A Three Day Threshold
UMBRAL
Abriendo la Puerta al Cruce Sagrado — Opening the Door to the Sacred Crossing
El Caballo Como Espejo — Horse as Mirror.
A sacred, somatic threshold shared between horse and human, now traveling to gathering places around the world.
Five Sacred Sessions
The Journey
The Listening Field
Through craniosacral work and deep listening with horse, participants begin to sense the subtle rhythm of their own biology. The core skill here is stillness — feeling the original, quiet breath of life shared by horse and human alike. In listening, intuition begins to awaken.
1.
Stillpoint & Herd
Leaning into nervous-system down-regulation, participants practice craniosacral work with partners and the EMDR butterfly hug. Christina guides vagus-nerve exercises that calm the self — and you watch, in real time, how that calm shifts the horse.
2.
Horse as Mirror
Each participant selects a horse, and the horse reflects back a pattern. We deepen this through archetype cards — the Healer, the Warrior, and others — choosing first the archetype, then the horse that embodies it.
3.
Threshold
A liminal, unmediated encounter — free of the roles and defenses we bring into relationships shaped by status or stakes. Moving from one archetype to another: who are you now? How did your story change?
4.
Field of Contact
Present-moment connection with horse, at the living edge where two beings truly meet — held in a shared, subtle field where stillness and rhythm are felt together.
5.
Who This Journey Is For
You don't need horse experience.
You need a willingness to be met.
Equestrians
Ready for a deeper, more listening relationship with the horses they already know.
Anyone in Transition
Grief, a career change, a relationship ending or beginning — a body-based way through.
Therapists & Healers
Curious about somatic and equine-facilitated modalities in practice, not just in theory.
Complete Beginners
No riding skill required. The horses meet you exactly where you are.
Couples & Partners
Practicing presence, proposal instead of force, and honest connection — together.
Hosts & Organizers
Retreat centers, ranches, and wellness communities looking to bring something singular to their guests.
Optional Offering
El Abrazo
How Argentine Tango mirrors horsemanship and partnership. Available when the workshop space has smooth tile, cement, or wood flooring — Christina has taught tango for twenty-five years, and Umbral can open with a beginner class that becomes the felt rehearsal for everything the horses will later ask of you.
Leading as Proposal, Not Command
In tango, a lead is an invitation the follower interprets and answers — not a push. Horsemanship pioneer Tom Dorrance described the same principle with horses: force produces compliance, but feel produces partnership.
Axis, or Eje
Tango asks you to be so grounded in your own balance that your partner could vanish mid-turn and you wouldn't fall — the same independent seat a rider needs to truly listen instead of compensating.
Rhythm Before Intention
A tango couple entrains to the music before any figure works; a rider entrains to the horse's gait before any aid lands cleanly. Imposing your own tempo is the most common beginner mistake in both.
We practice the embrace before the horse session, so "proposal, not force" is already living in your body when the stakes rise.
Your Guide
Meet Christina Johnson
LMT, LPC — Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy & Craniosacral Practitioner, Interfaith Minister & Horse Priestess.
Christina brings over 30 years in the healing arts to Umbral, weaving together EMDR, Craniosacral Therapy, Equine-Facilitated Healing, and Therapeutic Tango into a single, embodied threshold experience. Based in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico since 2013, she works fluently in English and Spanish — a real asset for hosts organizing Umbral outside the US.
Craniosacral Therapy
Levels I & II, Milne Institute of Visionary Craniosacral, with specialized brain training under Dr. Benjamin Shield. Additional study at the Upledger Institute and Biodynamic Craniosacral with Georgia Milne.
EMDR Therapy
Practicing since 1995. Levels I & II complete, with full supervision hours toward consultant status.
Spiritual Psychology
MA, University of Santa Monica. BA, Southwestern College, Santa Fe. Two-year Hakomi Body-Centered Psychotherapy training, followed by a year mentoring new trainees.
Ordained Ministry
Ordained Omnist Minister, commissioned through MSIA, serving spiritual needs across traditions since 1980.
Equine Craniosacral
All four levels plus equine dissection training, studied directly with Maureen Rogers, a pioneer in the field.
Argentine Tango
25 years teaching tango technique and its therapeutic applications across the US, Argentina, and Mexico.
English — Fluent
Español — Fluido
French — Conversational
"I have a dressage horse who usually wins first and second place in dressage competitions. At the one a few months ago, he did not canter well as he did not change leads. We didn't place. Christina worked on him twice using craniosacral, and now that he is comfortable in his body, he changes leads happily! Maybe I am even happier than my horse? I feel eager to compete again."
— Emily J. M
A Track Record of Travel
Already Crossing Borders
Umbral isn't Christina's first time bringing this work beyond San Miguel de Allende.
Her equine craniosacral practice has already traveled to:
Private barns and equestrian properties across Arizona, New Mexico, Mississippi, and Louisiana
A ranch in Guatemala, at the invitation of a local host, where she treated multiple horses over several sessions
Regular practice throughout the Bajío region of Mexico
If you're outside her home base — anywhere in Mexico, the United States, or beyond — travel and on-site work are absolutely possible. Umbral is built to go where the horses and the gathering are.
CLIENT LOVE AND TESTIMONIALS
After a craniosacral treatment from Christina, each horse showed noticeably greater flexibility, freer movement, and improved agility — a visible change in how they carried themselves.
Mary Lou Ridinger
Equine Craniosacral Client
Raquel Pérez hosted Christina for equine craniosacral work at a ranch in Guatemala, and describes the results as transformative — real gains in her horses' movement, stress relief, and overall wellbeing.
Raquel Pérez
Host, Guatemala
Christina relieved spinal pain in a single session and later used EMDR to help her move through paralyzing grief after the loss of her son.
Kathy M.
Client since 1999
Bringing Umbral Home
Hosting Umbral in Your Country
Umbral travels. Here's what a host location can plan to provide.
Group Size
Umbral is kept intentionally small and personal. Reach out with your space and community in mind, and Christina will confirm what fits.
Lodging
Separate private rooms for Christina and her assistant, with access to nearby meals.
Horses
Host-owned or locally arranged horses, gentle and accustomed to groundwork with unfamiliar people.
Language
Sessions run fluently in English or Spanish, with conversational French available. A local translator can be arranged for other languages.
Space
A quiet outdoor or covered area for the equine sessions. For the optional tango session, a room with smooth tile, cement, or wood flooring.
Recording
Video recording is welcome where possible; the format adjusts if it isn't permitted at your location.
A Perk for the Host
One horse belonging to the event host may receive a complimentary craniosacral session — and the host may receive a complimentary session experiencing riding in a new way with that horse.
"I own a rescue for thoroughbred horses. Christina came to work on our horses doing craniosacral work. These horses are exhausted and sometimes abused from treatment on the race track. I was amazed at how some injuries seemed totally healed in one treatment! One horse had been limping on the rear left leg for months, and he was walking balanced and relaxed after one treatment; no limp! Two others had two sessions each. One was a head-tosser; little did I know it was due to pain. The other had an injury to his temporal bone that made his ear lopsided and sore. After the second treatment, the first had a relaxed head, and slept for almost two hours, the second was able to perk his ears up completely!"
— Diane S.
Investment
Pricing & Logistics
Pricing
2026 · rates| What's Included | Price |
|---|---|
| Three-day workshop (per participant) | $325 USD |
| Three-day workshop, with your own horse participating | $275 USD |
| Private craniosacral treatment, horse or rider (limited availability) | $85 USD |
| Craniosacral treatment for both horse and rider together | $150 USD |
A deposit secures Christina's travel dates for your location. Get in touch to discuss booking timelines, payment options for international hosts, and cancellation terms.
FAQs
Do I need horse experience to participate?
1
No. Umbral is built for riders and non-riders alike — the work is relational and somatic, not about riding skill.
I'm nervous around horses. Is that a problem?
2
Not at all — that nervous energy is often exactly the material the work addresses. Christina holds the space with your safety and pace in mind throughout.
Christina is conversational in French. For other languages, hosts are welcome to arrange a local translator.
Can Umbral run in a language other than English or Spanish?
3
Has this work traveled internationally before?
4
Yes — Christina's equine craniosacral practice has already worked with horses in Guatemala, in addition to multiple U.S. states beyond her home base in Mexico.
How do we bring Umbral to our country?
5
Start with the inquiry form below. Christina will follow up to talk through your space, group size, and timeline.
Ready When You Are
Bring Umbral to Your Community
A sacred threshold between horse and human.