Standing in the Presence of Freedom, May 1-2 $222*
A half-day retreat with horses and land

May 1, 6:30-8:30pm on zoom
May 2, 8am-3pm (Ish) (meet in Jamaica Plain, MA - drive to Warren Rhode Island)**

This retreat is an invitation to slow down, regulate the nervous system, and return to embodied presence through relationship with land and horses.

Before gathering on the land, participants meet online the night before to prepare their nervous systems and receive an orientation to the horses and land. Together we explore simple practices that support grounding, reduce stress, and build the capacity to be present in the body without urgency or overwhelm.

We also introduce the body language of horses and explore the expectations we may carry into the experience. This is not about riding, interacting with, or even touching the horses. All contact is based on their choice. The invitation is to meet them as sovereign beings, not as something to engage or experience.

When we arrive on the land, we begin by attuning to the environment and reconnecting with the rhythms of the earth. From there we enter the horses’ space as respectful guests—regulated, attentive, and without agenda.

Horses are sovereign beings who respond to coherence rather than performance. They do not relate to what we say or intend, but to how we are—through breath, posture, attention, and nervous system state.

As the body settles and awareness widens, something shifts. Time often feels slower. Attention becomes more spacious. The impulse to control or perform softens. In this state, it becomes possible to be in relationship without force, urgency, or collapse.

Even without direct interaction, simply standing on the land, present within ourselves and in the presence of the herd, can bring meaningful shifts.

From this place, behavior naturally changes.

It becomes easier to:

respect boundaries—our own and others’

remain present without needing to take or fix

meet another being without dominance or extraction

This is the foundation of the work.

Many participants experience:

• a down-regulation of stress and nervous system activation

• a deeper sense of grounding and connection to the body

• increased clarity around boundaries and relational awareness

• a felt sense of calm, presence, and internal steadiness

• renewed connection to nature as a living system rather than a resource

• a quiet recognition of freedom, vitality, and aliveness within themselves

This retreat includes:

• nervous system regulation and coherence practices

• land attunement and sensory awareness

• introduction to horse body language and relational awareness

• guidance on entering horse space with consent and sovereignty

• quiet time in the presence of the herd

• reflection and integration

This work is not about doing something with horses.

It is about remembering how to be in relationship—with ourselves, with other beings, and with the living world—without control or hierarchy.

It is about remembering who we are when we stand in the presence of freedom.

*This exchange includes transportation to the horses, snacks, and a donation to the horses/land and their guardians.

**We will drive together in a van to spend time as a herd.