The SE Voice’s journalist Briohny Robinson was offered the opportunity to experience Marie’s work – here’s what she found:
Marie guided me through what would take place prior to attaching the band around my head.
I had two sessions.
The first I was seated for my introduction to the device with calibrating to gauge my baseline EEG measurement.
This was immediately followed by a five-minute session listening to the sounds of a river flow.
Like meditation, which I have attempted in the past, I closed my eyes for the five-minute experience.
At the end Marie asked me to rate how I felt.
I like river sounds so I felt fairly relaxed, but being a new and unfamiliar experience with a lot of questions buzzing around my head, I did not feel I allowed myself to fully immerse in the experience.
Marie revealed my initial results.
“You had two major thoughts during that session but brought yourself back. 84% still.
Average heart rate started at 81, went down to 62, but average heart rate vwas 66 beats per minute,” she said.
I considered this pretty good for me as I have diagnosed high blood pressure.
“Nineteen birds is amazing for first time.
Anywhere from 1, to highest the highest is 43, in a five-minute timeframe,” Marie said.
Marie said the birds chirping is an indicator the mind is in a relaxed state.
The fluctuations in the volume and sound reflect how calm and focused the mind is in real-time.
For the second session, Marie introduced me to one of her more experienced horses Diesel.
We moved on to grooming Diesel to show the difference of sitting calm and then being in the presence of the horse.
Marie explained some clients sink into working with the horse.
As I moved towards Diesel, who was still in his stable waiting to be walked into the arena, the sound of the birds was evident, you cannot make this stuff up.
Sporadic chirping was heard in first session with the river sounds, compared to continual chirping throughout the 10 minutes I immersed into grooming the horse.
Though the data reflected differently.
Marie said there was 14 birds over the longer period, heart rate average 77 beats per minute spiked to 110 probably when shutting the gate moving around then down to 53.
“It shows your heartrate is really variable. 11 recoveries/thoughts that happened in that time where you brought yourself back to being calm,” she said.
“For people that are highly strung and do not know how to meditate or bring themselves down, helps guide them through that.”
I have tried meditation solo and in a group setting, and both strategies I found did not quite gel for me.
The horse assisted session suited me.
I’m an animal person which is a factor I would say helped with my session being a positive reflection of the goal being achieved.
The word ‘horse whisperer’ kept coming to mind when thinking about Marie’s role.
