WORDS BY AUDREY DANIEL of SOUL EQUINE

INTRO, CAPTIONS + PHOTOGRAPHY BY VALERIE NOELL of THE ETERNAL CHILD

In our current individualistic society, it’s undeniable that there’s something uncommonly special about people gathering together. Workshops can produce a particular feeling of new insight and healing that comes uniquely from groups sharing in experiences together– and our first seasonal living workshop and farm meal did just that.

One of the foundational teachings of my work is that we are all living in an energetic field – and when together, we are sharing that energy between us. When an intentional group comes together for something, we feel the power in that collectively, and we experience a perspective shift as we support each other as a community.

Openness and wisdom seemed to be resonating from our participants last Saturday, and it made our workshop come to life in such a magical way that it’s almost inexplicable.

This fall workshop focused on how to live in accordance with the seasons through the lens of nature & Chinese medicine. We experienced a transition to becoming present and aware in our environment, and practiced simple tools for taking back into our every day lives.

It can be more challenging to shift perspective and stay present when leaving the comfort of the group and going back to our daily patterns and schedules in the “real world”. However, the focus of the workshop was to lend small, easy steps that we could all start implementing – even in the hustle and bustle of our life.

We learned tools for becoming present in our bodies and aware of our environment using breath-work and Qigong movements in nature. We also learned ways in which we could comfort our bodies and minds while staying healthy through the seasonal shift into fall and winter.

A highlight for me was when we practiced Wu Wei – merging with the animal herd out in the pasture. We looked to them as our intuitive guides for being more in flow with the season and the moment.

It was such an incredible feeling of peace and warmth as we slowly became truly integrated into the herd and with each other.

We ended the day with an incredible, curated, family-style lunch. The menu was intentional and informed by Chinese medicine and local/seasonal ingredients. We sourced organic produce from our local friends at Vibrant Valley Farm, and the menu was curated and cooked over live-fire during the workshop by local chef, Shauna Galante, of Secret Language. We sipped warm, chai tea as Britanie led us through tea ceremony and introduced mindful eating as a connection to nature.

Our participants left the day with wellness bundles –full of seasonal goodies from our collaborators– to support our teachings from the day. I left the workshop feeling whole, nurtured, and embracing the change in seasons. After we said our goodbyes, and each went back to our different homes and different lives, I felt a renewed sense of connection to the earth beneath my feet and the people that came together that afternoon.

As I try to remain present and grounded with fall, I can’t help but feel some excitement for our winter workshop to come next season.