Session One

The Calm State

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Horses demonstrate valuable lessons in self-regulation and emotional well-being. They have mastered the art of settling themselves by utilizing their out-breath, grounding themselves naturally. Similarly, horses express their feelings in a safe manner, avoiding prolonged attachment to them. From horses, we can learn to utilize our own out-breath as a tool for releasing tension and energy. They encourage us to listen to our feelings, and to ask for support when necessary and deepen our understanding of our own needs. In learning these lessons from the horses, we can enhance our emotional resilience and foster healthier relationships with ourselves and others.

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Session Two

Awareness

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Horses serve as powerful examples of living with awareness, which is a cornerstone of emotional intelligence and mindfulness. They constantly observe and take notice of their surroundings, their senses, and their bodily sensations. They remain fully present in the moment, awake, aware, and responsive. Horses teach us the importance of cultivating awareness in our own lives. By being mindful, we can respond to our needs, ensure our safety, and embrace that we do have choices that empower us.

 

 

Session Three

Boundaries

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Horses teach us the significance of establishing and respecting boundaries.  Our boundaries are our "yes" or "no", what feels okay and not okay in each moment. Horses teach us, we can communicate our boundaries effectively and clearly to others. Learning from horses, we can cultivate the skill of expressing our boundaries using clear communication. By being clear about our boundaries, we create safety for ourselves and foster healthier relationships.

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Session Four

Thinking

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Horses offer valuable lessons on the power of our thoughts and intentions. They respond to our thoughts and intentions, conveyed through our behaviour, subtle body language, and energy levels. By becoming aware of our thoughts, we can understand how they impact our feelings, behaviour, and relationships. Like horses, when we cultivate supportive, accepting, and compassionate thinking towards ourselves and others, we have the potential to create a foundation of support, well-being, and healthy relationships in our lives. Horses remind us to be mindful of our thoughts and harness their positive influence for our personal growth and the cultivation of meaningful connections.

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Session Five

Relationships

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Horses are powerful role models for building healthy and enduring relationships. Interacting with horses provides a unique opportunity to reflect on our own relationship dynamics. From horses, we learn valuable lessons about how we engage with ourselves and others, including the importance of establishing safety, fostering trust, respecting boundaries, actively listening, and maintaining a balanced give-and-take dynamic. Through our activities with horses and each other, we gain insights into building and nurturing meaningful connections with both humans and animals.

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Session Six

Feelings

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Horses offer profound lessons on understanding and processing feelings. Like humans, horses experience a range of emotions, including joy, anger, fear, and sadness. However, what sets horses apart is their ability to receive these feelings as valuable information about their current situation. They instinctively act and express their emotions, but then swiftly let them go, ‘returning to grazing’. Horses teach us the importance of acknowledging, tolerating, and respectfully expressing our feelings. By viewing our emotions as valuable information and allowing ourselves to process them, we can enhance our ongoing health and well-being. Let horses inspire us to embrace our feelings, learn from them, and then ‘go back to grazing’, just as they do.

 

Session Seven

Facing Challenges

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Through the skills and attitudes learned in this program, we equip ourselves to navigate difficult situations more effectively. Understanding ourselves better and having a toolkit of resources allows us to accept challenges and stressful times with greater resilience. Self-support, creativity, and reaching out for help when needed are essential components. It's important to remember that life is a continuous journey of experiences and experiments, where learning and growth take precedence over the notion of right or wrong. Embracing this mindset empowers us to embrace life's challenges and approach them with curiosity and openness.

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Individual sessions are usually 45-60 minutes and typically one session each week.

​$90 per session or $630 per program (1 person)

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We offer this program over two days - weekends or school holidays or other arrangement. This is very popular for small and school groups.

$250 per person including morning and afternoon tea and lunch. Max of 6 participants.

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Inquiries

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To inquire or make a booking, please email dawn@riverlandsrise.com.