My guest for this episode is Jane Pike. I first heard Jane’s name in context of the World Equestrian Games in 2018. She was the mindset coach for Warwick and Robyn Schiller, who competed in reining, and scored their best scores during an extremely high-pressure event. Prior to those games, I had never heard of reining; however, it was the discipline that captivated me then and has ever since. Back to Jane. I was very intrigued by Jane’s approach to mindset training. Not only does she align with my experience of what really works, she aligns very much with the natural world. I met her in 2022 at the Journey On Podcast summit, and also got to spend time with her on at the 2023 event as well. I was thrilled when she agreed to come on this podcast.
This conversation flew by for both of us. We started and were immediately in the flow, speaking about topics like what to do with discomfort, the distinction between the action of fear and the emotion of fear, the way our mind can get in loops like Groundhog Day, and so much more. There were many quotable moments in this conversation. One of my favorite’s was this: Our role is not to police other people’s passions.
Here's what Jane has to say about herself:
Jane Pike is a writer, poet, and horsewoman from the South Island of New Zealand. In the horse world, her work focuses on practices and understandings that increase vitality for both humans and horses, incorporating nervous system awareness to both mindset and movement. The methods she teaches explore physical and emotional patterns at their most foundational level- the brain and the nervous system- with the aim of creating adaptability and responsiveness, both in and out of the saddle. Jane has featured and written for various magazines around the world and is a sought after international clinician and trainer through her business Confident Rider.
Jane’s passions and expertise also extend to how we can best live full and creative lives, and develop the tenacity and courage to do so. Her deep appreciation for writing and the arts has also seen her skip down the garden path of how it is we can all find and allow for our own unique creative expression, sharing her own writing and teaching retreats and workshops that focus on giving ourselves permission to and making the time for following the things that we love.
Topics
- Mindset training for horses and humans. (0:02)
- Creativity, self-expression, and unraveling societal conditioning. (3:17)
- Embracing discomfort and living in the wild. (10:05)
- Facing discomfort and reframing perspectives. (14:21)
- Embracing discomfort and letting go of control. (16:38)
- Fear and decision-making in horse riding. (22:25)
- Living in two worlds, navigating nervous system dysfunction. (27:00)
- The nervous system and sensory information. (32:02)
- Recognizing and overcoming fear and contraction in the body. (36:18)
- Endurance horse race with ups and downs. (41:01)
- Adventure, comfort zones, and horse riding. (43:46)
- Childhood activities and fear of heights. (50:19)
- Overcoming fear of heights through ziplining and tree climbing. (52:43)
- Aging, death, and the human nervous system. (58:52)
- Aging, fitness, and the addictive game of pickleball. (1:01:30)
- Emotional healing and shedding layers of emotional baggage. (1:07:38)
- Addiction, boundaries, and tough love. (1:14:22)
- Parenting, homeschooling, and diving with a 12-year-old son. (1:17:57)
- Parenting and letting go of fear. (1:22:07)
- Risk-taking and passion with a focus on horseback riding. (1:28:23)
- Risk management and preparation for a big event. (1:31:37)
- Hypnotherapy and equestrian performance. (1:36:37)
- Horse training, writing, and World Equestrian Games drama. (1:44:07)
- Horse riding, nervous system, and confidence. (1:47:12)
- The importance of spending time outside and connecting with nature. (1:53:13)
Guest Contact Information