Woodstock's Soulful Prairies organic farm helps people, animals find peace, empowerment

The long gravel road connecting Alden Road in Woodstock and the sprawling grounds of Soulful Prairies curves past walls of trees and fields of prairie grasses. The path weaves lazily through the natural landscape until a clearing appears, dotted with farmland architecture. On this particular, late-September day, the clouds that soaked the land just hours before have parted, revealing a perfectly arched rainbow. For centuries, rainbows have symbolized peace and rebirth. It seems only fitting that the main buildings of Soulful Prairies, where visitors come to restore their sense of self, sit directly beneath the colorful arch.

The event taking place that night, Harvest Gong in the Barn, would bring together the energizing effects of kundalini yoga and the calming benefits of contemplative practice with horses. The former, taught by instructor Lisa Gniady, took place in the cavernous loft of the horse barn. Underneath the dimmed chandeliers and filtered light cast from the dormer windows, participants followed her movements and contemplated her thoughtful reminder.

“Let us not forget the joy of the child on the swing,” Gniady said. “Let’s not forget, as we age, to keep the joy we had as a child.”

Nearby, in the horse arena, Linda Bruce shared the healing power of animals, especially horses, to a small group of women. She asked the group members to meditate on the power of letting go and living in the moment, as the horses do naturally. The group members took turns approaching the two dark-brown thoroughbreds and gently patting their muzzles.

The horses, Bruce explained, were highly in-tune to the energy of each person and would react accordingly. They might shake their heads, swish their tails, or even place their long snouts against the foreheads of their human counterparts.

“Horses’ energy is peaceful and operates at a high vibrational level,” Bruce said. “As humans, we are all over the place, weighed down by our anxieties. Being in their presence brings us a sense of calm. Horses pick up on our nonverbal cues and push our boundaries, allowing us to better understand our feelings, fears and reactions.”

At its core, Soulful Prairies is a farm for horses developed with sustainability and nature in mind. An organic community garden and beehives thrive near hay fields grown for the horses. Solar panels provide sustainable energy, and recycling of as many materials as possible is an important facet of the farm.

Soulful Prairies offers events such as Harvest Gong at the Barn and an annual music festival called Soul Jam, in addition to fundraisers for local organizations throughout the year. These events are vitally important to the mission of Soulful Prairies, Bruce said, but she feels most connected to the farm as a place where healing and the connection between humans and horses can be explored.

Although the business entity of Soulful Prairies began just two years ago, it was in 2011 that the feeling of apprehension at impending change brought Bruce to the grounds of Soulful Prairies. After earning degrees in social work and counseling and working as a clinical social worker, Bruce put her career on hold to be a stay-at-home mom to her four children. As her oldest prepared to leave for college with the others not far behind, she realized she had to find something to not only keep her busy when her kids left, but also fuel her passion for helping animals and people live happier lives. She sought a place that could combine her extensive experience in social work, counseling, horse riding and Equine Gestalt Coaching Method, an integrative approach of equine interaction and positive coaching.

Bruce and her husband bought the 80 acres of land, once inhabited by Country Corners Apple Orchard, with the lofty goal of transforming it into a sanctuary for horses and the community.

But the fields of apple trees had become overgrown and the buildings had fallen into severe disrepair. Years of rebuilding have restored the space to its natural beauty. Eight horses (four owned by Bruce, four boarded at the farm) reside in the spacious and meticulously clean barn, alongside goats, chickens and a potbelly pig.

The animals are free to simply “be,” and are cared for by Bruce herself, who travels from her home in Park Ridge daily, often with her children tagging along.

“At first, I kicked myself for starting Soulful Prairies at that time, because I had to be away from home more. I thought I would end up spending even less time with my kids,” Bruce said. “But soon, the kids were coming with me to the farm, and now they have experienced every corner of Soulful Prairies and have contributed to it with each of their unique strengths. I realized I had made the right decision: Had I waited until they were all out of the house, they wouldn’t have been a part of it at all.”

The lessons learned and shared at Soulful Prairies have helped Bruce, as she says, take a little more hurt out of the world, and the healing power of the place shows no sign of dimming. The mission of Soulful Prairies, to empower souls through experience, compassion, awareness and mistakes, steadily is spreading throughout the community, as visitors depart from this peaceful sanctuary with the inner strength they had all along.

“I truly believe people are capable of change and able to lead happy lives,” Bruce said. “We are all given these resistances in life, and we can choose to look at them as obstacles or as opportunities to grow and become better people.”