Overview Unit Seven | The Human-Animal Connection

Unit Seven: Holistic Animal Healing Methods

Lesson Overview

Animal Massage is becoming increasingly popular. Whether it is for pain relief, or helping an animal to restore mental and emotional equilibrium, it can increase well-being. Some massage techniques are intended to improve circulation, lymph flow, and to improve mobility. Other techniques focus on emotional, social, and behavioral issues. They all result in greater comfort and calmness for the animal. For pet owners, massage can put both owner and animal in synch and in a relaxed, peaceful state of mind.

There are a variety of animal massage methods and several schools offer certifications in this practice. Many holistic practitioners also work on animals such as utilizing animal acupuncture, nutrition, chiropractic, aromatherapy, Tapping, TTouch, healing cool lasers, The Trust Technique, and numerous other Holistic Animal Care Practices which are discussed in Unit Seven.

All of these methods can be used alone or in conjunction with traditional veterinary care. More and more veterinarians are adding various holistic modalities as part of their treatment, because owners are seeking non-invasive methods to assist in the well-being of their animals.

In addition to hands-on-healing methods, there are a variety of distance healing methods that don’t involve touching the animals, as this is often important if an animal is not socialized, is in a zoo, or in a shelter where touch is not possible. This lesson also explores methods that don’t involve physical contact or in some cases physical presence.

In Unit Seven we show several videos with Level Two Reiki practices that can be done in a shelter to help an entire line of caged animals, even without having to touch them or enter their area. This has the advantage of assisting larger numbers of animals in a short period of time without interference with shelter routines.

This section also looks at ways that animals who are in the human food chain, can be treated more humanely. The work of Temple Grandin as described in one of her books, “Animals in Translation” has given great insight into how humans can do a better job of caring for animals, even those bound for slaughter.

Doing Reiki, Energy Healing on a wild wolf with neurological issues.

Mice laugh when tickled -- and anticipate tickling from known ticklers.

Chiropractic adjustments are done on animals.

Accupunture can be performed on any animal.

Laboratory mice like to be tickled and receive physical affection from people they know.

We encourage all students in Animal Consciousness Studies to learn at least some basic soothing animal massage, so that they may bring peace and calm to their own animals, and the animals with whom they come into contact. For those who wish to study these methods in greater depth, we provide a list of resources for further study.