Stillness is Enough
During the pandemic, so much of life shifted. For some, work was either completely halted or paused for a period of time. And for others, that pause prompted a reflection and change of trajectories. For Pat Kosdan, who was a massage therapist at the time, all of her practices stopped. Everything that was caring for her mind and body, like her profession and yoga, took a back seat. In some ways, she was struggling to solidify her identity. In fact, one night, she had a dream that she actually lost her identity, unable to remember who she was.
It was at this time, in the summer of 2020, that Pat attended her first session with Amanda and the Unbridled Way Forward team. She had been very curious about what was happening at Unbridled Way Forward and how horses can play into healing and transformation. Pat was carrying into her first session heaviness from her dream and uncertainty for the next phase of her life. She spent some time in the barn with the horses, brushing their mane and catching on to their playfulness. One horse even pulled a yoga mat off the shelf and flapped it in front of her, which she took as a sign to pick up the practice of yoga again. At times, she found herself laughing with pure joy, something that had not happened in a while.“I thought during this time that in finding myself, I better start playing a bit,” shares Pat. “I thought, ‘I want more of this’.”
During her second visit, Pat had a much different experience. The horses did not interact with her at first by standing with their backs to her and moving away when she approached them. This, however, allowed her to sit in their presence and in her thoughts. One by one, they each approached her in different ways. One of them rested his head on the window near her, another one nuzzled his nose on her and nibbled her hair. All four of them were there, looking out into their pasture. It was in these moments that Pat felt something new arise, a new phrase that has since become the mantra for her work:
“Stillness is enough.”
Through this stillness, Pat experienced a very clear vision for her next journey. She knew definitively that she wanted to pursue biodynamic craniosacral therapy as her work. In a time where so much of the world was uncertain of where to go next, Pat’s time with the horses affirmed what she wanted to offer clients in her work. During these few sessions, Pat felt so touched and directed by the horses’ influence that she even wrote a poem about her time. The poem ends with, “His gentleness affirming that love was tough. The Blessing complete- Stillness is Enough.”
Since that time in 2020, Pat has attended an Unbridled Way Forward Retreat, several Herd Meditations, and a Solstice Meditation. Her experience with the team and horses at Unbridled Way Forward was so impactful that she has taken her two daughters and three granddaughters to the herd meditations with her. Pat shares that when you experience Unbridled Way Forward, “The clarification you can receive is both beautiful and gentle. It can lovingly deepen your soul.”
Unbridled Way Forward works with their horses on the ground in the pasture, so that humans and horses see eye to eye on a level playing field. There is no riding and no horse experience necessary, just a curiosity and readiness to learn what these powerful yet gentle creatures can teach us about ourselves, all in a safe and trusting environment.
Unbridled Way Forward’s team of professionals and horses facilitates powerful experiences that can’t be found in an office. People like Pat experience personal discovery and transformation through the power of horses, nature, and mindful presence. They uncover and connect with their wisdom, courage and compassion, putting them on their unique path forward.
We look forward to connecting with you to offer an experience that is uniquely your own, where just maybe, like Pat, stillness is in fact enough.
