A Pet a Day Keeps the Doctor Away: Life Lessons from Our Pets

Spring Forest Qigong

In recent years, the use of “therapy” and “companion” animals has become commonplace. For those of us who are guardians of an animal, bird or reptile, we know we feel better by spending time with our non-human friends, and research is proving that there are some significant emotional and physical health benefits from spending time with animals. If we sit back and observe, we can learn some valuable lessons from our pets, many of which mirror the practices of Spring Forest Qigong.

A paper published in the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, “Psychosocial and Psychophysiological Effects of Human-Animal Interactions,” shares several research findings regarding the positive effects on humans when interacting with animals, especially dogs. Some of the findings include:

a. Post heart-attack survivors who had a high social support system and a dog, had a much higher survival rate one year after the heart attack event.

b. Interacting with a pet resulted in decreased anxiety and increased immune functioning.

c. Within 5-24 minutes of stroking a dog, plasma oxytocin levels were higher. Oxytocin is the “feel happy” hormone, which also helps the body to heal and grow new cells.

d. Interacting with a pet also lowered blood pressure, improved circulation, increased pain thresholds, and improved digestive functioning.

What are some of the life lessons we learn from our pets to help us achieve better health and happiness?

I. Unconditional Love:

Spring Forest Qigong teaches us that one of the sources of healing power and joy is unconditional love. Dogs are especially known for their capacity to love freely and fully. They truly listen with no judgement. They do not interrupt or need to have the last word in a conversation, and they have excellent listening skills. If you get angry at a dog for making a mess, it will look up at you with eyes that say, “I am so sorry,” then retreat to give you space to let your anger calm down. As human beings, often-times when we are in an emotional state, we just want to be listened to. We are not necessarily looking for someone to give us answers—we only want to be heard. We are looking for acceptance, not judgment. How wonderful would it be if we could mimic a dog when our friend comes to us in an emotional upset? What if we could sit quietly with our friend while they are expressing their grief, their anger, or their fears—allowing them to release the negative energy while we support them quietly, surrounding them with positive energy? What if we could respond to their anger by calmly retreating with love in our hearts, giving them space to calm down, with a knowing they will not be challenged or judged?

II. Forgiveness:

Most pets have a beautiful ability to be forgiving. If a dog, a cat, or a bunny is handled unkindly by its owner for some reason, such as getting scolded for having an “accident” in the house or chewing on a favorite shoe, the animal doesn’t seem to hold a grudge. Most often when an animal is disciplined by its guardian, once the incident is over, the pet will behave as if nothing ever happened, because they do not hold anger in their hearts. In Spring Forest Qigong, forgiveness is another source of healing power. When someone is unable to forgive, the ongoing anger can block the liver system, potentially causing illness or damage to the liver, the tendons and ligaments, the gallbladder, or even the eyes. Extreme negative emotions such as hatred can block the heart system, causing potential problems in the heart, brain and small intestines. Heart attacks and gall bladder issues are common in humans... but how many dogs or cats do you know that have had a gallstone or a heart attack? Forgiveness allows us to move forward and not stay “stuck” in the same emotional place forever. Next time you get mad at your pet, see how long it takes for it to “shake it off” and forgive you for losing your temper!

III. The Power of Sound and Vibration:

Did you know that cats can help heal bones, tendons and ligaments? Science has shown us that the sound vibration of 20-50 Hertz is helpful in healing these types of injuries. A cat’s deep purring produces sound vibration of 20-140 Hertz. It may not be possible for many of us to go out and adopt a cat when we find ourselves with a broken bone or damaged tendon, but we can learn how to use sound and vibration in our own healing. Many cultures use chanting to produce various vibrations to enhance healing. Master Chunyi Lin, founder of Spring Forest Qigong, recorded a musical version of a sixword chant that he plays in his healing center around the clock every day to help his clients in their healing.

IV. Living in the Present Moment:

Our pets (and other animals) can teach us so much about living in the present moment. When does a songbird chatter or sing? When it is sitting calmly on its perch. A goldfish will gently swim around its bowl effortlessly until some food is dropped into its water. The fish will stop its swim and become totally focused on eating the food, and when the flakes or pellets have been eaten, it returns to its gentle swim.

How much time of your day do you spend thinking about tomorrow, next week, next year, or even further down the road? We have goals and dreams which are wonderful and can be very important, but how much time should be spent on thinking about the future versus being in the present moment? Qigong is the practice of bringing oneself into the present moment with focus and intention, to balance the energy systems within the body for healing and overall improved health and happiness.

A wonderful way to practice getting into the present moment is by spending time with your pet. If you have a bird, spend 15 to 20 minutes talking to it, quietly watching it, or listening to it. If you have fish, it can be so relaxing and mesmerizing to sit and watch the fish swimming with ease. If you have a dog or a cat, sit quietly while petting it—noticing the feel of its coat and the warmth of its body underneath. V. Healing Others is a Gift: Our pets help us heal through all that is mentioned above and more. Horses are used for therapy to help in relationship-building, autism, increasing physical movement and to help improve core strength for individuals with a variety of physical and emotional challenges. Dolphins are used for therapy to increase speech and motor skills in patients with developmental, physical, and emotional conditions such as Down’s Syndrome and autism.

Unconditional love... kindness... forgiveness with compassion. Our pets give us these healing gifts effortlessly, intuitively, freely. And the beautiful thing is, we can give these gifts back to our pets, just as effortlessly, just as freely. They are our birthrights, just as much as they are theirs. Spring Forest Qigong just helps us to realize it.

Learn Qigong for Animal Healing

Distance Healing Meditation for Animals Any Level

Download Guided Meditation by Master Jaci Gran

Animals love meditation healing energy! You can practice this healing meditation with your pets. Or, simply play the music in the background for your animals. They can hear the energy vibration from the meditation.

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