In my 16 years of hands-on experience as a professional pet stylist and Master Reiki practitioner, I’ve found these techniques work best for our beloved animal friends. I hope you enjoy the read and can utilize these methods for calming yourself and your animal best friend.

1. Be Calm. We all need to allow ourselves to feel peace, love and comfort. After all, if we’re not in a good place how can we possibly expect to help improve the lives of others? 

Once our energy is of a high vibration we can then effect positive change for our pets. This exchange of energies known as resonance, will just happen organically.  Keep in mind, if we are in a negative place emotionally, spiritually or mentally, so too is our energy. We can also pass negative energy on to our animal, and human friends too, in a process called transference; we all do it, whether we’re aware of it or not.  

If we become self-aware we can also choose to self-improve.  In this simple act of mindfulness, infused with a loving intention, a most selfless act can occur. This is why self-care and self-love are so critical; when we’re happy we can pass that happiness on to others. 

2. Speak Gently. If we use a soft, gentle, lower calming octave to speak in, our animal friends will know we’re in a calm place and that it’s safe for them to relax as well.

3. Touch Softly. Anyone who has ever had an animal companion to love will tell you that kind, gentle, loving strokes are the fastest route to their heart.  The best part is trying to locate your favorite animal companion’s spots, and then treating them to an endless session of scrubbings and scratches!

4. Inhale & Exhale. There are many healing and calming benefits to be enjoyed through the use of essential oils.  A nice one to enjoy with your furry companion pet is lavender (Only Safe for dogs). Just a few drops in the diffuser can instantly transport  you both to an emotionally uplifting place of existence. How’s that for fast, healthy and effective? To learn more about which essential oils are beneficial for our pets vs. harmful, visit this site. 

5. Plant Medicine.  The use of plant medicine has been around as long as shamanism has. The use of CBD (the non-psychotropic part of the cannabis plant) has become increasingly popular as of late due to its array of anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, and myriad healing properties to boast.  In this article, reviewed and updated for accuracy by Dr. Matthew Everett Miller, DVM, CBD Oil for Dogs: Everything you need to know, the author writes, “Unlike some traditional pain medicine for dogs, medical cannabis has no life-threatening side effects with proper dosage, Shu points out. “It doesn’t damage the kidney, liver, or GI tract. The dogs aren’t high or sedated.”  Dr. Tim Shu, is the founder and CEO of a pet cannabis company in California called VETCBD. Article cited from Petmed.com. To learn more about the benefits of CBD oil for you and your pet, visit: 

6. Water.  A nice soothing warm water massage bath never hurt anyone! And for our furry friends, a nice soothing bath can certainly achieve great results.  Think about how therapeutic a good soak can feel for you. At the proper pet spa our beloved friends can enjoy healing and relaxation like they’ve never known.  Pet Spa services should be offered with love in a soothing and healing environment.  

7. Listen to music. We play music for ourselves because it feels good. Our animal friends love nice soothing music because they know sound frequencies heal! To learn more about this type of therapy go to check out Gaia. 

8. Energy Healing. Reiki is a gentle yet non-invasive therapy, beneficial for humans and animals alike. One Reiki treatment can quickly and effectively enhance our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. This therapy specifically removes the heavy energetic blocks from within our bodies, thereby alleviating pain and distress. Energy resonance is also a language we can share with our beloved animal friends, making Reiki a wonderful way to communicate with them. Energy work is not meant to take the place of Western medicine, but rather enhance its greater potential. For more information on how Reiki can help your beloved furry friend, go here.  

9. Doga!  And if you think it’s just a fad, think again.  Imagine, there is a reason and a place you can take a yoga class with your dog today!  I’ve practiced Yoga for nearly 2 decades. I take my practice seriously enough to do it daily, and yet I still see the value in practicing with my dog as well.   It feels great to share this experience with your favorite furry friend because they love it and it heals us too! 

10. Create a Space for Grace. When your environment is peaceful and zen, so too is your spirit. It is the same for our pets.  

Remember, Love yourself. Love your pet. Love your life.   Once we get it, it’s like riding a bike!  Namaste.

Erica is a mom, empath, Master Reiki Practitioner, Creator and CEO of Just 4 Paws Spa and Academy and CEO of J4P Franchise, LLC. As a retired corporate burnout, Erica happily spends her life fine-tuning her compassionate pet care business model, making it worthy of our beloved companion pets. Just 4 Paws Pet Spa is Erica’s homage to our pets’ unwavering love and dedication. 

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