Leading life coach and facilitator, Jackie Smith, who recently headed up one of the most talked about segments on national television, will be hosting a similar equine assisted learning workshop in the Hawkesbury location where the session was filmed, and where Bella, the other star of the show, is stabled.
On the show, while Jackie was explaining that horses such as Bella would be their “teachers, healers and role models” one of the participants remarked, “I’m going to talk to a horse, and we’re going to have Zen?! What the hell is going on?”
But afterwards she said, “It’s really amazing. The whole thing about this assisted learning is the fact that you can change things with your energy. You can change things with your mindset.” Others used phrases like “amazing breakthrough”; “a moment that took my breath away”; and “I would never have guessed I could have an experience like that.”
“Traditionally adopted for therapeutic purposes for trauma victims, autistic children, and to address mental health issues, it’s now understood that Equine Assisted Learning has a great deal to offer for personal and professional development, in areas such as selfawareness, mindfulness and stress management, communication and relationship skills, and leadership,” Jackie explains. “The show provided a great opportunity to get this message across.”
Jackie’s equine assisted learning segment was a hit on Channel Ten’s The Biggest Loser Transformed, which this season focused not just on weight loss itself, but included “mind sessions” emphasising mental and physical well-being as well.
Says Jackie, “Although we may not even be conscious of it, we often hold beliefs that might include fear of failure, a fear of not being interesting enough, or not being good enough.
“But horses live only in the present moment and relate to all people without judgement, expectation, hope or anticipation. They do not know your story and do not share the beliefs you have about yourself.
“Horses respond to unstated intentions, body language and energetic presence – not thoughts, and their response can be of support to start to see ourselves differently, and thus shift these limiting beliefs we have about ourselves. What horses choose to do gives someone powerful information about the truth of who we are in that moment.”
Jackie’s all-day Hawkesbury workshop, “Discover the Wisdom of the Horse”, will be held on Friday, May 19, at New Secret Garden, Clydesdale Lane, Richmond. No riding is involved. Numbers are limited and booking is essential, through Jackie’s blog, www.thewisdomofthehorse.com. au, or contact her direct at [email protected]
