I remember exactly where I was when the world shut down in 2020.
I was in the middle of leading one of my favorite trainings: our Personal Immersion. We had just begun diving into attachment history and attachment wounding. It was deep, sacred work.
I stepped inside to grab water and tissues for someone, and the woman hosting us looked at me wide-eyed. She had just come from the store, and the shelves were empty. She showed me a picture. Just the day before, everything had looked normal. That day, it looked like mayhem.
By the time I got home, I walked into the living room and there was an announcement on the TV about the lockdown. That moment, much like 9/11, etched itself into my memory. I’ll never forget it.
The next morning, our entire staff gathered on a call. At the time, our livelihood came from hosting 67 in-person trainings every year. In one day, all of it evaporated. We wouldn’t be able to make payroll in three weeks if we didn’t do something.
So we did something big.
The Pivot That Changed Everything
We dropped everything else and worked like I’ve never seen us work before. Day and night, texting at 1:00 a.m., everyone contributing to one singular task: create an online version of the Fundamentals of NL.
In just three weeks, we launched the first fully virtual Fundamentals.
And you know what? It worked.
Not only did it keep our community connected and learning in a time of deep isolation, but it kept our business afloat and expanded our reach in ways we hadn’t imagined. People could learn at their own pace. They could pause, breathe, reflect—something especially important when studying trauma. They could rewatch videos of horse interactions and see subtle moments they might have missed in person.
For many, it was life-changing.
But Five Years Later…
Something has shifted again.
In 2020, online learning was a lifeline. It gave us connection when the world forced us into isolation. But five years later, so many of us are exhausted from endless video learning.
I’ve said it myself more times than I can count: I am tired of watching videos online all by myself.
The truth is, pre-recorded content can only go so far. Teaching is about attunement, about watching how a lesson lands, listening for questions, and adjusting in real time. That’s what I miss the most.
When we taught in person, the content was always evolving. We adjusted constantly based on student feedback, new research, and what we were learning in the moment.
But with pre-recorded videos, the content stayed largely the same. For five years, while research advanced and our own organizational learning deepened, the Fundamentals curriculum stayed mostly the same.
But that’s about to change.
Why We’re Introducing Fundamentals LIVE
This fall marks the biggest shift to Fundamentals since 2020.
For the first time, you can join us for LIVE Fundamentals: eight weeks of real-time learning with me, Tim, Kate, and Tanner. Instead of static videos, you’ll step into dynamic, relational teaching that responds to your needs and the rest of the group’s––in the moment.
LIVE Fundamentals also gives us the chance to finally integrate what we’ve been wanting to bring forward: updated research, new practices, and more effective ways of teaching.
Teaching live allows me and the rest of our team to attune to the group and to notice what’s resonating, respond to questions as they surface, and adjust in real time. That shared rhythm is what makes live learning so powerful, and it’s something pre-recorded content simply can’t replicate.
The Commitment of Live Learning
Live learning comes with commitment, from you and from us.
For you, it means setting aside time twice a week at 3:00 to 5:00 pm, four hours of synchronous learning. It is less flexible than asynchronous videos, but far more rewarding. Synchronous means rhythmic. It means we come together, find a rhythm as a group, and move through this learning in step with one another.
For us, it means showing up fully prepared, to not only teach what we know, but to build on it based on where the group is going. It means customizing the training, not just repeating a script. It’s a bigger investment for all of us, and a bigger return.
How It Works
Here’s how we’ve structured it:
- You sign up for Jumpstart, and the LIVE option is an add-on.
- If you’ve already taken Fundamentals online, you don’t need to start over. You can sign up for the LIVE add-on only as a refresher.
- Many of our trainers themselves have taken Fundamentals more than once because each time you revisit it, you embody it more deeply.
So if you’ve felt like you missed something the first time, this is your chance. You don’t have to travel or spend money for lodging —just real-time, relational learning, right where you are.
From Crisis to Choice
In 2020, we pivoted out of necessity.
In 2025, we’re pivoting out of vision.
We don’t have to accept the current state of disconnection as the new normal. We can take what worked from 2020, leave what no longer serves, and create the future of learning together.
That’s what this shift is about.
Your Invitation
So I’ll leave you with this: What did 2020 change for you? And what kind of learning do you long for now?
If you’re ready for connection;
If you want to experience this work in real time;
If you’re ready to revisit Fundamentals, or step into it for the very first time, I invite you to join us.
Fundamentals of Natural Lifemanship: LIVE Cohort
September 8 – December 3, 2025
Online, with weekly live sessions
Register for Fundamentals LIVE
I hope you’ll join us in this new chapter of learning.
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