A place where horsewomen who are sick of burning themselves out in service to the Horse can finally get the support you deserve, using strategies that don't require you to push through pain to do what you love...
A place where horsewomen who are sick of burning themselves out in service to the Horse can finally get the support you deserve, using strategies that don't require you to push through pain to do what you love...
LET ME GUESS...
You don't just "work with horses," you want to help them live better lives, and also feel like you're growing and developing your own mastery at the same time.
You want to be seen as a leader in our industry, but you feel like you're caught halfway between the 'woo' and wanting to see and understand the 'science.'
You know how to help horses, you've studied several modalities and training methods, but feel like something is missing, and you don’t have time to waste!
You feel like you have an expiration date on your body and worry about the day you'll have to retire, give up your dream of building a thriving equine career, or stop riding 🐴 altogether.
You have a ton of passion for the horse, but feel like you are giving more than you are getting back.
We must be able to offer horses what they need, without getting in our own way, and the keys are already inside you.
We must be able to offer horses what they need, without getting in our own way.
A completely different way to build your FOUNDATION for horsemanship, riding and your professional practice with horses.
Specifically designed for the horsewoman (or equine professional) that wants to EMBODY the carrot, and not rely on the stick.
Here at FEEL-Embodied, we understand that to be successful working with horses, you need to take care of your most valuable tool - your own BODY.
BUT - you are more than just a body...
You are a SOMA - a uniquely individual being, a combination of body+mind that exists only as you can experience it: FROM WITHIN
Here at FEEL-Embodied, we understand that to be successful working with horses, you need to take care of your most valuable tool - your own BODY.
That's where the word 'Somatic' comes from - it means body and mind, as one. At least, that was the intended meaning when Thomas Hanna re-defined the word to describe his unique work in the 1970's. (lately you see everyone adding the word 'somatic' to their workouts or therapy methods, and it can be confusing).
Here's the thing:
Your body-awareness and personal 'soundness' are SO important to your success, and the potential impact you can make in the world - BUT the majority of us are not functioning at 100%...
And when your Body Awareness is off... even the best fitness, energy-work, bodywork, body-language, connection-building or 'nervous system regulation' strategies DON'T WORK very well.
1. You can't do as much or focus as well as you used to, but everyone just chalks that up to 'aging.'
2. You wake up stiff most mornings, but warm-up out of it and feel ok the rest of the day, (unless you take a 'funny step' or come off a horse).
3. Your posture (or riding position) seems to be getting worse, no matter how much yoga, pilates or stretching you do.
4. You need regular chiropractic adjustments, massage or consistent workouts to keep yourself functional and manage your crookedness or discomfort.
5. You know WHAT you're supposed to do, but not always HOW to get your energy or body-language to align with your ❤️ and Intention...
I could probably write 20 more, but the REALLY BIG way you know your body-awareness is off...
YOU ARE PUSHING THROUGH PAIN & STIFFNESS DAILY just to keep doing what you love!!!
Because your MIND-BODY AWARENESS and personal 'soundness' are SO important to your success, and the potential impact you can make in the world.
Here is my message to you 👉 It doesn't have to be this way!
Turns out, there is a 'glitch' happening inside your Central Nervous System 🧠 that is blocking your hard-wired natural ability to move WITHOUT PAIN, to have FEEL and CONNECT easily...
(it's called Motor-Sensory Amnesia, and it's shortening your career, but more on that later)
When you join you get LIFETIME ACCESS to the FEEL-Embodied™️ Key #1 and all it's updates, so you always have the training and support you need to continue take care of your body and elevate your horsemanship, right at your fingertips.
Too many horse professionals, equine bodyworkers and DVMs are retiring early because they are in so much pain...
Working with horses doesn't have to wear out your body, and Hanna Somatics is the solution you won't find in any other equestrian coaching program!
Yes, it's similar to Feldenkrais, but includes the unique addition of Voluntary Pandiculation, which is the key to naturally activate your 'energy' and grow the exact part of your brain in charge of developing Feel with the SAME somatic exercises that rapidly reverse and prevent your stubbornly recurring muscle tension, poor posture and back-pain.
We dive deep into Hanna Somatic Movement in our self-guided Key #1 Courses, so you can move through the lessons at your own pace.
We know that weekly group calls don't work (especially for horse professionals). In Key #2 & Key #3, you need specific feedback on behavior, body issues, and technique and waiting a whole week for 5 minutes of support just won't cut it.
The micro-coaching system allows me to get you VERY SPECIFIC FEEDBACK as you need it, no matter your schedule.
And it's not just high level coaching, we are talking about foundation exercises, visualization, basic neuroscience, recognizing the little moments of connection, mysterious lameness questions, developing your eye, talking to clients, hoof handling, and so much more.... personally reviewed by me.
And our micro-coaching systems means I can help you adjust until it's working. Now that's support!
Just because a program has a Facebook Group for its members doesn't mean it's a community.
I take connection very seriously, both horse and human - (it's one of the Five Agreements I'll share with you in FE Keys #2 + #3!)
Not only do we prompt you on what to post to get feedback, we also have a family culture where you not only get support, but long lasting connections and friendships.
And most importantly, we create a safe space where you feel comfortable sharing when you get stuck. This is SO IMPORTANT to your success.
You will always be seen and will never fall through the cracks. That's a promise.
Body Awareness
Working with horses is challenging enough without having to push through pain or use conscious effort to control your posture or body position.
The problem is that everyone is talking about the nervous system but they don't actually understand how it works to control your tension levels or how it blocks your natural ability to have Feel.
Luckily, basic neuroscience can explain why we get stuck in our habits and collect more and more tension over time - AND how to reverse it using Hanna Somatics.
And of course, we can do the same for our horses!
You don't have to accept the symptoms of 'aging' or carry around your old injuries anymore - we'll re-write your patterns at the root, together.
Shared Awareness
Growing a relationship is really hard if the horse is so internally focused that they don't even know you exist - or worse, if they do but they just don't want to talk to you...
If you're tired of being told to get your horses attention ALL THE TIME (2 eyes, 2 ears), to constantly help 'regulate' them or to spend hours and hours of 'undemanding' time hoping horses will magically become 'tuned in,' you're in the right place.
Instead I teach you how to ACTIVELY OFFER the kind of connection and validation horses need, and to recognize when they need it, so you can support their posture by encouraging their development of Self-Confidence, Self-Carriage & Self-Regulation.
We utilize engaging embodiement strategies, simple exercises and an intuitive self-rewarding system to create trust, healthy boundaries and get you engaged in rewarding inter-species conversations.
Energetic Awareness
Everything you do with horses involves energy, intention and body-language but without a step-by-step system for learning HOW to use them, we often find ourselves using too much pressure or volume.
It's not enough to just be seen, followed or obeyed. You need to be understood (and know when that happens) if you want your partnership to grow in the healthiest way.
Once your body-awareness and approach to connection are dialed in, you'll be ready to learn a completely NEW non-verbal 'sentence structure' that makes inviting conversations and growing your relationships with horses MUCH EASIER.
And your new approach to getting consent and supporting deeper connection ensures horses keep coming back WITHOUT you having to ask, to tip-toe around their emotions or ever 'make' it happen!
If you want to be masterful with horses, then you have to build trust in layers.
Trust in your body. Trust from horses. Trust that you can feel things you can't see...
Our clear and consistent Feel-Embodied system builds trust every step of the way by keeping you (and your horses) present and pain-free.
That means you save a ton of time - while your embodied approach automatically builds trust and gets lasting results happening fast...
So you get to spend more time doing what you love.
The perfect FEEL-Embodied™ Academy member is a horsewoman
who is dedicated to improving the well-being of horses and elevating our industry. You are passionate about what you do and care about making an impact with your horses and clients.
(and often wish that you didn't have to worry about using too much pressure, running out of energy or pushing through your pain to get results and do right by the horse).
"I'm excited to start a second career in equine bodywork, but I don't know if I have enough energy or strength"
"I can't easily feel or adjust my energy or intention "
"I have no idea what to do first to quickly get my traumatized/disconnected horse to 'see' me, so I can help..."
"I feel like my body language is messy and is confusing my horse"
"I worry that my horse is having to compensate for me too much"
"I don't want to use escalating pressure or rely on treats to communicate with horses"
"I think I know how to sit correctly on a horse, but it hurts!"
"I want a program that will actually care about me"
"I want to take better care of myself, but I'm in so much pain I can barely ride"
You don't want to work on yourself. We believe in iterative progress to achieve growth and ever-improving lightness - and you will end up refining your body-language and energy regulation more and more along the way. You can still make progress or money while you do the work, but if you want to learn it and leave it and never tweak how you do things with horses or take time to care for your own body, then this isn't a good fit.
You aren't passionate about what you are doing. Our feel-development strategy includes helping you uncover key personal and industry beliefs that don't actually align with your goals (or with neuroscience). If you aren't passionate about WHY you are doing what you do, then some of our strategies won't be fun for you.
You are looking for a quick fix. It's not that you can't get fast results from FEEL-Embodied, it's that we want members who are looking to build personal soundness & sustainable equine businesses, and who are willing to put in the effort to get their somatic-awareness and approach to horses right.
You only want to do dominance games, R+ or traditional manual therapies and don't want to build a neuroscience-based holistic system to help you get deeper and more lasting results. (This is not a trick question btw, a lot of people only want to do something familiar)
You want advice on how to 'work ON,' treat or diagnose horses or riders. We have a very specific Somatic Movement strategy to help humans and horses reverse the pain and poor posture caused by Motor Sensory Amnesia(MSA) - and an approach to horses that encourages self-carriage is based on consent - neither are intended to replace professional medical or veterinary advice. We want you to grow your Feel by activating your and your horses Nervous Systems to function optimally. (Note: You will see a ton of improvement of various undiagnosed health or posture issues & chronic conditions, we just don't want that to be the main goal)
And it's not very realistic to ask you to trust me just from reading this page - even if you're already familiar with my Equine Hanna Somatics work and teachings. ;)
So here are a few things that might help you see that...
I not only have a unique (and proven) strategy that you won't see anywhere else, that works reliably with all humans and equines (not just most of them), I also actually care about you & your horse(s).
You won't join the FEEL-Embodied Academy and never see me again.... that's not how I work.
You can stick to the solo self-study track if that's what you want, but if you reach out, I will get to know you, your brain and how you "do horses" in a deep way... so get ready.
I could tell you all day long that I am authentic and real, that I know what I'm doing, that I care about you, that you will reach your goals in this program and that you'll feel a profound difference within 3 days (or less) of starting any FEEL-Embodied KEY #1 course...
And the 25+testimonials we have (and growing) can help give proof...
BUT the best way to see that I am the real deal and if the FEEL-Embodied Academy is the right fit for you is to EXPERIENCE IT FOR YOURSELF! (try it for 30 days)
Luckily, I've spent years perfecting a way to grow your Feel rapidly while also giving your body what it needs to feel amazing and keep performing for you as you age and life keep happening to you. 🤷🏻♀️
The FEEL-Embodied™ System includes 3 KEY types of body/mind-awareness activation that all work together to restore your FUNCTION & grow your FEEL.
#1 - BODY AWARENESS:
Solve chronic pain, reverse accumulated myofascial tension and re-write your trauma and compensation patterns to improve posture, enhance performance & prevent future injuries WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY activating the Feel-center of your brain.
#2 - SHARED AWARENESS:
Create a Contract with Your Horse
Develop a herd-culture of mutual care, trust & safety by learning to offer and recognize the 3 types of connection, embody a tangible sensory experience of where you both are in space, and practicing the setting and sensing of invisible boundaries - this is how you 'feel of and for' horses.
#3 - ENERGETIC AWARENESS:
Learn to Speak the Language of Lightness
Harness your Heart's electromagnetic field to consciously shape and project your personal energy with INTENTION to communicate more effectively (& invisibly) with horses (or people) both up-close and at a distance.
HOW TO APPLY THIS TO YOUR UNIQUE WORK WITH HORSES!
Success is in 'hacking' your Central Nervous System (with proven neuroscience).
Our lessons not only help you get your body-awareness dialed in with the right kind of Somatic Movement, I'll also show you a very specific system of applying this to working with horses to build more connection (and trust) while you work on your Feel. But it has to start with YOU.
.
But you DO need to HAVE a functional nervous system to do it well, to 'do horses' year after year without hurting yourself, AND to do it with FEEL.
If you're an Equine Bodyworker, Osteopath, DVM, Farrier, Trimmer, Rider, Trainer or other industry pro, the MORE YOU KNOW about how the nervous system functions, the MORE EFFECTIVE you will be at helping your clients get results THAT LAST, that DON'T WEAR-OFF, and actually GET BETTER WITH TIME.
BUT...
Even if you are the TOP EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD, and you know EVERYTHING about horses, biomechanics and your trade or craft - you can't help anyone if you are laid-up recovering from an injury, exhaustion or your back 'going out' - things that 'never would have happened' if you were younger, fitter, or had better posture... right?
I DO have some GOOD NEWS for you:
Once you know how to take care of your OWN NEURO-MUSCULAR SYSTEM, you can easily reverse your lifetimes' accumulation of tension, pain and trauma patterns and prevent yourself from becoming 'burned-out' or getting injured - so you can HAVE A LONG AND PAIN-FREE CAREER HELPING HORSES.
You can start revitalizing your foundation today by giving some much-needed attention to the most important piece - your own Body, Mind & Posture - without skipping even one day of riding, training or running your equine business.
KEY #1 - Developing Your SOMATIC AWARENESS
INTRO to Hanna Somatics for Equestrians (& other humans)
8-Week Posture Transformation Program
Feel & Ride Better in 30 Minutes
Embodiment & Mindfulness Practices
BONUS: Equine Hanna Somatics® - Initial Pick-ups Exercise
KEY #2 - Developing SHARED AWARENESS
Mindset Shift: A Somatic Approach To Horsemanship
The Fundamentals of Connection
How to Set Healthy Boundaries & Herd Culture
Demonstrations with Horses
KEY #3 - Developing ENERGETIC AWARENESS
FE Framework for Speaking Non-Verbally
How to Invite a Horse-Human Conversation
Energy Activation & Volume Control
The Fundamentals of Politeness & Consent
...and more!
This program is evolving!
As you ask questions, I respond by adding new content to help you or to improve on the courses already inside (I'm a bit of a perfectionist, can you tell?)
ONLY FE ACADEMY KEY #1 IS OPEN TO NEW MEMBERS AT THIS TIME
for
The Complete 8-Week Posture Transformation Program
Mindset & Embodiment Lesson Collection
Vault of past Q&A and LIVE group Somatic Movement Classes
INTRO to Hanna Somatics for Equestrians (& other humans)
Ride Better in 30 Minutes Course
LIFETIME Access to all FE KEY #1 Self-Paced Content & Updates
LIFETIME Access to the private Feel-Embodied™ Facebook Community for direct-access support from Alissa, with Micro-Coaching
BONUS: Equine Hanna Somatics® - Initial Pick-ups Exercise (video-lesson)
This program is for ALL horse professionals and serious students of the Horse that are ready to take their Feel to the next level - but doing the same things that seem to work for everyone else without filling the gaps in your foundation is keeping you stuck. The tools and techniques you will learn in this program are unlike anything else available in the horse industry today, and can be applied to any field or discipline. The neuroscience-basis for activating your Feel is the Missing Link to you living your dreams with horses, not just someday, but starting Tomorrow!
Everyone gets lifetime access to the FEEL-Embodied System online portal with course contents and future updates, plus lifetime access to the FES private Facebook group. Currently only FE KEY #1 is open to new students. When we open enrollment again for KEYS #2 & #3, they include an additional 12 months of access to the micro-coaching, 1-1 hot seats, group calls, and community.
If you come in and you know within the first month that it’s not for you, hop on a 15 minute call with me so we can understand why it's not a good fit. We will always treat you like a human and we WANT you to be in a program where you believe you can get results.
Other than a few introductory EHS exercises, NO. You will hear me recommend Equine Hanna Somatics as my preferred way to help horses become supple, straight and present numerous times inside the program - but to learn how to do EHS you'll need to get the intro instructional video called Equine Hanna Somatics - Session 1 or apply to the EHS Professional Training and Certification Program. Both are available at www.equinehannasomatics.org
We totally understand. Timing is important. Shoot us an email and let us know what you’re thinking as we can talk about next steps from there. support@alissamayer.com
This happens all the time. You found someone else before us and either wish you would have joined our program first, or you want to use our systems to supplement what you have now. We totally get it. Get the FEEL-Embodied KEY #1 FOUNDATION Somatics Course Bundle by scrolling up on THIS PAGE!
Yes, and no. Hanna Somatics can be considered an evolution of the work of Moshe Feldenkrais, but it is not the same. Feldenkrais movement emphasizes awareness and the sensory experience, whereas Hanna Somatic movement emphasizes motor control and changing the level of brain control over the muscles during the exercises.
Thomas Hanna was a friend and student of Moshe Feldenkrais, and he was inspired to build upon the foundations of what he learned from that time period. However, Hanna Somatics is centered around the revolutionary movement technique of Voluntary Pandiculation, which was developed and pioneered by Thomas Hanna, and is unique to Hanna Somatic Education. It is this new technique, which is solely credited to Thomas Hanna, that takes Hanna Somatics to the next level by actively involving the voluntary motor cortex area of the clients brain, which allows us to have such a profound and proven influence on changing resting muscle tone.
So while many of the exercises and movements may seem similar to exercises performed in other methods (because there are only so many movements the body is designed to do!) it is the WAY we do the Somatic Movement that makes Hanna Somatics so uniquely effective and powerful.
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