When my clients and students arrived for a class or session, they often take the time to look around and see where my cats were and what they were doing.

Chances are they were engaged in cat naps in comfy spots—snuggled deeply into fluffy cat beds perched on toasty radiators, bodies arranged into insanely cute positions (and often snoring); bonelessly draped over the cat tree, basking in the sunshine with feet dangling; or perhaps occupying one of my comfortable office chairs (which meant I had to find something less comfortable to sit on so I can get some work done).

And some people looked at me and said, “In my next life I want to come back as one of your cats.”

Really, the cats would have discouraged them from that, for being an animal in a high energy intensity household such as mine is not always easy for them.

But I can certainly understand why someone would want their life, for cats have the whole stress relief and relaxation thing down pat, a point noted in a recent article in Feline Wellness Magazine entitled Kitty Knows Best which lists five feline stress busters for people: take catnaps, meditate, stretch your body, get a massage, and put you first.

And they are all excellent suggestions, but I have an additional one—regular energy clearing and balancing work for you and your animal companion.

All living beings have energy bodies as well as physical ones, and our external fields can pick up or hold unwanted heavy energy (hucha) that gradually works its way into our interior flow, getting stuck and resulting in slow down or interruption of that flow which eventually manifests as physical and emotional challenges.

Where does this heavy energy come from? Simply from living and moving around in the modern world. An extreme example would be visiting or working in a hospital setting, where there are many people gathered under one roof who are frightened and in pain. A simpler one would be contact with someone who is angry. In both instances our energy fields can become clogged with that energy, and then we carry it home with us to our loved ones.

And heavy energy does not just come from others, when we are under stress it manifests in our energy fields. In short, being under stress or being around others who are stressed can cause us to become energetically unbalanced.

The solution is a simple one: regularly clear your energy field, your home and your animal companions. For those who work in what one woman refers to as “Cubicle Nation,” otherwise known as The Office, you may want to clear your space there as well.

To do this you could use a variety of methods. The easiest way for most people—one that does not require any special training—is to smudge.

Smudging uses the energetic and spiritual energy of a sacred plant such as white sage, cedar or palo santo wood, in the form of smoke, to clear spaces or energy fields. This method is one that I teach all my beginning students in Reiki or shamanism.

You can see some of the items mentioned in the smudge kits on my Shamanic Supplies page. If you can’t use or tolerate smoke, an alternative is a product like the Clear crystal essence mist which is completely odorless.

So, take a tip from the cats—put yourself first and give routine smudging a try. You might suddenly feel that weight that you’ve been carrying on your shoulders dissipate. You will feel more relaxed and at peace, and when you are relaxed and at peace your loved ones, furry or otherwise, will feel better, too. And that’s another way that cats have mastered the art of stress busting, they have staff!

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Learn how to connect more deeply with animals, restore balance to your life, increase intuitive skills, and help heal the Earth with live Reiki and shamanic teleclasses, available worldwide.

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©2009 Rose De Dan. All Rights Reserved. www.reikishamanic.com

A WILD WAY TO HEAL
Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC, is an animal communicator, Reiki Master Teacher, shamanic energy healer, and author. Her classes, sessions and ceremonial work are inspired by wild and domestic animals who have issued a call to action for personal and global healing.

Her book Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism features heartwarming stories about animals and their role in her evolution as an energy worker and shamanic healer.