AN INVITATION
There are some things the body understands before it has language for them.
Finding Peace in the Paddock is a small, ground-based series for people who want room to slow down. Together, we spend time alongside the Riding in Redding herd, paying attention to breath, pace, posture, sensation, and the information the environment offers.
There is no riding lesson and no need to arrive with horse experience. There is no demand to perform, disclose, or become someone different. We begin where you are, with gentle movement, grounding practices, and the kind of attention that makes it possible to notice what steadies you.
OBSERVATIONS IN PRACTICE · 01–04
Not a lesson in getting it right. A practice of paying attention.
01
Arrive. Settle into the paddock and notice what is present in your body before you ask anything of yourself.
02
Observe. Spend unhurried time with the herd, attending to movement, distance, choice, and the small cues that shape a shared environment.
03
Practice. Try accessible grounding and somatic tools that can travel with you into daily life — at home, at work, or in the middle of a hard moment.
04
Reflect. Put language to what you noticed, at your own pace, without needing to force a conclusion.
PRACTICAL QUESTIONS · FPIP / 02
A few things you may be wondering.
The series is intentionally simple. These answers offer a sense of the setting and what it asks of you—before you decide whether it feels like the right next step.
01Do I need horse experience?
No. Finding Peace in the Paddock is designed for people with or without prior experience around horses. The work happens from the ground, at a pace that leaves room to notice, learn, and ask questions.
02Will we be riding?
No. This is a ground-based program. Time with the herd may include observing, moving gently through the environment, and practicing attention to breath, posture, sensation, distance, and choice.
03What happens during the four weeks?
Each in-person gathering creates space to arrive, observe the horses and the environment, try accessible grounding and somatic practices, and reflect on what you notice. The group may move between indoor and outdoor spaces, depending on the practice and the conditions. There is no expectation to perform or to force a particular outcome.
04Do I have to share personal experiences with the group?
No. You are welcome to participate quietly. Reflection is offered as an invitation, not a demand, and you decide what feels appropriate to share.
05Is this therapy?
No. Finding Peace in the Paddock is an educational and experiential program, not therapy. Time in the paddock can bring up many emotions, and that is one reason participants are encouraged to honor their own pace and existing sources of support. The series draws on Melissa’s clinical background, grounding practices, and the shared environment of the paddock, but it does not replace individualized medical, physical therapy, or mental-health care.
06Can Melissa coordinate with my therapist or provider?
If you are already working with a therapist or another care provider and would find it helpful, Melissa is happy to share an overview of the activities practiced in the paddock with your written permission. She has worked alongside several local therapists and welcomes communication that supports your own exploration and continuity of care.
07What should I wear?
Come prepared for both indoor and outdoor time. Wear comfortable layers you can move in, and bring what you need for the weather: a rain layer or sun protection, a warm layer when temperatures are cool, and closed-toe shoes suitable for uneven ground. Practical details for the specific setting are shared before the series begins.
08What is the investment?
The four-week series is $410. Enrollment details are shared when the next group opens.
09What if I miss a session?
The four gatherings are designed as a series, and missed sessions are not made up. If Melissa needs to cancel a session, she will arrange an alternative date with the group.
FIELD NOTES FROM FINDING PEACE PARTICIPANTS
“Just love Melissa. She is so knowledgeable and therapeutic. I am already transformed by the horses, her grace and her spiritual and energetic approach to the work!”
“Over time I have learned to make it a point to check in with my body to see what it’s trying to tell me.”
“It has helped me find a sense of calm — how to better stay in the eye of a storm or out of the storm’s path completely.”
YOUR GUIDE
Guided by clinical experience. Made human by the paddock.
Melissa Jean Jarzynski, MSPT, HPCS, is a trauma-informed physical therapist and board-certified Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist. Her work brings together physical therapy, nervous system science, and two decades of learning beside horses. In this program, that background becomes a calm, attentive structure for a morning in the paddock.
Participation is educational and experiential. It does not replace individualized medical, physical therapy, or mental-health care.