Surprising ways to meditate

When I used to hear the word meditation my initial thoughts were of someone sitting in silence, legs crossed and sat for hours within a luxury setting of a sanctuary.  I thought you had to be still, quiet and stop your monkey mind. I was wrong and it is rare for someone to sit, and empty their thoughts completely.  We are human beings and our minds are alive!  Learning animal reiki, based on meditating practices and sharing this energy with animals, I found there are more methods available that produce beautiful results for you and your animal’s well being.  Some of these are below:

Guided meditation; this method can incorporate visualisation and spiritual practices.  Someone will talk and guide you through what you could call a journey or story.  Listening to their voice, visualising your environment, using your imagination, all has a calming affect.  Your peaceful energy will filter out into the room and beyond so not only will you feel the benefit of relaxation but your animals will too.

Stand/Walking meditation; this method incorporates mindfulness.  Bringing your awareness to the present moment when out in nature, walking your dog, in a pasture with your horse or in a field with cows, noticing your surroundings will produce a serene feeling for you and your animals and all the creatures around.  You can choose to walk slowly or just stand still, its all about acknowledging your current setting, feelings and thoughts whilst noticing your breath.

Mantra meditation; mantra or chant is a word or sound repeated to aid concentration.  In my experience, these really do help to keep some thoughts at bay whilst in the presence of animals.  And I have seen animals relax using different reiki mantras.  They are also helpful when you are in a noisy environment, such as at a rescue centre.  You don’t have to chant out loud either, repeating these in your head is just as effective.

You can experience guided meditations by visiting, Animal Reiki Care on soundcloud.com  We have free short guided meditations which you can share with your animals at any time convenient to you.  These are uploaded each month inspired by an animal.  If you would like to be reminded when a new meditation is available, you can either join the private Facebook group ‘Animal Reiki Care Share’ or email info@animalreikicare.com just quoting ‘join free meditations’ which will send you a reminder email with the link to you each month.