The Wisdom of the Herd 1: Developing Embodied Awareness (Rangiora)

As the title of a recent survey of trauma treatment puts it, "the body keeps the score". Many contemporary approaches to treating trauma emphasise gradually reconnecting clients with their bodies in order to rewire the brain and nervous system - but tapping into bodily wisdom is also hugely beneficial for anyone wanting to process grief, heal anxiety, develop self-confidence and self-trust, transform the emotional components of physical illness, or simply understand themselves better and live a more fulfilling life.

Horses are masters of bodily awareness: they live fully present in the moment to every sensation and emotion, and are also finely attuned to their herd members and the wider environment. Their capacity to extend this awareness to their relationships with humans makes them excellent teachers - just as their compassion and willingness to support other members of their (horse and human) herd makes them powerful healers.

The Wisdom of the Herd is a two-part series of workshops, intended for healing practitioners in any modality, that will support you to deepen your own embodied awareness, and to develop skills to support your clients to heal by accessing the wisdom of their body. The workshops explore the theory underpinning somatically-focussed healing work, but the emphasis is on hands-on practice with the horses. No previous horse experience is required.

Part 1 covers foundational skills:

• how to grow your connection to your own body and your capacity to identify the real-time information about feelings and needs held in bodily sensations; and
• tools and processes to support clients to develop greater self-empathy, self-awareness, emotional regulation, flexibility and creativity.

Part 2 of The Wisdom of the Herd (to be held September 9-12) is a deeper exploration of the somatic "knowing field", and the theory of relational neuroscience, through experiencing, and practicing facilitating, systemic constellations with horses. Anyone wishing to register for Part 2 needs to have attended Part 1, or have completed at least Modules 1 and 2 of the year-long Healing Herd programme.

As the testimonial below shows, this work is profoundly transformative for clients:

Thank you so much for the opportunity to spend time with your lovely herd and yourself recently.

I am deeply thankful for the profound but gentle shifts in my awareness that I have come to recognise in the time since your equine coaching workshops. Some of the mental rejigs happened quite obviously while I was participating or holding space on the days, but others I can honestly say have resulted in deep tectonic movements within that I am noticing as time goes on - and in a positive way.

I have had previous complex trauma and PTSD and have struggled to feel deeply engaged and truly safe internally for some time. After this experience of support and guidance with the horses I can feel this abating rapidly and still have that sense of calm that I left Potent Equine with. I notice I am not triggering and stressing out as much anymore and if I do I can quickly employ the wonderful horse wisdom for people that I learned and experienced. Absolutely, embracing the concept of 'returning to grazing' swiftly after stress has been the best take home message ever!. Highly recommended!!

Thank you so so much to you, Anam Cara, Bella, Ginny, Cherokee, Luka and Lulu for this healing experience - I will return!

Price: The Wisdom of the Herd Part 1 and Part 2 are $1150 each (incl GST) - or $2070 (incl GST) if booked together.

Limited to 6 participants. Registrations close 19 July 2019.

For further information, or to discuss whether this programme is for you, contact Ingrid on 027 4879923 or ingrid@potent.co.nz.