Why Horses?
"One of the reasons it has seemed so difficult for a person to change his habits, his personality, or his way of life, has been that heretofore nearly all efforts at change have been directed to the circumference of the self, so to speak, rather than to the center."
- Dr. Maxwell Maltz
Step boldly through professional and personal transitions
Fear and self-doubt reveal themselves when we’re challenged to learn new things, take on new responsibilities or move through difficult transitions. Traditionally people have tried to move themselves forward through will power, positive thinking, affirmations, more knowledge, belief shifting processes, commitments to others, intentions and goals. While these approaches work, in some important situations we are still "stuck" or blocked from taking action because we are unaware of how important it is to have a body and emotions for action to realize our goals and dreams.
What is EAL (Equine Assisted Learning) and why is it so successful?
We get better with practice. EAL (Equine Assisted Learning) is an experiential learning process that stays with us, much like our experience of learning to ride a bike. Once we have the successful experience in our bodies, we can access it in other business and life situations. EAL is very effective teaching leaders, teams, sales personnel and people in transition about alignment, authenticity and how to create the presence and energy extension needed to be successful.
Different than many other courses, working with the horses is a practical, practice experience. The experience working with horses brings forth an honest awareness of the confusion, anxieties and limiting beliefs inhibiting our ability to reach our goals.
Through a combination of exercises with horses, and insight from human coaches, participants clarify their aspirations and become aware of the hidden assumptions / beliefs holding them or their team back. By addressing these emotional, somatic, linguistic issues in an experiential learning setting, participants learn how to locate and move from center, create a leadership presence that stimulates action, and utilize the creative power of language to move forward effectively and efficiently.
Why Horses?
Horses are large and powerful animals. Because they are herd animals they want to connect up and work together. Because they are prey animals they are highly sensitive to other living creatures. Horses respond immediately to energy (both positive and negative) and in so doing provide participants with instant feedback regarding their commitment, focus, emotions and leadership.
Horses reflect back our authenticity and level of commitment. Unlike humans, they have no agenda when they deliver their feedback. Think of horses as 1,200 mirrors. They mirror back what our body language and energy tells them. Their sensitivity and lack of agenda makes them especially effective mirrors for people open to learning and personal growth. What is learned working with horses is directly transferable to working with people.
Many participants report that their ability to move forward to achieve their goals and dreams has been greatly enhanced by their experience with the horse. They've learned how to step through "old" gates of fear, self doubt and unawareness of the barriers) that have been holding them back.
No riding experience necessary. All learning experiences in these sessions take place on the ground.