09/11/2026
This is over a minute long, and there’s no music telling you what to feel.
I invite you to have your own experience.
But first, let me tell you where I was and why these horses are so special.
Last week, I had the honor of spending time with my mentor, Northern Cheyenne Chief Phillip Whiteman Jr. His traditional name is Yellowbird.
His grandparents were Chiefs at the Battle of Little Bighorn, and his father was a Chief and drum keeper for the Chiefs. Today, he holds that position among his people.
These are his horses. They are his family.
For all the years and all the horses I have spent time with, I had never experienced being part of a herd like this.
What happened wasn’t planned. It unfolded organically, which made it even more meaningful.
Early each morning, the horses would walk down and gather at the water. Of course, I went to them.
I was mesmerized by their energy, their colors, and by how completely unconcerned they seemed by my presence. Instead, I felt welcomed.
I followed that feeling and joined them as they began their morning ritual of walking up the hill and around the property to graze.
It immediately became a meditation.
I allowed myself to become immersed in their world. There, I felt safe and protected. Significant and insignificant all at once.
It felt like home.
I sat on the ground and literally touched the earth. I sat beneath them and beside them.
I observed. I listened.
And now, you can too.
Notice their markings.
Listen to them chewing the grass.
Their breathing.
The sound of their tails swishing.
Their hooves touching the earth.
Their calls to one another.
Notice how they connect.
Who is leading.
Who is following.
Let your heart open to the babies and their curiosity.
Notice the angle of the sunlight illuminating their hair.
The colors and textures of the plants they choose.
The shapes of the clouds.
For a while, the whole world fell away.
I felt a deep peace, grounding and calm enter my body and return my nervous system to a place I had forgotten could exist inside me.
I’m still walking with that feeling.
And I hope, for a moment, you can feel it too.
To learn more: Yellow Bird Lifeways Center
