Lorraine Funk (left) of Lake Worth Beach and Kellie Quinn of Boynton Beach take instruction from Katelyn Eisenberg of Boca Raton during yoga at the Delray Equestrian Center. The horses are Memphis and Rocky. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Jan Engoren
Under the July full moon, quarter horses Memphis and Rocky peered out of their stalls as life coach and longtime equestrian Elizabeth Constantin welcomed her class of yoga enthusiasts at the Delray Equestrian Center in Delray Beach.
Her Wild Palm Ranch & Wellness, offering yoga and meditation classes, is on the same grounds as her other business, the Boca Riding Club, which offers English horseback riding.
The idea, which draws on equine-assisted therapy, is that doing yoga in the presence of horses enhances the experience and the bond between horses and humans.
To Constantin, 42, an independent mother of two who lives in Delray Beach, the facility is as much a sanctuary as an equestrian center.
“People come to reconnect with themselves, each other, and the wisdom of nature — all with horses as their guides,” she says. “I’d like to build a community of like-minded practitioners.”
She plans to offer yoga twice a month.
Constantin traces her love of horses and riding back to her childhood and family traditions. She is following in the footsteps of her mother, Lorraine Funk, 65, owner of Rodeo Ranch in Lake Worth Beach, and her mom’s husband, Marc Funk.
One of her goals is to create a space where healers, coaches, bodywork practitioners and other holistic and wellness professionals can come and use horses as a healing modality in their practices.
“When you stand in the presence of a horse, something shifts,” Constantin says. “You don’t have to explain yourself. You just have to be.”
On this full moon night, approximately 10 yoga and horse devotees gathered beside the horses, spread their yoga mats, splashed on some lavender water to repel mosquitoes, and prepared for a gentle vinyasa and yin yoga flow.
Taught by Boca Raton resident Katelyn Eisenberg, 30, of Rooted in Harmony Yoga, class began with a gentle child’s pose.
Eisenberg, who calls herself “an energetic and embodiment coach,” says, “This is a way for people to create community connections.”
Despite the heat and some rumbles of thunder, Eisenberg led the class through a series of stretching and warrior poses, with a few downward-facing dogs thrown in for good measure.
Rhonnie Robins-Smith, 69, a colon hydrotherapist who worked in Boynton Beach, came out for her second time to the class.
After seeing it on Facebook, she previously came on June 22, the anniversary of her daughter Korah’s heavenly birthday.
“I had one of the most memorable experiences,” she says. “The skies opened up just as we finished our practice and it was so beautiful.”
Robins-Smith says she likes being outdoors and communing with the horses.
Also among the group was Kellie Quinn, 59, a personal trainer from Boynton Beach, who came with Lorraine Funk.
Of her first visit, she says, “I sensed the energy from the horses, and I feel pairing them with the gentle yoga deepened the relaxation.
“I will definitely come back.”
Constantin says the horses provide a healing component to the class.
“Horses have five times the electromagnetic field of humans, and when we are in proximity to them, our heart rate, blood pressure and nervous system begin to regulate — reducing anxiety and promoting wellness.
“It’s not just calming,” she says. “It’s transformative.”
Research bears this out. Equine-assisted therapy is growing and is estimated to grow 15% this year, according to Sundale, a veterinary research company. Sundale says that 75% of trauma survivors experience symptom reduction after equine therapy.
People only need to be in a horse’s presence to feel a sense of wellness and peace, according to the PTSD Association of Canada, citing research that shows lowered blood pressure and heart rate, increased levels of beta-endorphins, decreased stress levels, and reduced feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety.
Additionally, people experience improved social functioning, more feelings of empowerment, trust, patience and self-efficacy — all from being in the presence of horses.
“I opened The Wild Palm Ranch & Wellness because I believe people are craving real connection,” Constantin says. “Not just to each other, but to themselves. The horses help us remember who we are.”
While she is a firm believer in research that supports the physiological benefits of equine therapy, Constantin also believes in ancient rituals.
That’s why, as the yoga class came to an end and dusk settled in, she hosted the group in a fire circle. As the fire burned a deep red and orange, so the sunset emerged in colors of the same palette.
Constantin calls it “a ceremony for your heart,” where participants mingle with the horses and “burn off negative energy in the fire, leaving them feeling lighter and more balanced.”
Kara Payne, 44, an artist from Boca Raton who paints biblical verses as well as portraits of horses, grew up riding horses outside of Pittsburgh.
“I miss being around horses,” she said as she guided Hazel, a 20-year-old paint quarter horse, through the group. She was looking for a way to reconnect with them when she found Constantin.
Although Payne hasn’t ridden in years, she says she likes to be surrounded by horses and feel their energy.
“Liz has found a great way to combine wellness with the gentle energy of horses,” she says.
With plans to create a sanctuary for growth, expand her offerings and bring in more holistic-health practitioners, Constantin hopes The Wild Palm will become a center for healing and connection.
“Come as you are and leave a little more connected to the truth of who you are,” she says.
Jan Engoren writes about health and healthy living and can be reached at jengoren@hotmail.com
If You Go
What: The Wild Palm Ranch & Wellness offers equine-facilitated yoga and meditation sessions and more.
Where: 14830 Smith Sundy Road, Delray Beach
When: By appointment
Cost: $85 for horse yoga
Info: 561-305-2855; thewildpalm.com
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