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Animals and the Benefits
of Alternative Healing and Proper Nutrition
Many of us strive on a daily basis for the
balance between the mind, body and spirit
for our well-being. We as humans have the
ability to seek out various modalities to
heal ourselves and take care of ourselves in
a way to maintain that connection. Our
animal companions on the other hand need our
help in maintaining their balance between
mind, body and spirit. Animals are much like
us; they too are affected by their
surroundings, what they eat, and the amount
and kind of interaction they have on a daily
basis.
Recent studies have shown that living with
an animal companion improves a person's
physical health and well-being. Having a pet
can lower your blood pressure, reduce
stress, and release powerful endorphins.
Many people also believe, as I do, that
connecting with your animal companion will
also help to improve your spiritual health.
Animals have a seemingly boundless capacity
to bring spiritual qualities such as
unconditional love, gratitude, patience, and
joy to our lives. They give all of this
freely to us if we wish to accept it.
However, at times there is a price they pay
for living and sharing their lives with us.
We have a responsibility as caretakers and
guardians to help maintain the health and
well being of our animal companions. Often
we don’t think how our actions affect the
animals we live with or come in contact with
on a daily basis. Animals are “energy
sponges”.
They pick up on all sorts of energy in their
environment, our energy, positive and
negative, other pets in the home, the music
we play. They can get stressed out from
trips to the vet, surgical procedures,
vaccinations, an environment where people
smoke, thunderstorms or loud noises,
exposure to toxic environments in the home
such as chemicals, cleaners, electromagnetic
fields from computers, TVs, microwaves. etc.
All too often I have run across animals and
humans who have shared diseases. A friend of
mine, Debbie had many gastrointestinal
issues most of her life. Pippy was a little
rescue dog she found one spring. Debbie took
Pippy to the vet and except for being skinny
and some arthritis she was in pretty good
health. Pippy would often lie across her
stomach at night while they were on the
couch watching television. About two months
after rescuing Pippy, the dog came down with
similar symptoms. After taking Pippy to the
vet it was discovered she too was suffering
from intestinal issues that were not there
before. Once Debbie was able to get her
intestinal issues under control so did Pippy.
Animals have an innate ability to pick up on
what is ailing us; whether it is mental,
physical or emotional, they want to help us
heal and will often absorb that energy to
help us heal. Take a look at your animal
companion(s) and see if they share any of
your emotional, physical or mental
characteristics. Is there something that you
could be providing them right now that would
benefit to them?
It’s not always clear what the best ways are
to support the body, mind and spirit of our
animal friends. Sometimes a single form such
as animal massage, Reiki or acupuncture work
fine as standalones. Other times a
combination of healing modalities works
best. It is up to how each individual animal
responds to what treatment.
I believe that preventive medicine is best
for both humans and animals. We all know the
power and comfort of receiving a good
massage or energy session, or having good
healthy meals everyday to maintain clarity
and well being for ourselves. Our animal
companions benefit just as much from these
simple acts. However, if we only take care
of the physical being and don't care for the
environment the animal lives in, his or her
body will be unable to respond vigorously to
those wonderful natural and holistic
remedies we supply for them. It's hard to
imagine trying to maintain a balanced mind,
body and spirit if one of the elements is
out of sync. It would be like taking a walk
everyday, eating healthy food and then going
back to an office or home that is filled
with negativity and stress. Although the
walk and food are healthy the third
component in the triangle is not in sync
with the other two.
Food is one of the simplest things to start
with if you don’t already have them on a
good diet. It is my philosophy that I would
rather pay extra now for good food then pay
a veterinarian later for health issues from
feeding them low grade food. Dogs and cats
should live well into their 20's, yet most
die between 13 to 15 years...WHY? Basically
if you are feeding your pet commercially
produced food you are feeding them poison.
Despite the appealing descriptions of pet
food advertisements with their claims of
providing "complete and balanced nutrition,"
if you're not exceedingly cautious, you may
end up feeding your pet chicken heads, road
kills, spoiled or moldy grains, cancerous
material cut from slaughterhouse animals,
tissue high in hormone or pesticide
residues, and even shredded Styrofoam
packaging, metal ID tags and minced flea
collars. These things of course will not be
listed on the can but you can be sure they
are in there. A good website to check out
for further information is
www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com. This
website has a lot of terrific information on
it.
Pet massage or energy
sessions are also simple yet effective ways
to help your pet maintain their good health.
These modalities are no longer considered to
be something of a luxury item for your pet.
This type of care is considered to be part
of an animals normal routine care program.
These massages or energy sessions can
greatly benefit animals who are recovering
from physical injuries or illnesses and also
help on a spiritual level by allowing them
the space to relax and heal naturally.
Lastly is our heart and soul
connection to animals. It is probably the
single most positive thing you can do, to
connect with your animals on a heart level
to keep the energy of love flowing between
the two of you. It is time for both of you
to recognize the face of God in each other.
Rejoice in the love that so many people seek
out only to find it in the animal companions
they share their lives with. Many people
find the light of spirit residing in the
eyes of their beloved animal companion. This
love helps to keep you and your pet balanced
and spiritually connected to the divine.
Sherry B. True is owner and
service provider for Spirit Paws,
alternative animal wellness services. Her
services include animal communication, pet
massage, animal blessings and Healing Touch
for Animals®. For more information please
visit
www.spiritpaws.com.
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