The past two days have been spent in one of my favorite places on earth.
I was leading the second Equine Vision Journey retreat of the season, walking alongside my VIP clients as they stepped away from the pace of everyday business and into the quiet wisdom that becomes available when we finally give ourselves permission to pause.
The timing couldn’t have been more meaningful. Our retreat began on July 27, just as many recognize the opening of the Lions Gate Portal, a season that extends through August 12. Whether you see Lions Gate as a spiritual portal, a time of heightened awareness, or simply an invitation to become more intentional, it created a beautiful backdrop for the work we were doing together.
Throughout the retreat, nature seemed to be speaking right alongside the horses. Hawks called from the trees and hummingbirds appeared again and again. The horses, as they always do, reflected exactly what each woman needed to see. Every encounter felt like another invitation to slow down, pay attention, and trust what was unfolding.
Over the years, I’ve come to understand that the horses aren’t giving us answers. They create the conditions where we become still enough to hear the wisdom we’ve been carrying all along.
Stepping away creates room for something that rarely happens in the rhythm of everyday life. The mental chatter softens. The urgency fades. Space opens for clarity, perspective, and remembering what truly matters. Dreams that have been tucked away begin to reappear, and the quiet wisdom that’s been whispering beneath the surface finally has a chance to rise.
Every Equine Vision Journey reminds me why this work matters so deeply.
The horses have an extraordinary ability to meet each person exactly where they are. They notice the subtle shifts in energy, the places where something feels open, and the places that are asking for attention. Their feedback is immediate, honest, and completely free of judgment. Every interaction becomes an invitation to be more present, more aware, and more deeply connected to ourselves.
That has changed the way I coach.
Over the past several years, I’ve become increasingly aware of the role our bodies play in our leadership. As I coach, I’m listening to the words my clients are saying, but I’m also noticing where energy feels constricted, where tension is being held, and where something feels muddy or stuck. Often, I can feel those places in my own body as we’re working together.
Our bodies are always communicating with us.
When someone finally gives themselves permission to release what they’ve been carrying, I can almost feel the shift happen. Breathing changes. Shoulders soften. Energy begins to move again. What felt heavy becomes lighter. What seemed impossible begins to feel available. Expansion naturally follows release.
Perhaps that’s one of the greatest lessons the horses continue to teach me. Leadership isn’t simply something we think our way into. It’s something we embody.
As I write this today, I’m sitting in a beautiful pause between retreats. Tomorrow I’ll welcome my Business Alchemy clients for two days together, where we’ll take the vision uncovered with the horses and begin translating it into purposeful strategy for the months ahead.
This space between the retreats feels like a gift.
It’s giving me time to integrate everything I witnessed over the past two days before stepping into the next conversation. And if I’m being honest, these retreats nourish me every bit as much as they nourish my clients. Every time I spend time with the horses, I leave feeling more grounded, more present, and more connected to what matters most. This work feeds something deep within my own soul.
As we continue moving through this Lions Gate season, perhaps this is your invitation to pause as well.
Notice the signposts around you. Nature has a remarkable way of reflecting what we’re ready to hear, if we’re willing to pay attention. A hawk calling in the distance. A hummingbird appearing at just the right moment. A conversation that lingers long after it’s over. Sometimes the messages arrive quietly.
Pay attention to your body. Where are you carrying tension? Where does your energy feel constricted? Where does it feel expansive? Your body often recognizes what your mind hasn’t yet put into words.
And finally, give yourself permission to play with the energy of this season. Whether Lions Gate holds spiritual meaning for you or simply serves as a reminder to become more intentional, let it be an invitation to dream a little bigger, listen a little deeper, and trust your own inner wisdom a little more fully.
I’ve learned that our greatest breakthroughs rarely arrive because we pushed harder. More often, they appear because we created enough space to hear what our soul, our body, and perhaps even nature have been trying to tell us all along.
These retreats remind me that wisdom is rarely something we have to chase. More often, it’s something we create room to receive. I’m curious… what are you noticing in your own life right now? I’d love to continue the conversation in the comments.
