Over the weekend of the 3rd and 4th November 2012, I visited the New Forest to attend a two day Equine Healing Masterclass with Margrit Coates. The course was aimed at equine professionals looking to expand their experiences in the field of equine healing.
The location was the Fortune Centre for Riding Therapy, at Bransgore in the heart of the New Forest. My journey down was pleasant; however I was taken aback when I entered the New Forest. It is a very grounding environment, and having pulled over into a parking bay, I stopped for a while and pondered on the difference between the busy hubbub of daily life and the quiet, earthly energy that I could now feel.
For once, I was ahead of schedule (a miracle in itself!) and so this became a lovely start to the weekend.
Once at the centre, I met with my fellow delegates, who all worked in various dimensions of the horse world, including a massage therapist, a vet, and personal development specialist. It was empowering to be amongst like-minded people, all focussed strongly on horse welfare.
On the first day we covered some techniques new to me, that Margrit uses within her practice, which I found very useful. Particularly, how she enters the correct ‘space’ necessary for animal communication, and also some ‘hands on’ work along the horses back.
I’m more accustomed to working from a short distance, so this was very interesting. It was very exciting to see obvious physical changes to the coat, skin and muscle taking place during the treatments.
The ponies and horses that we used were very receptive to healing. In their daily lives their job is to assist children with physical and mental disabilities. Our visit was during half term, so the centre was very quiet, and we were able to give treatments to many of the ‘inmates’. Given that these animals spend their lives helping others, we were all honoured to be able to help them, with nothing required in return.
By the end of the first day, we were all on a high, but equally tired from all the learning.
On the second day, Margrit took us through ‘energy tracking’. This technique allows you to map the feel of energy through the horses’ body, and gain access on a deeper level. We worked as a group to start with, each of us placing a hand on the horses’ body, and connecting to each other’s input.
Working as a group on one of the horses.
Then we worked in pairs, helping each other pick up on subtle differences in the energy within the horses’ body. I learnt a lot from this, as working with another person added interesting feedback on my own energy state.
Both days were interspersed with meditations written by Margrit, which I really enjoyed, and added to the overall ‘healing frequency’ experience.
Healing Masterclass: Class of November 2012
I came away with new healing tools, and a deeper insight into myself as a healer, and my healing journey. I was also deeply inspired by Margrits’ no-nonsense approach to animal welfare, and how she is committed to speaking up for all animals.
Many thanks to Margrit Coates, and my six co-learners.