We love dogs. But do we really understand them?
We love our dog, but do we really know them? are we fully present? are we really listening?
How to decode unwanted behaviours? What is our dog trying to say?
Does your own behaviour even makes sense to your dog?
What is your dog trying to tell you?
“I would ask you to remember only this one thing,” said Badger. “The stories people tell have a way of taking care of them. If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive. That is why we put these stories in each other’s memory. This is how people care for themselves.”
– Excerpts from Crow and Weasel by Barry Lopez.
Dear friends,
I hope you are well and that you are enjoying Autumn wherever you are.
I’m now getting ready for my next 6 day workshop which will start in exactly a week from now.
My last workshop at Emerson College was in early June. It was the end of Spring, the days were longer and the promises of a hot summer were in the air. The temperature was going up, the natural world was in bloom and all the insects were very busy.
Now it’s Samhain – A time to celebrate the spirits, past and present – Halloween is in only a few days and Autumn is definitely here. The trees have shed their leaves, the insects activity has slowed right down, getting ready for winter. It’s the opposite time of the year.
I love receiving emails from previous workshop attendees. I love reading your stories and how animal communication may have enhanced your connection with the natural world and the animals in your life.
Birds are always in sync. They always arrive and leave at the right time.
Seven years ago, my parents were driving in the French countryside, where they live.
My dad noticed a black shape on the side of the road. As he got nearer, he found himself looking into the eyes of a fledgling crow who was laying there, near a roundabout. She was only a few weeks old and completely on her own, with no parents in sight or earshot.
A few life times ago I made a vow. I vowed to dedicate my self to help animals. To alleviate their suffering and help them to be heard. I have tried a few things over the years. I waged a war against the world, but I realised that the war I was fighting against the outside world was also happening inside me…
I wanted to share this message inspired by our dog, Tara – some of you may recognise the picture of her at the beginning as it’s the photo I use on my Gravatar profile – It’s about turning towards our fears and the resulting exhilaration that arises within us through the feeling of accomplishment.
Dogs conquer their fears – why can’t we?
Buzzard follows me
or maybe I follow you
as I walk, drive, breath…
Rain daisies, felted bee
My week has been bee-sy, needle felting a bee for the birthday of one of Thom’s friends. This bee is now with her girl, I hope they will have a lot of fun together…
Rain daisies are good friends for the bees, and it reminds me that more work needs to be done at the allotment over the weekend. There are bee hives next to our patch. We got some of their honey this week.
Before I started this bee, I did some research on bees to connect with them and to get to know them better… I learned that honey bees taste with their legs (their claws to be more precise), and that until fairly recently scientists couldn’t understand how bees could fly, as their bodies are so much bigger than their thin wings. It seems that they beat their wings at such a speed that they can take off and fly!
In many cultures bees represent fertility, a strong sense of community, prosperity, diligence, busyness… and they also remind us that we are all interconnected within the big web of life, as without bees and other pollinator insects our food would not grow.
If you find that you have a fascination for bees, and/or you feel a strong connection with them, I invite you strongly to go and meet them: go and sit quietly in their company and listen… and see what they have to tell you. You can also meditate on the qualities of bees, their social habits, their behaviour… and see if you need to implement more of these qualities into your own life. Or maybe you need to be less bee-sy? Slow down and take time to enjoy the sweet golden nectar of life? Perhaps you need to stop rushing around and working too hard, and set aside some time to relax and enjoy ‘what is’ and what you already have?
Pay attention to omens and animals who cross your path… if you come across bee(s), there may be a reason, and it’s worth taking a few moments to reflect on it.
In yoga the sound of the bee hum is associated with vishuddi, the throat chakra. There is a pranayama (breath control exercise) called brahmari – which means bee in sanskrit – also called the bee breath, named for the humming sound that bees make. This breathing technique is very relaxing and quietens the mind effectively. You can practice brahmari while sitting, start with simply noticing your natural breath for a while, then inhale through your nose and keeping your lips gently closed, and then hum like a bee as you exhale. Do so until you have completely emptied your lungs and you need to breath in again.
You can also use this breathing technique while in a posture such as the swan for example:
The Swan or extended child – Utthita Balasana
Or be on all fours in the cat position, breath in and as you breath out, hum like a bee as you get into swan (or extended child), then go back into cat (on all fours) as you breath in, and keep going…
If you have an interest and/or a connection with bees, you may enjoy this documentary:
Happy Beltane!
Noémie.
This morning this cow came to me, as a reminder:
i must honour my duty, stories have been brewing.
i know her.
as I’m busy preparing and thinking
about this coming workshop,
she came and nudged me gently
“keep going, do not stop
but remember our story”.
“My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today.”
― Richard Adams, Watership Down
Goodbye Zara,
wherever you may go next,
may you find and carry joy and happiness,
truthfulness and love…
may these words be your shadow,
may you be happy, content,
healthy, loved and playful,
wherever you may go now.
I am fortunate, I got to cross your path
only once,
last week.
I wish you all the very best,
and even more.
far beyond that.
FocalHeart 