In my 17 years of hands-on experience as a professional pet stylist and Master Reiki practitioner, I’ve found these techniques work best for our beloved pet clients. We all need to allow ourselves to feel peace, love, and comfort. After all, if we’re not in a good place how can we possibly expect to improve the lives of others?
Once our energy is in a state of high vibration we can effect positive change for ourselves and our loved ones, including our pets. This exchange or transference of energies happens organically as we communicate with our animal friends. Please keep in mind, if we are in a negative place physically, emotionally, or mentally, so too will be our energy. We can pass along our positive as well as negative energies to our animal friends which is why it’s so critical to be mindful of keeping our thoughts and energies high.
If we become self-aware of our energies we can choose to improve upon them. In this simple act of mindfulness, infused with a loving intention, a most selfless act can occur. This is why self-care and self-love are so critical; when we’re happy we can pass that happiness on to others.
I hope you enjoy the read and can utilize these methods for calming yourself and your animal friends.
- Just Breathe. We can all attain a place of peace quickly with some simple breathing techniques. Get into a comfortable seated position with your feet planted firmly on the floor. Place your palms face-up on your lap. Take 5-10 slow, deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Breathe in for a count of 6, hold to a count of 4, breathe out to a count of 8. Focus your attention solely on your breathing. This will make it difficult for your active mind to wander; wander it will, and that’s ok. If this happens just gently bring your wandering mind back to center and focus once more on your breathing. By breath 10 you are guaranteed to feel calmer and more relaxed in your body and ready to focus on your tasks at hand.
- Speak Softly. If we use a soft, gentle, lower calming octave to speak in, our animal friends will know we’re in a calm place, allowing them to feel safe, thereby making it easier for them to relax as well.
- A gentle touch. Anyone who has ever had a beloved animal companion will tell you that kind, gentle, loving strokes are the fastest route to their heart. The best part is trying to locate their favorite spots and treating them to endless pettings, scrubbing, and scratchies sessions!
- Essential Oil. There are much healing and calming benefits to be enjoyed through the use of essential oils. A nice one to enjoy with your furry companion pet is lavender (Safe for dogs. Not safe for Cats). Just a few drops in a diffuser can instantly transport you both to an emotionally uplifting place of existence. How’s that for fast, healthy, and effective? To learn more about which essential oils are beneficial for our pets vs. harmful,visit:https://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/essential-oils-for-dogs.html.
- Plant Medicine. The use of plant medicine has been around as long as shamanism has. The use of CBD (the non-psychotropic part of the cannabis plant) has become increasingly popular as of late due to its array of anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, and myriad healing properties to boast. In this article, reviewed and updated for accuracy by Dr. Matthew Everett Miller, DVM, CBD Oil for Dogs: Everything you need to know, the author writes, Unlike some traditional pain medicine for dogs, medical cannabis has no life-threatening side effects with proper dosage, Shu points out. “It doesn’t damage the kidney, liver, or GI tract. The dogs aren’t high or sedated. Dr. Tim Shu, is the founder and CEO of a pet cannabis company in California called VETCBD. Article cited from Petmed.com. To learn more about the benefits of CBD oil for you and your pet, visit: https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/cannabis-oil-dogs-everything-you-need-know.
- The healing power of water. A nice soothing warm water massage bath never hurts anyone and our animal friends are no different. You will find that a soothing warm water massage bath can achieve great results for your pet. Think about how therapeutic a good soak can feel for you. At the proper pet spa, our beloved friends can enjoy healing and relaxation as they’ve never known. Pet Spa services should be offered with love in a soothing and healing environment.
- Listen to music. We often enjoy listening to and sometimes playing music for ourselves and others because it feels good. Our animal friends also love soothing music because they innately know that sound frequencies heal. To learn more about this type of therapy go to https://www.gaia.com/article/healing-with-sound-frequency-and-vibration.
- Energy healing. Reiki is a gentle yet non-invasive therapy, beneficial for humans and animals alike. One Reiki treatment can quickly and effectively enhance our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. This therapy removes heavy energetic blocks from within our bodies, thereby alleviating pain and distress. Energy is also a language we can share with our beloved animal friends, making Reiki a wonderful way to communicate with them. Energy work is not meant to take the place of Western medicine, but rather enhance its greater potential. For more information on how Reiki can help you and your beloved furry friend, visit: https://iarp.org/reiki-for-pets/.
- Doga! And if you think it’s just a fad, think again. Imagine, there is a reason and a place you can take a yoga class with your dog today! I’ve practiced Yoga for nearly 2 decades and take my practice seriously enough to do it daily. I also see the value in practicing with my dog as well. It feels great to share this bonding and healing experience with our favorite furry friends, especially when we see how much they enjoy it too!
- Create a space for Grace. When your environment is peaceful, loving, and zen, so too is your spirit. It is the same for our beloved animal friends. All of these techniques when used properly will lend to creating a space for grace for both you and your best friend.
I hope this list helps you and your pet friend enjoy a calmer, more peaceful existence together. Remember, bliss is a state of mind that can be attained by anyone. It’s important to set daily loving intentions to be at peace within ourselves, along with a disciplined focus towards mindfulness. This is the pathway of the enlightened soul which leads us to our bliss.