The Spirituality of Neuroscience: The retreat
August 23rd - 25th 2024
We are all often seeking a deeper and more expansive connection with something greater than ourselves.
Whether we define that as spirit, divine, god, nature, or simply a oneness of being, the connection with something greater is a source of connection that can deepen our experience of life and help us navigate through the complexities of being human and the journey that we go on.
Spirituality and our connection to it can come through many forms; one of which we don’t always think about is the connection to our nervous system and physiology. This retreat seeks to give us the wisdom and knowledge of accessing the space of spirit through the body and bridging that connection between neuroscience and spirituality.
What we feel that might seem mysterious can become more tangible with horses, as a deeply physical being, it gives us an opportunity to witness a spiritual connection in a way that feels palpable.
The centers of our brain and nervous system can be where we access the connection to how we define our spirituality. We do not have to dissociate from ourselves to find this connection, we can be empowered in knowing how to expand our lens of awareness through our bodies to connect more deeply to this connection to spirit that we are often seeking to expand.
Throughout ancient time, the connection between the nervous system and spirit has been studied intensively by mystics, sages, elite athletes and more. Traditions in a variety of time-honoured practices across the globe, have developed specific practices to connect the body more deeply to spirit.
Sometimes we can fear and doubt our own access to spirituality.
We can be uncertain that the ethereal nature of spirit can be experienced through the lens of our nervous system. However, we don’t need to.
Instead, we can choose to be empowered in our own exploration of the mystery of spirit.
We can learn how to experience spirituality through the nervous system and body, so that this realm of the unknown can be known, and spirituality can be a place for comfort, connection, security and embodiment.
This retreat is about us gathering knowledge and wisdom in the perspective of the spiritual lens through understanding the physiology of our nervous system and how supporting this part of ourselves can empower our connection to spirit.
It is a really wonderful retreat for those that are looking to bridge that connection between neuroscience and spirituality and are curious about learning more about how our physiology supports our desire to connect more deeply spiritually.
Testimonials from our November Neuroscience Retreat:
“My time at the Human Horse Neuroscience Retreat was one of deep rest, relaxation, realization and renewal. I was able to let go and just be in this space, no worries, which allowed me to drop in deeply to the experience and be calm in my body. This openness allowed the herd to help me begin to replace self doubt and criticism into self love and compassion which is the energy that I need to move forward on my unique path of purpose.”
- Tori Hanke
"The Human Horse Neuroscience retreat at Epona Rise offered a mind, body, heart and soul experience. Hillary, Maia and the herd created a warm, accepting space welcoming all participants. Their teachings on human and horse neuroscience were effortlessly woven into the practices with the herd. It is difficult to articulate in words an experience that was more embodied than intellectual. The insights I had at the retreat have supported my personal growth as well as my work with my clients".
- AN, psychotherapist, November 2023
“ I just want to express my gratitude for the Human Horse Neuroscience Retreat. Your explanations about how horses think, behave and respond and how they can impact our nervous system and help us heal were eye-opening. The horse experiences in the pasture were amazing and reinforced what we learned. I highly recommend this retreat!”
- Doug McLean, Business Executive
“The retreat was so amazing. I just loved being there with Maia and Hillary and the horses. I learned so so much and I feel like I grew, as a person, in a really transformational way. Friends after the retreat have been commenting, wow, you've really changed, and you are doing so well! Thank you, again.”
- LK, 2023
Why Horses
Along with our human facilitators, we also journey with a herd of 29 horse teachers who live as naturally as possible.
Horses are in many ways a perfect mirror of grounding spirituality through our embodiment, as the horse is a deeply grounded being that also carries this beautiful connection to intuition, energy and spirit - horses give us a frequency of what it feels like for us to embody both energy and spirit.
Horses can be access points for us to expand and explore the wisdom we carry in our bodies and through that wisdom help us become more embodied and connected to our spirituality.
In our experiences with horses, we can have changes and shifts in our nervous system and bodies that clear away doubt and help us access our knowing of spirit. With the beauty that is the reflective intelligence of the horses, we can also witness physical changes around us that reflect the changes to knowing within, in a very physical and observable way that confirm the inner shifts, helping us to remove fear and doubt.
With horses our nervous system is deeply held and in that holding and connection we find that experience of source, spirit and the divine that we are often seeking to make tangible. With the horses we find an experience that is embodied and mirrored to us in a way that helps us find our rootedness in it.
When we enter into the space with the herd we are transported into an embodied state that regulates our nervous system. In that space of regulation, we can then access an expanded lens where we can witness spirit purely. This experience helps us define that space for ourselves, capture it and know what it feels like to land in that place in ourselves, to find the answers we are seeking in that exploration of spirituality.
Meet your facilitators:
Hillary Schneider
Hillary is the founder and lead facilitator of the Epona Rise Retreat Center and Horse Medicine Leadership Academy, she has been leading and teaching retreats and trainings with her herd for the last 12 years.
Passionate about bringing the teachings of the horses to impact the lives of humans, she has been devoted to her own vision and purpose of creating a space in nature where people can come and receive the wisdom of horses, the land and their own inner guidance.
She has over the last 12 years had the privilege of hosting and leading retreats for a range of people who are seeking to become more masterful in their experience of being a human with their own passion of personal and professional growth and development.
Maia is an executive and leadership coach and physician specializing in the area of neuroscience and consciousness. She founded and directed BrainTalks at UBC, has led and co-led various retreats, and has spoken internationally at conferences for over twenty years.
Her love of neuroscience includes studies through several university degrees including a degree in biology and physics where she studied electromagnetism in animals and humans, and her advanced neuroscience training through medical studies and research.
She loves holding a clear space for you to experience your own magnificent potential, touch on your authentic truths, learn how to work with your personal neuroscience, and then sense how to live your brand of unique intelligence in the world. She works with horses as horses powerfully magnify and accelerate your personal, professional and leadership growth, in both mysterious and very practical ways.
Dr. Maia Love
About our Facility:
Epona Rise Retreat Center is located in the mountains of British Columbia just north of Kamloops.
80 acres that is surrounded by thousands of acres of forest, the land is a potent part of our retreat space.
Our retreat center includes 8 boutique cabins plus our main lodge with beautiful bay windows overlooking the valley.
When you come to our retreat center you feel enveloped in the beauty of the landscape of the mountains and forest, plus the creek that runs through our property.
Being on this land as part of the retreat center and the expanse and power of nature is a big part of our retreats.
Your retreat includes:
3 days immersed in the teachings of neuroscience combined with experiences with the herd.
4-night stay in a private cabin
Nourishing Catered Meals
Evening of Yoga
Shuttle to and from the retreat center.
INVESTMENT:
$2500 CDN
$500 non-refundable deposit holds your space. If you have to cancel the retreat your deposit can be forwarded to a future date.
Extended payment plans are available.
