Healing and Our Companion Animals
by Milissa Castanza Seymour, Bethpage, NY
When we share our lives with animals, our spiritual paths intertwine. – Kathleen Prasad
Ayurveda and Chinese medicine are among many teachings that describe the subtle energy body system that overlies and interconnects with the physical body. In Ayurveda and yoga, this is called the prana body, prana being the life force energy equivalent to chi/qi (Chinese) and ki (Japanese). People are familiar with this concept as it applies to humans but don’t realize it applies to animals as well. We go for acupuncture, massage, reiki, and use aromatherapy for our own healing but often don’t realize these modalities are effective with animals too. All animals have energy systems, to include the chakras, that respond well to energy work. Disruption in the energy body is where most dis-ease originates. Just like humans, when their energy body is out of balance, our animal friends feel unwell which manifests physically, emotionally, and behaviorally. Balancing their energy system results in a state of vitality and wellness.
Hands-on healing and aromatherapy for pets complement each other nicely. Using hydrosols* has a healing effect on our animal companions. Hydrosols, the water that remains after the distillation of essential oils (EO’s), have only a minute amount of EO, making them very safe. They’re even gentle enough to use with cats who can’t metabolize most EO’s. EO’s can be useful with animals too but have many more contraindications to consider. Hydrosols are very gentle, yet balance physical and emotional issues.
To get acquainted with “energy,” rub your hands together for a few seconds, palms facing. Draw hands apart slightly and feel the energy. We are all capable of working with energy.
Try my basic protocol for working with energy healing:
In a healing session with animals, start by asking the pet (usually telepathically) for permission to work with them; sense the response. Have the pet smell different hydrosols sprayed on tissues. Let them intuit what they need. Limit the group of scents they can choose.
For example, offer:
Lavender, Roman chamomile, rose-geranium to calm stress/anxiety
Lavender, German chamomile and calendula for skin issues
Orange, lime, or ginger for energizing
Center (take a breath) and set an intention for the work (ex. to heal anxiety, uplift energy etc).
Move hands slightly above and over their body to assess the energy field. Notice the sensations and impressions you receive. Impressions can be a sense of unease, visualized colors/shadows, tingling, heavy sensations or word-images. Apply the hydrosol to your hands and place them a few inches above their body in areas in need of healing. Allow the energy to move, mentally setting the intention for balance. Reassess the energy field to be sure the energy has adequately settled; if not, repeat hands over again, then reassess again. Close the session by gently sweeping the energy downward toward the floor. If your pet allows it, place your hands on their body/paws for a minute to ground or sit silently for a minute while mentally sending grounding energy. As you progress, symbols, prayers and other techniques can be added. Follow-up by applying hydrosol to a scent strip of cloth and placing it in their sleep area later. In summary, healing sessions are PC (permission/center) with Intention, and have an Assess Impressions ARC (apply, reassess, close).
While working with pets, be mindful of the breath during healing sessions. The breath is intimately connected to the body’s energy field, affecting the heart rate/nervous system. This is evident in times of stress when the breath becomes shallow/faster or in times of calm when it becomes lengthened/deeper. Manipulating the breath affects the body and thereby the healing session. According to studies done by Heartmath Institute, human companions calmly sent love to their pet (dog; horses) from another room/area while they were hooked up to halter monitors that measured their heart-rate. Their heart-rates synchronized with each other! Sitting calmly slows the breath, focusing energy, just as slowing the breath, calms the body. There is a therapeutic benefit to breath awareness while doing healing work that synchronizes heart-coherence and breath. Human companions benefit like their pets with decreased stress, lowered blood pressure, and oxytocin release.
So, our energy system and those of our pets integrate with the physical body and affect each other. When imbalanced, well-being suffers and can become the root cause of stress and dis-ease. Understanding how energetic imbalances can manifest emotionally, physically, and behaviorally allows companion humans to support their animal’s health and wellness by using energy work and aromatherapy to hinder the disease process. Hydrosols and energy-field hands-on contact contribute to the overall health of body/mind/spirit and intensify the bond with our companion animals. But, don’t take my word for it. Give it a try! You may be surprised!
*Refrigerate hydrosols
Milissa Castanza Seymour M.S. is an InnerSoul/Transformational Coach and professional Numerologist, specializing in Stress Management/Wellbeing, helping clients find their purpose. Her multi-disciplinary professional certifications include: Prana Yoga, IntegrativeYogaTherapy (IYT) Teacher/Holistic Health Educator, Applied Positive Psychology Practitioner/LifeCoach, Aromatherapist (people and pets), Chopra Ayurvedic Health Practitioner/Primordial Sound Meditation Teacher, and trained Wellbeing Coach.
