Easier Movement, Happier Life
Do you want to create a life of movement, connection, and well-being for you and your animals? Whether you’re an equestrian, a dog lover, or both, this podcast is for you! In Easier Movement, Happier Life: For You, Your Horses & Dogs, Feldenkrais® teacher, international clinician, and bestselling author Mary Debono shares insights, tips, and techniques to help you improve movement, mindset, and connection for yourself and your animals. Each week, we explore topics like body awareness, flexibility, and balance, focusing on how these elements impact both you and your horse or dog. We’ll dive into how anxiety and tension affect both species and share gentle strategies to promote relaxation, confidence, and well-being for everyone involved. Your thoughts and emotions influence not only your own body but also your animal’s. That’s why we’ll also explore emotional awareness, mindset, and intuition, helping you build a deeper, more harmonious relationship with your horse or dog. Whether you’re helping your horse become more balanced and fluid or supporting your dog’s mobility and comfort, this podcast will provide the tools to nurture a thriving connection with your animal, improving their quality of life—and yours. Join Mary every week as she brings over 30 years of experience to help you and your animals live with greater ease, joy, and connection.
Episodes
Discover how to shift from the conventional "fix-it" approach to animal bodywork to creating a tactile conversation with your animal's nervous system. Rather than attempting to stretch, release, or realign body parts, Mary Debono reveals how supporting the nervous system—the body's true control center—creates profound, lasting change.
Mary shares case studies of horses with chronic back pain and...
What if the way to connect more deeply with your horse or dog wasn’t by doing more—but simply by noticing more?
In this episode of Easier Movement, Happier Life, Mary Debono explores how mindfulness, the simple act of noticing your present experience, can radically transform your life and the lives of your animals.
You’ll learn how slowing down—even just for a moment—can awaken you to new possibilities. Discover how...
What if a simple, mindful touch could improve your dog’s or horse’s movement, comfort, and even emotional well-being? In this episode, Mary Debono shares how to use your hands and your heart to do a gentle “scan”—a profoundly simple practice that awakens awareness, fosters mobility, and strengthens your bond.
You’ll learn:
- Why your hands act like a kinesthetic mirror for your animal’s body
- How curiosity (not corr...
Confusion isn’t failure—it’s a signal that your brain (or your animal’s) is learning something new. In this episode, Mary Debono shares how embracing confusion can improve your movement, mindset, and connection with your horse or dog.
Key Takeaways
- Confusion is a natural and valuable part of the learning process.
- Your nervous system—and your animal’s—needs time and space to process new information.
- Novelty and va...
Would you like to use your imagination to deepen your connection with your horse or dog? In this episode, you’ll learn how to use your imagination to not only deepen your connection with your horse or dog but also increase the effectiveness of bodywork and training sessions.
Key Takeaways:
- Your brain doesn't strongly distinguish between vivid imagination and physical experience—"what you im...
In this episode, Mary Debono shares how cultivating resonance—a felt sense of connection between you and your animal—can profoundly transform your relationship with your horse or dog.
Whether through hands-on Debono Moves, quiet companionship, or simply breathing together, resonance helps you tune in more deeply to your animal—and yourself. Mary explains how subtle shifts in attention, gratitude, and gentle support...
Check out our Move with Your Horse Foundations group coaching program. 💥 🥳 Doors close soon! 💥
Many riders try to fix their horse’s movement challenges—stiffness, bending issues, or unevenness—by stretching, using stronger aids, or forcing a certain posture. But what if the real key to improvement isn’t about control at all?
In this episode, I’ll share how fostering connection instead of imposing control allows ...
Discover why movement efficiency is crucial for humans, horses, and dogs alike. Learn how maladaptive movement patterns create wear and tear, while efficient movement reduces joint damage, increases power, and simply feels better—leading to more vitality and range of motion for all species.
Resources:
Want freer, more comfortable hips? Check out our Smart, Supple Hips Feldenkrais series.
Want to impr...
In this episode, Mary Debono blends neuroscience, practical techniques, and compassionate understanding to give dog owners new tools for helping their anxious companions.
By the end, you'll understand how to transform your relationship with your dog through physical and emotional connection, ultimately giving them the confidence to face challenges with calm assurance.
Learn how Connected Breathing an...
Mary Debono addresses a common challenge faced by many horse owners: the herd-bound horse. Rather than using punitive methods that cause more fear, Mary shares innovative, humane, and effective ways to help horses feel secure when separated from their herd.
She emphasizes the importance of recognizing this natural behavior and working with it rather than against it.
The episode introduces several powerful practices:
...What if the key to helping your horse or dog move with ease wasn’t about “fixing” them but connecting with them?
In this episode, I challenge the idea of correction-based approaches and explain why true change happens through mindful support, not force. I introduce my Possibilities in Motion framework—a powerful yet simple way to connect with your animal, relieve tension, and gently guide them toward easier movemen...
Discover how the Feldenkrais Method® and Debono Moves use gentle movements to help you, your horse, and your dog feel safer and more at ease. Learn how mindful movement engages the nervous system, reduces tension, and fosters confidence—without force. Tune in for simple ways to enhance well-being for all!
Resources:
Want to sit in a more balanced, secure way? Click here for all the details on our new series.
Discover how developing body wisdom through the Feldenkrais MethodⓇ creates a natural bridge to deeper animal connection. Learn to trust your innate physical intelligence, release unnecessary tension, and become a more responsive, intuitive partner for your horses and dogs.
Resources:
Want to sit in a more balanced, secure way? Click here for all the details on our new series.
Effortless, Balanced Sitting:...
Learn how to reframe challenges as opportunities for growth in your journey with horses and dogs. Discover practical mindset shifts, movement strategies, and real-world examples that help you and your animals move better, feel better, and strengthen your bond together.
Resources:
Want to sit in a more balanced, secure way? Click here for all the details on our new series.
Effortless, Balanced Sit...
Want to sit in a more balanced, secure way? Click here for all the details on our new series.
Effortless, Balanced Sitting: A FeldenkraisⓇ Movement Series ⬅️⬅️⬅️
Discover how lasting change can happen instantly and effortlessly through the Feldenkrais Method. Learn why struggle isn't necessary for transformation, experience a mini-movement lesson, and hear inspiring stories of rapid, profound c...
If you’ve been listening to this podcast for any length, you know that I’ve been on a mission to help you and your horse/dog improve movement, connection, and well-being for you and your animals.
For quite a while now, I’ve been hosting two separate podcasts: "Easier Movement, Happier Horses" and "Easier Movement, Happier Dogs."
After much thought, I’ve decided to bring both of these podcasts tog...
Want to sit in a more balanced, secure way? Click here for all the details on our new series. The extra-early bird discount expires on Dec. 31, 2024, so act fast.
It makes a great gift, too! 🎁
Effortless, Balanced Sitting: A FeldenkraisⓇ Movement Series ⬅️⬅️⬅️
Resources:
💥Learn how the Feldenkrais Method can help improve your seat, position, and balance on your horse! Free rider...
Discover how selecting a keystone practice like Feldenkrais can create positive chain reactions throughout your life. Learn how gentle movement sequences can improve your riding, sleep, emotional resilience, and creativity while building a foundation for lasting transformation.
Key Takeaways
- A keystone goal or practice creates positive chain reactions in multiple areas of life
- A consistent Fel...
Discover how addressing your horse's entire body, especially back tension, can transform difficult hoof handling into a calm, cooperative experience. Learn gentle, effective practices that replace force with understanding, creating lasting positive change in your horse's hoof care routine.
Key Takeaways:
- Resistance to hoof handling often stems from whole-body tension, particularly in the ba...
Discover the four hallmarks of healthy movement that can improve athletic performance for you and your horse. Learn how effortlessness, breathing, reversibility, and posture reveal physical and emotional states, leading to better communication and partnership with your horse.
Resources:
💥Learn how the Feldenkrais Method can help improve your seat, position, and balance on your horse! Free rider videos m...
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