Equine Fascial Rebalancing: Structural Integration for Horses *
A review by Stuart Bell **:


SI with Horses

Continuing Education for SI people and application to working with people.

Shifting your SI career.

Learning EFR

I recently spent an awesome week in southern Washington learning the
basics of Equine Fascial Rebalancing (EFR): Structural Integration with
Horses from Joseph Freeman. As many people know, Joseph Freeman trained
in Hellerwork Structural Integration in 1993-94 and ten years ago
shifted his focus to working with horses. Joseph is married to
Jacqueline Freeman, nee Entwistle, who was one our premier Hellerwork
practitioners and faculty people for many years. There were two other
participants, one a KMI SI person who has lots of horse experience,
another person with lots of horse experience and no SI or bodywork
experience, and me, who has lots of SI and movement education experience
and some but very little horse experience. One of the beauties of the
course is that we were each able to and encouraged to contribute to each
other in our learning.

I felt welcomed, accepted, loved, and nurtured exactly as I was. I could
know lots in one moment and in the next moment I could know next to
nothing and feel totally accepted. Along with all that, the set,
setting, accommodations, food, and everything else were sumptuous
(always wanted to use that word), including the evenings of cards,
games, and conversation. The countryside and the Freeman's 10 acre farm,
Friendly Haven, were lovely and restful.

The course was outstanding for many reasons. It was fun, challenging,
thought provoking, and satisfying, and by working with another species,
I have found it to be directly useful for my work with humans, hence a
great continuing education for SI people even if they haven't a desire
to work with horses. The course was outstanding for many reasons. It was
fun, challenging, thought provoking, and satisfying, and by working with
another species, I have found it to be directly useful for my work with
humans, hence a great continuing education for SI people even if they
haven't a desire to work with horses. It feels like it is re-inspiring
my work.

The things I learned that helped me most with people were: establishing
and reestablishing moment to moment trust with the client, really
"listening to" and communicating with the client both verbally and non
verbally, and encouraging the client and letting him or her know how
much this work was going to help. Horses are great clients and great
teachers, and I discovered they communicate in a down to earth, no
nonsense way which I have been encouraging with my human clients. Also,
seeing Joseph work in such a kindly respectful manner with horses, other
animals, and people really inspired a new level of respect and kindness
from me in all of my work.

I also learned from Joseph an elegant body recipe sequence that happens
with each session. In addition to making great changes by itself, it
serves (as I am coming to understand it) as a trust builder, a relaxer,
a deepener of experience, and a diagnostic that happens with each
session before going on to more specific work of each session of a series.

I have been following this recipe with my human clients as I begin each
SI session in Dr. Rolf's series with wonderful results. I have noticed
that it is powerful by itself and the familiarity of it relaxes the
client and deepens the trust and relationship with each session.

Before going to the Level One beginning course I wasn't really planning
to return to learn Joseph's Five Series which he designed, but since the
course I find myself putting out the word that I am interested in
practicing with 15 horses to be able to return at the end of March for
the next step, Level 2. It is amazing how many people I know have some
relationship with horses. So, I'll be there. I hope to see you there one
day.

Best,

Stuart



* Check out Joseph Freeman

www.josephfreeman.com <http://www.josephfreeman.com/>

20309 NE 242nd Ave.
Battle Ground, WA 98604
(360) 687-8384

You can request a course catalog from

info@... <mailto:info@...>


** For more information or questions regarding my EFR experience contact

Stuart Bell - SpiralBody
1224 Ordway St, Berkeley, CA 94706
bellstuart@...
510 528 5162

I am certified in Hellerwork, Feldenkrais, Alexander, and Laban
Bartenieff Movement Analysis.

I am on Hellerwork faculty and am planning advanced courses for SI
people in June 2006 in Washington and January 2007 in New Zealand. Give
me a ring.



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