How a dog helps you heal!
The past year has been chaotic for so many of us. High-performing women and men are facing unprecedented pressures from all directions. As a result, their confidence and ability to achieve have taken a significant hit. Impacting our Mental and physical health. Now more than ever, it’s time to consider how a dog helps you heal!
A Simplified Life
It is time to transform into a simplified life, by removing all the noise, to discover and own our personal power through prioritising our health and wellbeing. Ultimately, having a strong healthy foundation is the start to simplifying and transforming us personally and professionally.
This week I have taken some time to reflect on the clients I work with. Working with clients to become their best selves, it is easy for the coach to neglect themself. As it happened this week, my boy asked me to look after his dog as he was taking his family on a camping trip. It was as if the universe knew what I needed!
A dog heals in mysterious ways!
Hendrix is a beautiful boy, a 12-year-old, 50 kgs German Shepard dog. He still acts like he is a puppy however the signs of aging are creeping in and he is a bit slower and stiffer each time I see him. Much like humans, we all start to slow down with age. However, Hendrix never complains, he is always there sitting at my feet, ready to please with unconditional love oozing from him. He is just happy “hanging out” with me and maybe just wanting me to throw his ball for him when he senses that I have been sitting or working for too long!
So, what I have noticed this week is that Hendrix has really made me more present. I am aware that he is around, watching me and sensing how I am feeling. Hendrix is always living in the present moment, never worried or unhappy. The other day, I came home after an intense session with a client, Hendrix just sensed this and just hung out around me, watching me. Insidiously I began to relax and unwind. Before I knew it my thoughts had shifted and suddenly, I was feeling lighter, just by being in the present moment.
Research
Studies have shown the effects that dogs have on people for over 150 years. Florence Nightingale recognised the social support provided by animals in mental institutions. However, it wasn’t until the 1970’s that researchers started understanding the scientific evidence that supported what many just knew instinctively.
Recent research has found that when dogs interact with humans, they release a hormone called Oxytocin. This hormone has many functions but is often referred to as the happy hormone. It is also partly responsible for reducing stress, anxiety and increasing happiness. Dogs like Hendrix are loyal companions, who help us humans heal and soothe our body, mind, and soul.
It’s our choice
The more aware we become to the effects our dogs have on us, the more we become present, and this provides space for us to off-load some of the emotional baggage that is weighing us down. As this space is created by stilling our mind, it opens us up to sensing what the dog senses and allows us to focus on what is happening in our body and mind at that moment in time.
“Dogs do speak,
but only to those who
know how to listen”
Orphan Pamuk
It’s a bit like coming in from a ferocious, cold, windy, stormy night, into the comfort of a warm, calm, and cosy home. You just melt into the quietness and safety of that place. Knowing that you are safe and protected.
Make this life count!
So, the point is that on our journey to heal and transform, we must simplify our thoughts and our life. Being clear on your values and having an agile mindset allows you to flex with the changes to step into your personal power with ease and flow. As your vibrational energy increases it becomes easier as your mind, body, and soul integrate and become more balanced. Getting rid of extra baggage that is no longer serving you creates space to get clear on who you are and what your purpose is.
Start to listen to the whispers from your dog and be grateful for the guidance as you become more present. Life is not meant to be difficult; we humans tend to overcomplicate life.
3 ways that dogs help us to heal:
- They exude unconditional love, helps to reduce stress and anxiety
- They make us feel good and in turn that releases hormones in our body that make us feel good and more relaxed
- Using their senses, they assist us to stay present
Would love to hear your positive health experiences by being around dogs?