He is not releasing as much!
When teaching bodywork/massage techniques to my clients, I always get such pleasure out of seeing them get excited when the horse starts releasing. Especially the big ones like the yawns, the eye rolls, snorts and the whole body shimmy shake!
But inevitably, when you do bodywork regularly, those big releases become a bit more rare. And in a way, it almost feels like a let-down when the horse no longer does them every time we work on them. Because we, as silly humans, get such a kick out of it and want to know we are effective.
But here is the good news!
When the horse releases on a more subtle level, you are not being less effective, you are just going deeper.
Addressing restriction and tension is like peeling an onion - one layer at a time. And the deeper you go, the more subtle it gets.
Here are some things you may see in lieu of those big releases:
- a change in breathing - you will see his barrel expanding more and he will take deeper and longer breaths
- shifting of weight, especially the hindend
- passing of gas - yes, I know, as weird as it sounds, I get very excited when I see this!
- wiggling of the lips - my horse can get so relaxed he will literally drool
- lowering of the head and neck
- sighing
Those aren't the only ones of course, but this should give you some idea to tune into the softer side of bodywork. It's really actually pretty cool.
If you are interested in learning more about this, give me a call.