The Blissful Inner Journey

My name is Barbara Alexander, and I am the President and Founder of Epona Ridge, a soul-based evolution over the last 18 years. In retrospect, my entire life has been inspired by spirit since I was very young; I just needed the time to discover that the business path most traveled was not the one to nourish my soul.

After many years in the corporate world of leadership and performance development, I discovered that the measurement of REAL success was not what we thought; it was far more straightforward: the amount of happiness experienced daily. 

After a lot of soul searching, years of studying A Course In Miracles, nine years of training to become a Reiki Master/Teacher, and 18 years of facilitating experiential retreats, I've discovered the energy of connection that has changed my life forever.

I began training in EFEL (Equine Facilitated Experiential Learning) in 2004 and am an Eponaquest Worldwide facilitator of EFEL and Leadership programs. I was honored to have trained so extensively with Linda Kohanov herself and was able to take all of my professional and advanced certification courses in EFEL with Linda.

With EFEL training combined with 20 years in corporate training and motivation, I understood the missing link between energy dynamics and how individuals affect the connectivity of all beings in the office and at home. Traditional team and leadership training had missed vital interpersonal skills training that proved critical to personal balance and mutual respect for a healthy culture.

Over the last decade, I've collaborated with Frederic Pignon and Magali Delgado, two of the world's finest horse trainers in dressage and liberty work, to develop a holistic approach for personal development with equestrians. We've combined aspects of horsemanship and equine-facilitated learning in the human field of intuitive, emotional, and physical intelligence. This combination changed the horse-human relationship, opening new doors to extraordinary co-creation.

The more I studied, the more I found the golden threads that connected it all. Healthy relationships, the keys to inner balance, joy, and personal fulfillment, were not just my hopes and dreams; many have felt the same calling. So, I began to create programs for those who want to immerse themselves within a sacred space to learn, grow, and find the inspiration of their souls.

Over the last few years, I have discovered some of the most exciting advances and deep fulfillment through this work as I continue developing the psychology of energy, interconnectedness, and personal joy at home, in the office, and in the arena.

Experiential learning has become a powerful and proven approach to teaching based on one incontrovertible reality: people learn best through experience.

Experiential learning with horses offers unfamiliar experiences and unique learning opportunities because they provide immediate and unbiased feedback. Horses can tune into an individual’s energy and respond in kind, helping humans discover their strengths and gaps that block inner balance.

Often, individuals are so focused on the end goal that they overlook crucial non-verbal cues. These cues, when missed, can lead to blocks, confusion, and wasted time, highlighting the importance of experiential learning with horses in developing this skill.

Extroverted individuals often miss subtle cues and become overbearing, lowering trust and eroding morale.

Introverted people, who find it difficult to modulate their energy with extroverts, often find their contributions unheard, which leads to growing unhappiness.

Experiential learning offers benefits for individuals of all energy types. Through various exercises and discussions, participants learn to modulate their personal energy, enabling them to respond appropriately to others, particularly in stressful situations. This skill is invaluable for both extroverted individuals who may be prone to overbearing behavior and introverted individuals who may struggle to be heard in a group.

I have found that these training techniques build confidence, compassion, and camaraderie as people step outside their typical environment and experiment with new and fun ways to improve themselves.

Experiential learning has proved to be a powerful approach to teaching, based on the fact that people learn best through experience.

Experiential learning with horses provides unique learning opportunities, as they offer immediate and unbiased feedback. Horses can sense an individual’s energy and respond accordingly, helping people identify their strengths and areas that need improvement to achieve inner balance.

Often, individuals are so focused on the end goal that they miss crucial non-verbal cues, resulting in blocks, confusion, and wasted time. This underscores the importance of experiential learning with horses in developing this skill. Extroverted individuals can miss subtle cues and become overbearing, decreasing trust and morale. Introverted people who struggle to match their energy with extroverts often feel that their contributions go unheard, leading to increasing dissatisfaction.

Experiential learning benefits individuals of all energy types. Through various exercises and discussions, participants learn to control their energy, enabling them to respond appropriately to others, especially in stressful situations.

HeartMath Institute provides a clue to explain the bidirectional "healing" that happens with horses.

"Recent studies conducted by the Institute of HeartMath provides a clue to explain the bidirectional "healing" that happens when we are near horses.

According to researchers, the heart has a larger electromagnetic field and higher level of intelligence than the brain: A magnetometer can measure the heart's energy field radiating up to 8 to 10 feet around the human body. While this is certainly significant it is perhaps more impressive that the electromagnetic field projected by the horse's heart is five times larger than the human one (imagine a sphere-shaped field that completely surrounds you). The horse's electromagnetic field is also stronger than ours and can actually directly influence our own heart rhythm!

Horses are also likely to have what science has identified as a "coherent" heart rhythm (heart rate pattern) which explains why we may "feel better" when we are around them. Studies have found that a coherent heart pattern or HRV is a robust measure of well-being and consistent with emotional states of calm and joy--that is, we exhibit such patterns when we feel positive emotions.

A coherent heart pattern is indicative of a system that can recover and adjust to stressful situations very efficiently. Often times, we only need to be in a horses presence to feel a sense of wellness and peace. In fact, research shows that people experience many physiological benefits while interacting with horses, including lowered blood pressure and heart rate, increased levels of beta-endorphins (neurotransmitters that serve as pain suppressors), decreased stress levels, reduced feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety, improved social functioning; and increased feelings of empowerment, trust, patience and self-efficacy."

For many, the privilege of growing up around horses has led to a profound emotional bond, a connection that often resurfaces later in life. It's a shared experience, this sudden opening of the heart, a feeling that only comes when we're truly ready to embrace it.

The bond with these intelligent creatures isn't limited to those with prior horse experience. It's a universal connection that fosters a deep alignment with the fundamental aspects of life, a transformative effect that anyone can experience.

Recent scientific research is starting to shed light on why this phenomenon occurs. We often become overly focused on analytical thinking, which inadvertently prevents us from accessing a deeper intuitive connection. Being close to horses in a natural setting can lead to shifts in our heart rate and energy balance, enabling us to tap into more intuitive levels of self-awareness.

We encounter moments when we feel interconnected with everything around us, leading to a personal and transformative journey. By connecting with the sanctuary of our hearts, we discover the gateway to our natural and unique rhythm. This allows us to grow by embracing our inner truths and learning from the insights gained through introspection.

~ Barbara Alexander, Founder, Epona Ridge