Introductory Workshop — Facilitated by Linda Kohanov

Hours: 9:30 to 5:30 daily

$1400 tuition includes lunch, experiential activities with horses, and materials.

In her fourth book The Power of the Herd, Linda looks at traditional herding cultures where shepherds must manage large groups of powerful herd members without the benefit of fences, nurturing all the tribe’s animals, keeping them from straying, fighting or getting hurt. Master Herders employ a sophisticated understanding of leadership and group cohesion as they move through seasonal grazing lands, facing predators along the way. This knowledge, as it applies human situations, is emphasized throughout the Bible, though it was downplayed when Judaism and Christianity were absorbed by city- based cultures. Through her studies of traditional pastoral cultures and twenty years experience with her own herd of horses, Linda began to see a deeper wisdom in biblical references to shepherds and their flocks that has been virtually lost by modern civilization–and yet remains key to understanding many of the skills Jesus in particular modeled through his behavior and his teachings.

In sharing this perspective with tens of thousands of readers in several of her books, Linda attracted a number of ministers, priests and spiritual directors who came to Arizona to study her work in depth as a means of bringing greater power, vibrancy, and practical community building skills to their congregations.

At the same time, these insights captivated people who had previously rejected the Christian faith they grew up with, inspiring them to engage more meaningfully with Jesus as an innovator who faced incredible challenges to introduce a new form of compassionate, socially intelligent leadership—at one of the most brutal times in history.

This three day equine-facilitated experiential workshop is for anyone seeking a refreshing, innovative approach to the leadership, and emotional and social intelligence principles that Jesus modeled two thousand years ago. The Shepherd’s Task provides useful skills for clergy, spiritual counselors, and church members as well as people who are curious about Jesus’ relevance to modern life. Those who’ve felt disconnected or disillusioned by the Christian faith they grew up with have also been inspired and renewed by this seminar.

Linda offers an insightful, unprecedented look at Jesus’ approach to power, leadership, community building and compassionate social activism, showcasing ten skills Jesus modeled that “were so sophisticated civilization is still trying to catch up.”

This workshop also offers practical techniques for handling interpersonal challenges at home, work, church, school and political/social activism contexts. You will learn how to engage compassionately with others while holding them accountable for unproductive behavior, offering positive alternatives to interactions that normally result in shame, blame, retaliation and disempowerment. You will also learn how to develop the “emotional heroism” needed to handle challenging situations and open your heart to love, calling and service.

In this three-day workshop, you will learn how to:

• Cultivate the soulful, heart-centered, incredibly effective, nonviolent form of power that Jesus modeled, in yourself, your staff, family, congregation and community
• Help others manage fear and anxiety in times of significant change or competition, and transform shame from an oppressive form of social control into fuel for transformation
• Recognize the antiquated, often unconscious power plays that people engage in regardless of culture, religion, nationality, or social status
• Develop “emotional heroism,” that unique combination of power and compassion, courage and self-control, accountability and forgiveness that Jesus introduced 2000 years ago
• Set boundaries with aggressive, and passive aggressive, people in ways that create mutually respectful relationships
• Help people to change hurtful behaviors and attitudes without rejecting their deeper state of being or their potential to become something greater

For more information on the history and inspiration behind this workshop, see the article featured in the November 12, 2014 issue of the Eponaquest News (click here for link).

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