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January 31, 2026
The goal of inner work is not to become someone new.
It’s to remember who you already are.
Nothing outside of you is blocking joy, calm, or connection.
What gets in the way are the habits your mind built to stay safe.
We all learned these habits over time.
Be careful.
Don’t trust too much.
Stay in control.
These habits turn into layers we wear every day.
In The Michelle Method, we see this clearly with horses.
A rider doesn’t show up tense on purpose.
A rider doesn’t rush or grip on purpose.
Those are protective layers showing up in the body.
Inner work is learning to notice those layers and gently set them down.
When you do that, you return to something familiar.
Curiosity.
Trust.
Presence.
Think about children and horses.
Both are honest.
Both live in the moment.
Both respond to what is happening right now.
A calm child and a calm horse feel very similar to be around.
As adults, we don’t lose that state.
We just cover it up.
Inner work helps us uncover it again, but this time with wisdom.
You’re no longer innocent because you don’t know pain.
You’re innocent because you’ve lived through things and still choose softness.
That matters in the saddle.
A rider who trusts themselves creates a horse who feels safe.
A rider who stays present gives clear, kind communication.
A rider who releases control allows true movement to happen.
This is why The Michelle Method doesn’t rush exercises.
We build strength, balance, and topline by first building safety.
In the rider.
In the horse.
In the partnership.
And this doesn’t stop with horses.
A rider who does inner work becomes more patient in traffic.
More grounded in conversations.
More compassionate with themselves and others.
Choosing presence after difficulty is not weakness.
It’s courage.
Showing up with trust after being hurt is not naive.
It’s wisdom.
That quiet strength is what horses respond to most.
And it’s what creates partnerships that feel free, not forced.
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