How is your connection with your animals?
Many of you that know me, know that I am the eternal student, I have an insatiable need to learn, and Connection is one of the areas that always fascinates me.
I have been fascinated for years about the connection between a person and their animal. Why? Because that connection between a person and their animal is unique - no 2 are the same and it's this that really engages me.
I continue to learn and study this dynamic relationship both in my personal life and in my professional world, and whilst I am continuing to learn and discover on a daily basis - these are just some of the things that I have discovered that I want to share with you today.
Connection with your animal is always happening and developing, changing and evolving.
But what is this connection based upon? It is based upon your heart, and your perception.
Connection is always about the heart, it starts off in the heart. How do we know this because your heart is affected in all of your relationships.
This leads me to another question? How many of us have a healthy relationship with our heart?
Hmmmm. Just take a moment, and a deep breath, go inwards and ask yourself - "Is my heart open or closed?" What's your answer?
Being able to answer this question honestly will change everything in your animal relationships - and in fact in your other relationships too.
You see animals don’t connect the way most people connect. They look for something different in their relationships. They do? They Do!
Connecting with animals takes commitment, time, a sense of humour, can be stressful, test your patience and at times drive you crazy. Trust me I have had animal relationships that have tested me far more than many people in my life.
Like my cat who keeps going new on me every few days with his food - I've lost count of the number of boxes, bags and tins of food I have donated to neighbours and cat charities - because he has gone totally new on me within a couple of days. There are times when I just want to give up! There are times when I feel that that cat will never be happy foodwise. Or the cat will bankrupt me with all the food I buy for him, and end up giving away because he likes it for a few days, and then decides it's not really for him afterall! Thankfully other cat owners have told me that their cats are the same. Phew so it's not me - it's a cat thing!
Anyway I digress. Animals are completely honest with us and sometimes their feedback can sting a bit!
This brings in perspective in to our connection to animals.
The feedback doesn’t mean your relationship with your animal is not working or there isn’t connection.
It can be as simple as your cat is a fussy eater, or your dog doesn't feel safe on a walk.
How we view feedback is to take our judgment out of the equation and see it for what it really is - information.
This one took me a long time to truly get to grips with - particularly with the cat!
For ages I took things personally, the way us humans do. I would get irritated, anxious and stressed because my cat would come in for his food - look at it, spend 5 minutes yowling at me loudly and walk off, flicking his tail in the air - like a single finger salute and go to a neighbours instead. This would lead to worry that people will think I am not feeding my cat properly, (even though he is a little barrel and is certainly not underweight) which would lead me to telling myself stories of what other people thought about me - can you see where I am going with this!
This is a light-hearted example of what happens when we perceive feedback from our animals as bad, instead of just seeing it as information. But let's be honest Cats are a whole different ball-game - cats own us - we are there to do their bidding - so many cat owners have told me.
But let's get back to feedback and connection.
When you look at the feedback from animals such as dogs, horses etc, you are receiving great information that helps you build a partnership with those animals.
Very often that feedback is a huge reflection of old patterns that you may be playing out repeatedly in your life.
What happens to your connection with anyone, including animals when you receive feedback that you might perceive as “bad”? Do you shut-down? Get mad? Or can you just notice it and make the necessary shifts to create even more connection?
This leads us to how animals connect with us through the heart.
This is where most animals live - by their heart which is why being with your horse can feel like a huge hug, seeing your dog feels like unconditional love, and why connecting deeply with an animal feels so completely natural.
I have lost count of the number of times I have heard someone express deep and undying love for their pet only to hear nothing when it comes to their family or friends.
Animals are a safe haven for our love. However if you have unhealed heart stuff, which pretty much every adult I have ever met does then there is a limit to your connection.
But you can do something about that. There are many avenues to healing and your animal will point you in the right direction to get it. Energy healing is one way and there are many others.
So what do your animals look for in a human?
Well, they don’t care much about how rich you are (except for my cat), what you wear, how much you weigh, whether you are tall, gorgeous etc.
Your animals want connection with you, from the heart.
All animals are attracted to being connected with others. There is safety and comfort in numbers.
Think about horses, the leader of a herd of horses is not the best looking, the youngest or the fastest. The leader of the herd is the one that is the most wisest, the most tuned in the who knows, the one who is most balanced.
For the animal in your life there is nothing more attractive, comfortable or safer than being with a balanced human being.
I am talking about a breathing deeply, relaxed, confident, and all-around harmonious individual who is tuned into their surroundings.
Now, most human beings are a little bit away from this ideal and that’s ok but it definitely helps when we move towards being more congruent and balanced in ourselves and in our inner selves.
Our animals start feeling more comfortable and safe almost immediately and can move out of a protective and tension filled fight flight mode into a connective and relaxed state of heart, mind and body.
Be conscious of your breath, as this is a great way to begin connecting more deeply with your animals. Breathing naturally connects you with your body and your senses, making you a much more comfortable best friend.
Connection is an inside job as far as humans are concerned. The more connected you are to your body, your emotions and your heart, the more connected you are with your animals.
I love teaching this because it means that deepening your connection with your animals is in your hands. Yes, it can be a little daunting but speaking from personal experience, it is an amazing adventure with awesome results.
Want help? That’s what I’m here for. Connect today. Now then - where is that cat?
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