Meditating with Your Pet

Keta, my beloved Yorkshire Terrier, has been assisting me in meditation for eight years and has consistently helped with my healing and energy work for more than four years.

What can your beloved pet do for your meditations?

• They can help ground you.
• They can help hold the energy space if you need to move in and out of it.
• If you go elsewhere in your work, your pet’s warm body next to you helps you maintain a connection with your body. Their physical presence can help bring you back into the present.
• Some pets can help guide or assist you within the meditation.
• Some can show you where negative energy is buried in their body by moving to or touching that area.
• Some can actually help remove negative energies.

Even if none of these occur, it is still a wonderful sharing experience to meditate with your pet. It’s something you can share and enjoy together.

Most animals are creatures of habit and routine. So here are some tips if you want to try meditating with your pet:

• Have a consistent place where your pet is located during meditation, like next to you on the sofa, a specific chair, or on a pillow by your feet.
• Tell your pet that you want them to help you meditate or meditate with you. Use the same key words each time so he or she will begin to understand the routine.
• Then always start your meditation the same way. I start mine with some deep breaths and toning. When Keta hears those tones, she knows we are going to work together and she settles in. Consider starting with putting on a chanting CD, soft music, lighting a candle or incense. Whatever your routine is, be consistent with how you start your meditations. This will provide a cue to your pet about what you will be doing together.
• Start to include your pet in your meditation routine, and have patience. Let your fuzzy friend get used to this new activity with you. Soon your pet will have an understanding of what is happening, and will look forward to sharing this special bonding time with you.
• When meditation is over, praise your pet for their help.

When I work with clients, Keta holds and interacts with the energy we are working with. She sometimes even verbally gurgles, a signal that she is holding onto the energy in the sacred space. This is very helpful, as I need to move in and out of the healing energy space in order to observe, listen, take notes and interact with what they are experiencing. Her partnership is extremely important to my work.

Now she knows what it means when I tell her, “John is coming over to work with me. I need you to help me ground and hold the energy space.” As soon as I start toning, she jumps into her little basket and does her job.

When we finish, she is proud of herself. And, I always praise her for her help.

I encourage you to try meditating with your pet. I promise, it will be healing for both of you!