How Do Horses Listen?
Writing with Horses
October 20 & 21, 2018
I’m just a little bit afraid of horses. So, it’s odd that I keep offering the Writing with Horses workshop centered around interacting with an equine herd. But, being an animal lover, I just can't resist how much horses inspire me with their wisdom, beauty and strength. For the last five years, I've partnered with Kimberly Carlisle at Flag Ranch to create an experience for folks to connect with their creativity by visiting with a herd of 40 mostly rescued horses that roam free. How can horses open you to your own creativity, you ask? It's all about taking the time to slow down time and BE with the horses to witness how they do life. They are brilliant teachers!
After immersing myself in the herd, I've observed that horses listen with their whole bodies. The beautiful thing about whole body listening is that it halts the mind chatter and gently pulls you into the present. Time S T R E T C H E S before you like a big open meadow. This kind of presence is the magical space where creativity comes galloping out of hearts and flies from pen to paper.
Here's a poem inspired in the pasture at one of our Writing with Horses retreats...
Writing prompt: How do Horses Listen?
by AL-LISTEN Fragakis
Find a place where a minute
feels as long and lovely
as a lazy summer day
Horses know all about it
Stroll in and they'll tell you
But don't ask directly
Listen...
not with your ears
listen with your whole body
their twitches and itches reveal the door
then lean into the earth’s heartbeat
feel it with your feet,
not your eardrums
Having trouble?
Find a drowsy-looking horse
you think he’s not paying attention
you think he is just staring at blades of grass
He doesn’t listen like us
Soon his curious muzzle will lift
to sniff your soul
If he trusts you, he'll show you the way
It's the place where a minute
feels as long and lovely
as a lazy summer day
So, if you’re looking to expand time and let more of your creative juju and inner wisdom flow, I suggest that you go hang out with a horse. Join us for our next Writing With Horses experience on October 20 & 21. 2018 at Flag Ranch near Murphys, CA.
Allison Fragakis is a writer, personal poet, speaker on creativity, and facilitator of writing workshops in Marin County, CA. She is sporadically found around town clacking out personalized poems on her typewriter and talking to trees and butterflies for creative inspiration. She loves helping others re-connect and ignite their creative fire!
**Would you like to sign up for the next Writing with Horses 2018 weekend? Give yourself the gift of connecting with yourself through this horse immersion and creative writing experience. We’ll spend our time slowing drinking in the vast hills, visiting with the horses and journaling in circle with fun and unusual prompts. Kimberly Carlisle, director of Flag Ranch, and I will be c0-facilitating this special day. No writing or horse experience necessary. Limited to 10 participants.
Date: October 20 and 21st, 2018
Time: 10-4 pm on Saturday and 10-1 on Sunday
Where: Flag Ranch
Cost: $500 (half of the fee goes to the care of the horses)
Email to register: writingallison@me.com
*Note: We recommend spending the night in Murphys or another charming local town on Friday and Saturday. Flag Ranch is a 2-hour drive from San Francisco (with no traffic).
