DE-STRESS

A Journey into Wellness

Now that we have become a little more familiar with the stress mechanisms and some of the whys. Let’s dive into the hows of how can we create a shift of change in ourselves and our pets.

As we embrace the shifts and the changes, keep in mind that we are all essentially energetic beings made up of trillions and trillions of cells, and subatomic particles consisting of electrons, and protons that are generating electromagnetic fields. That is the foundation of communication between all the micro and macro structures in the body and the world around us. In essence, at the core, we communicate through frequencies and vibrations, and once we understand the language, the communication becomes easier.

We know our stress, and those of our pets is linked to our environment, lifestyle, diet, emotions, and thoughts. The opposite of stress is called resilience.  Resilience is being able to respond, adapt and recover in the face of adversity, challenges and trauma.

We have four domains of where we can build resilience. The physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.  It is in these categories where we can create the changes.

PHYSICAL

Bodies are made to move. Muscles and tendons are made to move the skeleton. The innate stress response increases blood flow to the muscles, increases heart rate and respiratory rate. Exercising and activity of any kind will release energy, and help balance the body.

Connect with Nature

Grounding

When we are out in nature, exposed to the sun, the ground, the sounds, and the smells, we receive a mini- reboot or upgrade to our systems. Touching the earth creates a grounding effect by the transfer of negative ions. This helps realign the body. Animals do this naturally.  Let them roll in the dirt and rub against the trees.  If you have an indoor cat, you can take them outside with a harness, or create a natural habitat on a patio or space in your home.

Smells

Dogs and cats have superior sense of smell. We know that smells are potent stimulators of memories and experiences and can be used to help anxiety and create relaxation. The use of essential oils, aromatherapy, and flower essence remedies have been very successful in creating calmness and breaking fear-based cycles.

Embrace the sniffer and go on a snafari!

 Taking a slower walk to allow for maximum sniffing will create a calming effect.  Animal behavior studies revealed that “olfactory foraging behavior” increases optimism. You can also incorporate sniffing games at home if you cannot go outside.

Every day incorporate some movement that is appropriate for the species, age, breed and any underlying physical conditions.

 Adequate rest, Deep sleep, Rejuvenation

On average, dogs sleep 10-13 hours a day. Some dogs take over the bed while others want their own space. Their sleep cycles tend to resonate with the humans they live with.  It is during sleep mode when the body takes time to repair itself and prepare for the next day. Many essential hormonal processes for re-balancing takes place in the resting state.

Is helps to have a designated place away from the reminders of our busy lives to settle in and decompress.  Just like our phones, in order for them to upgrade and restore they need to be turned off and plugged in.

Allow your pet to have a variety of places and beds available for a safe and restful sleep.

 Hydration

 Adequate amounts of water and the purity is essential for the body to mobilize, absorb and utilize nutrients to maintain cell vitality and proper functions.  At least fifty percent of all physical problems we see in the ER are from dehydration.

Some cats and dogs are peculiar about how and where they want to drink water. Spend some time observing your pet to see what they like.  For instance, if you notice your cat drinking water from the running faucet or the fish tank, invest in a water fountain, and design a mini ‘fish’ bowl for you cat to drink out of.  Being animals of extreme curiosity, they will appreciate the effort. Adding broth or water to the food will increase their hydration easily.

 Diet

Food is the Fuel for the body! If you were a Ferrari, you wouldn’t put just any dark liquid into the tank. You would put in premium fuel that you know will help it run at optimal capacity.   What we eat and feed our pets is a topic filled with many different opinions and sometimes mixed messages. However, we know that a species appropriate fresh, organic, nonGMO, pesticide free, moisture rich, bio- available diet is best to achieve optimum vitality. We also understand the importance of having a diverse gut microbiome and the positive affects it has upon our behaviors and stress.

It is true to say that “variety IS the spice of life”.

MENTAL

Stimulation

Every animal, species and breed have an innate “hardwired” personality. It is up to you to look into the personality traits of that particular breed, and optimize on their behavior. Some need more stimulation and entertainment than others. Animals that are bored and under stimulated will find destructive and deleterious ways to entertain themselves.  Keep in mind that animal mental stimulation is connected to their need for physical expression.

I had a client who adopted a 65 lb mixed breed dog.  This was his 5^th home.  He was notorious for jumping fences and escaping every home he was in, and became destructive when confined. Recognizing his talent for jumping this new owner trained and entered him in long jump competitions. Not only did he become a champion, but he never tried to jump a fence again.

Mind-Set

For humans, a positive attitude and a focused mind set towards health are important to help maintain the flow and the effort that you put into achieving your goals. Daily references to pictures and quotes that are in alignment with your intentions are great motivators.

Your pets will resonate with you.

EMOTIONAL

This domain is important as this is where most of our stress originates from and can be detected by those around us. Emotions having energetic frequencies are broadcasted into an electromagnetic field that surrounds us and is palpable to others and our pets.

According to studies done at the HeartMath Institute, when we are feeling renewing emotions like love, care, appreciation, and gratitude, the signal is smooth, clear and expansive. When we are feeling depleting emotions like anger, frustration, resentment, and fear, the signal is jagged, distorted, and contracted.

It is here in this domain that we can learn how to navigate through our emotional landscape in a way that creates resilience and a shift in our bio -physiology.

Inner calm

Maintaining a level of calm and emotional control is important for our inner wellbeing. The animals around us pick up on our energies and will tend to incorporate that into their own expressions of emotional and physical manifestations.

Communication with our animals is always heart based, meaning our pets ‘feel’ what we mean or say. As we know, dogs are beacons of love and service and are invested in us. Cats are more independent, and at times try to teach us something. Regardless, they will all resonate with the frequency of calm.

 Love

 It has been said that “love is all you need”.  Love is a high vibration of health and wellness. When you take a moment to be still and look into the eyes and hearts of your pets; the soft melting feeling you experience is the breakdown of our barriers exposing the love from our own hearts. Take time every day to incorporate and be mindful of this feeling of love and imagine this feeling becoming golden rays of light that surrounds you, and then project or send out those golden rays and wrap them around your pet.

This is powerful imagery, that will manifest into energetic healing frequencies.

SPIRITUAL

Connection

We all have a sense of connection to something, whether it is a higher power, our innate intuition, nature, our family, pets or even our things. The connections we have with our pets comes from the heart and have its own sense of divinity. There is an essence of gratitude that comes with feeling connected.  We can learn to recognize this feeling and bring its awareness into other aspects of our lives for more deep and meaningful connections.

Belief

The ability to believe is innate, and has very powerful effects upon our mind, body, and spirit.  Cognitive neuroscientists, spend much time understanding the process.

What we believe to be true influences every aspect of our lives, from how we interpret events to what we perceive. Beliefs and ideas are ultimately about making a choice; based upon what we think, how we feel, the interpretation of our experiences, and how we perceive them.  Our beliefs not only affect us, but those around us and our pets as well.

Believe in life. Believe in your dreams. Believe it’s possible. Believe in wellness. Believe in love. Believe in your pet. Believe in yourself.