A Special Opportunity:

Eponaquest founder Linda Kohanov will speak at the Tucson “Victory Over Violence” exhibition on Sunday, January 20 from 2 to 4 p.m. This free, multi-day event takes place at the University of Arizona Student Union Memorial Center from Saturday the 19th to Tuesday the 22nd. (For more information on the other guest speakers and scheduled activities: www.vovtucson.com )

Victory Over Violence (VOV) is a movement to help inspire young people throughout the world to identify and root out violence in their daily lives and their communities. The Tucson exhibition is co-sponsored by SGI-USA Tucson Youth and the U of A Buddhists for Peace.

Linda’s talk will shed further light on one of the principles she touched upon in her New Year’s Message sent last week. If you live near Tucson, it’s a great opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of a horse-inspired skill that Linda has found both life-changing and life-affirming in troubling times. Here’s an excerpt from the press release about her lecture:

Emotional Heroism: The Power Behind Nonviolence

“Great deeds depend upon keeping your heart open through the 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows of life. To face tragedy, betrayal, and injustice with the compassion, creativity, bravery, endurance, and power necessary to effect change in the world, you must use challenging situations as opportunities to strengthen your heart.”

So writes bestselling author Linda Kohanov in her upcoming book The Power of the Herd: A Nonpredatory Approach to Social Intelligence, Leadership and Innovation. At the Victory Over Violence exhibition, Linda will talk about how her adventures gentling a violent, formerly abused stallion helped her develop “emotional heroism,” experiences she later realized had parallels in the Buddha’s own early life: Stories of young Prince Siddhartha reveal that he was a talented horseman renowned for calming violent horses. Linda makes a strong case for the fact that many of the principles he later developed as the Buddha stem from the mindful, nonpredatory approach to power that horses continue to demand of exceptional trainers.

Linda will also show how emotional heroism is developed in traditional herding cultures where “master herders” learn how to lead, care for, and live in harmony with large groups of potentially aggressive animals ten times the size of the average human. In one of these cultures, an ancient rite of passage becomes the model for how modern people can develop emotional heroism, which Linda defines as “power combined with compassion.” In the process, you will learn specific strategies for preventing and transforming violence in your own communities, families, and the culture at large.

“No matter what’s happening around you,” Linda emphasizes, “this nonpredatory form of power allows you to deal efficiently with interpersonal challenges, helping you diffuse aggression and fear in others. Over time, the skills associated with emotional heroism help you ride life’s roller coaster with ease. An underlying sense of ‘deep peace’ emerges and strengthens. You find that you can let go of the stories that tie you to the injustices of the past. And you can fully enjoy the present, knowing that you are courageous, empowered, and agile enough to meet the future with the relaxed yet expanded awareness of a mature herd leader.”

For those of you who can’t attend this fast approaching event, developing the skills associated with Emotional Heroism will be a significant topic in two of Linda’s spring workshops. The Power of the Herd: Leadership for the 21st Century March 23-26, 2013 and Harnessing the Invisible: A Transformational Approach to Leadership, Innovation and Authentic Community Building May 3-6, 2013.

Linda’s schedule is very limited this year due to apprenticeships and promotional activities for her upcoming book. The two workshops listed above, along with Rasa Dance: The Energy of Connection April 9-12, 2013, represent the only three opportunities to do in-depth, horse-facilitated work with her this spring, and these workshops are likely to fill quickly. Even so, Linda wanted to offer a special discount for early registration to make it possible for people to attend at a lower tuition rate. Check the website listings on these workshops for more information, or contact Sue Smades at info@eponaquest.com or 520-455-5908.