Konect Equine is launching new remote programs & youth camp in 2016

Last week Konect farewelled two very much loved team members. The ponies Tippy Toes and Serenity went to live with my extended family in outback Australia. It was a very sad and tough journey but they are both safe and happy in their new home and i cannot wait to visit them. Although this is sad news , something that is great about the process is that on the journey I was able to asses the option of running a rural youth camp next year. This along with other exciting developments including delivery of equine sessions to remote areas and the launch of Konect Performance and Change Management programs is making 2016 very promising. Watch this space ..... 

 

 

Register you interest via email emma_gander@hotmail.com or via Facebook

Consider who you surround yourself with, it can make a difference

Be mindful of those you surround yourself with, others can unknowingly have either a positive or negative effect on the way you feel. As feelings directly influence our quality of life and our ability to react in the moment this is something you should give fair consideration. I know when I work with or team up my horses I always give thought to how their individual energy will impact what we are trying to achieve. Same goes for circles of friends, or peers. Think about how being near them can make you feel or behave. Is it a positive or negative influence, do you think you become a better or poorer you for having them in your life . Do they respect how you feel and let you be your authentic self , or do you feel like you need to become someone who is different to your true self to be accepted. Do you feel encouraged and accepted by these friends , is their a sense of trust , or does being near them make your consider violating your morals and or doing things you would not normally do in order to be accepted. As an individual you should feel confident enough in the beauty of who you are to truly express and be accepted as yourself, if your in a situation where this is not the case perhaps take a step back and consider if this is right for you. Take steps to fully understand who you are and be comfortable in your own skin , once you are these decisions and many others will be so much easier.
Come and try a self discovery session at Konect Equine Wisdom and Wellness Centre visit our facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/KonectEquineWisdomandWellnessCentre

Only light can drive out the dark, changing your state of mind.

Have you ever found yourself in a position where you felt surrounded by emotional darkness, in a position where you found it very hard to focus on the positive things, a time where you felt that nothing was working and generally unwanted, unloved or even worthless?

I’m sure at some point everyone has experienced a similar feeling in their lives. What can you do to help bring yourself out of this negative or bad emotional state? There are several strategies one of my favorite is to use the principal that only light can drive out the dark. What I mean by that is to consciously change your focus from negative to positive, it’s not always easy but being aware of your current state, and what you can do to change it can be a wonderful fist step to intentionally spending more time in a better state, in a frame of mind that serves yourself and others in a positive way.  

I like to use a strategy I learnt called emotional flooding. The process involves thinking of as many positive aspects, things, people in your life as possible, and visualize these positive things entering your body and filling your heart with joy. As these positive thoughts, memories dreams flow into your mind your nervous system will start to feel joy, your body posture and physiology will change, and you will start to feel more grateful and happy. Together the process will change your state of mind, and will start to train the nervous system how to feel good and focus on the positive. The more you do this the easier it will be for your body to move to a positive state and out of a negative one.  Of course the reverse is also true. Where focus goes energy flows. 

Cognitive-behavioural treatment programs for children with anxiety, what makes them effective?

Given the high number of children I have visiting my facility experiencing anxiety, to help me gaining an understanding of what can help to overcome and manage the symptoms I undertook some research. I focused on evaluating the CBT based approach. The studies which included intervention programs both school and non school based, delivered mostly in group settings, and treatments delivered to children at a variety of ages from as young as 4 years old. Components of each intervention including structure and content, delivery methods, participant age and parent or teacher involvement were evaluated. Common themes between each of the interventions and a summary of the outcomes are established and key components evaluated.

This investigation has given me , and Konect Equine Wisdom and Wellness Centre the opportunity to review program content and delivery to ensure we are helping in the best way possible. One area of interest is the meaningful contribution to positive outcomes family involvement can have. I am looking at ways to further incorporate parents into sessions with the goal of transferring knowledge and skills to them as well.

Feel free to check out the full article here >>>>  The efficacy of Cognitive-behavioural treatment programs in reducing symptoms of anxiety disorders and promoting resilience in children

How can a horse help you find peace?

An equine facilitated learning session can help us understand why we feel anxious and uncertain, it can also lead us to discover many other things.  When you place yourself in the present moment and focus only on you, the animal and the now, it ignites the mind body connection process. During interaction with horses we allow ourselves to connect and understand new ways of communicating including non verbally.  The changes and personal growth that unfolds is guided purely by feel, and is unique to each and every person, lucky enough to spend time in the presence of these amazing, wonderful and nurturing animals.  Horses have the most magnificent soul, capable of guiding us on personal awakenings and journeys beyond imagination. The following article explains in detail the wonderful insights and  magical moments that can happen when horses and human connect in an authentic and open way.  Please take the time to read and understand the possibilities benefits and joy that awaits.


Meet Your New Therapist. He's Wise, Compassionate...And Likes To Eat Hay

Master your emotions

What benefits could you get from understanding the factors that impact our emotions or how we feel?  These interesting facts about how physiology can affect emotion, can positively impact our self awareness, and bestow us with,  the ability to choose the emotion we want to experience in a given situation. How can we control our emotions through physiology. There is more to this then just smiling , you need to really physically show the emotion you want to feel , within your body in order to self generate that emotion. It is in our make up , ingrained within our physical being,  the ability react and respond to the everyday situations that we are faced with . We do this unconsciously , we react so to speak . How much do you pay attention to your body, and what it is experiencing and or feeling ? Also do you ask why do I feel this way? Is there a reason,and is that reason justified , or am I just unconsciously feeling that emotion. Watch this video where renowned psychologist and emotion-guru Paul Ekman describes how introducing conscious awareness to facial expressions can help one override and control their emotions. 

 

Building Trust and Connecting with a horse

Creating a connection with a horse, and or another person calls for a certain amount of self awareness. How will you choose to interact with and treat them, will you consider how they see the world , can you show empathy for what is going on in their world? This video is a wonderful demonstration of how important it is to develop "an unspoken contract with the horse" , one that is based on trust, peace and kindness. Gaining that immediate connection and building a trust and bond allows for a more authentic relationship and lowers the need for concern. Klaus says he will "present himself in a clear and decided way". This is not so as to change the horse , but to break the outer shell and get through to the true inner of the horse. What kind of benefits could you get by interacting with people or beings that you know, care for, and love in this way. What impact could lifting your self awareness and empathy have on your life, relationships and general well being and happiness. Watch video here >>>>>> Immediately connecting with horses

Discord Amongst the herd - How is your herd (family) getting along, are you all in disagreement, constant conflict and friction, or is your herd a harmonious heaven?

 In a herd of animals such as horses there are times when you are more likely to find disharmony occurring, such as at feeding time, when new herd members are introduced, or when there are other disruptions or events that may cause uneasiness.  We too experience these events and or disruptions in our day to day lives which can and do result in changes to our herd (family) dynamics.  Interestingly horses are naturally very social creatures and are dependent on each other for safety. Safety is not just a should for a horse it is a must! What I mean by that is horses depend on each other for survival; the reason for this is that they are prey animals and have a strong sense of self –preservation.  What lessons could we learn from observing the herd dynamics and gaining an understanding of certain times and or triggers that can result in disharmony or upset amount herd / family members?  Horses are very good at understanding their role within the herd, and show not only understanding but respect and commit to their place and individual responsibility in the herd. For example horses know who is the leader, and will respect and look to them for guidance. While others lower in the herd, while not always less important, are content and happy with their role. Together they form a strong interdependent bond that helps them fulfill their primary goal of safety and survival. The work together as a team and communicate clearly with each other. Consider how this compares to your family or personal relationship, do you all respect each other?  Is there an agreed upon leader? Do you all communicate with each other clearly? Do you all understand your role?  Are there times and or events which constantly trigger conflict or arguments? 

What is Conscious Communication

Clearly communicating what your needs wants and desires are is not only a very important skill, but one that can assist in your overall emotional well being. I believe communication is a skill we should invest considerable effort in fine tuning. It is not something that is learned once and then never improved upon or reviewed. If we think about the varied number of not only methods, but other beings that we communicate with over our life time, it will start to provide you with an understanding of how we need to be not only flexible, but aware of how we, and others around us communicate.  By increasing our self awareness and understanding the impact of how we communicate, not only can we improve relationships but in the process become more conscious of the impact we have on those around us.  Such an understanding results in greater empathy and happiness within our lives. We start to feel more confident, capable of expressing ourselves and more in control of our emotional state. Follow this link to a simple process that will help you become a master of conscious communication.... conscious-communication process

More support for the effectiveness of Equine Interaction

The therapeutic value of interaction with horses is becoming more and more documented . This article shows how "Health professionals say horses can reflect our emotions to bring relief from addiction and stress" . The horse provides very good feedback in relation to a person and or persons emotional well being. 


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The horse as a partner

Employing horses to teach people is no foreign concept. There are many people around the world drawing on the unique attributes of our equine friends to provide opportunities for personal growth and self discovery. In particular the lessons we can learn from non verbal communication are incredibly valuable. Our fast paced rapidly changing environment, with its increasing reliance on technology provides limited situations in which we need to use these skills. Its seems a natural conclusion that given many of school aged children and preschool for that matter, all of who have experienced a heavy presence of technology for their entire lives, may be lacking and or have underdeveloped skills in these areas, . As a result of this reduced awareness of non verbal communication and understanding of body language, we find many not just youth but adults experiencing lower self-esteem, lack of confidence, and inability to successfully establish boundaries .We rarely knowingly and willingly practice or refine these skills. One explanation may be that when communicating with people we are less likely to receive immediate and accurate feedback on how effectively we communicate. This lack of human feedback can be a result of a number of factors, and may vary from individual to individual, however when we interact with a horse you will find it will provide immediate and accurate feedback on your communication skills and body language. To gain trust and respect from a horse you need to find within yourself the ability to master your emotions, become acutely aware of your body language, and provide confident and believable leadership. Without these or an awareness of these skills partnering with a horse will most likely prove to be difficult.