How To Co-Regulate Your Nervous System With Your Pets
If you were to ask anyone who has a pet why they’ve chosen to do so, there would probably be a lot of different answers. I think many of them, however, would be variations of a common refrain: the emotional wellbeing and fulfillment that can come from animal companionship.
Turning to animals for judgment-free social support has been commonplace since humans and other animals began to cohabitate. We know today that animal-human companionship can help reduce depression, loneliness, PTSD, and trauma symptoms caused by physical violence, verbal harassment, threats, bullying, abandonment, and child abuse.
When I was a child growing up in a chaotic household, our dogs were my constant companions, my life raft.They could meet my needs for unconditional love and physical comfort when I was sad, lonely, or afraid, when the adults could not. And as a natural born empath, I could sense their needs as well. We bathed each other in unconditional love, and found true companionship.
If you think about it, empaths and pets actually have quite a bit in common! Our calm presence soothes those around us and encourages their nervous systems to settle. At the same time, we are often more vulnerable to becoming overstimulated and emotionally dysregulated or anxious.
The close relationship shared by pets and their people – especially empaths – follows a continuous rhythm. We take exquisite care of them, and they provide comfort and joy to us. But that doesn’t mean that co-regulation is always easy.
I work with pets who struggle with behavioral issues, as well as humans who struggle to manage their own emotions around their pets. Luckily, there are a number of intuitive practices you can incorporate to soften these concerns and easily co-regulate with your pet.
Co-Regulating Through Animal Communication
Animals understand their world and ours through images. Of course, we know they have multiple keen senses – but while we have language, they conceive of the world visually. And when they communicate with us and other animals, they transmit these thoughts through pictures, not unlike a television.
To effectively communicate with our pets, we need to learn to receive and interpret their transmissions; then to send visual images back to them. This might seem daunting or esoteric, but it’s actually rather intuitive: craft a visual representation of what you want to say, and send it to them.
For example: if I want to tell my pets I am going away for 3 days and 2 nights and they will be cared for by a house/pet sitter, I would send them visual images of what their next few days will look like: me walking out the door, the pet sitter arriving, and ultimately taking care of them. I then communicate the length of time I will be away by showing them three suns (for day) and two moons (for nights).
How do you ensure they’ve gotten the message? Keep the message in your mind’s eye and then look at your pet with the intention that they should receive it. Take a moment to connect with them, and then trust that they received it. It’s honestly that simple.
By easing the flow of communication with our pets, we create a more stable and nourishing environment for both us and them.
Affirmations For Your Pet
Many humans benefit from meditative practices – and our animals can, too. Have you ever taken a quiet moment to sit with your animal, pet them, and simply be, without any judgment? These quiet moments soothe our nervous systems and theirs.
Sometimes, you’ll feel called to sit in silence. But, humans are verbal communicators – including with ourselves. If you’ve ever used affirmations as a tool for manifestation, self soothing, or otherwise, you can use them with your pet, too.
Here are some things you can say to your pet (and yourself):
“I am a cherished member of this family.”
“My days are filled with play, happiness, and contentment.”
“I am in perfect balance, physically and emotionally.”
“I have healthy teeth, gums, skin, and fur.”
“I am loved.”
“I sleep peacefully.”
As you speak your affirmations, look at your pet with intention. Communicate with mental images. Breathe deeply – and of course, give them all the scratches and pets they want! This practice steadies and soothes, and helps our pets understand that our companionship is just as unconditional as theirs.
How Energy Body Alignment Helps Pets
Our bodies hold the blueprint of our most evolved self as well as our stuck patterns and belief systems. The patterns and blueprints are in the muscles, fascia, and bones as well as in the energetic pathways – the neuropathways, meridians, chakras and nadis.
The same goes for our pets – which means that the healing work we might do as humans can also apply to them. This has certainly been the case for my practice, and I’ve provided Energy Body Alignment to countless humans and pets alike.
How does this work? I sense blocks, knots, and overstimulation in the physical tissue, central nervous system, and energetic pathways, and allow healing energy to move through me. The frequency of this energy unwinds triggers, trauma, and patterns that no longer serve. Old behaviors are released, and new ones are integrated into all sheaths of the body.
Ongoing Support For Pet Anxiety
If you enjoy these practices but need more direct support for you and your pet, I’m here to help. I use Animal Communication and Energy Body Alignment to bring pets and their people the relief they need. Check out my services page to learn more about my offerings, or to book a session.
