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"For Pet’s Sake"
By Dr. Anyes Van Volkenburgh

Did you know that animals in the wild rarely if ever get disease? Then why do our pets suffer the same illnesses we do, from cancer, heart disease and diabetes, right down to insomnia, allergies and obesity? I believe the answer is two-fold...

For one, our pets are exposed to our stressful lifestyles. They cannot help but pick up our anxiety and worries, poor exercise habits, environmental toxins, excessive eating of processed foods and many other "modern day" factors that lower the immune system’s resistance to getting sick. But it is also because...

...animals are here to teach us love.

Our pets, in their ability to love us unconditionally, are closer to God and far more evolved than we are. They come into our lives to love us and to teach us to love the way they do. In doing so, animals often take on the consciousness and energy of their human companions. As they mirror our thoughts and feelings, they internalize them in their bodies and manifest the physical symptoms associated with them.

I saw this recently with a cat that had developed a sudden bladder problem. I questioned the owner to find out what was going on in the cat’s environment that might be an "irritant" literally to the second chakra area. It turned out that her boyfriend had just moved in with them recently and she was having trouble adjusting to the situation. The cat’s body, in resonance with her owner, had manifested her ambiguity and distress.

The knowledge that the mind, body and soul must all be treated as a whole to bring about true healing is implicitly understood and practiced successfully in Eastern medicine. Even Western medicine is recognizing emotional stress as the key cause of a growing number of illnesses. Yet, veterinary medicine is only beginning to venture into this fascinating field.

It is my belief that the origin of all disease is spiritual. Healing must take place, first and foremost, on the spiritual level. Then harmony will be manifested in the body as total physical well-being. There are so many ways to heal and communicate with your pet. I will explore them in more depth in future eZines.

Meanwhile, this month:

1. Tune in and talk to your pet

Pay special attention to how your pet’s environment may be affecting them, positively or negatively. Become more attuned to their responses to people, sounds, certain foods, etc. Do emotions run high in the household? If so, make sure to take time out everyday to let the animals in your life know how much you appreciate and love them!

You can convey this to your beloved pet simply by talking to them. Tell them how important they are in your life an how much you appreciate their love and devotion. Or take them for an extra long walk in nature this week to ground them and bring them into harmony with their own inner nature.

2. Meditate with your pet

If you have the time, practice relaxing with your pet. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position, close your eyes and begin paying attention to your breath. Imagine each breath you take in filling our body with white light. As you feel the light melting your tensions, visualize your pet in his or her most relaxed, comfortable state. Imagine the white light filling their body and melting all the tension and stress they may have picked up from the hectic environment we live in. It is very likely that your pets will want to be right next to you as you do this exercise. The more you allow yourself to relax, the more your pet will benefit from this healing energy.

Enjoy! I look forward to hearing from you. Please let me know your experience with this relaxation technique.