Energy Healing for Pets and Their People.

WRITTEN BY: STACY JESSEN, Crescent Moon Healing

We have all thought at one time or another, “Wow, that person looks just like their dog/cat!”; or maybe it’s the other way around and the animal starts looking like their person. Either way, it is obvious that we can share similar physical traits or expressions with our animals.

Not only can we share similar traits and expressions with our animal, but it is also true that we can share energy and emotions with them. If you are a calm person, you more than likely have a calm animal. If you are someone that is consistently stressed by the external world, you may notice your animal is more on the nervous or anxious side. This is not always the case, but in general our animals pick up on our state of mind and reflect that back to us. Exceptions are certainly possible. For example, you may have rescued an animal that was neglected or abused by their previous person. This animal can exhibit fearful, nervous or anxious energy that has nothing to do with you but every thing to do with their previous human. Another example could be the dog that has thunderstorm anxiety. This can be due to chronic inflammation that is exacerbated by the low barometric pressure of a storm and the electrical charged atmosphere from lightening. The loud noise of thunder is associate with pain. These animals will know if a storm is approaching long before we do and begin to exhibit anxiety. On the other hand, there are some animals that have learned or evolved away from reflecting the energy or emotions of their people. Some examples of these animals would be service dogs and cats residing in assisted living centers. Clearly there are exceptions to this rule that animals always take on and externalize their person’s energy and emotions.

Animals are natural healers. This is why we have them as companions! They provide us with unconditional love. When the world seems chaotic, we always have our animal to comfort us, help us keep a routine and give us purpose. We may even unconsciously expect them to be a surrogate child, or we may fulfill our codependent tendencies by having an animal that depends on us. Whatever the conscious or unconscious reasoning, we share such a deep and meaningful bond with our animals. We may not even notice that we are ultimately depending on them to keep us sane.

Sharing such an intense emotional bond literally binds our animal to us. They want us to be happy and healthy and can take on any imbalance preventing us from achieving homeostasis. Unfortunately, most animals do not understand that it is not their job to hold onto our personal imbalances. These imbalances they are holding onto can cause all sorts of behavioral issues in our animals including anxiety, fear, aggression, undesirable behavior like barking and jumping up, and can even cause physical disease. We love our animals and would never intend for them to take on our issues. So, how can we help them?

There are several ways we can help our animals with this matter. One way is to take some obedience classes with a reputable trainer. A good trainer will teach you how to correctly and clearly communicate verbally with your animal. You can also help your animal by having a Reiki Master or Level Two Reiki Practitioner clear your animal of any energy they may be holding onto that is not their’s and does not serve their highest good. You can also have a joint Reiki session for you and your animal. This not only clears the undesirable energy the animal is holding onto, but it helps to heal the precious bond shared between animal and human. It also gives you, the human, the opportunity to receive healing for yourself so that your animal is no longer inclined to take on your energy imbalances. Reiki sessions can be done in person or at a distance. All the Reiki Master or Level Two Reiki Practitioner needs for a distance session is a picture of you and your animal (preferably a picture of the two fo you together). Distance sessions are just as effective and healing as sessions done in person. Lastly, meditation is a beneficial and effective way to help your animal with this issue. If you do not already have a meditation practice in place, this is a great opportunity to start one. Meditating with your animal can open up a line of communication on a psychic level.

Bringing awareness to this bond of unconditional love we share with our animal and the possibility that they can be holding onto energies that are not theirs to bear in order to help us live a happier and healthier life is the first step in establishing a balanced relationship with our animal. Luckily we have amazing obedience trainers as well as Reiki Masters and Level Two Practitioners in the Lowcountry that have dedicated their lives to helping animals and their people! ■