviors that she can control.

In this video you can see the beginning of one of those behaviors. She offered this small circle on her own, she is far away from the arena rail and circling me with shape and softness. This is so much more than ‘free lounging’ or whatever it might appear to be. This was a huge pivotal moment for our relationship. As I recognized her offering something that was already amazing, but would progress into REALLY amazing, and it was in the highest good of our herd relationship together (Meaning she is not trying to flatten me) … as I recognized that, a light bulb went off and I got REALLY excited.

There are A LOT of possibilities with this concept. The concept to give her the control of choosing behaviors that are not only good for our relationship, but amazing to watch and have infinite room for growth. It may or may not seem like this was an ‘ah ha’ moment from the video – but it surely was!

And SO much has happened, later this very day – after this concept was really born.

Something to point out is, I have already introduced positive reinforcement training with her. I am speaking about today as if it were our first session, but of course, as you know, it is far from it. Omega has had quite a while to really, deeply understand that when I ‘cluck’ it means that whatever she was doing was right and she will be rewarded with TC Alfalfa. Her food drive is like none-other, so it has really progressed quickly. So I have a great way to simply tell her ‘Yes’ and for her to understand it.

The videos that will come over the next few days will really explain much more how this is working, but it is deeply intriguing to me to see Omega transform the way she is.

‘It must make sense.’

‘Let her have some control.’

These two concepts are working deeply within me now and the results have already astounded me. I cannot wait to share more, but there is so much depth to it, I feel I must explain it one step at the time.

from our light to yours Mary Miller Jordan and the #SoulSisters

Journal Entry 3.28.17

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#SoulSisters Journal Entry 3.28.17

Omega is still unsure, still filled with uncertainty of the ‘unknown’ that exists within me. But to see how Unity is gracing her with such grounded, safe presence, it is fascinating to me.

I am having a hard time coming up with the words to really embrace this experience. To have Unity leaning into me, asking for more connection, deeper scratches – more and more and more. And then to have Omega right there, so close, so curious, yet still so afraid.

I could have easily adopted either one of these amazing souls as an individual. How easy it would have been to make assumptions about ‘all Mustangs’ based on the one that I had adopted. And I think it is clear that those assumptions would be vastly different, dependent on which Mustang it had been. And these are only two, there are thousands of others, each just as unique in their talents, in the strengths, in their fears, in their needs. To assume anything about all Mustangs, based on an experience with one, or even a dozen would seem ludicrous when you recognize the depth of their differences.

Not one wild horse I have been blessed to touch is the same. The quality they share is not so much their similarities, but rather how different they are and how deeply that uniqueness runs through them. It comes from the most sincere part of their Soul. This unique and totally original creation in each and every wild horse.

Just like a wild horse, and just like a wild human, not one is the same. Yet they all come from the same stardust and they all breathe the same wind and they all shine from the same Unseen light, made Seen by their unique vision of this shared existence.

I am so Grateful for the vast differences between these deeply connected Souls. They truly represent everyone of us, in so many ways. Each Soul Sisters and Brothers, yet each vastly unique. Each totally individual, yet pieces of a larger whole.

from our light to yours Mary Miller Jordan and the #SoulSisters

#TrustMore

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What a special day in so many ways. I think this may be one of my favorite clips to date. You can see the trust building, but you still clearly see the dance as well.
 
It is such a dance. This relationship building process with wild horses and with life. There are times I know I need to dive right in, fully focused and fixated on my goal. And there are times I must draw away and decompress, allowing myself to breath back in the expansion of life.
 
I Am Herd hosted a single day retreat just last Saturday. It was beyond words. It was all I knew it could be and so very much more. It was Real, True, Honest and Sincere. A place to embrace others in the ongoing journey of self discovery of our own I AM. A place where wild horses are our guides, our mentors, our leaders on this fascinating path. And a place to build a Herd of connection, a Herd of support, a Herd to help ensure that each of us will remember to be brave enough to continue to do the work and allow the release to free our I AMs to be Heard.
 
Unity spoke of this type of work in her animal communication session with Asia Voight, Professional Animal Communicator. I am in awe of the vision of both Soul Sisters and the new life that forms within, to join our magical Mustang Herd and fill that huge green pasture with colorful, magical wild horses. This is where they will truly be able to do their work. The power of a Herd is tangible. To transform our Be LIFE Farm into a sacred place to support the work of these Mustangs and I AM HERD. It is not only meant to happen, but it is happening. The vision is there and it seems the further I walk in life the faster the reality manifests after the vision has arrived.
 
#TrustMore is the guidance I have been given again and again by the #SoulSisters. I am taking it to heart and reminding myself daily. It is a big task to paint a world from an Unseen canvas. It can be intimidating. It can be challenging. It can leave me feeling exhausted and worn out at times. But the Unseen canvas, is the only canvas that feels right to me.
 
So I will continue to dance this dance with these #SoulSisters and dance this dance with this life. Reaching with intent when need be and releasing with vast openness even more so. Trusting More with each step and embracing the honor that has been bestowed upon me.
 
There is no doubt, to be in their presence is a true Honor. Wild Horses are the royalty of the Unseen realm.
 
from our light to yours Mary Miller Jordan and the #SoulSisters
 
video by Ivy Schexnayder (YAY she is back!!!)