This page contains reviews & testimonials from the EFEL clinics
organised by Yvonne in Ireland this year.
Introduction to EFEL
Clinic - May
2008
The atmosphere Yvonne and Jan have created at Rogerstown House, with
the horses and for us in the workshop is beautiful and has made the
experience very special. The build up and set up are very professional
as well as very spiritual and they have made it possible to have an
experience which has truly given me new insight in the horse world and
the powers horses have.
It is a very individual experience; we each got different but equally
beautiful new insights from the horses. I felt that the atmosphere of
the surroundings and the group gave a beautiful energy that enabled it
all to happen so quickly.
It is an experience I will never forget and I think when it has all
sunk in it will have taught me an extra dimension of receiving valuable
information about myself and about the horses around me.
Sandra
Wedman
Introduction
to EFEL Clinic - 12th & 13th October 2007
An experience like no other
First of all, Yvonnes home is a fairytale place at the seaside, an old
house with a fireplace to sit around, huge pastures and large trees,
inhabited by fairies. A place full of spirit and love.
Yvonne and her five horses showed us participants, that Linda Kohanovs
books are not just words. I came across Lindas books a year ago and
have been fascinated since. Yvonne's horses are personalities, each
different, each strongly responding.
One of the amazing experiences I made was that horses love to do this
work. They are spirtual creatures and they love to take you on a path
together with them. But you have to be with them, the experience is a
lot more than written words.
Yvonne was a great guide, never pushy, always awake.
Yvonnes mare Belle showed me, that putting a distance between her and
me is not losing connection, but maybe the right thing to find it.
Cisco, a sophisticated paint gelding, revealed his healing powers to
me. He made me cry by showing me, that he is here to help and support
me, and that it is a natural joy for him and can be for me, if I allow
it.
The experience lies back four months now - but it is still very vivid.
It has enhanced my creativity and the authenticity with which I lead my
life. It has improved my relationship with my Arabian mare Tinnia and
the fun we have together. I will be back for more.
Ulrike,
Germany
Introduction
to EFEL Clinic - 18th & 19th August
Experiencing is so much better than reading, feeling the truth is so
much better than hearing about it and believing it. Feeling is truth,
understanding is knowledge. This is what’s so great about the
course, it offers hands on experience to feel emotions and shows you
how you can handle them. Horses play a key role ‘cause you
can not lie to them, but maybe even more important, they keep you on
the ground and remember everyone to the fact we’re dealing
with life in this course. The thing that had a huge impact on me was
that you can have a horse as a friend, before this course I would never
have imagined that friendship is a universal reality. Thanks everybody
who attended the course (horse and human alike), I grew because of you.
Katrijn
J.W. Baetens, Belgium
Introduction
to EFEL Clinic - 18th & 19th August
Unsure of what to expect, having no previous experience of horses, I
came to this workshop with an open mind. I found it to be a most
enjoyable and rewarding experience. We explored the area of human
emotions (always a difficult one) together with energy boundaries, both
human and equine. The workshop was conducted in a most professional and
sensitive way, at all times respecting the dignity and privacy of all
concerned. This course is a must for anyone interested in healing their
emotions, letting go of their past conditioning, and moving forward in
a more emotionally balanced way.
Terry
Storey
Introduction
to EFEL Clinic - 18th & 19th August
My Story:
I was brought up on a farm in the 50’s when the horse was a
very important animal for farm work. The equine experience
I’ve just had is completely new ground for me.
I arrived at Rogerstown House on August 18th at 9.30am, was welcomed by
Jan and entered what is best described as a capsule of peace. The
atmosphere in the house was that peaceful, calm, welcoming, serene sort
of presence everywhere. A perfect setting for what happened that day
and the next.
The day started with tea, coffee, herbal teas, healthy coarse ground
brown bread with butter and home made jams. This took place sitting
around a large table in the family room, nine of us, 7 participants and
2 facilitators. We returned to this table later for a healthy lunch and
this same table bore healthy snacks for between meals if needed, body
nourished at all times!
After breakfast we adjourned to a large sitting room, open fire,
comfortable chairs, to be guided by our efficient focused facilitators
Yvonne and Jan. The two days were such a new inspiring and therapeutic
journey for me. My respect for the horse was always there, but I now
meet this majestic animal at an emotional level, what an experience!
This creature understands my emotions, sees through me,
doesn’t allow me to mask my feelings, what next I must find
out.
Over the course of the two days I spent time with the horses, I
observing them and they observing me and was able to spend time with
the horse of my choice, beautiful calm reflective Jimmy.
Thanks to our facilitators, Yvonne and Jan who led us through
discussions about personal boundaries, emotional intelligence, our
emotions and how to gain information from them, to the ultimate end of
becoming our authentic self. Thanks to the young people who helped with
the food and in the stables.
No experiences are so good, no knowledge was better, communication with
that majestic animal was so good for the soul!
I, Emily Kilgariff am in a calmer place with myself, one week later I
am still there, thanks again to all who brought me there.
Emily
Kilgariff
Introduction
to EFEL Clinic - 18th & 19th August
From the moment I arrived, I was made to feel so very welcome.
There was a true sense of coming home. But it was more than a physical
home, this was a coming home to myself, a gentle returning to emotions
that I had not listened too in quite a while.
All the while feeling held, held in the way you would swallow a child
in your arms. Held, not only by Yvonne and Edel, but also by the
horses. Now I can visit those emotions, those rooms in my castle, not
with fear but with acceptance, gentleness and love.
Paula
Hughes.
Introduction
to EFEL Clinic - 22nd & 23rd July
I participated in a two day course based on the above theory under the
tutelage of Yvonne Monahan and Jan. I recently became interested in
Equine Facilitated Experiential Learning mainly due to the fact that I
have always had an interest in horses and I am involved in education on
a daily basis – I’m a mainstream primary teacher.
However one does not need to have any knowledge of the horse to
participate in the course. Also like most people I tend to feel
stressed with the modern day workload and balancing act of children,
work, family, house and self – in that order! I happened to
see a pamphlet on the course and some of the material caught my eye. It
also fitted in very well theoretically with my work and lots of ideas
from the self-help reading that is around nowadays. I almost felt
relaxed reading the brochure with its emphasis on reconnecting to
nature and the linking (almost spiritually?) with the horse in this
case.
The course was held in Rogerstown House and this is a beautiful stately
but homely place where the food was excellent and we were greeted with
an open fire (an authentic one – not gas or what have you!)
Another positive I felt was that the numbers attending were kept low
and this facilitated more openness. The two course givers were warm
intuitive people aiding people get in touch with their feelings without
the usual big wooden desk that tends to separate.
No knowledge of the horse was required and the work was all done from
the ground. We visited the horses and spent time just being and letting
feelings and emotions come up as they wanted. There wasn’t
really and agenda. Nobody was under pressure to disclose their thoughts
or feelings but in general everyone felt comfortable to talk, discuss
and give feedback to others on whatever came up. Participants were able
to choose their horse partner and even that choice apparently said
something! Or maybe the horses chose us!?
There was great detail on the explanation of emotions, how they might
look, what they might mask and how one could deal with them which I
thought was very well done.
I learned that everything means something. If you do something it means
something and if you don’t do something that also tells you a
lot about yourself!
I have attended a few seminars, before this course, on the use of the
horse as a partner in therapeutic fields more from an angle of how I
could be involved or employ the horse to help children with special
needs. This course was showing me the actual practice of it with me as
the learner, patient, student whatever and I learned a lot more as it
was activity based and you could feel it not just theorise about it.
There was feedback from Yvonne about a week later which I thought was
very thoughtful and professional and one was left with the impression
that you could pick up the phone and chat if you ever needed to. I
would thoroughly recommend this course to people – it
provides an open forum for the discussion of emotions, feelings the
ability to relax that is hard to find in the modern society.
Caroline
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