Our horses need us to be PRESENT,

so let's SHOW UP as our best selves for them!

The nervous system is incredibly complex - we need a simple way to work WITH it, instead of attempting to 're-train' something that even neuroscientists don't completely understand...

"This is the missing link to working WITH (not "on") the nervous system..."

There are millions of horse-lovers out there with huge hearts overflowing with passion. We are all doing the best we can to help horses live their best lives, and I believe I’ve found the missing link…

The Somatics I teach (called Hanna Somatics®) is a very specific way of activating the nervous system to trigger the natural reflex of Pandiculation.

This is how we reverse Motor-Sensory Amnesia, which is an acquired collection of chronic unconscious muscle tension and skewed body awareness that builds up over time and blocks us from being able to Feel, think and move like we are designed to.

This revolutionary and UNIQUE Somatic work helps both horses and humans get out of pain, correct crookedness and restore body awareness by de-constructing the TRAUMA patterns that show up in the body as tension and bracing, but are actually stored in the unconscious part of the BRAIN.

Doing Hanna Somatics ‘wakes up’ the whole motor-sensory system, from within.

It gives us a direct way to work with the part of our brain involved in regulating posture, controlling our energetic field and having ‘Feel’ with horses, by practicing gentle Somatic Exercises with your body (and mind).

For horses it brings them out of a ‘shut-down’ or hyper-stimulated state, helps them find their way out of Learned Helplessness, and actualizes their potential as athletes and intelligent beings.

The act of doing Equine Hanna Somatics®, where we guide the horse through a session of slow voluntary Pandiculation exercises, is a deeply pleasant and bonding experience between horse and handler, and can be very meditative for the person doing it.

At the same time, the nervous systems of the horse and handler begin to merge and harmonize while doing this work, and the approach we use, which is based on inviting the horse to participate willingly, includes asking permission, getting consent and not using traditional pressure or aids to direct the horse...

The Mind & Body are not separate...

This brings us to a whole new level of inter-species connection, and opens the door for incredibly complex and rewarding conversations and experiences with horses…

It’s my mission and passion to get every horse to experience the amazing benefits of Hanna Somatics by sharing it with owners and equine bodyworkers, and to empower every equestrian to take back control of their own body and mind.

We can use Somatic Exercises to re-write our own patterns and restore the perfect functioning of a system that has been 200 million years in the making...

Once your neuro-muscular system is FREE to function again, things like horsemanship, emotional regulation, connection and Feel become EASY. This is how you become Embodied.

If any of this has resonated with you, then you have found your home and we welcome you with pricked ears, open arms and enthusiastic squeals. And probably a green smear or two.

"Everything I do with horses is about more than just helping them feel and function better...

My whole approach to horses is a catalyst for changing the way people treat one another and understand nature. This is my unique way to help change the world!"

Alissa Mayer BSc(Equine) EHSE-C

I'm a Certified Equine Hanna Somatics Educator, the Co-Instructor of the Equine Hanna Somatics Education Professional Training Program at the Novato Institute, Founder of the Association for Equine Hanna Somatics Education (AEHSE) and the Creator/CEO of the FEEL-Embodied System.

Whew! Let's get to know each other...

Things I LOVE:

The smell of horses (do I even need to type this?)
I love a good scenic drive and that’s my favorite time to do my deep thinking. I like to imagine I’m riding a horse through wild country (or on golf courses, there, I said it!)
I might be a little obsessed with pumpernickel bagels.
Boots or barefoot (just like my horses!)
Coffee. Permaculture. Neuroscience…