H O R S E S

For some time now, with School of Verticality, I have been investigating how we can learn to be present to “what wants to be known, in the moment” (Nathasha Lythgoe, The Art of Rewilding).

This search connects to another thread that has been running – largely without me noticing – through my life: something inside me knows horses hold some kind of ancient wisdom. Taking this intuition seriously has led me in the last 5 years to commit to the Medicine Horse Way, part of the Eponaquest school founded by Linda Kohanov. Today I am a certified Equine Facilitated Learning instructor. My sessions focus on inner alignment and growth, with horses as partners in holding space for what emerges. A large section of my clients are cultural workers, like me.

Through the daily work with horses, I gain insight in patterns of behaviour that limit me, and what it takes to function more fluidly in my life and relationships. I also learn, again and again, to set more healthy boundaries and take up the space I need to feel connected and present at any given moment. By learning to become horse-like myself and by training horse speak, I aim to align better with their world, both as a human and as a rider. Lastly, I aim to contribute to a non-violent and socially and culturally diverse equestrian field.

Over the past twenty years, I have taken my own medicine by engaging in various forms of (self)care and nourishing volunteer work: natural horsemanship (Marine Herbelot / Haras de La Cense), Thai massage (Dieke Bikker, Womens’ Alchemy), Body Weather (Astarti Athanasiadou), community gardening (Stadsoase Spinozahof), local food cycles (Lekkernassûh), Soto zen Buddhism (Sangha sans Demeure), Iyengar yoga (Ria Brandon), Qi Qong, cognitive- and Gestalt therapy, hypnosis (Praktijk Uriel), systemic family constellations and mother-daughter workshops (Mayke Smit), and focusing (*Natasha Lythgoe, theartofrewilding.com)

Curious to know more or feeling this embodied, nature-based work might be interesting for a friend of yours? Visit my dedicated coaching website: Learning with Horses

Or listen to Horses: learning to be present, Episode 08 of Right to the Soul.

Images: impression of coaching sessions in The Hague (top slider) and a selection of the horse-elders who crossed my path in this life (bottom slider).