easing into 2023
At Equinimity, it is always our goal to nurture our inherent connection with ourselves, nature, and our community. We began 2022 with offerings that allow us to ground ourselves and experience the beauty of the present moment. From Mindful Grooming sessions to Full Moon Gatherings, we are incredibly grateful that we’ve had many opportunities to witness people engage meaningfully with horses and with one another. While we will certainly continue to foster these connections, our hope for the coming year is to strengthen our ease within ourselves - to remember that our bodies and minds are connected, just as we’re connected to the world around us.
Peter Levine, Ph. D., who developed Somatic Experiencing, defines embodiment as the practice of creating a relationship with our body by developing awareness of and attending to physical sensations and connecting to the world through our body in a healthy way. After all, “soma” is a Greek word that means “living body.” As Somatic Practitioners, we honor and acknowledge the relationship between body and mind. As we look forward to a new year, we are excited to offer classes and programs centered around immersive experiences that encourage our mind-body connection.
Recently, we launched our Equine Assisted Somatic Experiencing (EASE) for Developmental and Complex Trauma - a seven-module program that combines principles from Natural Horsemanship and Somatic Experiencing with healthy relational communication practices including presence and healthy boundaries. This program facilitates an experiential and felt-sense understanding (body-knowing in addition to cognitive knowing) that supports healing and integration from developmental and complex trauma. In 2023, we will open this program for individuals and small groups.
We will also offer more Trauma-Informed Expressive Arts classes, focusing on self-expression and supporting creative growth through the art-making process. In our recent classes, we’ve explored mediums such as drawing and clay. One of Equinimity’s core beliefs is that acknowledging our Creative Self could make us feel more whole as we engage our body through our senses.
Equinimity takes its roots from the words “equine,” and “equanimity.” As we ease into 2023, we keep these words close to our hearts as we continue to work alongside our four-legged partners to deliver programs that promote equanimity - a state of calmness and composure even through the most difficult situations.
It is our wish for everyone this coming year to experience a sense of peace and connection with oneself.
We hope that our community continues to grow and feel that Equinimity is a safe place to be. A place to feel connected, seen, open, and expressive. A place to process and share grief and loss, but also a place to share joy and connection.