Relaxation Articles

 

The Power of Animals to Teach and Facilitate Relaxation
By Amy Phillips-Gary

I've had one busy and frazzled day. An event I'm helping to
plan is just days away and the to do lists grow by the
minute. Then there's the dirty laundry that's just piling
up, groceries needing to be purchased, and how about some
quality time with the kids and my love? Yikes! I didn't even
get to some relaxing, downtime just for me. As I remind
myself to breathe while scurrying about the house, I pass by
our living room and freeze. There, sprawled out on the
floor right in front of the fan is one of our cats. He is
lazily extended as far as he can, eyes closed, breathing
easy, with his big orange and white spotted belly fully
exposed. What appears to me to be an absolutely contented
feline smile rests on his face. Wow, would I love to trade
places with my cat at this moment!

It may not be possible (or desirable) to literally trade
places with your pets, but you can certainly learn a thing
or two about how to relax from them. Yes, for many pets,
their lives are filled with different potential stresses
that probably seem downright trivial to us. Is it really
such a big deal to get your daily tuna at 7:30 instead of 7
am each morning? But they move from upset to ease with the
nimbleness and grace of, well, a cat.

Medical studies have actually shown that pets are
therapeutic for those recovering after heart attacks. One
study indicated that stockbrokers handled stressful
situations more easily, without a spike in blood pressure,
when they lived and interacted with dogs. Dental patients
who watched fish swim in a tank reported feeling more at
ease with the procedure they underwent in another study. You
don't need a team of researchers to prove to you that pets
assist in relaxation when you take just a few moments every
day to pet or brush your cat, dog, rabbit, ferret, or
whatever animal lives at your house.

And I'm not just talking about pets here. Even if you have
every allergy in the world and cannot live with another
beast, you can still benefit from the relaxation lessons
offered by the animals of our planet. Sit outside for even a
short amount of time and notice the soaring bird who appears
to move through the atmosphere weightless and free. The
squirrels twitch their tails and move as rapidly as you
might feel when running late for work. At the same time,
watch them effortlessly leap from tree branch to branch and
then across telephone lines. A trip to a nearby zoo offers
a wilder relaxation lesson. Who has time to worry about
bills with playful otters tumbling about in the water?

Animal Relaxation Lesson #1
Slow down and soften.
Whether it's admiring my dozing kitty stretched out on the
floor or the manatees at the zoo who-- despite their motor
boat propeller scars-- seem to have no cares as they munch
lettuce, the animals that surround me teach me to slow down
and soften. I literally have to stop what I'm doing and sit
down to pet my cat and as he purrs, I also ease and breathe
more fully and deeply. Yes, I could pass a glance at the
cat and move on to the next item on my daily agenda, but
that wouldn't help me relax. Throughout the day I can take
a minute to look up from my computer and soak in the calls
from the sparrow reminding me to take it easy, be present in
this moment, and savor it all.

Animal Relaxation Lesson #2
Love fully and without the strings.
Yes, the animal world can be a rough place to be. Those
meerkats on Animal Planet make even the most cut-throat
human reality tv show seem mild. But animals also show
great love and it appears to be offered without any strings
attached. As much as we'd all like to truly say we love
anyone (including ourselves) unconditionally, this is a
rarity among we homo sapiens. Even despite the efforts of
the most devoted mother, it's likely she unconsciously
places some conditions on her love.

Bring a dog into your family and you will quickly learn how
devoted and completely they love. Especially when they are
treated with kindness and respect, pets don't hold back
their care and affection. Dogs do this especially well but
other pets do too. Our house rabbit, for example, doesn't
care that his pen is a mess, he hops over and licks our
hands then lowers his head ready for some petting.

When you catch yourself holding back on love out of fear or
anger, remember the animals who turn themselves completely
over to love when they choose to share it. And when the love
is flowing freely and easily, there is no room for tension.
It is automatically relaxing. Whatever animals come into
your life-- whether in the sky, on the ground, in the water,
or sprawled on your living room floor-- stop and watch
them, interact with them if possible. Allow yourself to
emulate the way they flow through their lives with seeming
ease, love and peace.
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Amy Phillips-Gary is a free-lance writer, homeschool mom and personal growth adventurer.



 

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