Time is a topic that evokes emotion for many of us! Usually, in the form of asking “where did the time go?” or the stress of feeling the need to always make the best use of time. So often we are in a hurry, trying to pack as much as possible into the day that we can end up feeling like we are running behind. How often is this feeling of lack of time self imposed? Are we setting unrealistic expectations for the time we have? Or perhaps it’s something we rarely think about, yet still feel pushed or pulled by the passing of time. The human relationship with time can be complex, indeed.

Making peace with the passage of time can be extremely helpful in learning […]

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It’s a part of modern human nature that our minds tend to move quickly, sometimes faster than we can even keep up with. Have you ever noticed yourself rushing through a task just to get to the end of it, instead of being present in the experience? It’s easy to get swept up in thoughts and actions without noticing those around us or what our own heart, mind and/ or gut might be trying to tell us.

Effective, relational connection with horses and donkeys requires that we approach slowly and mindfully rather than automatically grabbing and petting them or jumping onto their backs. For the majority of equines, if we don’t respect the time it takes to connect, we run the risk of being bit or bucked […]

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The Holiday season is here!In this delightful, celebratory time, it can sometimes be easy to forget the loving spirit of the season.  In the flurry, many of us may feel moments of dread or distress over all of the gift giving, socializing, eating, drinking and “being merry”.   How can we stay connected to the  joy, love, togetherness and giving energy that this season has to offer?  We can start by receiving it.  In this time of “giving” we often forget that the act of receiving is just as important.  In fact, graciously and lovingly receiving is a gift, for both giver and receiver.

“If everyone were busy giving, then who’d be available to receive all that good stuff?  By receiving with a tender self-compassion, we’re allowing ourselves to be touched by life’s gifts.” 

John Amodeo, PhD, MFT

We know it feels good to give, yet sometimes […]

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Anna* had felt very confident in life and in her role as a teacher, but when her relationship of 5 years ended she found that she frequently doubted herself and had difficulty asserting herself with both her family and her students.  In the arena, it was hard for Anna to connect with her energy and confidence.  When asked to move a horse from one end of the round pen to the other without a lead rope, Anna moved quickly and made big gestures in an attempt to get the horse to move away from her – the horse wouldn’t budge. 

What became apparent was that while Anna would start off with a sense of confidence, she quickly dropped her energy.  Upon exploration, it became clear that this was an unconscious, embodied […]

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“Before you can lie to another, you must first lie to yourself.”

Naval Ravikant The Personal Benefits of Being Honest

Why do you think honesty is important? What reasons do you have to be honest?

Usually, people tend to think the main reason for honesty is fairness to others – “Doing the right thing”, “Having integrity”. We think we should be truthful and honest for the benefit of others and not necessarily for our own benefit. Although considering the well-being of others is definitely a reason to avoid lying and deception, it is certainly not the only reason. Being honest has a myriad of benefits not only for the people you interact with but for yourself. In fact, there may even be more personal benefits to being honest than […]

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