It is a feeling that never gets old: sending the files for a book long in the making off to the printer. Ideas hit paper and what has been imagined becomes real…and then you can hold it in your hands, and share it with others.
It is an honor to be part of the process of bringing a life’s work to the pages of a book, and it is a terrific feeling to look back over the years a book has been available and feel like its contribution to the world is a positive one. Three years ago, horsewoman and yoga teacher Cathy Woods brought us YOGA FOR RIDERS, a beautiful and thoughtful text that explains how the meditative, mindful breathwork and lifestyle aspects of yoga, as well as the postures, can be profoundly helpful in our interactions with horses.
All this month, we’re celebrating the three-year anniversary of the publication of Cathy’s book by giving you 20% off plus free shipping when you order from our online bookstore HorseandRiderBooks.com. We also caught up with Cathy to talk about how incorporating yoga into our lives can change our connection with horses, and to find out what she has in the works for the future of yoga in the equestrian industry.
TSB: August 2023 marks the three-year anniversary of the publication of your book, YOGA FOR RIDERS. What has changed for you and your work since the publication of your book?
CW: One thing that hasn’t changed is the excitement I feel about my book, YOGA FOR RIDERS, and my overall Body, Mind, Equine work! If anything, I’m even more excited now as it’s been so well received by the equine community. I love sharing this heart-work – it’s exhilarating! It thrills me that I’m touching the lives of fellow horse lovers in a positive way, and giving them tools for wellness, as well as better connectivity with their horses and with the world around them! It’s fulfilling to know that perhaps I’m giving horse people a new way to look at pairing yogic principles with their horsemanship.
Though I’ve been offering this work for many years, having a book published (that I’m proud of and grateful for) has deepened the scope of my personal teaching process and has expanded my offerings in new directions, from added, in-person opportunities to online audio and video courses, collaborations with colleagues, being a guest on podcasts, and additional published writings.
Having written a book gives me new and clearer language to explain, express, and share my work to a wider audience.
Additionally, having a professionally published book by Trafalgar Square Books has added more credibility to what I offer–the way of our world is that people seem to take you more seriously once published 😊
TSB: You travel quite a bit, teaching at retreats and gatherings. What are two of the lessons in your book that you emphasize most often when you teach?
CW: There are many key lessons I like to impart when teaching, and it’s hard to narrow them down, but here are a couple that I feel have the ability to deeply enhance and enrich life.
1: Being present…and not just saying, “being present,” but teaching people what that actually means, what it feels like; offering accessible, realistic tools to be present, whether on the yoga mat, around horses, or in daily life.
2: Awareness: Through yoga and through horses we have great opportunities to become more aware. Aware of what one might ask–aware of everything. Awareness of what energy we bring to our lives and to our horsemanship. Awareness of our own bodies, minds, breath, energy, emotions, patterns; how we process, how we think, how we react, and so on. Awareness of our interconnectedness to everything, awareness of our horses, of others, of our surroundings. By being aware, we can live in a more rich and mindful way and can adjust accordingly, becoming more skilled humans, who show up in the world in a positive way and who are better for our equines
TSB author Cathy Woods signing books at Barnes and Noble in Biltmore Park, Asheville, NC.
TSB: What is one of the best things that has happened for you or your work since the publication of your book?
CW: Again, hard to narrow it down as so many wonderful and exciting things have transpired since being published, such as new opportunities, and meeting amazing, like-minded people in the equine world. But mostly, my work is better received, taken more seriously, and people are seeing the validity of it and that the work is actually supporting and encouraging people to become better equestrians on all levels.
TSB: Three years have passed—what is one thing you have learned since 2020 that you would add to your book if you could?
CW: I would perhaps consider a different title, as YOGA FOR RIDERS has somewhat stereotyped me into a box of just teaching yoga or conjuring visions of yoga on horseback (which is only a very small portion of what I teach.) In some ways, I feel the title limits the book to people who only have an interest in yoga, whereas many of the practices in the book could be used by someone who does not necessarily embrace yoga, such as breathwork, intention-setting, and the like. More than yoga per se, my work is mostly about equestrian mindfulness and wellness, which includes yoga, through my trademarked program Body, Mind, Equine. But I also trust the process (and you, as my publisher!) that this was the best direction to go for a first book.
TSB: What is your favorite thing about being a published author?
CW: Contributing to a more evolved equine world!
And being able to connect with and reach a wider audience, and having truly accessible and beneficial support available for equestrians.
Additionally, it has not hurt being recognized by other publications and receiving new writing opportunities.
TSB: Are you writing now? If so, what are you working on?
CW: Yes! I love to write and always have. I just know that I have several more books in me and that may be a direction I move more toward as I age and maybe decide to travel less at some point–often these things have a way of defining themselves!
I am working on an assortment of articles for Horse Illustrated, Yoga + Life Magazine, Streamhorse TV, and others; articles ranging from “Mindful Equine Grooming” to the “Parallels of Yoga & Horsemanship” to “The Spirit of the Horse.” I write on other topics, as well, that speak to me and about which I feel I have valuable content worthy of sharing.
Additionally, I’m working on another book submission to share soon! This one is about a topic we’re all familiar with–change–and that’s all I can say about this for now 😊
Happy retreat goers buy YOGA FOR RIDERS in the gift shop at C Lazy U Ranch, Colorado,
at Cathy Woods’ annual Find Your Inner Cowgirl Retreat.
TSB: Tell us about something exciting in the works for later this year and beyond.
CW: So many exciting things are in the queue! Something that’s about to happen at the end of August, is that I’ve curated and am co-leading a Women’s Horse, Yoga, Mindfulness, and Cultural retreat in Iceland. I absolutely cannot wait!
Another biggie for me is that I’ll be a presenter at Warwick Schiller’s Journey On Summit in San Antonio, Texas, in November. It’s going to be amazing on so many levels and I’m honored to be part of the experience.
Watch the YOGA FOR RIDERS book trailer.
We are thrilled to know that Cathy has so much in the works and are so happy to be able to be part of her journey, helping her share her knowledge with a broader audience. If you are interested in learning more about her book YOGA FOR RIDERS, CLICK HERE for a free chapter download at HorseandRiderBooks.com.
All of August YOGA FOR RIDERS is 20% off plus free shipping at our online bookstore!