Conscious Contact Retreat & Horsework Curriculum

TBA Dates Fall

Elmwood Place Pilates - Palestine, Texas
The Pilates Cowgirl

CConscious Contact fosters trust, leadership, and presence — with horses and with people.
Rooted in the Pilates Cowgirl™ method, it expands beyond the traditional 'Join-Up' technique to offer a deeper form of relational awareness. Through non-verbal communication and co-regulation, participants learn to stay grounded in stressful moments — cultivating equanimity that holds up in the arena of life. It’s not just for Pilates instructors. It’s for anyone in a leadership role — from leading a class of 14 to speaking in a boardroom of 40.

How interesting that the word equanimity nearly spells eques — the Latin word for horse. Perhaps it's no coincidence. Horses, like humans, seek safety in presence.

About the Method

The Pilates Cowgirl™ method isn’t about being country — it’s about being conscious.
It’s about reclaiming the body as a source of wisdom, leadership, and intuitive power.

This approach blends classical Pilates, somatic awareness, and equine-integrated learning to help people lead with presence and clarity.

At the heart of the method is Conscious Contact™ — a practice that teaches you to build trust, hold space, and guide without force. Whether you're leading a horse, a classroom, a meeting, or your own family — this kind of grounded leadership makes all the difference.

Just like horses, people respond to clarity, calm, and embodied confidence. This method helps you access that connection through breath, movement, and stillness.

  • Conscious Contact is the heart of the Pilates Cowgirl method. It is the embodied experience of earning trust, not demanding it. We establish Conscious Contact by entering the arena calmly, with clarity, and asking for permission to connect—just as we would with a horse. Horses, as prey animals, are hyper-attuned to intention, energy, and posture. If you're holding tension, they know. If you're grounded, they’ll draw near.

    In this practice, participants learn how to lead without force and be seen without hiding. Conscious Contact isn’t about dominance. It’s about becoming someone a horse—or a client—wants to follow. The same principles apply in a Pilates class. As an instructor, you must establish presence, create emotional safety, and project quiet confidence. This method helps new instructors find their voice, earn respect, and foster loyalty.

    Conscious Contact trains your nervous system. It teaches you to regulate your breath, slow your movements, and read subtle cues. The horse gives you immediate feedback—and from there, the work begins.

    The Relevance of the Book of Ruth

    The Book of Ruth symbolizes the spirit of Conscious Contact: loyalty, trust, and grounded presence. Ruth demonstrates servant leadership by choosing to stay, to serve, and to lead by example, not by force. Her story mirrors the retreat experience where trust, patience, and consistent energy build authentic connection with both horses and people.

Why “The Pilates Cowgirl™”?

The Pilates Cowgirl™ method isn’t about being country — it’s about being conscious.
It’s about reclaiming the body as a source of wisdom, leadership, and intuitive power.

Blending classical Pilates, somatic awareness, and equine-integrated learning, this method helps you lead with presence and confidence — whether you're teaching, parenting, coaching, or presenting.

At the core is Conscious Contact™ — a body-based practice that teaches you how to build trust, hold space, and lead without force. Just like horses, people respond to grounded presence.

You’ll learn how to access that presence through breath, movement, and stillness — so you can lead with clarity, not control.

What to Bring & Where to Stay

What to Bring:

  • Notebook

  • Flip-flops, bathing suit, sunscreen

  • Hiking boots, cowboy boots, or running shoes

  • Jeans (optional)

  • Carrots for horses, snacks, bottled water

  • Pilates clothes and grip socks

  • Bug spray

  • Berkey filtered water systems are provided in the Schoolhouse and Pilates Studio. Guests may bring personal water if preferred.

Accommodations:

  • The Schoolhouse: 4 bunk beds (shared room)

  • Pilates Studio Loft Cabin: 2 twin beds upstairs

  • GiGi Cabin: 2 twin beds upstairs, 1 queen bed downstairs

Suggested Reading List:

Retreat Daily Schedule

Friday

  • 2:00–4:00 PM – Arrival and Check-in

  • 6:30–7:00 PM – Hors d’oeuvres Hour

  • 7:00–8:00 PM – Dinner

  • 8:00–10:00 PM – Fire Pit, or Pool & Sauna

Saturday

  • 6:30–7:30 AM – Breakfast

  • 8:00 AM – Pilates Mat Session

  • 9:00–10:00 AM – Horse Ground Rules & Safety

  • 10:00 AM – Conscious Contact with Horses

  • 1:00 PM – Lunch

  • 2:00–4:00 PM – Pilates Studio: Mock Class

  • 4:00–6:30 PM – Free Time

  • 6:30–7:00 PM – Hors d’oeuvres Hour

  • 7:00–8:00 PM – Dinner

  • 8:00–10:00 PM – Fire Pit, or Pool & Sauna

Sunday

  • 6:30–7:30 AM – Breakfast

  • 8:00 AM – Pilates Mat Session

  • 9:00–10:00 AM – Horse Ground Rules & Safety

  • 10:00 AM – Conscious Contact with Horses

  • 1:00 PM – Lunch

  • 2:00–4:00 PM – Departures

Pricing & Perks

Pricing:

  • Full Weekend Retreat: $895

Included:

  • All meals: Friday dinner to Sunday lunch

  • All Accommodations: Tiny Homes, Bunk room in Schoolhouse

  • All Accommodation shared first come first serve (see website for details)

  • Limit 10-12 people Retreat size

  • One group Pilates session Mat & Reformer

  • One Conscious Contact groundwork sessions

  • Guided journaling and fireside chats

  • Access to pool and hiking trails

  • 20% discount on Pilates Cowgirl gear

  • Pilates Cowgirl Reflection Journal

Add-On Sessions:

  • One-on-One Conscious Contact with a Horse: $150

  • Trail Ride $125.00 per person

  • Private Pilates Session: $150

Person with cowboy hat and jeans brushing a black and white pony with saddle and tack outside a wooden shed under a blue sky with clouds.
Two white Adirondack chairs with cushions facing a backyard swimming pool, surrounded by greenery and a cloudy sky.

Register Now

Conscious Contact Retreat & Horsework Curriculum Conscious Contact Retreat & Horsework Curriculum
Conscious Contact Retreat & Horsework Curriculum
$895.00

Join us for 3 days at Elmwood Place. Conscious Contact fosters trust, leadership, and presence—with horses and with people. In the Pilates Cowgirl method, it replaces the traditional. Through non-verbal communication and co-regulation, participants learn calm leadership, which translates into leadership skills, while teaching or in daily life. Commanding presence whether in a boardroom or Pilates reformer class, come experience a unique cross section of mindbody movement, somatic healing and common horse sense…