Learning to Relieve Stress
Leadership sometimes requires renewal for yourself and for those around you. We must be able to retreat and find places that help energize our spirits. Learning how to release stress is an important part of being able to continue to lead.
We use two research supported means of helping to relieve stress and two possible locations—the outdoors and interaction with horses. First we draw on research that demonstrates that green space can reduce our stress and our physical responses to stress by lowering our blood pressure and reducing harmful chemical reactions such as cortisol levels. Second we draw on research about the ability of sensory awareness exercises to focus our full attention on what is happening in the present, at this particular moment in time. Taken together we use the outdoors to create an opportunity to relax and teach stress relieving techniques and sensory awareness exercises to bring participants full focus to the present.
We offer the following courses:
A Walk in the Woods (1/2 day)
This course focuses on contemplative practice and sensory awareness. Participants learn to use their bodies (their senses) to “be present”, to operate in the here and now. Why is it important to learn techniques for being ‘present’? In our work environments we are almost always ‘multi-tasking’; thinking about many different things at one time. We are comparing our current situation to past situations, we are analyzing co-workers and what they are saying verbally and through tone and body language, we are considering our next meal, we are…well, you get the idea. This course takes place in local state parks and involves very little physical activity.
Participants will:
- Learn and practice several techniques to reduce stress by becoming present
- Share and reflect on these experiences with each other; and
- Understand how the brain handles stress and why it can interfere with productivity.
This course is limited to no more than 16 participants and takes place in local state parks.
Equine Mirroring to Help Learn Stress Relief
By interacting with horses you can feel your stress just disappear. Horses have a strong sensitivity to human behavior and know when we are stressed. They respond by mirroring our emotional state, which can help us learn to become calm or relaxed.
This ½ day program teaches sensory awareness exercises and then utilizes horses to help participants judge their success.
We also have a monthly equine stress relief package which includes:
Unlimited visits to the barn to spend time with horses.
- Two facilitated sessions a month on different topics -- i.e., communication, stress relief techniques, leadership, assertiveness, trust and relationship.
- Safety briefing about interacting with horses.
You may visit your horse at any time between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. to groom, lead them on a walk, or just hang out. See for yourself how these magnificent animals can be our teachers. This is a monthly subscription and the cost of this program is $99 per month. You may cancel at any time.