ANIMALS, ANXIETY AND YOU

I went to the chiropractor yesterday. She told me my neck and shoulders were tight. She worked me over and explained that I was holding alot of stress and needed to rest. She reminded me twice...

Why am I telling you this? I should have asked my cat for help before I went to the chiropractor. Fia, the cat, has been following me to the kitchen and sitting on her stool. She watches me with those big wise eyes a lot more than usual. After our morning ritual of breakfast and brushing, she is off to do her cat thing. Now she is hanging around watching me. I recalled that when I sat on the sofa recently, she jumped on my lap and planted herself. I became her captive. She knew I needed extra rest and was doing her part to keep me planted on the sofa relaxing. Aren't our animals amazing and smart teachers?

I sometimes wonder if my animals are picking up on my stress and anxiety. The answer to that would be YES! When I am "jazzed" as I put it, my cat may poop outside her litter box and my bird mirrors my anxious behavior and bites me. Have you noticed something similar with your animals, too? Let's try to be more present with our animals and see if you notice a change in them....and you.

Never lie to your animal and try to cover up your scattered energy. They can see right through you. If you are feeling particularly anxious, take a couple of deep breaths to release your stress the best you can. It's okay to tell them your troubles and ask them to comfort you. Horses, in particular, ask if their humans can just hang out with them for a break.

There will be time for riding or training later. When your animal---cat, dog, horse, pig, bird---needs a break from routine, chances are that it is for your well being, not theirs. Recall how your dog behaves when going for a walk. That exuberant reaction is about living in the present with you! Animals have mastered unconditional love and live only in the present. We have so much to learn by watching them. Take a deep breath and be calm.

#animalcommunication #anxietyandanimals #anxietyandcats #anxietyandhorses #anxietyanddogs

Going on Vacation? How to Prepare Your Pet for Being Away.

Do you feel anxiety about being away from your animals for a few days? I know, I do. I read a tip a few years ago, long before I dreamed of becoming a certified animal communicator. The knowledge has served me and my animals well over the years. They are excited to see me when I return, and not emotional or upset. Easy 4 Step Process Let's say you plan to be away from your animals for 10 days. 1) Imagine that you are gathering them all together (physically or in your head). 2) Tell them how many "sleeps" you will be gone. 3) Hold up your fingers and show them how many days/sleeps you will be away. 4) Now show them by holding up a finger for each day and physically shutting your eyes to demonstrate the number of sleeps. That's it! Your kids will love helping! Why does it work? You have just sent them pictures to show them the number of sleeps. Animals have told me that they understand "sleeps" and are okay with their human being away (as long as they know that you will be returning). I also hang a calendar on the wall near my parrot with the "sleeps" blocked out. Why Are They Okay with Your Absence? Animals like it anytime your energy is calm and feels light---the feeling of coming back from a fun vacation. Leave special treats and tell your sitter about any preferences to optimize their visit with your animal. My cat goes crazy over brushing, so all the photos of the daily visit are of my cat enjoying being brushed. I love that she is sooo happy in my absence. Tell Your Animal When You Are on Your Way Home! Think of them and then say the words silently, "I am on my way back to you! I will be home in x hours." I tell my cat and bird that I am going to the grocery store and will be home in an hour. Make it a habit!

#animalcommunication #lovecats #lovedogs #loveallanimals #cats #dogs #horses #lovehorses

3 WAYS ANIMALS HELP US BE BETTER

Hello and Happy New Year! I was cocooning after the holidays. Just couldn't seem to get back to structuring my day. Until I signed up for on-line harmonica lessons, that is. They promised I could go from beginner to Boss. While I may never jam with a band, I can still have fun! The important thing is that the harmonica got my creative juices flowing. Energy started flowing and I started getting things done. My thoughts turned to the 3 ways that animals help us to be better. Better people you say? Animals are our partners. Isn't it weird how you select a particular dog or horse from a brief encounter. Your intuition kicks in and says, "This one." Make no mistake, they pick us. In every human-animal relationship there are challenges (positive and negative) along the way. These challenges are how the animal sets up your lesson. The challenge or behavior won't go away until you change, not the animal (sorry to give you this news)! That's the way your lesson works. They are working behind the scenes to make your life easier--if you are willing to listen. Here are the three ways that animals reveal the lesson for us: Mirroring This occurs when the animal is mirroring your emotions. A person can feel anxious and have an anxious cat that mirrors the same emotion that they feel in you. A horse may lack confidence, because their rider lacks confidence, too. Trust is another issue. If a person doesn't trust themselves, the dog (or horse) can show uncertainty or fear. Pay attention and notice if your animal is copying how you react. Animals can help us see ourselves, so we can make changes for the better. Modeling

his one is more complicated. This occurs when the animal is behaving the opposite of their human companion. The anxious person has the laziest, most chill cat. The man who lacks confidence has a dog so confident that it borders on aggressive. Some animals take this to the extreme to create change. They may develop an illness, so that their busy human will slow down and spend more time with them. This not only results in the human slowing down, but frequently creates a deeper bond with the animal, too. During an animal communication reading, I ask what Soul Lesson that the

animal is working on with their human. When I ask the next question, "What can your human do to work with you on this lesson?" I have heard more than once, "Watch me! Learn from me!"

Inspiring Animals are about evolving and unconditional love! Here is where animals shine. They don't have the same busy brains that humans have. They live in the present and know alot about playing. We can be inspired not only by our companion animals, but animals in the news, cat videos on YouTube or acrobatic squirrels in the park as some examples. Caution: You may feel a euphoric feeling of love and joy!!! Lean into this feeling and carry it with you.

My sun conure, Jukey, thinks life is a party. He is curious and happy everyday. If I am feeling down or scattered, I take a couple of deep breaths before I approach him. He deserves my undivided attention, so we can work on our lesson together. I appreciate how he invites me to be joyful. Sometimes he gets me to dance along to his favorite songs! He is truly my greatest teacher! I hope learning about the 3 ways animals help us will invite you to observe all the animals in the orbit of your life. They have so many ways of stopping our busy brains from working overtime. They make us be present with them and ourselves. Animals are our partners and teachers. They rarely get the credit they deserve for helping us be better.

Want to know the Soul Lesson that you and your pet are working on together? Book a session with me! www.sharellbenson.com/services

#loveanimals #lovedogs #cats #lovecats #horses #talktohorses #lovehorses #talktoanimals #animalcommunication #dogs