LoveReading Says
It might be difficult to believe in the healing power of cows, but Dave Mountjoy will convince you.
In his memoir, Being With Cows, he recounts how he and his wife, Diana, had moved to the French Pyrenees and were casting about for business ideas for their beautiful plot of land. After learning that they would be able to convert one of the barns into a residence if they acquired some farm animals, they decided to buy some cows. Having spent time on his mother’s family farm in Worcestershire countryside, it seemed the most logical next step.
They were only getting to grips with their new farm when they learn that Mountjoy’s brother, Cork, had committed suicide. Mountjoy writes how this tragedy led him to appreciate how the cows could help him heal. He found that his form of bovine therapy—sitting quietly with his cows and learning to be still for them—helped him navigate the depths of grief and eventually find acceptance and quiet joy.
Mountjoy coined the term “cowfulness” to describe being mindful in the presence of cows and the peace he feels in their presence. (He doesn’t mention the smell, though, which must be overpowering). He beautifully describes the countryside, and the rotating cast of interesting animals, including foxes, pine martens, newts, owls, deer and wild boar, that he encounters.
He now runs Being With Cows retreats on the farm so other people can experience the same joy he found with his herd.
Maureen Stapleton
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Being With Cows Synopsis
An intensely transformational story of how grief became gratitude in the presence of a humble herd of cows.
Being With Cows details the incredibly moving story behind the tragic death of one man’s brother and how his personal quest for inner healing came to him unexpectedly on his organic farm in the French Pyrenees.
A remarkably powerful yet heart-warming story, Being With Cows pays homage to Life’s unending compassion and insistence that in the very centre of all things, lies pure and untainted simplicity. Through a deeply tangible sense of gratitude, it tells of how tragedy can be overcome through the healing power of nature.
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Dave Mountjoy Press Reviews
'Dave Mountjoy writes movingly of how, by simply spending time with his cows, he found an unexpected sanctuary from grief, and a new awareness of gratitude, honesty and humility. He reveals how, in the presence of cows and without strain or effort, the mind is stilled, and the ego is shed. Being With Cows is a testament to the innate goodness and compassion of cows, and to the feeling of benevolence they evoke in those who encounter them. It is, like the cows themselves, a tonic for the soul.' -- Mary Costello
About Dave Mountjoy
Dave Mountjoy, the founder of Being with Cows Retreats, was born in rural west Worcestershire, spending most of his childhood on his mum’s family farm. It was in Scotland that his love for the wild and wilderness inspired a serious search for the self. Further travels took him to Uganda where he was privileged to live with the Karamojong people. He remains in regular contact with one family from the region.
It was during his last retreat at The Findhorn Foundation in Scotland, that he met his wife Diana. Their quest for a fulfilling, sustainable life led them to the French Pyrenees, and to the cows that transformed their lives.
They continue to live on the farm with their two young boys, Gabi and Elie and invite all to stay with them in their annual Being with Cows Retreats.
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