Miracles by Major Beale, part 2

Today was just as miraculous as yesterday.
We started "where we left off" - which was a little hard for me.  It was good for it to be hard, because I won't see Major Beale again until August, so I really want to work as hard as I can in between, and even the very next day from how far we made it yesterday, I had a hard time getting Charlie back to where we were at the end of the ride.
The main thing missing was the promptness.  I let Charlie take three or four steps to get into the next transition.
And our eureka moment was why I let that happen.  It's because I'm slow.  I'm a slow thinker, and I'm an analytic thinker, so I am running through the checklist for each thing - whether that is an upward transition, downward transition, lateral working, making a circle ...) - and that gives Charlie lots of time between when I start to ask for it and when I finish asking for it. 
Major Beale said he has three levels of riders:  reactive, interactive, and proactive.  It is time for me to move from reactive to interactive.  This - I think - is the stepping block I have been butting my head against for too long.  I know (mostly) what to do.  And I know (mostly) when to do it.  But I think through it, instead of feeling and responding.
The second major thing Major Beale had me do, was instead of staring off into space - or up at the ceiling - or anywhere at random - to look at Charlie's ears (and where we were going).  When I focused on Charlie, and watched him (with soft eyes) while I was riding, I could suddenly feel so much more of what Charlie was doing, and by feeling it, I could react to it more quickly, instead of just being like, "When I want to canter, first I put my inside leg on, then I pull my outside leg back, then I squeeze with the inside rein."  It was a second eureka moment, and he did the Major Beale magic where he figured out what I was doing, why, and then explained how and why to do something else to progress as a rider.  It made the entire lesson worthwhile and I felt like I leaped forward a year or two in my progress.
But we haven't even gotten to the riding yet!  Then he had me work on very prompt transitions.  When Charlie was sluggish off my aids to start - he had me gallop, then trot, then canter, then walk, etc.  And they were quick.  He had mentioned galloping last time, but I have been doing it too long and taking too long to do it - his were quick bursts - to catch Charlie's attention and make him work all on his own.  He compared it to a grand prix dressage horse whose ears are pricked, he's proud of the job he's doing, and he's listening for what he's supposed to be doing next.  As soon as we perked Charlie up, he got lighter and more attentive.
Then we did some lateral work (shoulder in and shallow loops), including at the canter, and then we did the real work.  We did the exercise that was impossible for me last year - successfully.  This was, in essence, a circle on the forehand, converted to a circle on the haunches, then a brief straightening, then pick up the canter.
And when we picked up the canter, it was like that time in Mike's saddle - the heavens opened up, angels sang, and I was riding on a rainbow on top of a cloud with fairy glitter falling around me.  It was divine.  Charlie was lifted in his back, lifted in his shoulders, his hind legs were coming underneath him, and he was light in the bridle.  It was nothing like a regular canter, and I felt like I could do ANYTHING from it.  It was amazing.
So take away #3 was that I don't ask for enough from Charlie on my own.  I am kind of wimpy and afraid of ruining him, so I play it safe and am content with what he offers.  And the lessons with Major Beale show me that Charlie can offer like 100x more than what I have seen, and it is gorgeous.
I can't wait to see how much I can maintain and improve on this until he is back in August.  It was an absolute, 100% delight.  It made my whole month.
Also, yes, he should work like this all the time.  Even a relaxed walk should be a forward, energetic walk.
And a "hack" is mellow conditioning - trotting and cantering.  It is not just walking on a loose rein on a trail ride.
And hills are good work, but I can't let him run around on the forehand on the hills.