Tag Archives: healing

October 29, 2013 · 12:57 pm

Quality of Life

Perspectives

This is a rant. In case you want to be forewarned. It is not easy to decide when it is time for a pet to leave. Probably has to be one of the hardest decisions to make in life. And that is why I do NOT understand making it harder. But we human beans tend to make things more difficult than they have to be sometimes. Especially the times when we are most stressed. I have not yet had to make this decision. I had to give my first dog away because that was the right thing for me to do. And same with my cats, basically.

I understand that no one has to agree with me… and that I am not God. I realize that some people have more invested in illness or dysfunction or beliefs than they do in life and change and health…

yet it is frustrating for me when people REFUSE to even open up their minds a tiny crack/sliver to even discuss what they’ve already made up their mind to do. They have their minds so made up that they cannot hear anything other than people agreeing with them. If what someone else has to say is god forbid contradictory, the world is coming to an end. it is especially upsetting to me when this has to do with a life / death situation. Why choose death when you can choose life??? it is a mystery to me and perhaps the person does not see it this way.

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Dogs, animals, pets always choose life. They live life in the present time and find JOY and Happiness. They do not relish illness nor prolong sickness. They GET OVER IT. They are not attached to being sick nor use illness as an excuse NOT TO LIVE.  Wallace was a great example. He lived a VERY FULL LIFE up until the end. He fought two types of cancers and lived one year beyond what the doctors told him he had to live. He had a bucket list and fulfilled most of it. He became a world champion ambassadog disc dog champion which was unheard of for a shelter dog, never mind a pit bull. Of course, his parents Roo and Clara Yori, deserve a lot of the credit. They knew when it was time for him to fight his illness and when it was time for him to leave this earthly plane.

when my grandmother was still alive, she decided that she was dying of cancer and no one was telling her not even her doctor. It turned out that she was wrong. She went all the way to Houston and was operated on by a world famous heart specialist Dr. Barnard, before he was REALLY famous. And he concluded that she had a heart aneurism and she died of that. Her belief that she was dying became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I have had clients who are 150% committed to doing things THEIR WAY, even if their way produces terrible results. They’d rather be RIGHT and fail. They see themselves as victims of life without any choices to make. But we are POWERFUL and we can ALWAYS make choices.

I know what it is like to cling to being right. I am not a stranger to indulging in moaning, groaning, blaming and complaining. Sometimes I am JUST PLAIN SLOW.  For instance, a few years ago, I had sprained my ankle falling off of a bike. And I walked around with a bandage on my foot. I went to a seminar and during the weekend, there was a time when we could choose to heal something in our lives. It could be anything we chose to heal. Of course, it was obvious that I SHOULD HAVE chosen to heal my ankle. But in a flash of total TRUTH I realized that I was not ready to have my ankle heal so I refused the healing. I was getting too much out of people giving me attention. I limped around for a few more days and then suddenly I realized I WAS DONE. So I called my dance studio and asked them where the dancers went when they sprained their legs. They gave me the number of a chiropractor, I made an appointment. He gave me a 20 minute excruciating treatment afterwards told me to walk on my ankle for twenty minutes. I did and my ankle was HEALED.

During that time I also worked with people who had HIV and AIDS and found that some people were committed to LIFE and others to DEATH. This was NOT usually a conscious choice but it was fairly obvious to others and very sad. Sometimes it made sense, other times not.

I have relieved 98% of my own symptoms of fibromyalgia, gone with the wind, no more aches, cramps, foggy brain, etc.

and I have met many many people who have fibro and are NOT the slightest bit interested in knowing what I did to relieve my pain. You would think that people would be flocking to my door to find out but sadly, no, they are not.

I have found numerous supplements, lotions, creams, treatments that take pain away from muscles and joints from my OWN experience, as well as products and protocols that have and are working with my dog to keep her healthy.

so yes, I still have issues when people who are sick, or who’s pets are sick, refuse to hear anything that could be constructive or change their situation. to me, it is fairly simple, I have a problem, let’s say, am getting a cold. I could get the cold and be sick for a week or I could nip it in the bud by taking raw apple cider vinegar, herbs and/or eating chicken soup. Why get the cold? the solutions do not ALwAYS work but mostly they do and if they don’t, I will not rest until I find something that does work. Solutions, resources, options set us free. Hanging onto problems keep us stuck, sick and out of balance.

Does that mean that I am ALWAYS solution oriented? No, I have my problem areas just like everyone else, blaming others, being unforgiving, complaining. AND I Know that I can choose any time to LET GO of the problem and go for the Solutions and be Healed.

Maybe it is the difference between believing in sickness or believing in wellness. That ALL sickness can be HEALED, relieved, and maybe even cured UNTIL it gets to a point of NO RETURN. Some people believe many conditions lead ONLY to suffering and death but that is not true. All over the world there are people and pets who have overcome illnesses that were said to be incurable. Fibromyalgia was said to be incurable. Well, then, I am a living example of someone who overcame an incurable illness. I have a friend who overcame HIV/AIDS, and others who overcame cancer and other illnesses.

We can believe in FEAR or LOVE, not both. We can believe in HEALTH or SICKNESS, not both.

I recently talked with my roommate’s mother who has arthritis and she had a lot of pain in her knees. I told her about a couple of lotions and potions that I use that help me. A few weeks later, we talked to her again and did she buy the lotion? no. why. oh she said, the pain just lasts a couple of days and then it’s gone. I can endure the pain for a few days, she said. but why endure the pain when you can relieve it? oh you prefer to suffer. she laughed but sadly, that was true.

I know that there are benefits to suffering. People feel sorry for you and do things for you. They give you attention. Pat you on the back.

but hey if you prefer to suffer, go ahead and enjoy your suffering. why should anyone try to take those benefits away from you. just do not expect me to pat you on the back and offer you sympathy when I know that YOU HAVE A CHOICE and YOU ARE CHOOSING SUFFERING and PAIN rather than LIFE and HEALTH.

Prolong your agony all that you want, but I am not going to be a cheerleader in your pity parade. and when you make it seem all noble that is called martyrhood and you are punishing others.

so don’t you dare try to shame and guilt me into feeling bad for having the audacity of trying to assist you in making a life affirming choice or at least discovering other options EXIST. For me, I could not stand to know that I could have chosen something else but that I was not even willing to open my brain and heart to it. That WHAT IF would plague me forever. Even if the WHAT IF is wrong for you, what do you have to lose ?  oh yeah, prolonging suffering, agony, and pain and all those stinky benefits of SICKNESS REIGNS.

We were not born to die of terrible illnesses. We were born to LIVE and have fun. And yes, there are tragedies that happen in the world and to good people. But most people do not experience that. Most of us live ordinary lives and can choose whether we fully embrace life or if we just endure it.

stinky cheese is what we used to call the benefits we get out of clinging to what does not work to produce LIFE. rats going through a maze after stinky cheese because they do not know any better. So they chase the impossible. Or they can go through a maze another way and find good cheese, their very possible dreams. Cheese that is good for them.

May the Highest good for ALL prevail … after a lifetime of stinky cheese, I prefer my own cheese with crackers, wine and some chocolate.    Blessed be.

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October 21, 2012 · 1:57 pm

Pit Bulls and Addicts

been enjoying the new season of Pit Bulls and Parolees…now that they have moved to New Orleans…

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last night, there was an inspiring new show on afterwards, Addicts & Animals...

Addicts & Animals’ hero, Phil Aguilar, aka “Chief,” has made it his mission to help drug addicts, but he does it his way. He and his family run an in-home sobriety program that uses the responsibility and joy of pet ownership as a means for recovery. Once a heroine addict himself, Chief swoops up addicts from the doorsteps of Hell and helps them get their lives back, with the help of a few tail-wagging companions.

He rescues death row dogs/shelter dogs… which is very cool…and each addict, when ready, gets to take care of a dog.

Healing Trauma

The relationship between humans and pets has always been a close, cherished bond. Animals have a magical way of easing stress and relieving strain for individuals in need – even drug addicts. Research suggests that the hormones activated by drug abuse are also elevated by animal contact. Dopamine and serotonin levels increase with drugs like cocaine and heroin; the same feel good hormones increase from healthy activities, like taking care of a dog.

Health benefits of having a pet include:
• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces stress
• Fights depressions

Animal-assisted therapy is being used in a wide variety of settings to help people with acute and chronic illnesses. This is based on the many physiological and psychological benefits documented in patients during interactions with animals. These include lowered blood pressure and heart rate, increased beta-endorphin levels, decreased stress levels, reduced feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety, improved social functioning, and increased feelings of empowerment, trust, patience and self-esteem. Animal therapy is looked upon as both a learning and healing experience.

How can animals help with addiction? There is more than one reason for utilizing animals to help in addiction recovery.

The first reason is that animals like dogs and horses exhibit total emotional honesty, something that addicts need to learn themselves. A horse, for example, will show signs of fear when afraid, aggression when angry, exploration when curious, rather than trying to conceal these emotions in any way.

In addition, animals like horses reflect our emotions. If we are anxious near them, they will be anxious also. If we are relaxed, they will relax as well. This kind of feedback is especially helpful for addicts who are working on getting more in tune with what they feel. An addict may not be aware that he is feeling particularly tense, for example, when working with a horse. But the horse’s unease may alert him to that fact. The addict can then respond by concentrating on relaxing.

Horses are large and somewhat intimidating animals. How an addict responds to and behaves around the horse can tell an addictions therapist a lot about how this person interacts in other relationships. For example, someone who is aggressive, in personal relationships, will generally demonstrate the same behavior when working with a horse.

Another addict who is shy, reserved, or afraid to speak her mind will usually have a very difficult time setting boundaries with a horse. The horse will learn to respect those who earn it, and weak requests will not get that respect from a horse.

The horse is therefore a great teacher of assertiveness, the midpoint between aggression and passivity. A horse will often respond in fear or refused cooperation to aggression. They will generally ignore passive requests. Somewhere in the middle is assertiveness, the ability of the addict to be clear and honest about what he needs, without being overbearing.

Outside of therapy, animals can help a person in recovery cope with stress. Animal studies regularly demonstrate that the mere presence in the home of a dog or cat can lower a person’s blood pressure. Just petting a dog or cat can decrease heart rate, respiratory rate, and other symptoms of stress.

With stress being so imperative for addicts in recovery to manage, having a pet can be a big help in the recovery process. Pets can also help addicts work on service and compassion, as they learn to care for and love an animal that is dependent upon them for support. All of these benefits make animals an important addition to recovery.

As an adjunct to more traditional types of addiction treatment, animal-assisting therapy works by helping those who have been battling the demons of substance abuse find a way to step outside of themselves and discover deeper meaning and purpose by providing vital assistance to other living creatures who desperately need love and companionship. For animals and recovering addicts alike, animal-assisting therapy is a win-win situation.
Acts of kindness and selflessness by their very nature put us in contact with the best of ourselves, and this can make them incredibly valuable for recovering addicts who spent so many years selfishly putting their own needs above those of everyone else. Addicts and alcoholics repeatedly use and manipulate people in order to satisfy their desire for relief from the symptoms of addiction, and besides their need to detoxify their bodies they also need to cleanse their wounded spirits to remove the contamination left behind by their self-centered and abusive past behaviors.
Animal-assisting therapy can help even the most broken and jaded person rediscover his or her deepest inner sources of compassion, which is an essential step for any addict who hopes to finally ascend from the pit of despair and shame that dominated his or her existence for so long. Before those with a history of substance abuse can hope to find lasting sobriety, they must first rebuild their self-esteem to the point where they actually feel strong enough to accomplish difficult things and worthy enough to deserve the happiness and peace that was denied them during their years of battling against alcoholism or drug addiction.
Animal-assisting therapy is all about fixing bodies, minds, and souls that have been damaged by abuse and neglect. Above all else, recovering addicts and alcoholics need something new and worthwhile to live for, and a commitment to caring for animals who have been cast aside can provide vital meaning and purpose where before there was only dependency and hopelessness.

Therapy dogs, like Peaches the pit bull pictured above, typically work with their owners in hospitals, nursing homes, schools and rehabilitation centers. They play with abused children, give affection to the elderly, help the critically ill to laugh and forget their pain for a while, and sometimes provide a warm lick to wipe the tears away.  The presence of dogs provides a sense of normalcy and reassurance to troubled individuals. Acceptance and non-judgment are perhaps the two most important gifts that these animals can offer. To dogs, humans are “perfect” just the way we are.

Shame, guilt, secrecy and hopelessness create a fertile ground for self-loathing, despair and an abnormal fear response. In an environment where people have proven to not be trustworthy – or, in the addict’s case if they cannot trust themselves – trained therapy dogs can potentially bridge the gap and make a difference in one’s recovery.

Benefits:

  • Stabilized and Improve social skills by learning gentle ways to communicate and handle the animal, such as feeding and grooming.
  • Brighten affect, mood, pleasure and affection while playing with the animal.
  • Reduce abusive behavior and learn appropriate touch.
  • Improve ability to express feelings by identifying how an animal might feel in a certain situation and/or recalling a client’s history with pets (sharing stories of grief or funny events).
  • Reduce anxiety and fear by forming a bond of love and comfort with the animal.
  • Learn how to better communicate with people by talking to the animal.
  • Develop a cooperative plan to accomplish something with the animal.

Cynthia Chandler, author of Animal Assisted Therapy in Counseling, points out that the positive benefits to be gained from therapy can be more immediate when a therapy pet is involved, especially when working with a resistant client. The desire to be with the therapy pet can sometimes override the client’s initial defenses (Chandler, 2005). She further points to the natural relationship that occurs between dogs and humans which can result in quick bonding and trust between the client and dog in a therapeutic setting. According to Chandler, this bond between the pet and the client also helps to facilitate a bond with the therapist, as the feelings of affection and trust for the pet are eventually transferred to the pet’s therapist. Screening is required for clients in recovery who have a history of violence, animal abuse, animal phobias or allergies. However, most clients and pets will benefit from this type of therapy (Chandler, 2005).

According to Dr. Joseph Volpicelli and the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “20 million Americans suffer from alcohol abuse disorders, yet only about 2 million are in any kind of treatment program.”

Stories of getting sober and being aided in staying sober fill the halls of AA and other recovery centers, and now, with the expansion of the field of AAT, perhaps the use of animals at treatment centers will one day become commonplace.

Love is considered by many to be the universal healer. Is it any less comforting if the source is not human? According to a study done at the Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition in Leicestershire, England, a pet’s love can help reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure and triglyceride levels, moderate the effects of stress, and build a sense of empathy. Love creates a bond that undeniably aids in the health, happiness and a sense of belonging that makes life worth living (Meunier, 2003). These nurturing qualities can easily be translated into a treatment plan for a recovering addict.

Imagine all of the shelter animals that can be saved and given new life/loving homes when more animals are utilized to help people recover from addiction, illnesses, war, trauma and injuries, PTSD and more…

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November 23, 2009 · 5:30 pm

fibromyalgia, chronic pain

i am writing to you because I need prayer and healing support asap… also resources…

I turned 60 yesterday, have fibromyalgia and been fine for 7 years… had relieved 95% of symptoms but 3-4 weeks ago, agonizing pain began, back muscle spasms, arms, legs hurt and can barely stand up, dress, drive, etc. and take care of my pooch… my family is dead and no one to stay with…

so am asking for prayer, also if u know anyone who is willing to donate land, a home, trailer, rV, even a van, for me and my pooch to live in asap, that would be especially helpful…. also am in desperate need of pain relief supplements … we are in central california, thanks much…

there seems to be little support for women over 60, there are orgs for people with aids and cancer but not for millions of women with fibromyalgia, chronic pain…

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May 26, 2009 · 10:58 pm

critters karma…

there is a lot of talk about whether animals have emotions and feelings as we humans do these day… and some people wonder if pets have souls. No matter what you believe or question, it is good to keep an open mind… this is a controversial topic but heck, so are many that I write about so here goes…

Remember, the TV show featuring Mr. Ed the talking horse? How about Dr. Dolittle who talked to animals? As a society, we seem to think, our consensus reality, is that it is farfetched and something to laugh about to think that animals can actually talk. Yet, our animals talk to us all of the time. And sometimes we pay attention and receive their love and blessings. And other times, we ignore the messages (whispers) until they become louder (shouts).

Perhaps you have met a dog or cat or horse or another animal and instantly felt a connection, or an animal adopted you, or showed up in your life at an interesting moment, or you just ‘knew’ that the pet was yours. At times, we have these meetings with people in our lives, why not with pets? Maybe pets are spiritual beings and are in our lives to help us grow.

As someone who has experienced several pet past life experiences (will explain more in a moment), and if you believe that humans reincarnate, is it much of a stretch to imagine that pets do also?

Years ago, a dog of a friend I hardly knew came to me in a dream. The next day I found out that he had died. Why he chose to come through to me with a message, I am not sure.

Years later, after my Abundance cat ran away, he came to me in a dream and slept on my belly as he used to do every day at 4pm. It was his way of telling me that he had passed on in this life. The significance of my connection with Abundance not only had to do with him, but also another past life with a beloved cat. I have been grieving the loss of that cat for decades and did not know about it until Abundance reminded me. It was through his loving countenance that I found out. I am still in the process of working through this experience, it was a biggie for me because it relates to my spirituality and relationships, and important for me to heal this lifetime. Sometimes it takes time to heal past lives and other issues in our lives.

Our Souls know us and all of our past lives (and future ones) and know what works best to help us heal, even if it might seem wrong or not fair or too painful. Animals often mirror or pick up our feelings and act them out for us. And sometimes, we don’t like what we see either in other humans or our animals and point the finger and blame them!

We want to believe that it’s the dog’s fault or the cat has ‘behavioral problems’ or issues. And they may, but what might you learn from your sweet furry friends? Sure, we can train our pets, pamper and worry about them. If your dog or cat or horse or bird could talk, wonder what they want to tell you? If you’d truly like to know, you can schedule a session with me and I’d be happy to chat with you, pass on messages with you and your pet(s) and/or passed over loved ones. It is a blessing to be able to communicate with animals and special people. A healing for all concerned.

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December 12, 2008 · 2:44 pm

dog saves dog…

girldujour brought this to my attention… see Comments under doggie buffet post…

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reminds me that a few weeks ago, I was at a Starbucks and there was a dead kitty cat lying in this parking lot… a woman ran into the Starbucks and said something about the cat, I thought it was alive and went out to help… it was lying there, eyes open, in the middle where people could run it over again and again… I asked this man if he could move it and he did… I prayed for the kitty…

kind of sad…  but it’s good to know that dogs take care of their own kind.   I know my Cici always finds people to lick and give love to who have recently lost their dog or miss their dog… she provides healing balm to them every day…  dogs know who needs their loving attention, there are some people who she walks right on by and others who she HAS to go meet… it’s always interesting…

dogs are amazing creatures !!!

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