Sarah's Story
We saw her take a deep breath, her eyes began to fill with tears and she said, "I am ready now" .... she looked into the white mares eyes, stroked her neck and said "Thank You".
 A few months ago Sarah, a woman in her early forties, came to Stand InBalance because she realized that despite the previous therapy work she had done over the years, the trauma she had experienced as a child was still having a negative impact in her life. Over the years, Sarah had cut off her ability to feel emotions, not just the painful emotions but all feelings, the good ones too. Because her career required her to stay in her head she was good at intellectualizing but unable to truly "feel".
Sarah reported suffering from stomachaches, neck pain, and had headaches almost every evening. She also mentioned that she wanted to be able to laugh and cry again. Although skeptical at first, Sarah decided she would give this "horse thing" a try.
After meeting the herd, Sarah chose to work with a white mare - she described chosing her "because she is strong & graceful, a leader; she takes care of others... but doesn't take crap from anyone".
In the exercises with the horses, the arena becomes a metaphor for life, a playground to experiment with things one would like to work on in daily existence. For Sarah walking with the mare this first session was a metaphor of her relationship with herself. At first, the mare would not move - she was stuck in place, as Sarah was stuck in her life. This was very frustrating for Sarah and with our help she was able to explore this through her body and the way she carried herself and her tension.
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"I have been wanting to experience this learning model for quite some time.
Being able to face my fears in this unique and helpful way has given me a new understanding of how fear has impeded my ability to assert myself in general. Also, it became clear that I sometimes try too hard to be courageous at the expense of taking care of myself. What good insights!"
Teri Campbell, LCSW California "The horses showed my husband and me how important it is to work together as a team, which improved our parenting skills and life at home! Our family thanks InBalance." B.T., mother of 3 Calabasas, CA
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Greetings! 
I am thrilled to announce that we just completed the opening of our new Ranch in Westlake Village/ Thousand Oaks! Nestled in the mountains above Malibu, it is an amazingly beautiful, private setting. Over the last few months we have been busily preparing the arena, horse corrals and office area - Yes, we will finally have an indoor space where we can meet, cool down, warm up, and freshen up!
For me, this space is truly a dream come true and I look forward to sharing it with you. Now that the InBalance ranch is open, we hope you will join us for our open barn or one of our upcoming workshops. In addition, we have expanded our work with individuals and couples to include private all day and multi-day intensives. 
Horses & Mindfulness One is confident when present in the body, present in the moment, filled out to the edges, connected to and able to take action toward what is of most concern. -Denise Benson in Strozzi -Heckler In this day and age of the faster the better, workaholism, new technology every minute, traffic, deadlines, and most importantly productivity... when do we stop and ask ourselves "how am I feeling"? When making decisions, how often do we stop and check in to see what our "gut" or instinct is saying? Typically, we spend so much most of our time in our heads doing, doing, doing without taking a moment to stop and just "Be". Sometimes the most effective way to get things done is to get out of our heads and drop into our bodies, to move from our core, and use our ancient instinctual wisdom to help us navigate through the concrete jungles of our world. What does this all have to do with Stand InBalance and Equine Assisted Growth & Learning you might ask? Well, it has everything to do with the horses and how they can teach us to embody mindfulness. Because horses are fully present, Read More...... |
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Upcoming Events
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Open Barn
Saturday June 25, 2011
11 am - 2 pm; Demo at 12 pm
The InBalance Ranch Join us for refreshments, learn how Equine Assisted Learning works, and get your questions answered by experienced professionals. There is no charge for this event. RSVP Here Directions sent upon registration |
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Confidence from the Core
Saturday July 23, 2011
8:30 am - 12:30
Whether at work or in relationships, it can be difficult as a woman to find your "voice"
and have the confidence to use it. In this workshop you will have the opportunity and freedom to identify your core needs and gain the confidence to assert them. Come and experience confidence from the core. This is a small group workshop. $200
Register Here |
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Private Intensives
for Individuals and Couples
In addition to our regular individual and couples sessions, we are now offering single and multi-day intensives to maximize your growth and learning.
More Information
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| Empower Your Authentic Self |
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