Workshop with donkeys can help you find a little zen

TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) — Do you ever feel you need to slow down and feel a little zen?

A new workshop can help you do just that.

The “On Donkey Time” workshop, by the nonprofit The Human Animal Connection, promises to calm you down, help you find peace.

Founder Genie Joseph helps guide participants through meditation, processing and sharing deep feelings, and how to use positive energy to attract animals — in this case, donkeys — while they leave their troubles behind.

The peaceful workshop, which costs $30, will help people heal themselves of traumas through these classes and one-on-one training, Joseph said.

The next workshop will be April 28 at the Equinimity Ranch, 3742 N. Edith Blvd.

Donkeys have sometimes received a bad rap for being stubborn. If you've ever tried to make a donkey "go" when they don't want to, you have experienced how determined they can be to not go! But the truth is donkeys have a very strong sense of self-preservation. They are oriented to what feels safe and good. They want what they want.

When donkeys disobey our desires, they are just honoring their senses. They won't take a step that they don't feel good about. They are very sensitive beings; they can sense the slightest change in your thoughts or moods because they engage the world through their senses, where everything is real. Their experience is truthful and authentic. A donkey will only approach you if they want.

When you step into "Donkey Time" your senses slow down, and your world becomes full of the present. At "On Donkey Time," a news release says, “we just sit with the donkeys. Or walk with them. We let them approach us. We only touch them if she moves into our space. Being with them in this respectful way slows us down and makes us notice everything. Our world becomes incredibly small and focused, and yet our experience widens, opens up to their sensory world. They feel us and reflect back our true nature when we engage with them in this quiet way.”

For more information, visit TheHumanAnimalConnection.org.