Equiana Workshops

Horses take the world in stride, never knowing what to expect. They don’t have the luxury of fretting about the past or fearing for the future. They don’t think about staying in the moment and going with the flow. They live it. And it seems to be working for them.

Why else would we coin the phrase, “healthy as a horse?” I have seen how horses stay in their bodies and out of their heads. Maybe I am drawing conclusions, but it seems to me they are spared the plaguing dramas of the human condition. While they have their moments to be sure, they are just that - moments. They feel what they feel. They do what they do. And they get on with it.

The most unsuspecting flashes of insight have come to me in the zen of dancing with a horse. Or playing the piano. Or making jewelry. Moments when my chatter is lulled to sleep by rhythmic creative movement. So when I am asked, as I invariably am, to explain what these workshops are like, I am aware of a mind determined to stay in control. And while I know the mind can be a source of brilliance, it can also shut us down and sabotage our spirit’s desire for growth.

So I encourage you to trust me on this. Take a big breath and exhale. Give yourself license to throw caution to the wind and take a plunge. The water’s more than fine. It will feel like velvet on dry skin. Like your favorite ice cream on a hot summer day. I and many other women have been there. And are grinning like Cheshire cats in the aftermath. Know that I personally take full responsibility for encouraging you to embrace what is unknown, as I am certain you will be thanking me, and thanking the horses, as the workshop unfolds.

That said, I know it is a pretty big leap of faith. So, without giving away the punch line, I can tell you that each workshop has its own harmony and makes its own music. There is no preset daily agenda – no outline to follow with predictable outcomes. We meet each other, we find a groove. We meet the horses and expand that groove. We begin the dance of getting to know one another and synergy evolves. We let the horses set the tone. Their big brown eyes, deep pools of emotion, draw us in and out of our heads.

Before we know it we are grounded. Without thought, we find ourselves firmly planted in the moment – sensing, rightly so, that it is the key to our connection with them. Once this starts to happen, layers are peeled back, for them, for us. We start seeing and understanding their world through their eyes and our own world takes on a new hue. A new dimension.

Every day is different. Every workshop is different. Every woman’s experience is different. We are all there for the horses, for their well-being, for ourselves, for each other. And magically our own well-being is transformed as well.

So it isn’t a matter of knowing details. Or having courage. Or having experience. The horses don’t know what’s going to happen on any given day, at any given time. They are completely in the dark, completely at our mercy. And despite this, they work with us and for us, forgive our ignorance, and with grace and dignity follow our lead and hope for the best. If they can do it, and do it so well, so can we.

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