| Lion Heart Project |
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| Harmonious Living Administrator | |
| Thursday, 09 March 2006 | |
Gail Kleinschmidt's childhood years were spent on a farm in Zambia where she found herself having a natural empathy with animals. Having spent so much time in the bush, it has left its mark on her forever. She embarked on a career in film-making hoping to make wild-life conservation oriented documentaries. After experiencing long-term severe back-pain that no-one could diagnose she consulted a Polarity Therapist who relieved the pain. Her subsequent fascination with this healing system led Gail to the UK and the States to study. She returned to her one great love that is Africa set up a healing practice and taught yoga for 10 years. The lions started to creep back into her life and after taking many of her clients to interact with the animals she started to see very positive results. Gail had also realised that despite conservation efforts to educate the world in the last two hundred years, mankind has not stopped its destructive behaviour. She realised that information alone wouldn't change things, what was needed was a change of heart and to awaken a passion for the wilderness. Combining this realisation with her skill in animal assisted therapy with Lions the Lion Heart Project was born. The character and behaviour of a lion lends us an arm of inspiration, a moment to pause and see something beyond ourselves. Lions are the ambassadors of the wilderness. These majestic creatures offer powerful metaphors for how anyone can potentially begin to realise the power and beauty of his or her life. Lions have a presence that is "unmistakable" and, when in their presence, one is compelled to "wake up", become "aware" and "engage" with oneself through direct contact with that animal and the world around. In this state of awareness, we can choose whether or not to be touched by their presence or not. Participants have described this experience as a sense of coming home and most often experience a change of heart towards themselves, the lions and their overall lives. Who the Project work with Gail and her team of facilitators work with private groups, communities, schools, disabled children, and corporate clients. For individuals the Project offer an introductory morning (4hours) and a longer 4 day course. Corporate clients are offered a one day team building experience where participants discover new inspiration and skill to meet their business objectives. What the Project offers Including Gail there are five facilitators in the project. Apart from developing positive human/animal interaction with their clients they also;
The long term goal of the project is to set up a Lion Heart sanctuary. Gail also plans to offer surrounding communities the chance to learn and interact with the Lions and turn man's fear of the wild into love. |
The Lion Heart Project was founded four years ago by Gail Kleinschmidt with two main goals in mind; 
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