Friday
after work I changed into jeans and boots and headed to Mary’s Farm and
Sanctuary. I stopped at Goldstream Park for a short walk because I was so
early. The majestic old cedars, the sounds of the river and a family of Canada
geese put me into a calm mood and ready to learn what Mindfulness and
Horses would offer. The workshop description was a little vague but I trust
Royal Roads University to offer experiences that are transformative in some way
or another.
The
location in itself is enough to put you in a peaceful state…. a sanctuary
indeed. 30 acres of cared-for nature, sloping down Mount Finlayson to
Goldstream River. A beautiful senior cat greeted each participant with a gentle
face and responsive meows. Some chickens foraged about freely and I could hear
the horses in the barn. Down a gentle slope two llamas and two goats resided in
a generously sized pen, showing some interest in the new visitors as we
arrived.
Oriane Lee
Johnston was the first to welcome us and when Mary Rostad joined us we went
into the tack room for introductions and an overview. Then we walked across to
the “meditation stall” and sat on bales of hay (and blankets) while we focused
on our breathing and sense of place. Then it was time to meet the horses, but
not to touch them… just stand by them and breathe with them. That was new. It
felt respectful. A coffee/tea break and then we walked down into the 10 acre
field. So picturesque; 10 acres of tidy horse field, a pond, a healthy garden,
and happy animals both domestic and wild. I had the feeling of being protected
by the beautiful mountains surrounding this sanctuary. We stood within a
horseshoe of logs waiting for the horses to be led into the pasture while
holding a calm space for them and imagining that we were a herd as well. The
horses were happy to join us in the vast pasture and seemed to have no concern
with our presence. We watched them graze and interact, while we tried to guess
which horse was the herd leader. Then we changed our mindset from calm to
excited and waved our arms around and made some noises like cheering and loud
wind. The horses noticed this and moved quickly away! When we stopped walking
towards them and went back to our calm state, the horses stopped moving as well
and continued their grazing, once again unconcerned with our presence.
For them, the alarming moment was over. They just got back to grazing.
We checked
in again back at the tack room and Oriane shared a quote by Coleman Barks from
Essential Rumi that set a comfortable tone for the workshop (mini-retreat): “Out
beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you
there”. Driving home on Friday night, I realized that I had slowed down…
not just my driving speed, but my mind. It felt like time had slowed down, like
I’d been at the farm for several hours, not just two. I had to focus on keeping
up to the speed limit and my mind felt so calm. I was not worrying.. about
anything!
On Saturday
morning we met in the tack room to check in about how we felt last night after
leaving and how we were feeling that morning. Many of us felt more aware and
mindful of how we really felt, not how we wanted to feel or thought we should
feel, but how we really felt. We were encouraged to bring our authentic selves
and to recognize our feelings. We would not be processing any of the feelings
that arose for any of us, but were told to just recognize the feelings and let
them be. Our caring facilitators made us feel safe.
We started
the day off with a Ten Points and Earth Descent Meditation beside the horse
pasture. The horses seemed slightly interested that we all laid down in the
grass. Then we were sent out into the pasture to find a spot to just be for 20
minutes or so. I sat on a huge old log and soaked in the scenery and
sounds and fresh clean smell of the air. I saw a snake but it was the blue
feather near it that had originally caught my eye, the snake moved silently
through the grass away from me. After our reflection time we went back to the
barn and gave the horses some treats of apples and carrots before enjoying our
own packed lunches. I shared some broccoli and parsley from my lunch with the
llama; he rejected the radishes. After lunch we did a Tree Meditation and there
was no lack of magnificent old trees from which to gain energy from. Then we
broke into pairs and took turns doing different activities with the horses. The last exercise I participated in was
interesting. My first role had been to simply observe and hold space for them
(the facilitator, the other participant and the horse). They were trying to
engage with the mare in the ring and she was a bit standoffish. After 10
minutes or so, she showed an interest in connecting with me and came over to
stand against the fence that I was standing on the other side of. I thought
peaceful thoughts and she stood while the other woman walked over and hugged
her for awhile. I felt trusted and honoured that the horse had asked me for
help by simply connecting, perhaps asking me what they wanted and maybe I
thought back to her… they just want a horse hug… because who doesn’t?
There was
some reflection time and then we met in the tack room again for closing. We all
felt we had experienced some healing and definite shifts in our awareness… our
mindfulness. Personally, I have a new place to think of when I feel a need to
connect with myself. I think of the sound of horses contently munching on hay,
the wind in the leaves (audible because of the general quietness), the free
roaming hens clucking away and a feeling of peace – for humans and animals and
nature.
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Rebecca Bosma is Administrative Manager for Centre for Coaching and Workplace Innovation at Royal Roads University.
Find out more at cstudies.royalroads.ca.
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