Leaders
While Halcyon is focused on horsemanship, many days and events can be combined with additional activities for a comprehensive “flow states” experience. Below are a selection of leaders and groups with whom Halcyon partners for events and refers individuals in the community. The leaders of such engagements are active duty military, veterans, and civilians familiar with navigating the life journey. For continued privacy, active duty service members are not included in this list.
On-site Retreats
Woodworking & Carving
As a veteran with a successful business in Raeford, Michael Merzke will be guiding participants in woodworking techniques, carving, and creation from the most basic approaches through more intricate, fancy work.
Gardening & Landscaping
A veteran medic and creator of A Warrior’s Garden, Malachias Gaskin will be coming to Halcyon/Bragg in spring of 2020 to teach his dynamic concept of utilizing creativity, grounding, and personal faith to find the pathway to healing and self-restoration after trauma.
sketching, drawing, cooking
An officer currently downrange has agreed to lead classes in guiding basic drawing techniques with a unique flair, as well as cooking cultural dishes that are not wholly common to the Sandhills region.
Storytelling & narrative
Traumatic experiences are often best processed by developing a “cohesive narrative” to understand one’s journey, as well as framing particular experiences and finding closure to events. In a phrase, integral to identity establishment. Dan Nevins is an inspirational veteran, leader, yoga instructor, and double amputee as the result of combat post-9/11. Halcyon will be hosting Dan for a storytelling-and-bonfire event on the farm. This remarkable soul is an individual from whom you want to learn, understand, and heal.
Meditation and mindfulness: As a preeminent psychologist who recently retired from an impressive career at Duke University, Dr. Mark Leary will be leading meditation sessions in the natural immersion of Halcyon environment, as well as discussing the role of “self” in healing processes. His work is legitimately fascinating, and he played a pivotal role in the popular concept of “self-compassion.”
Trauma-focused yoga
Led by the inspirational Natalie Johnson, morning yoga on the farm will be offered as the weather starts to become mildly more tolerable. Natalie has a highly successful yoga practice in Winston-Salem, and has agreed to offer her trauma-focused yoga with her empathetic intuition and compassionate guidance.
Ultimate frisbee
Ultimate frisbee: As an intercollegiate coach with in-depth experience and multiple wins/championship outings, Andy Brewer guides with positive insights, leading from the front, and building the team forward to succeed with specific orchestration. (This is seriously fun decompression!)
Cycling
Cycling coaching will be conducted by a Special Forces veteran with multiple Ironman completions, who has served as a well-respected triathlon coach. With Halcyon being located on a cycling route, this is a perfect ride location as a peaceful starting point.
Donkeys + countryside + cycling = heaven, no?
Off-Site Excursions
Kayaking, rock climbing, paddle boarding
Led by a Special Forces veteran who is an authentic healer, alongside his remarkable, inspirational wife, these outings will allow participants a quintessential experience of flow, returning to nature, and being in the best hands available for safety. This couple has been pivotal in the development of Halcyon, and these experiences will be truly incredible.
Fly-fishing
To be led by Chris Murphy, a veteran Special Forces medic who was instrumental in the original concept for “go with the flow” of Halcyon. These trips to western NC will allow participants to immerse in the flow experiences of casting, nature, and authentic decompression.
Pottery
As the pottery central of the US is located forty minutes away in Seagrove, NC, opportunities abound for learning how to work with clay for endless design possibilities. During the month of July, each Saturday allows new experiences for learning how to find the “flow states” of getting into the zone and decompressing. Seagrove: Into the Craft
surfing
At this time, discussions are ongoing for working with a surfing group in South Carolina, as well as possible individualized instruction in the Wilmington, NC, region.
Be Involved
If you would like to become involved with Halcyon as a leader, volunteer, or simply would like to be part of the decompression and immersion elements, please fill out the form below.