Energy Healing for Dogs :: Ancient Techniques that Work
Photo Credit :: Shutter Pup Photography
It’s the holiday season, and we can feel the unique energy of this special time of year all around us. Energy in the form of movement – increased activity and hustle and bustle – but also a more subtle energy… a greater amount of love, connection, and light. This month, we’re choosing to tune into the latter.
Every being (including our dogs) is made of energy, and we each possess a subtle energy body that is unique to us. There are many names for this you may have heard of, such as chi, aura, life force, and prana. When we learn to work with and balance this energy, in ourselves and in our dogs, we unleash a host of healing benefits that bring about real results in our physical, mental, and emotional states.
Balance is the aim at Sama Dog. In fact, Sama means balance, and in a perfect world, every living being would remain in this state of homeostasis, simply tuning into and adjusting small energetic imbalances as life unfolds before they lead to disease.
Luckily, there are several forms of energy healing you can do in the comfort of your own home to help move your pup into this ideal state. To help determine which energy healing technique will bring the most benefit to your dog, take our Dog Dosha Quiz to discover their unique mind/body type and how to best bring it into balance.
To get you started, here are a few of our favorite energy healing techniques at Sama Dog, which will benefit all dogs and doshas:
Grounding
Grounding, or Earthing, is the process of naturally absorbing the earth’s subtle energy by making direct contact with the earth. Our dogs (like us) spend a lot of time indoors, which cuts them off from this vital source of healing energy. To complicate matters, they are also continuously exposed to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) that are found in technology like mobile phones, TVs, computers, etc., likely producing an abundance of free radicals in their furry little bodies.
Ensuring your pup get regular paw-to-earth contact will allow the earth’s healing energy to radiate from its surface directly into them. This simple act combats inflammation by transferring negatively charged electrons from the earth that neutralize positively charged free radicals in the body. Simple yet essential, since inflammation is at the root of 95% of all diseases.
Science is beginning to take note of the powerful healing effects of the earth’s frequency. According to emerging research, Grounding can help reduce chronic pain, improve sleep, increase energy, lower stress by reducing the production of stress hormones, normalize biological rhythms like the circadian rhythm and boost the immune system. Even just 15 minutes of Grounding a day – which is as simple as letting your pup play on the back lawn or taking them on a literal walk in the park – will ensure your dog receives a charge of healing antioxidants to combat the negative effects of our modern lifestyles.
Reiki
Animal Reiki is the spiritual practice of compassion for all beings. In a nutshell, “doing” Reiki for animals is a form of meditation, with the intention of lovingly helping to heal their subtle energetic body – and in turn their physical body as well. Reiki helps us navigate our own life’s challenges with grace, while we to learn to listen to and be present for others in a compassionate space. Compassion is the ultimate healer.
In Kathleen Prasad’s beautiful animal Reiki practice from her book Healing Virtues, she leads us through a form of meditation that helps return us to our unconditioned natural state of pure bliss. While we are naturally made of light and love, most of us have simply forgotten this essential fact and are overlooking our beautiful eternal nature. Reiki helps us to remember, awakening within us the blessing and ability to help any sentient being heal and in turn also remember their essential nature.
Try this simple Reiki practice from the book Healing Virtues by Kathleen Prasad:
“In order to radiate compassion and peace, go ahead and sit comfortably again, relax your body, and follow along here. Rest your hands on your lap, whatever feels comfortable to you. Sit or stand near your animals and invite them to share this space with you...
As you inhale, visualize your breath as a beautiful healing light coming in through your nose, filling your body all the way down to your lower belly. As you exhale, imagine you can expand that light slowly out your skin and now into the space around you and into the universe. Breathing in, bringing that light through your nose all the way through your body to your lower belly. Breathing out, expanding this light in front of you, behind you, beneath you, above you… a beautiful healing bubble all around you. Breathing in the light into the hara, the lower belly, and breathing out the light, expanding... breathing in, and breathing out... feeling your edges soften a little bit into the light slowly becoming one with that light. Now place your hands, palms together, in front of your heart. Feel the peace radiating from you... imagine that your animals can step into and out of this peaceful, healing space as they wish... setting your intention to finish, take a nice, deep, breath, and slowly come back ...”
Learn more about Kathleen Prasad’s upcoming book Healing Virtues: Transforming our Practice Through the Animal Reiki Practitioner Code of Ethics: https://www.animalreikisource.com/reiki-store/kathleens-books/healing-virtues/
Meditation
Meditating with our dogs is quite easy to do. In fact, there is no training required – they just need an invitation to join in. Ever notice how your pup is naturally drawn to you while you are in a restful state? They are responding to the calming energy that is quite literally radiating out of you. Our bodies are energy and that energy doesn’t stop at our skin. We consistently exchange it with our dogs and when we meditate together, that energy harmonizes so deeper connection, communication and mutual understanding happens more easily. This applies not only during meditation, but all the time.
To start deepening your bond, you can begin a routine by setting aside time each day to sit and meditate with your dog(s). A simple yet effective technique you can use is called So Hum meditation. On the in-breath, silently hear the sound So. On the outbreath, hear the word Hum. Allow your mind to settle on those words, following the natural rhythm of your breath. When the mind wanders, which it is bound to naturally do countless times during meditation, gently guide your awareness back to the sound of So Hum. Continue the practice for 10 minutes at least, and preferably 20-30 minutes. Always come out of meditation slowly and gently. Notice how you’re feeling and bring into your heart the love and gratitude you feel for your furry companion. Rest in that energy for a few moments before opening your eyes.
In the recent years, we have seen an increase in holistic veterinarians recommending energy healing and meditation to help with physical, mental and emotional issues in our dogs. Best of all, each are non-invasive, painless and can be used on their own or in addition to conventional medicine. Pain, inflammation, disease and stress are managed when we actively balancing the subtle energy body and encourage self-healing. We see it in action at Sama Dog over and over again.