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Last Saturday, the extended Bayha Group crew convened with our family and friends for an Equus Workshop guided by horse whisperers Renee Robinson Sievert and Honor Medina. The workshop was both a celebration of the Bayha Group’s recent launch and a beautiful opportunity to better connect to our coworkers through shared experiences.

Horses are incredibly gifted at sensing energy. It doesn’t matter if you “look” calm; it matters that you feel calm. If you are anxious, nervous, or lacking confidence, a horse will get that and give you the space to work it out on your own. If you are grounded, sure of what direction you want to take, and clear, a horse will respond in kind. In this way, working with horses helps us tap into the kind of energy that we want to radiate out into this world. Horses are mirrors of who we are and not only how we present ourselves.

Over the course of the day, we participated in several courses to help us learn how to tap into our deepest energy. During the morning, we gathered under a cloudy sky (leftover from a week of much-needed rain in our sunny city of San Diego) to set intentions. We observed several horses interact before breaking off into groups to have one-on-one time with the horses. We didn’t ride the horses. Rather, we walked into a pen, and, with Renee or Honor supporting us, figured out what we wanted the horse to do.

What does that mean exactly? For each of us, the experience we wanted with the horse differed. Some of us wanted to get the horse to follow us. Others wanted to get the horse to run in a circle and turn around at a specific point. Me? I just wanted to pet the horse. Renee and Honor invited us to seek out the experience we wanted by listening in on our energy—and figuring out just how our energy was influencing the horse.

The energy within us always exists in conversation with external factors. By honoring this energy and tuning into the wavelengths that we’re emitting, we can learn how to better support our coworkers and how to decide which projects nourish us. We can learn how to establish what set of skills we want to grow and determine what approaches work best with which people.

Because of this, our Equus Workshop wasn’t just fun; it was freeing. For many of the participants, myself included, our time with the horses opened us up to a deeper part of ourselves. I’m excited to bring this revitalized energy back into the workplace and I know the same holds true for the wonderfully open-minded and compassionate Bayha Group crew.

On March 3rd, 2016, the Bayha Group participated in Downey Unified MADE: Program Celebration at the Columbia Memorial Space Center. Business owners and entrepreneurs in the Downey community were invited to meet with DUSD students participating in the MADE program. For employers, it was a valuable occasion to share experiences and provide support to students seeking meaningful job opportunities. For students, it was a special chance to practice their networking skills and connect with mentors.

For the Bayha Group,  MADE was an incredible opportunity to see the fruits of our labor in action. Several years ago, June wrote a California Career Pathways Trust grant to support the MADE program. It was exciting to speak with students and learn firsthand about how this initiative had positively impacted their lives. Students shared with us their success stories and future visions. Many of the youth we spoke with were inspired to pursue careers in cooking, engineering, and STEAM through their experiences in MADE. Many of the young women we spoke to in particular credited MADE with empowering them to make waves in the realm of robotics.

The event represented a powerful collaboration between the creative crew at Stay Gallery and the growing number of STEAM students within DUSD. We are looking forward to future collaborations that meld the arts and sciences to cultivate integrative educational opportunities for high school learners. Because we want every student, regardless of socioeconomic background, to have access to the kind of resources, mentors, and spaces that can help them bring their big dreams into being.