Bibi 11/52

 

I got to know Bibi during my training as a Tellington Practitioner for horses. It happened, that I live at her place now, together with my boyfriend, her horses, dog and cat, during my studies. Originally from Austria, Bibi is a renowned teacher in all fields of connection between animals and humans, such as riding, dog training and animal assisted therapy. She is instructor of the Tellington Method and built up the Association of Tellington practitioners in Germany.

 

 HAPPINESS

 

Overall, connection makes me happy, with humans and animals. And true connection... is something I am looking for during my whole life, which I understand as something that comes and goes and is not a steady state. This connection is very essential for me.

Animals make me happy, riding makes me happy, very happy. Being in nature offers me moments of happiness. And maybe, also being in connection with myself – with others, but also being truly and deeply connected with myself is beautiful.

It makes me happy to love. And for me, to love is linked with that connection.

 

HOME

 

That's an interesting question, I asked myself this recently -When I return from a journey, I feel at home. And there is a difference to the many places where I am staying at, although there are places where I do feel comfortable. When I return home, I am relaxed. I think, I am feeling safe at home – it has something to do with feeling secure. I realized something, what I have to do to feel at home when I am somewhere else: I have to take a responsibilty for that place. For instance, when I sleep in a hotel room, I can simply use it or I can transform it into a little home... When I think of all the hotels and guest rooms where I am inevitably, my approach is linked to the first question: If I bring something of myself in, not only by arranging my things, but in BEING a moment with myself, being in connection with myself, for instance through meditation – Then it radiates and the place becomes a part of me. Like in nature, places I had intense experiences with gain a connection with me. And become home.

 

There is another level of feeling at home which I feel when I am at a friend's place in Spain, La Canada del Robledo. This already happened when I got there for the first time, 20 years ago, so it has nothing to do with me having been there so often. Already on the way from Ronda over the mountains I thought „Aah... Arriving. Here is where I belong to.“ I don't know why this was and still is the case. I think, the Finca's location is very 'right' in an archaic way and makes many people feeling at home there. Behind the house are the mountains, that offer protection, in front you have the lake and the plain, the view to the wide expanse.

 

LIFE

 

The contact with animals did definitely point my way ahead, already before there were any – I wasn't allowed to get in touch as a child, at least in my first ten years. But I always had the urge and longing. For a long time, I didn't take it serious and dismissed it as a hobby. But they are really defining my life.

There are many single animals and situations that touched me deeply. One animal „person“, who is outstanding, is my first Arabian stallion. I bought him when I was nineteen, rashly, a totally impetuous decision. He was a very difficult stallion, challenging, great, an incredibly powerful horse, but sensitive and giving. I learned a lot from him. Because of him, I startet Endurance riding, he simply had to run! And he gave me that feeling, which is so important to me: Expanse and speed, movement. That brings joy to my heart.

And he pointed my way ahead, on one hand with the experiences I made with him, on the other hand he eavened my path to the Arabian horses, to a wild and fast way of riding. Riding and being are very close to each other for me.

 

It all meshes, as well as these three questions. There are many encounters with meaningful people in my life. My loves, which all influenced me. Maybe I can summarize those relationships with men. For me, it was always about finding the balance between devotion and staying by me. Every love, every deep encounter had these elements: On the one hand, the wish for fusion, devotion – which involves the danger of self-abandonment. On the other hand, holding the connection with myself, staying true to myself. It was always about finding the way in between, which means: Only when I am rooted in myself, I can truly connect and give. Finding this balance is like a developing task for life.

 

And the third is the Tellington method, being really meaningful to me. Linda and her work inherent this deep connection – and I knew it, since I first saw it. It is something I had been looking for in my work with children and people, something that allows me to connect with others – how funny, how it all merges... in a way that allows my counterpart to be in connection with himself, to grow and to shine. That had been my drive in my time as teacher in school, providing the „breeding ground“ for the children to grow and develop their potential, by creating a relational structure in class that allows the individual to experience itself and to grow.

I hadn't found this in the work with animals, until I met Linda. Until then, I only knew the common way: You have to make them obedient. I learned a lot to make animals to do what I wanted them to do and I was quite good at it, but it didn't fulfill me. When Linda appeared in my life, she showed me other ways, that allowed the animals to develop THEIR potential! And I knew: This is what I wanna do. And it includes this aspect of bodywork, which helps so much to overcome barriers of contact. There are those magic moments when I have my hands on an animal (or sometimes humans), where I realize: It becomes one. And by the way - this makes me happy.

 

Stefan's question: What means friendship to you?

 

There is this saying: „A friend is somebody who knows everything about you and still loves you“... Friendship means to me having the courage to be myself, providing a room which is a bit home. It has very little to do with how often I might meet somebody, rather in which ways I can be with somebody. Friendship to me is the feeling of love, being pleased with somebody. Friendship for me has much to do with trust. Feeling trust is a great gift for me, it allows me to relax, like a warm breeze. And once again, there is the other side: Knowing, feeling, that the counterpart dares to show herself and trusts you, getting back this openness.

 

Bibi's question: What is the meaning and imortance of sexuality in your life?

 

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