5 Steps to Communicate with Animals
1. Know that they understand you!
You may think that your pet doesn’t have a clue of what you’re saying to them. That cute head tilt, the staring eyes, the slow blink, the snort, a tail swish, these all seem to make us think that we are talking to a wall or that our language sounds like gibberish to our animals. WRONG! Your pets know many words but they really understand the feeling, thoughts, and energy that you are sending when you talk to them. Once you are aware that they are aware, we can use this to send them messages! Practice getting relaxed and quieting your thoughts and emotions so that they don’t cloud what comes in from your animal. Deep breaths, calming the mind into receiving mode.
2. Do you feel your animal when you think of them?
When I communicate with an animal, my mental focus lands on them but I also “tune in” to them with my heart and energy. What does that mean? Tuning in means that I don't just focus my attention on them but I also feel them and relax to open my heart to them. When I focus on relaxing and feeling their presence, you are more set up to invite them to share their energy with you. You are then able to feel them and with practice you can feel them or “tune in” quickly and from a distance. Try being near your animal and relaxing. Take a deep breath and imagine your heart expanding to surround you until it reaches your animal, then ask them to share their energy with you. Practice noticing how they feel and how it feels different to how you feel.
3. Are you just talking to them or are you sending them images and feelings?
Your pet may know some words through training or learning from observation and repetition but do you know that they use images and feelings to communicate with other animals? Focus on sending images to them of what you want them to do or what you are talking about to help them. For example, if you want them to go potty outside, bring them outside and picture them going to the bathroom outside. Pretend you are sending them this image and imagine it floating from your brain to theirs. You can also pair this with a thought to send them such as, “Good job going potty outside! Thank you!” Sending images helps our animals understand what we are communicating.
4. Are you focusing on the behavior you don’t want more than the one you do?
Our animals get confused when we scold them or get upset when they do what we don’t want them to do because to them we are sending them mixed signals. Oftentimes we don’t want them to do a behavior but we accidentally put the focus on that behavior and this is what they pick up. If we don’t want our horse to be hogging the hay we usually think “I wish she wouldn’t hog the hay!” and the image of them hogging the hay is what is being focused on. They pick this up! Instead, try visualizing your horse sharing with another horse, being relaxed, and sending them “Wow, you share so well and I love that!” Sending the visual or telling them what we would like is less confusing to them than focusing on the behavior we don’t want.
5. Are you relaxed to receive messages or is your mind too active to receive?
Many times we are so excited to communicate with our animals that we are too in our heads. Our attention then is active rather than in a relaxed receiving energy. When we are eager, sometimes our energy is “loud” and can cloud the messages coming through. Focus on quieting the mind of expectation or what you think they will say and just allow it to flow in. You could close your eyes and take a deep breath to help you relax. The more you are open and willing to hear whatever comes, the more info will be shared. Once something comes through, a thought, emotion, picture, or other, say thank you and don’t doubt! Doubt will prevent the messages from coming so make it a practice to say thank you either in your head or out loud when you notice or receive some information.