Grow Gratitude with Your Pet
It’s the time of year for opposites. On one hand, we are encouraged to spend money, buy products and make precious memories. There is a lot of pressure put on us – buy the perfect gift, cook the perfect meal, and enjoy your perfect family. On the other hand, we are reminded that it is the season to give of ourselves. We are encouraged to pray or meditate, do good deeds, and love one another. It can be a confusing and overwhelming time of year if we try to live up to all the expectations of the season.
They system of Reiki sheds light on this confusion when we look at the Reiki Precept, Just for Today – Be Humble. This precept speaks to us about humility and accepting life on its terms. It reminds us not to try and control events, but to live in the flow of the moment. One of the best ways to do this is with gratitude.
An attitude of gratitude provides powerful healing for you and your pets. When we are grateful, we give up trying to control our pets and just enjoy their presence in our life. We begin to guide them towards the behaviors we desire. Daily activities such as walks, training, grooming and socializing, become joyful occurrences that we share with our pets.
Gratitude allows us the opportunity to be present and in the moment with our pet.
We experience unconditional love from our pet and our hearts are opened. We may even discover that we are a better person for having loved an animal deeply.
Gratitude With Your Pet Meditation
The following meditation is from Kathleen Prasad, found and President of the Shelter Animal Reiki Association. Practice this meditation with your pet during the holiday season. It will encourage you to live life in the flow and be grateful for your relationship with your pet.
Sit comfortably, with your spine straight and your shoulders and arms relaxed. Begin to take a few deep, slow breaths. Feel your body relax. Now imagine that there are roots growing down for the base of your spine, deep into the earth. Imagine that the powerful, grounding energy of the earth can flow up these roots into your heart center, giving you stability and peace.
Take 10 breaths, and on each in-breath, feel the earth energy coming up into your heart. On each out-breath, release any emotions, fears or worries you may feel inside you. With each successive breath, feel more and more stillness and stability within you. Once you have completed the 10 breaths, allow yourself to sit for several minutes in the space of earth energy that you have created.
Once you feel yourself fully calm and connected to the earth, bring your dog to your mind. Allow yourself to think about the experiences you’ve had with your pet which your are grateful. Now imagine that your heart can expand out of your body, creating a beautiful state of gratitude all around you. Simply invite your pet into the space. Imagine that within this heart space, all is perfect and balanced. Feel gratitude enveloping both you and your pet. Let go of your expectations, along with any worries, and continue to breath the calm and strength of earth energy into our heart as you share this space of gratitude with your dog. You may practice this for several minutes up to an hour.
Our pets have a lot to teach us about humility and gratitude. In order to understand their insight, we must first quiet our minds and then open our hearts to the wisdom that animals are willing to share with us.
For more information on meditating and Animal Reiki, contact Jamie Lee at www.animal-bonds.com or message my Facebook Page, Jamie Lee – Animal Bonds.
