Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Mckenzie.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Lisa McKenzie is a touring drummer, percussion clinician, and co-founder of Mind Body Equine. Grounded in rhythmic mastery and somatic regulation, her work bridges high-level musical performance with transformative, bottom-up nervous system healing.
As a professional drummer touring with the Damien Gunn Band, Lisa maintains a relentless drive for artistic growth, studying under world-renowned masters such as Gino Banks, Jim Riley, and Aloke Dutta (tabla). Her signature clinic curriculum synthesizes traditional North and South Indian rhythmic languages with Western drum set applications, offering percussionists an innovative approach to meter, phrasing, and time.
Alongside her performance career, Lisa co-founded Mind Body Equine with partner Kristy Yager. Mind Body Equine combines equine therapy featuring second-chance rescue horses with yoga and specialized executive function support. Built on the principle that sustainable executive functioning requires a well-regulated central nervous system, the organization delivers somatic regulation to help individuals thrive. Lisa’s integrative approach is informed by a decade of studying adolescent brain development and neurodiversity (including her work as Lead Adolescent Guide at Farm School KC).
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve realized that our greatest obstacle as humans is rarely external—it’s in our own minds. That’s why my guiding principle has become to embrace my fears. Choosing to say ‘yes’ to the things that scare me has forced me out of my comfort zone and helped me build self-trust. Learning to sit with discomfort and step forward anyway isn’t easy, but learning to navigate that fire is where real strength and healing begin.”
We’ve been impressed with Mind Body Equine, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Mind Body Equine is an integrative somatic wellness and neuro-developmental initiative founded by Lisa McKenzie and Kristy Yager. Built on a bottom-up approach to brain health, we bridge equine interaction, somatic yoga movement, clinical therapy, and executive function support to foster deep central nervous system regulation, emotional stability, and lasting cognitive resilience. At Mind Body Equine, we believe that true executive function and cognitive success begin in the body. When the central nervous system is dysregulated, the brain cannot access focus, organization, or emotional balance. By prioritizing autonomic regulation first, we lay the foundation for sustainable personal growth, emotional strength, and mental clarity.
Our work centers on the principle of resilience through challenge. Real growth doesn’t come from avoiding difficulty—it comes from learning to navigate struggles, “walk through the fire,” and emerge on the other side with unshakeable self-trust, internal strength, and agency.One of the most profound aspects of our program is our herd of second-chance, former slaughter-bound rescue horses.
Adolescents and adults alike deeply relate to the “imperfectness” and raw honesty of these horses. Having survived trauma, neglect, and displacement, our horses are on their own journey of regulation and rebuilding trust. When clients work alongside them, a powerful full-circle healing occurs: as humans learn to quiet their nervous systems to connect with the horses, the horses find safety and reassurance in return. This mutual partnership teaches authentic, non-verbal connection, vulnerability, and mutual respect.
What We Are Proud OfFull-Circle Mutual Healing: Rescuing former slaughter-bound horses and giving them a second life where they become essential, valued partners in therapeutic healing.Empowering Self-Trust: Guiding adolescents and adults through hard things—helping them “walk through the fire” so they realize their own inherent strength and capacity to overcome adversity.Pioneering a Bottom-Up Paradigm: Shifting the focus away from forcing top-down cognitive strategies on dysregulated minds, and instead building a solid foundation of somatic regulation first.Fostering Authentic Connection: Creating a safe, non-judgmental space where human “imperfectness” meets horse “imperfectness,” allowing real, transformative healing to happen naturally.
I also cohost Rhythm Section Life Podcast with my musical partner Damien Gunn, documenting the journeys of some of the greatest drummers.: Johnny Vidacovich, Daniel Glass,Jake Summers, Gordy Knudtson, Jason Marsalis, Cory Muro. This can be found @rhythmsectionlife on Youtube
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
If there’s one fundamental lesson life has taught me, it’s the importance of staying deeply grateful for every experience and approaching others—and myself—with genuine grace.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @Therapymindbodyequine
- Facebook: Therapy Mind Body Equine
