Provence Archives - Network Provence

Meet Nancy Gilles, Equine Therapist

Published on 22nd January 202522nd January 2025 by Rebecca RonaneLeave a comment

LA SANTONNE EQUINE THERAPY AND RETREATS

Nancy describes herself as passionate about helping people find inner peace and their true path through therapeutic interaction with horses and the healing beauty of nature.

After years in management and politics in Australia, it was time to change the pace. I retrained as an equine-assisted therapy practitioner and moved half a world away, drawn by the inspirational beauty of a crumbling farmhouse in high Provence.

Today I share the beauty of my property, La Santonne, with clients in individual equine therapy sessions or during my day-long small group retreats that bring together my qualifications in equine-assisted learning, insight meditation and musical breath-based exercise.

Why Provence?

My husband is French and grew up in Provence. But really, I fell in love with La Santonne that brought us here to the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. La Santonne is my physical and spiritual home, and I love sharing this healing place with those needing a breather from life.

What does your business do?

I work with clients to help them manage stress, understand themselves and their problems more, and find the best solutions to their challenges. I do this using an approach called Equine Assisted Therapy. This approach has intentional activities on the ground with horses at its centre adapted to the client’s needs. These activities lead to a greater understanding of self and can also respond to client needs for peace, comfort and support. The approach also draws from nature therapy and mindfulness meditation as key resources in calming stress and supporting resilience.

I also offer day-long retreats, which offer participants an escape from the pressures of life and an opportunity to breathe deeply, find some peace, rebuild inner resources and return home with a greater capacity to manage life’s challenges. These retreats include group equine therapy, mindfulness meditation and gentle breath-based movement to music.

Website: www.lasantonneprovence.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaSantonneEquitherapie/

Instagram: @La_Santonne

“Inside Janice Jacquet’s Creative Process”

Published on 25th October 2024 by Rebecca Ronane

Today, Bonnieux artist Janice Jacquet treated Network Provence to a generous demonstration of her process for creating the colourful canvases we usually only see after completion.

With a dizzying array of colours, tubes, brushes and tools, Janice worked and talked us through what it was like for her to lay down, cover and reveal layers of glorious paint, which ended up in landscape abstracts to be defined by the viewer. There is something perfectly ASMR about watching and listening to the process. Janice’s voice and the sounds of various tools on the canvas, all the while revealing and changing such beautiful light, shadow and colour. It reminded me of artist Gina Southgate, who uses the sounds she creates while painting as experimental music while she paints other musicians’ creations. How lucky we are to experience this from one of our own NP women of Provence! It was such an informative event and extremely relaxing and inspiring.

Network Provence boasts a wonderful membership of creative and enterprising women; it is always so satisfying to experience each other’s worlds like this. Refreshments and socializing with friends and newcomers is a great pleasure indeed, and today revealed that there will be some very interesting meet-ups in the near future.
Join us for more upcoming Network Provence events listed on the website. This is a valuable two-way resource for those living and working in the region.

By Maryna Fontenoy

Meet Isaure de la Presle

Published on 17th October 2024 by Rebecca Ronane

I’m a Shamanic Artist

My speciality is also about teaching and sharing with others how to combine art and a Mediation state to express our inner creativity. I’ve taught for over 20 years and share my knowledge with my students.

I also take people on spiritual healing hikes

learning to find inner peace with Mother Earth.