Animal Nation: animal communication

Showing posts with label animal communication. Show all posts

December 27, 2013

Coming soon!

Get on my mailing list so you don't miss its release.

December 16, 2013

You're Invited to my Ukrainian Party!

Order the book here.

Smachnoho i Slava Ukraina!
Eat good food and long live Ukraine!

Raisa Stone
Animal Communicator and Author
www.reisastone.com

November 09, 2013

October 23, 2013

Is Your Animal Angel With You? My Halloween newsletter

Pet Safety at Halloween

-Keep all pets under close supervision. Black cats are particularly at risk of injury from crazies

-Candy is toxic to pets, chocolate is lethal

-Create a safe, quiet space in the house or barn

-People and pets in costume usually terrify animals. Plan carefully

-Don't costume your pet. Costumes blunt their senses, humiliate them and invite aggression from other animals. Animal professionals are overwhelmed with behavioral problems after Halloween.

Quotes

"If there is a heaven, it's certain our animals are to be there.Their lives become so interwoven with our own, it would take more than an Archangel to detangle them."
~Pam Brown

"Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."~Kahlil Gibran

"A good dog never dies. He always stays. He walks besides you on crisp autumn days when frost is on the fields and winter's drawing near. His head is within our hand in his old way."
~Mary Carolyn Davies

"Grief is like the ocean; it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim."
~Vicki Harrison
For the soul of every living thing is in the hand of God. ~Job 12:10

My Gift to You

Heal from the devastating grief of pet loss. When you apply for an animal angel session October 23-31, receive a generous 30% off my professional fee. You may enjoy your session any time into 2014.

This applies to sessions for animals in spirit only. You may include two pets in one hour. Only one must be in spirit. In fact, they may wish to connect with one another.

This offer means you can hear from two pets for only $105. Detailed notes are included. I need only a photo, work worldwide, and will give you details about your pets. This is for a full hour with me!

You must apply between October 23-31 for your animal angel session, and pay within 48 hours. You may have your session whenever you feel ready, over the next 12 months.

Apply here

Needed: Your Experience

Would you like to write about the loss of your pet?

I have a few spaces open in my upcoming book for your words about pet loss: saying goodbye, memorials to your pet, spirit visitations and reincarnation.

Please contact me through my website.

Pet Loss Interview

As I discussed pet loss extensively on this show, I thought this would be a good time to rebroadcast PAWSitive Radio's interview.

You'll also hear about my goofy Labrador's misguided attempt to sing Evita.

To enjoy the Animal Soul e-magazine on a regular basis, sign up for free on my website.

Animal Soul

E-Magazine

It's Halloween: Is Your Animal Angel With You?

They are, and they want to comfort you. The devastation of death is not the end. Halloween is a deeply spiritual holiday that's survived thousands of years. However you celebrate this sacred time of year---we have a spiritual need to acknowledge that not only must all creatures pass, but that their souls can contact us.

Pet loss is incredibly painful, and we live in a society that for the most part, doesn't recognize it as significant.

"'It' was only a dog...cat...horse...bird...rabbit...guinea pig," "You can get another one," and so on, add to our pain and feeling that there's something wrong with grieving a powerful loss.

When I lost my heart dog, Chant, I spiraled down into three months of complete inability to function. I put her body in a snow bank by my back door, and snapped, "She's fine!" at concerned queries. I was unable to work, gave up exercise, and sat in front of the TV chain smoking. It took two interventions by friends and family to surrender my darling to a pet funeral service.

I completely forgot what my grandmother had taught me about contacting the spirits. Now I see this temporary amnesia was necessary, so that I may help others through it.

Chant returned in a powerful vision. She showed me an immense circle of animals and people circling the Universe. As one died, another was born. "See," she said gently, "If no one died, there would be no new life."

Since then, she's often with me. At my side, in various rooms, out walking in Nature. Now and then, she expends the tremendous effort to materialize. I can actually touch her and smell her wonderful, familiar scent.

I live with a herd of loved ones, both animal and human, so large that their spirits overlap in my home. Strangers with strong intuition have approached me to say they see this horse, that dog walking with me.

Right now, they're surrounding me at my computer. Dogs at my feet, cats, bunnies and rodents on my lap, horses standing behind, birds on my shoulder, and some wonderful people just hanging out on the couch.

You can read more about the latter in two of my stories in Miraculous Messages From Heaven, Chicken Soup for the Soul's latest release. My dear ones in spirit are also sources of wise counsel.

Though the reality of death shatters me, it's immensely comforting to know without a doubt that souls are eternal. Over and over, I connect animal angels with grieving owners. I ask pets to give me details about their lives on earth, that can be confirmed. They leave no doubt it's really them. Surviving pets are able to fully grieve their own loss; sometimes, death is even harder on them than on us. They have no distractions. With contact, devastation gives way to a sense of peace.

The survival of an ancient holiday like Halloween reaffirms that we each have an overwhelming need to acknowledge the soul's eternity and spirit contact. It's the time of year when Nature's growth gives way to Nature's pruning, and the walls between worlds are thinnest. This is the time of year it's easiest to contact pets in spirit. Whether you believe they're at a place called the Rainbow Bridge, Heaven, or somewhere that Just Is. They love you as much as you love them.

In honour of this sacred time, I have a gift for you. If you have an animal angel you'd like to hear from, I'll give you a fee break for a few days this month. As long as you apply October 23-31st, you can have your session any time. Details are to your left.

Also available: powerful learning tools to contact your animal angels at your own pace. They may appear in a dream, in a glimpse from the corner of your eye, in a soft touch on your body when "no one's there."

Yours in the love of animals,
Raisa Stone

I'm Dr. Dolittle. Questions?

My Website

My Blog

St. Francis Blessing of the Animals

What a pleasure it was to donate an energy healing session to the St. Francis Blessing of the Animals charity event at St. Matthew's Anglican Church in Abbotsford, BC! Proceeds were divided among six local animal rescues, for both tame and wild creatures, and we enjoyed a lovely vegetarian dinner. Thank you to Whatcom Road Veterinary Hospital for taking on so much of the organizing.

_________________________

Look for my stories of how love survives death: "I'll See You" and "Breathe."

Available in bookstores everywhere.
I'm available for book signings within BC,
as well as workshops worldwide!

October 07, 2013

Miraculous Love in Heaven

Wow oh wow! The UPS man just handed me a box of books. Chicken Soup has published two of my stories about my relationships with loved ones in spirit. I am so excited!!!!!
My stories are called Breathe and I'll See You. They're on pages 130 and 312. Wowwwwwww!!!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Soup-Soul-Miraculous-Connections/dp/1611599261

October 06, 2013

Reisa Stone: Wild Geese

To honour this incredible changing season, I'd like to reprint a piece I wrote two years ago, about being swept up in the migration of Canada Geese:

Today's Animal Communication miracle left me breathless. I felt an urgent sense to drive across town to our beautiful regional park. As a matter of principle regarding privatization of the wild, I disagree with the parking charge. so I was going to park outside the gates and walk the extra distance on the road. By the time I was halfway there, I had to pee so badly, I trespassed into a farmer's green field (with bushes :-D).

I heard the wild honking of countless geese. They drowned out tractor and boat noise and the clip clop of a horse on the road. As I stood in the field of long grass and clover, a flock of over one hundred Canada Geese rose from the lagoon an eighth of a mile away. They flew in a curving line east, towards me. As they reached a point above my head, they arc'ed to the south. If you dropped a plumb line from the exact centre of the flock, there I'd be.

They were only twenty feet in the air. The sound was overwhelming; nothing existed but the geese, the sky and me. I could see the dark masks on their faces, the undersides of their beaks and the softness of their light gray breasts. The individual feathers on their wings undulated in the autumn sun. My skin tingled.

A few seconds later, another flock took the same path. Within half an hour, I experienced a similar phenomenon thirteen times. With the exception of two flocks and three straggling couples, the geese flew straight towards me, and turned south precisely over my head. It was as if I were the centre of the gyre, the strange magnet on which these creatures pivot to their winter home.

I had the stray thought, "Eeeek I hope they don't go to the bathroom on me." One answered, "Don't worry, we went before we left home." It made me smile. He sounded like a precocious five year old, with the baritone voice of an adult.

I stood there for another ten minutes. The lagoon and sky were silent.

I'm new to this area. I had no idea that geese live in huge numbers in this partially hidden lagoon, let alone that they all migrate on a certain day. I can only honour the fact that over one thousand Canada Geese chose to fly south at 4:45 pm, October 27, 2011. I was there.

Raisa Stone,

Expert Animal Communicator
www.reisastone.com

To receive the complimentary Animal Soul Newsletter, with informative articles about animal care, communication and training, visit my website.

Copyright 2013 Raisa Stone. All rights reserved. If you wish to reprint material from this blog, contact Raisa Stone. Must be reprinted in entirety with all links and credit intact.

October 04, 2013

Horses Are Not

Have you ever loved a quote so much, you want to roll in it, kiss it, eat it, dream it, LIVE it, share it with the world?

I found one, by Dr. Lissa Rankin.

"Horses are not people pleasers. They’re not horse pleasers either. They aren’t motivated by the desire to be liked or even to be helpful. But they are motivated by clean, positive energy. If they read that in you, they’ll bump their life force up against yours and basically mimic everything you do—happily."
— Dr. Lissa Rankin

Have a great weekend!

Raisa Stone

I'm Dr. Dolittle. Questions?

www.reisastone.com

For more great quotes and tips on animal communication and welfare, sign up for my free newsletter, Animal Soul.

September 12, 2013

Reisa Stone: Another Day, Another Animal Rescue

Ninety degrees yesterday, and I spot a little white Poodle cross panting in a car. He is frantically nosing the bare inch of cracked window.

After asking what I'm doing, a woman in the parking lot says sarcastically, "Well, why don't you call the police, then?"

No doubt I live in the animal cruelty capital of Canada, where Animal Control from another city makes the 130 mile round trip to help with our overabundance of strays and dumped dogs. I have more rescue work here in one square mile than I can handle. I'm constantly buying food for other peoples' pets.

I smile at a-holes who keep their dogs chained 24/7, so I can legally enter their properties to play and give water. I cry for the rabbits who fry, freeze and starve to death in outdoor hutches.

I inform snarly people that no, you can't just throw a horse out in a field and expect him to thrive. Hoof trimming, worming and even supplemental feeding on a bare pasture is news to many.

I constantly peel animals off the road, both domestic and wild. It's clear hitting them with cars and repeating the process, is the undeclared local sport. Half the time, they're still alive. I dig through bloodied possum bodies to find if pouch pinkies survived. I gently place a blanket over a shattered but breathing baby raccoon while two little girls watch and sob.

The newspaper refuses to publish my well worded plea for motorists to stop when they've hit an animal.

I launched a campaign to find homes for two abandoned, badly matted cats who were being fed by the Nature Preserve people, and living hopefully under the bird feeders. I painfully lost the fledgling I scooped from the cats' claws.

In spring, Craigslist and bulletin boards are rife with kitten sales, and hundreds of citizens proudly parade malformed and sickly puppies clearly purchased from one of the local mills. I want to weep at the crooked skeletons, the runny eyes and painfully displaced joints.

We could always tell when we were getting a mill pup at the vet clinic, and knew the prognosis was much poorer than for a well bred animal. Their immune systems are weak.

These same puppies are dragged along carelessly on steaming pavement, their foot pads burning. As adults, they suffer in the back of pickups, though this practice is illegal under the Motor Vehicle Act.

In a region labeled The Green Heart, a popular tourist destination, I stand outside the rows of overwhelming factory farms, sending love and reassurance to thousands of suffering animals. Black and white faces peer mournfully from a barn door. Here, even dairy cows are not permitted outdoors. They stand on concrete 24/7, in the midst of lush grass they can't touch.

I go for a Nature walk, and find an illegally dumped pile of rotten carcasses. I pray for them through nausea.

My town has the most churches per capita than any other Canadian city. Also the most Rebel flags I've seen, and the first time I've witnessed swastikas carved into an upscale neighbourhood's public picnic tables. Annually, they have a combined church service that draws thousands to the sports arena. They push evangelizing the globe.

Imagine a world that looks like this town.

If their God at all approves of their treatment of animals, I never want to meet him.

Customer service is concerned, pages the car owner. She is MAD. She is IRRATIONAL, something about, "Me and my husband always sit in the car with the dog."

Well, they weren't when I found the little guy cooking to death.

I walk with her to the car, she clearly angry that I'm doing so. "Whatcha gonna do, give the police our license plate?" she spits.

"If necessary," I say calmly, and stand by as she takes the little guy out for a walk. He is OVERJOYED. He jumps out of that car like it's a hot oven---which it is. He dives for cool grass on the boulevard.

I drive by slowly and give the angry woman a thumbs up. She is a mass of thunderclouds. The little Poodle winks.

Raisa Stone
Expert Animal Communicator
www.reisastone.com

Copyright 2013 Raisa Stone. May be shared freely using social media buttons. Reprint requests considered, in writing. Must be reprinted in whole, with links intact.

September 02, 2013

Reisa Stone: Could You Be An Animal Communicator?

Here is a reprint of my recent article, published by Yahoo!:

Everyone talks to their pets. I hear them reply. I've had this gift from childhood, and you probably did too. In North American society, it's not considered "normal" to feel such extreme empathy with non-human species, that we can hear them. The good news is, anyone can re-learn the intuitive skills to understand what animals think, feel and want.

I love my job. I help animals make themselves understood. Sometimes, a session makes the difference between a pet owner deciding to really work on an issue, and getting rid of the animal. It's very gratifying to hear that my work helped a person and their companion achieve harmony.

Here are five amazing things about being an Animal Communicator:

1. Pets are eager to speak.

They're constantly trying to communicate with their loved ones. The smallest effort on your part to acknowledge their messages, will result in clearer communication. They usually only vocalize when a message is short and urgent. Most of their conversations are silent, and conveyed through telepathy.

If an animal is exhibiting distressing behavior, there's a good reason behind it. Visit your vet first, to rule out physical causes.

Animal Communicators reveal the reasons behind such behaviors as: inappropriate soiling, aggression, fearfulness, resistance to training, anxiety, depression, destructiveness, etc. Often, the cause isn't apparent, and it's usually unique.

I've spoken with dogs who are aggressive because their owner has unresolved issues from a past assault (they're protecting her!), horses who are losing classes at shows because they're grieving a former barn mate, and cats who avoid the litter box because they hate sharing.

Like us, animals have color, odor and texture preferences. I once spoke with a dog who was peeing in the house because she hated her pink T-shirt! As I only had a plain photo of her face, her owner was astonished that her dog had conveyed such specific information.

What all these pets had in common was their eagerness to express their points of view. Just talking will start to relieve distressing symptoms. From there, I suggest further resources: training classes, a productive activity, desensitization.

In every instance, the pet has thanked me for listening to them.

2. You already have six intuitive senses. They only need practice to grow.
They are:

Hearing (clairaudience)
Seeing (clairvoyance)
Tasting (clairgustation)
Smelling (clairaliance)
Feeling (clairsentience)
Knowing (claircognizance)

These are all legitimate ways to understand animal messages. If you've ever known who is calling before picking up the phone, or known something "in your gut," then you're already in touch with strong intuitive messages.

Evaluate which of your senses are strongest, and focus on strengthening them. As you do, the others will also grow. I have tools on my website for developing your intuition.

I have use of all six. Two are uncommon, but often provide me with valuable information: smelling and tasting. With these, I've been able to tell clients what food their pet eats (and what they'd like to), and even sometimes identify specific brands of household products that are irritating animals and causing allergic symptoms.

The ability to be this specific also establishes confidence in the client that I'm actually communicating with their pet.

3. Animal consciousness is in the special "zone" we achieve through meditation.

You need a regular meditation practice. It doesn't have to be boring.You need to still your mind and suspend judgments in order to hear animal messages. Meditation can be still, or consist of movement such as yoga or walking in Nature. Some people find sports practice to be meditative. Music and dance can also serve as meditative tools.

4. Animal Communication has its basis in both ancient spiritual wisdom and in quantum physics.

Physicists are now finding the explanation for telepathy in the energetic emissions present in all objects and life forms. Animal Communicators read these energetic messages.

Former Apollo 14 astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell writes about this extensively. Dr. Bernie Siegel, renowned author of "Love, Medicine and Miracles," has gone public with his skill of Animal Communication.

Don't worry. You don't need a PhD or MD in order to be an Animal Communicator. I do find it useful to have the scientific facts at hand for curious inquirers.

In my own Ukrainian culture, we honor this gift to the extent we all acknowledge it on Christmas Eve.

Humanity would not have been able to survive, evolve or domesticate animals without being able to communicate. In conversations with a man from Ghana, I learned his surprise that most North Americans can't hear animals.

Animal Communication is our proud human heritage.

5. Practice makes (nearly) perfect.

In order to become reliable, you need to speak with many animals and verify basic facts.

I recommend practicing with animals you don't know, but with whom you have permission to speak. Starting with your own pets lacks objectivity. If their issues reflect your own, it will be much harder to hear them. It's always easier to look at someone else.

Your Internet friends are a valuable asset. Ask people you've never met to send you clear photos of their pets, along with a few questions. Request that the photos show the open eyes, and don't have any environmental clues such as toys, tack, beds, harnesses, etc. You'll find yourself flooded with practice materials!

After speaking with someone's pet, verify your information. Don't become discouraged by your misses. No one in the world is 100% accurate in their profession. An Animal Communicator pulls information from "thin air," which is reason enough to be proud of your successes. 70% accuracy is an acceptable standard for professional intuitives.

Animal Communication is a rewarding profession that can help countless animals and people to develop harmonious relationships. I feel grateful to both have and to teach these skills.

__________________

Enjoy Awaken the Gift of Animal Communication and Heart to Heart, guided journeys that will zoom you into the "animal zone" of consciousness. If you have any difficulty tuning out distracting thoughts in order to meditate: these learning tools engage the part of your brain that needs to be entertained :-D

To access my instructional materials, click here.

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend. Have a lovely week!
Yours in the love of animals,
Raisa Stone

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To receive the complimentary Animal Soul Newsletter, with informative articles about animal care, communication and training, visit my website.

Copyright 2013 Raisa Stone. All rights reserved. If you wish to reprint material from this blog, contact Raisa Stone. Must be reprinted in entirety with all links and credit intact. By their terms, this Yahoo! article may be linked to, but not reprinted.

August 22, 2013

Raisa Stone: Yahoo! for Animal Communication

Yahoo for Animal Communication

Woo hoo! I'm now writing about Animal Communication for Yahoo. Yahoooooo!

Here's my first article for them: Five Amazing Things About Animal Communication.

I hope you enjoy it. By their Terms, you may link to this article, but not copy it. Yours in the love of animals,

Reisa Stone

www.reisastone.com

Facebook
Twitter

http://precioussouls.blogspot.ca/2013/08/my-august-animal-soul-newsletter-chill.html

http://precioussouls.blogspot.ca/2011/12/keep-pets-safe-this-holiday-season-www.html
http://precioussouls.blogspot.ca/2011/11/preparing-for-animal-communication.html
http://precioussouls.blogspot.ca/2011/11/wild-geese.html

August 03, 2013

Reisa Stone: Minimize Your Companion's Anxiety

My August Animal Soul Newsletter

Chill Out!

Minimize Your Companion's Anxiety

If you've followed my work as an Animal Communicator, you'll know it's always about the animal's point of view. How do they see the world? Why are they acting that way? How can we work with their unique point of view to create harmony?

I had an eye opening experience recently. Before I broke my back, my role at horse and dog shows was mainly as a professional groom/handler or competitor. I took excellent care of my charges, and paid little attention to others' animals except to briefly watch their performances.

For the first time, I had a vendor table at a horse show. The kindly managers placed me in an optimal location---right inside the competitors' barn, where I had an opportunity to observe everyone. It was great meeting many of the competitors and their gorgeous equines, from a tiny, snorty Welsh pony stallion who was crushing on an equally enamored Sport Horse mare (let me get you a chair, fella), to leadline toddlers perched adorably on top of patient "baby sitter" horses.

Despite these vast differences, I saw the same issue over and over. Anxious equines. Horses with tummies so nervous, loose manure was everywhere. Equines calling to each other with a frantic note in their whinnies. Sudden explosions of energy: kicking, rearing, sidestepping, breaking gaits. Some competitors approached me with these problems. Anxiety was affecting ring performance. It was causing worries about leaving horses overnight.

This was another first for me: observing herd behavior, outside a herd. I'm well acquainted with herd hierarchy. How horses make friends and enemies, how they find places in their society. But at the show was a different kind of herd. One where each horse was exquisitely aware of the presence of all the others, yet had no way to make solid contact. They couldn't see each other over the solid stall walls, let alone touch noses, do the squealing, kicking, biting, mutual grooming, play and advance/retreats necessary to create herd security.

Our traditional wisdom of bringing horses to a venue the night before to "settle," can create more anxiety. They're not settling. They're freaking out over being away from home, and being thrust into new surroundings. In my showing years, I subscribed to this practice as well. It became clear I'd not done all I could at the time. What can we do to reduce anxiety?

I spoke with a Lead mare who was lathered with anxiety over being unable to manage what she felt were her new charges, and simultaneously worried about her herd at home. Imagine a high energy executive, thrust into a company and unable to see either her new or old staff. Another mare, more a "middle of the herd" personality, was shaking with vulnerability at suddenly being solo. Imagine a meek clerk being asked to give an impromptu public speech! Stallions sensed competitors from whom they couldn't defend territory; geldings feared being unable to defend themselves.

Their anxiety increased as they were taken into the ring, where yet another herd configuration met them. And yet again, no opportunity to truly connect. Some competitors were clearly at wit's end, pulling hard on lead ropes and reins. I'll repeat what I said in my last article about nervous symptoms in animals. Yanking on them in this state, drives the symptoms deeper into the nervous system. Petting and soothing may be of little use. They need their needs met. They need to feel secure. Neither correction nor affection can provide that.

To an animal, their herd is comfort, security, protection against predators. Being thrust into the show milieu can be something like you or I being given a few music lessons in the comfort of our homes, then being thrown naked onto the stage at Carnegie Hall---without first meeting your fellow musicians! Wouldn't you be anxious? Would someone patting your head or pulling on your arm, create a feeling of security? Not likely.

What does work? Besides giving each competitor the viewpoint of their individual equine, I counseled the same exercise: calm and ground yourself. Lead your horse slowly down the middle of each barn aisle, giving them an opportunity to see and have a word with every other animal. Tell them it's temporary; they're going home soon. Bring a buddy, and either rent a double stall or stall them across the aisle. If you can run home and get your horse's favorite hay, local water and treats, please do. Take your horse outside and let them see the ones in the warm up ring. Keep your energy and movements low and slow. Take your time with everything. If your horse lifts their head and stares at something you can't see, let them. Their senses are so much keener than ours.

It worked. I was thrilled to see, from my central location, horsewomen returning from the show ring with ribbons. They smiled at me and held their prizes high. Their horses' energy had dramatically changed. They were now calm, walking with their noses down instead of waving frantically in the air. Stall kicking and squealing lessened. These horses had had their anxiety dialed down, by their owners pro-actively showing their place in a temporary herd.

You can apply the same principles at competitions for other species. Cats are a bit different, as they're not typically pack animals. However, they're highly territorial. It's comforting for them to see their entire environment. Take a lesson from their love of perching in high places, and allow them to view the show venue. Explain to them that the enclosure they're in for the duration, is their exclusive territory and impermanent. Again, favorite treats and water from home. Make things as familiar as possible. Enter the "animal zone" I teach in my digital guided journeys, and have a conversation with your companion well before the actual show. Tell them what to expect.

By the way, this is an excellent way to train your animal to enjoy the vet's. Calm your energy. Drop into the waiting room "for no reason," and treat them. Tell the receptionist what you're doing, hang out for a few minutes, then leave. Next, take your pet to a place they love. Build positive associations around the anxiety-producing event. Create security.

What if you need a way to consistently calm and ground yourself? I offer a digital guided journey called Awaken the Gift of Animal Communication on my website. It contains a deep, Nature based meditation that engages the part of your brain which usually wanders during such exercises. If you do this meditation a few times, you'll be able to quickly put yourself in the grounded, relaxed zone which connects you with your companion.

All my best to you in the show ring, the vet's office and at home with your beloved companion.

Copyright 2013 Raisa Stone

Subscribe to the Animal Soul Newsletter on my website: www.reisastone.com
____________________

Copyright 2013 Raisa All rights reserved. May be reprinted only with permission, with attendant website links and credit. May not be edited or used in part.

~Raisa Stone
Expert Animal Communicator
www.reisastone.com
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July 28, 2013

Reisa Stone: Reasons for Animal Communication Sessions

A list of some reasons people apply for sessions with me.

They:

-Have spent countless hours and dollars trying to change their pet
-Have sought every possible solution, from expensive
equipment to total permissiveness, with little improvement
-Avoid certain situations
-Delay vet or groomer visits due to nightmarish behavior
-Lose work, social opportunities or sleep
-Lose precious and costly items to a pet's destructiveness
-Feel angry or disgusted at the pet's behavior, then feel guilty
-Get complaints from neighbours or even Animal Control
-Fear that when other people tell them to, "Just get rid of
it"---they may be right
-Have elaborate, time consuming systems to keep pets
from fighting, soiling or destroying property
-Blow classes or even entire expensive weekends at shows
-Experience confusion from conflicting opinions about
animal behavior
-Have a stack of expensive books and DVDs gathering dust.

The answer can be in learning your companion's point of view. Your pet has been waiting a lifetime to speak with you. If you've ever personally experienced the frustration other people "deciding for you" what is in your best interest----than you have an idea of what being a pet is like.

Your companion's behaviors are a message for you.They may be saying the same thing over and over, yet unable to make themselves understood. I can tell you what they're saying. If they need training, I can direct you to the TYPE of training from which they'll benefit.

Yours in the love of animals,
Raisa Stone
Expert Animal Communicator
www.reisastone.com

Join me on Facebook

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To receive the complimentary Animal Soul Newsletter, with informative articles about animal care, communication and training, visit my website.

June 30, 2013

Raisa Stone: Does Your Pet Have PTSD?

There has been debate recently about whether animals suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. If you've ever rescued, you'll know that an abused animal can exhibit lingering anxiety, fear and inexplicable aggression.

Conclusive answers for mainstream animal behaviorists have been blocked by an inability to verify that traumatized animals also have the defining PTSD factors of (a) intrusive, repetitive thoughts about the trauma; and (b) nightmares related to trauma.

As an Animal Communicator, trainer and behaviorist, I run across animals with PTSD frequently. As I can hear their voices and share their mental "movies," I can say conclusively, yes, they have PTSD. Trauma causes nervous system damage, to which every species is susceptible.

External triggers create distressing symptoms your pet can't help but exhibit. For example, if they were harmed by human hands, even a loving hand reaching towards them may trigger a negative response. A playfully tossed stick may represent a beating. Just as a car backfiring may cause a war vet to dive for the floor and even become violent towards his/her family, a triggered animal may react with in unexpected ways, from seemingly inexplicable causes.

I have a great deal of success with animals who exhibit PTSD symptoms. I treat traumatized animals with a combination of counselling and focused energy healing. Just as with humans, having your story finally heard is the first giant step towards healing. Distressing symptoms being compassionately understood is the next.

With aggressive and anxious pets, I tell them I believe and understand their story completely, and acknowledge that they've coped the best way they know how. A combination of desensitization exercises and energy healing sessions help restore the nervous system. I work with the animal's chakras, or physical energy centres.

During Animal Communication sessions, I let you know the specific type of touch your pet associates with abuse, and which feels healing. I understand the frustration of reaching out a hand in kindness, only to be rebuffed or even bitten. We may discover that it feels safe when you present the back of your hand rather than your fingers, or that your pet would prefer to always be the one to approach.

In working with traumatized horses, I've sat on the ground with my back to them. Eventually, curiosity gets the better! But even when I feel the soft nose exploring my neck and back, I refrain from petting---at least at first. Once safety is established, I form a mental image of what my touching them would look like. I wait for permission. Permission doesn't always come the first or even second time.

I've seen an interesting thing with horses: sometimes their first attempt to show they trust you, is by nibbling. If you're not familiar with horse behavior, it can be disconcerting to see those huge teeth coming at you! The horse's intent may be to groom you, just as they would a pasture buddy. I've seen people yell and smack horses who extend this incredible gesture of friendship. Please don't. If your horse has never had a close relationship with a human, they don't understand your skin is fragile.

Instead of pushing them away, back off and go to your calm centre. Picture your horse grooming you with only her lips, teeth closed. Explain that human skin is fragile, and that she must honour the "teeth closed" part. Wait until you feel she's agreed. I still remember what it felt like the first time an immense, reactive Percheron mare rescued just days from slaughter, swirled her soft lips in my hair :-D

One of the first things I teach owners is that our conditioned reaction to say, "No!" to aggression and exercise force, is driving the reaction even deeper into the nervous system, creating even more aggression. Yanking on a collar, reins, or God forbid, using a shock collar, worsens the disorder. A diagnosis of "fear aggression" is half right. Fear is one symptom of PTSD, but not the whole picture.

And as I shared re: horse behavior, sometimes what appears to us as aggression, is really misunderstood friendliness. In order to not miss that precious window of opportunity, we need to understand the animal's intent.

An important facet of healing is to create a safe space that belongs to the animal alone. That may mean a personal house (which is why they hide under the bed, for safety), dark closet (door half open!), a corner of your horse's stall or paddock he can retreat to without interference.

Safety means that under no circumstances do you touch your animal when they've retreated there, nor allow other animals to invade. When your pet was developing PTSD, he/she felt there was no safe place for them in the world. When you create this utterly safe place, they can begin to regain trust and heal their nervous system.

Another area in which there is no published research, is the effect of being abandoned or having offspring taken away. Animals feel both very deeply. They can develop PTSD symptoms from either. Even if they don't acquire actual post-traumatic symptoms, they develop mistrust and insecurity towards humans and the world in general.

Shelter staff acknowledge the harsh effects of abandonment and homelessness as "kennel craziness." The longer a pet endures these conditions, the more their behavior escalates. Blessings to volunteers who ease shelter pets' lives. They're alleviating or even preventing the formation of long lasting trauma symptoms.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in animals has puzzled behaviorists for a long time, due to their inability to learn the animal's point of view. With Animal Communication, backed by knowledge of PTSD and energy healing, pets can become calm and secure.

Have a great Canada Day and Independence Day!

Raisa Stone

Expert Animal Communicator

www.reisastone.com

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