Remember, Remember, the fear of November!

My energy healing work started with animals and they are still my greatest teachers, but I want to give you a few tips on how to reduce the fear in your upset animals when the fireworks start to whizz and bang.

Before you turn your attention to your animal, there are a few things you have to consider. Firstly, your animals that live in your house with you are still getting used to the fact that in the past few days you have decided to start doing everything an hour earlier than you were recently. This may sound a little daft, but in my experience, animals that heavily rely on you for a routine (especially dogs and horses) feel a little out of sync (as do I) when the clocks change. Ideally, it's good to gradually start moving your routine a few minutes a day for the previous couple of weeks.

The next most important thing you need to do is check in with your body, but please be aware the exercise I am about to share with you will only help if you have no fear of fireworks yourself.

Take some time, preferably before the darkness falls and before the fireworks start, to sit quietly and observe your breath. As you feel yourself start to rest, scan down your body in your mind's eye and just check where there are any aches, cold or hot spots in your body. Are there any slight vibrations in your body? I just want you to observe these sensations for now (we can work on you another time). By doing this, you start to really be 'in your body' and start to have some awareness of your energy field. Now, in this rested and aware state, imagine your animal getting anxious about the fireworks and see what happens in YOUR body. You may feel a tightening in your stomach or a little sensation in your chest. You may feel the need to swallow, which is a natural reflex when we get a little anxious, or you may feel a temperature change. All these reactions can be very subtle, but it is good practice to have these moments of quiet and rest, and scan your body to light up the body's reactions that very often go completely unnoticed. As you acknowledge these reactions, also acknowledge that these reactions are not yours to own. Your body is reacting to an emotional behaviour of your animal you love so much, and you hate to see them upset, but it isn't yours. YOU are not frightened by the fireworks, YOU know what that sound is and where it is coming from.

Some animal experts will tell you not to console your animal if it is upset, but in my experience and observations, they absolutely need to be with you. You are their world, as they are yours, and the reason animals have been, and still are, my greatest teachers is because they are so finely tuned to energy; this is how they navigate their world.

Take horses, for example. Living naturally in herds, they graze, snooze, and socialize together. If one horse looks out into the distance, you will notice that without any other obvious behaviour than just that, the other horses will move closer. Any horses lying on the ground will get up, some may start nose-blowing or lip curling to sniff the air, and some may lift their tails slightly in preparation for flight or fight. However, if that one horse who initiated these behaviours with that one simple look into the distance, then starts to graze again, the others will go back to foraging, snoozing, or socializing too. This whole scenario played out not because of the action of the horse looking up, but because of the energetic communication. In simpler terms, that look was a reaction to the horse thinking, "Is that a wolf?" and sending its energy field into higher alert. The horses nearby felt the energetic shift bump into their field, creating a chain reaction. This is exactly what we are doing if we allow our energy field to react to our animals' fear.

So, getting back to your quiet space of self-awareness, practice scanning your body and observing your breath. Then, imagine your animal feeling anxious. Every time you feel your body tighten, tell yourself it is okay, then try again until you become aware of your body no longer reacting. When it comes to the time your animal needs you, you should have prepared your body and can sit and cuddle your dog, stand in your horse's stable, or bring the chickens indoors - whatever it takes to create a safe space for your animal. When you have a close bond and your energy field doesn't react, neither will your pet. Or at least, they will cope better because you are standing in your authentic power and holding space for your beloved animals. It will strengthen bonds and prove we are all energy workers and that healing always starts with our own self-awareness.