Rainey Blues arrived yesterday afternoon. I couldn’t be prouder of my herd. Gracie has been leading the way getting to know her while protecting the herd as a whole and setting boundaries with appropriate squeals and posturing. They are still settling from over a fence line.
Unfortunately I tweaked my already problematic knee in the mud and am now hobbling about. Plus I have a sprained thumb so I’ve had to be on the side lines. Which has been devastatingly hard for me. Seems a lesson in trusting the herd and relying on others to assist. I’ve been in anxious observation mode. Herd integrations are so incredibly interesting and I’ve anxiously loved watching each horse play their role. I’ll be sure to post more about the process as it unfolds.
Welcome to you Forever Home Rainey!!
03/21/2026
Happy Spring! Spring is arriving in quiet, steady ways—
softer ground, longer light, the horses beginning to shed what they no longer need.
And here on the land, something new is arriving too…
Rainey comes home tomorrow. 🤍
There’s something about this season—
the way it invites us not to rush forward,
but to soften back into relationship.
With the land.
With ourselves.
With the herd.
As everything begins again, we’re opening space for you to step into that too.
🌿 Spring Retreat at True Nature Integrative Health
A space to slow down, reconnect, and experience being with horses in a deeply relational way.
If you’ve been feeling the pull… this is your invitation.
In horsemanship we often assume that a quiet horse is a willing horse.
A horse is tied.
They learn not to pull back.
Eventually they stand quietly.
And we say, “See? They’re fine with it.”
But if a horse cannot leave… what does their staying actually tell us?
And here’s the more uncomfortable question:
Even when the rope is gone, is the horse truly participating — or simply complying?
These questions have reshaped the way I think about relationship with horses, and they echo patterns we see in human relationships too, where staying can sometimes look like consent from the outside.
In this reflection I explore the difference between restraint, compliance, and genuine participation — and the quiet relational space where a horse could leave… but chooses to stay.
That space is what I call The Language Between.
Read the full reflection:
If a horse cannot leave, their staying isn’t participation. But removing the rope doesn’t automatically create consent either. Compliance can exist even at liberty. In this reflection, I explore the difference between conditioning and true participation — and why the quiet space where a horse ...
03/06/2026
🌱 Spring Emergence Retreat at True Nature
As the land awakens and the first green shoots return, we are gathering for our first seasonal retreat of the year.
Join us for a gentle half-day experience that includes:
🐎 Equine-facilitated wellness with the herd
🌿 Restorative Qigong practice
🌱 Decorating and planting your own intention seed pot
🌼 A wildflower seed offering to nourish the land and pollinators
Together we will welcome spring, reflect on what is ready to grow, and participate in a simple ritual of reciprocity with the land here at True Nature.
It’s bright sunshiney morning and the PIGGLES are busy
02/24/2026
The Language Between:
We value Clarity without dominance.
We believe listening changes the field.
We believe in relationship over reaction.
02/24/2026
The Language Between:
We value Clarity without dominance.
We believe listening changes the field.
We believe in relationship over reaction.
02/23/2026
We drove to Iowa to meet the beautiful Miss Rainey Blue and of course fell in love. She is a sensitive and timid soul and I am so grateful for the opportunity to build relationship and trust and integrate her into our programming both therapy and our new launch of The Language Between.
Thank you to Natalie Benway for the introduction and trust to bring her here under our care. She will be shipping here March 16. If you’d still like to donate to this cause link is below!
This work isn’t just work for many of us it is our passion and love for land, nature and our 4 legged family. Our clients come to love and build relationships with our herds and are often there through the ups and downs including grief of transition. The horses we are in relationship with aren’t pawns or tools to be discarded or taken as business assets and yet we have to find ways to sustain. We at True Nature are sending our support to Natural Wisdom Counseling If you know of a horse that may fit reach out to them! We are so grateful for the opportunity to take on the beautiful Miss Rainey and maybe there is another opportunity like this out there. Consider donating or adopting out to an equine therapy org that takes care of their equine partners like NWC.
Over the past 6 months at the farm, I have retired both of my horses from mounted therapy work (Izíta is living full retirement off-site and Pogo is still under regular pain-management care here). Just in the past two months I have had the honor to support two horses to say their earthy good-byes at Snapdragon Farm & Stables, and also had 3 horses abruptly move to a different facility...
Lots of shedding, adjusting, change, and clarifying our path!
NWC is officially looking for new therapy horse partners to join in our efforts to offer transformative psychotherapy experiences to our community members!
Our top priority at this time is a sound, experienced, people-loving horse that can offer mounted work, is safe with wild children, and gives honest feedback to humans (good-minded). We have several non-rideable horse partners here who have other lessons to teach, and our biggest gap is the horse who can hold and ground people going through a hard time.
Vets at Knife River Veterinary Clinic and Country View Equine Clinic and Irongate Equine Clinic are aware of our search and keeping their eyes open for us!
If you would like to support our efforts to add new horses to our team, reach out about horse sponsorship opportunities for new horses, or make a tax-deductible donation to Mental Mountains Project with a note that it is for our work!
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Welcome to True Nature. We aim to provide a supportive journey toward restoring balance and harmony within your life. We value each persons inner wisdom and strive to help each person on their unique journey to wholeness, to their true nature. We take a holistic approach that incorporates mind, body, and soul wellness.
With over 20 years combined experience and practice we offer a wide variety of practices including psychotherapy, coaching, yoga, meditation, bodywork, wellness workshops and retreats. We value diversity and are a culturally sensitive, trauma informed, LGBTQ+ affirming practice.
Our primary space is located in downtown Homewood, IL. While the primary practice is individual Psychotherapy and Zen Shiatsu, we offer a wide array of wellness workshops throughout the year. In the warmer months retreat style experiences are offered on our 5 acre farmette, only 45 minutes from downtown Chicago. We are excited to share our love of nature and connection to all beings. We can’t wait to connect and support you on your journey to wellness!
Our Team
Marie Sian, AOBTA-CP, LMT, LPTA
Marie is an Asian Bodywork Therapy - Certified Practitioner of Zen Shiatsu and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She’s also a License Massage Therapist, Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant, Yoga teacher, Reiki Master and has done extensive training in Qigong.
Marie been on a quest for true healing and restoring the natural balance of the body. She found long term chronic pain, syndromes and dis-"eases" were not resolving with physical therapy alone and knew there was more to healing than just working on the physical body. Marie takes a holistic approach that integrates the body, mind and spirit. She is an advocate of being proactive with your health versus reactive as western medicine tends to be. She is excited to work with you to help restore your natural balance.
Jennifer A Baker, LCPC, RYT, CADC
Jennifer is a licensed Psychotherapist, Yogi, and nature lover with over 20 years experience in the mental health field. Jennifer has brought her passion and service to a variety of settings including community mental health, residential programs, hospitals, correction facilities and private practice. She is a firm believer that compassion, connection and radical self care are key to well being. Jennifer has considerable experience working with clients facing challenges related, but not limited, to relationship and interpersonal concerns, histories of trauma, mood instability, grief and loss, depression, anxiety, psychosis, adjustment difficulties, and recovery from addiction. Walking with clients on their journey to healing is a sacred and personal honor. Jennifer strives to create a collaborative and compassionate space to promote growth and healing, taking into account mind body and soul. Jennifer is currently working toward offering equine guided learning and therapy to the community and is excited to share her love of animals and nature for healing.
Thank you for your interest in True Nature, We value and appreciate all who pass through this page and would love to connect with you!
