In every field, from athletics to the arts, from leadership to therapy, mastery is often viewed as being elusive—almost even mythical. It’s easy to believe that those who reach the pinnacle of their craft have tapped into some hidden well of knowledge or they have a natural talent that sets them apart.
While gifting and art and feel certainly contribute to greatness in any field, any master will tell you that mastery is built on a deep, intimate understanding of the fundamentals and a long-term commitment to doing them over and over again.
Excellence is the relentless pursuit of the basics
There is nothing more powerful than returning to the basics. No matter what you are learning, the road to mastery is paved with the consistent practice of foundational principles and practices.
I love the photo at the top of this blog because it represents one of my favorite stories from one of our Practicums. This horse is named Ed, a very experienced and confident, well-trained equine. His owner says that he is “her rock.” The person you see in the photo is Krystal Raley, a seasoned professional in this field, who later agreed to become an NL trainer. The weekend this picture was taken, they both returned, again, to the basics, and then slowed it WAY down – the result was nothing short of beautiful. I shared this story, and a few others, in our recent webinar, Slow Down & Do Less (Better).
The Fundamentals of NL is not a starting point to be left behind but a cornerstone to be revisited time and time again. Everything we do is an extension of basic principles, refined and expanded upon. This is true in every discipline. In martial arts, for example, the black belt is often seen not as the end of training but as a return to the beginning—a recognition that mastery is the result of perfecting the basic movements.
In therapy, coaching, and learning, and particularly in the context of Natural Lifemanship, the fundamentals involve keen listening and attunement, embodied regulation and co-regulation, skillful management of rhythm, body energy, and pressure, and a proficient navigation of the steps needed to build genuine connection through closeness and distance.
It’s in the repetition of these principles that true expertise is developed. A true master knows that their success lies in their willingness to return to the fundamentals, to practice them with the same diligence and attention as when they first began.
In our work with clients, it’s tempting to seek out the latest techniques or to focus on novel task-based approaches. While innovation has its place (certainly!), it should never come at the expense of the foundational elements that make our work effective.
More techniques will not make up for gaps we may have in our understanding and execution of the basics. When we skip past the basics because they seem tedious or hard, the gap in our practice only becomes more glaring as we try to compensate by learning more tasks, more techniques, or more skills.
Our clients and equine partners benefit most when we are rooted in the basics, ensuring that every single interaction is grounded in the principles that foster genuine connection, healing, and growth.
Committing to the Journey
Mastery is not a destination but a continuous journey—one that circles back to the basics time and time again. Each time we circle back, while the truth may not fundamentally change, it does sink deeper and deeper into our soul.
Most of us agree, for example, that “connection heals” – at the beginning of a journey this belief might not carry much depth or texture. It may be mostly theory or might even seem trite. There was a time in my journey that this belief was, indeed, a bit trivial.
I knew it was true for sure, but today when I say “connection heals,” I mean something wildly different than I did even 5 years ago. Further along a sustained and arduous healing journey of my own and with many others, “connection heals” is a belief worth fighting for. For me, it is even a belief worth dying for. THIS is the power of a pilgrimage, a lifelong journey in which we meander and quietly saunter back to the values we hold dear, over and over again.
In every field, those who achieve greatness are those who understand the power of this journey – that there is nothing more powerful than returning to the Fundamentals. By embracing this truth in our own practices and in our own lives, we can guide our clients toward lasting change and deep, meaningful healing.
As we continue to grow and evolve in our work, let us never lose sight of the importance of the basics. For it is through the relentless execution of these fundamentals that we—and our clients—can achieve true excellence.
Whether this Fall will be your first time taking the Fundamentals of NL or you’re taking it for the third, fourth or fifth time, you’re making the right decision. We encourage our community to revisit the Fundamentals often to fully embody the principles and be able to call upon them when you need them. We hope to see you in the Fundamentals this Fall!
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