Mindfulness Program

Mindfulness can be promoted and practiced in many different shapes and forms.  There is no one set way to practice mindfulness, and what works well for one person may not be appropriate for everyone.  With that in mind, Hidden Acres has developed three distinct mindful experiences, each targeting a different type of mindfulness/meditation.

Type One: Walking Meditation
The walking meditation consists of a horse guided walk through our trails and fields, using all our senses to experience the natural world surrounding us.  We will use the horse as the point of interest to return to the present moment as stray thoughts enter our minds.  This meditation will include a stop by the stream for a breathing exercise, a visit to the Medicine Wheel for a visualization exercise, and the opportunity to hand graze the horse in an open field.

Type Two: Working Meditation
The working meditation consists of the careful, mindful grooming of a horse from head to tail.  Three different brushes will be used to groom the horse with attention to all parts of the horse’s body.  This meditation will include breathing with the horse and particular focus on horse body language so that we may understand the horse’s experience of the meditative exercise.

Type Three: Pasture (Loving Kindness) Meditation
The pasture meditation consists of joining a herd of horses in a large pasture where we will sit (on the ground or in a folding chair) or stand amongst the horses and enter into the community of the herd. This meditation will include a body scan and breathing exercise as we strive to open ourselves to experience the energy of the myriad relationships (horse-horse, human-human, horse-human, herd-nature, human-nature) around us. We will engage in a guided Jon Cabat-Zinn practice of offering loving kindness to people in our lives, the horses and ourselves.

Cost: $45.00 per person for 60-minute individual or small group session (2-4 people)