Animals are adorable and something the majority of us love, but did you know that they offer healing benefits as well? Animals can help with emotional, physical, social, and even spiritual healing. Research from our group at FinditHealth found that animals help us cope during times of hardship and struggle and bring more joy into our lives.

Whether you are curious about animals in general or seeking inspiration from a spirit animal, here are some benefits behind healing animals.

Healing Power Of Animals

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People who interact with animals experience increased levels of oxytocin which is known as the trust and bonding hormone according to Harvard Health. Oxytocin causes mothers to bond with their newborn babies. Couples establish intimacy, increasing feelings of optimism and promoting self-esteem. 

By regularly spending time with animals, you can decrease the stress hormone cortisol levels and raise dopamine levels with the feel-good hormone. This is why animals are now being included in several therapeutic interventions. These are programs like allowing animals in hospitals to cheer up patients and bringing animals in nursing homes to calm and provide a companion to residents. There are even some therapists introducing animal-assisted therapy in their practice.

In addition to emotional benefits, being around animals also has numerous physical benefits.

These include reduced risk for heart disease, lower stress levels and blood pressure, and overall healthy weight management. Because animals increase oxytocin, this, in turn, relieves physical pain such as headaches and general body aches and pains. Dogs, in particular, are great for healthy weight management because they encourage you to get outside and walk.

Many pet owners credit animals with changing or saving their life. Animals inspire you to get out and walk and socialize with other animal companions, which can combat isolation and depression. They keep you healthy and happy, further reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation. 

Healing animals is also a great component for a mindfulness practice. The mind-body practice of Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of and accepting the present moment. Mindfulness can be cultivated through mindfulness meditation using the breath as a systematic method of focusing your attention. This meditation focuses on the breath because if you get distracted by your thoughts, you can use your breath as an anchor to the present moment. You could also add stones to deepen your meditation practice.

Pets fulfill emotional needs like the need for love, security, companionship, and comfort. Taking care of a pet also meets the need to nurture and take care of another living thing and give people a sense of purpose. A great way to incorporate an animal into your life is to add it to your morning routine. An example of this would be, waking up every morning and smiling at your dog, and taking it on a long walk. This would be the perfect, happy way to set up for a great day ahead and greatly improve your quality of life.

Benefits Of Working With Animals

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Working with animals is often seen as a ‘dream job’ because this work can be advantageous and lead to excellent career satisfaction. Suppose your dream job entails working closely with others, lots of variety, being an animal lover, and doing something that makes a difference. In that case, this could be the right career path for you. There are so many options for working with animals besides being a veterinarian. Here are just some of the reasons that make a career with animals so fulfilling and why many people choose it.

Variety

Animals can be unpredictable, and no two days will ever be the same. Working with animals will keep you on your toes and full of new challenges and experiences. This is an excellent career for those who like to be highly adaptable. Because it will be something new every day, you will face different situations, whether your role involves taking care of animals or responding to them. As for your career path, working with animals can be very rewarding as there is always plenty of room for further training. There is also a magnitude of choices in working with animals.

Connection

Working with animals means you get to experience their healing abilities. You bond with animals and meet other like-minded people similar to yourself. Spending time around like-minded people can be highly enjoyable and add to your overall life growth.

Flexibility

An essential part of finding your work rewarding is having a life-work balance. It has been shown that being your own boss can be a satisfying experience as it allows you the most flexibility. Many jobs related to working with animals will enable you to be part-time or self-employed. These jobs can range from grooming, pet photography, or dog walking so there are lots of ways to spend time with your animal friends.

Achieving the right work-life balance is often an essential part of finding your work rewarding. Being your boss can sometimes be a highly satisfying experience. If you aim to be self-employed, animal-related work can be a great way to start a sustainable job that is entirely fulfilling. They are also an excellent option for work alongside other commitments like school or parenting.

Self-Care

Part of the joy of working with animals is giving them a service they could not provide themselves. Whether you are giving an animal a home, helping it recover from an illness, or just caring for it, this can lead to significant levels of satisfaction in your own life.

Our general well-being revolves around those activities and mindsets that keep us healthy, positive, happy; making us better people. This is what self-care is all about and it’s a basic form of natural healing. Self care practice is the basics of both physical and mental health wellbeing. While self-care acts can be physical like taking an Epsom salt bath, it can also be emotional like caring for an animal. It can feel gratifying to see the difference you made in an animal’s life and this can ultimately be an act of self-care in your life.

Healing Animals Mythology

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Spirituality typically revolves around a belief in a higher power that guides us through life and healing. Spirit animals are known to guide us through our life journey and show us how to find the answers to our life’s problems with ourselves. Spirit animals help improve our relationship with the world. They connect with us to bring a new understanding of ourselves.

Some spirit animals, for example, are a lion which represents strength and courage. A hummingbird symbolizes peace and seeking the good even in the darkest things in life, and a butterfly signalizes personal transformation. Spirit animals do not have to have physical contact as they are more about an inner connection with the animal. It teaches you lessons on life and survival. 

For suggestions on finding your spirit animals, it is often said that first, you have a connection with a particular animal. These could be traits you admire and just an overall sense of an animal and how you are drawn towards it. This could also be a particular animal that keeps repeating in your life. Another way to find your spirit animal is to use your birthday and zodiac sign. For example, if you were born July 23rd thru August 22nd, your zodiac sign would be a Leo. Your spirit animal would be a lion. As this is a fire sign, you can research and find other animals that incorporate this theme and see how they fit into your life.

We would encourage you to start an evening journal practice and note down the animals you encountered or thought of during the day. Write the animal down and note any traits you admired or feelings that came up. You could also try the practice of Kundalini yoga if you are feeling stuck or not seeing any animals stick out in your life. Kundalini Yoga is more of a spiritual practice versus other types of yoga. It is meant to silence the mind while opening your chakras, so stagnant energy can move more freely throughout your body. Kundalini Yoga combines movement, breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation to strengthen your body and deepen your self-awareness and consciousness.

Frequently Asked Questions on Pets

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Do Dogs Have Healing Powers?

Studies have shown that a dog’s saliva has healing benefits. Licking wounds is an instinctual response in dogs because their saliva has tissue factors that promote blood clotting. Blood clotting is responsible for creating scabs that stop a cut from bleeding freely. This can also ward off serious pathogens that otherwise would have gotten into the blood. This is why it’s common to see a nursing dog giving her newborn regular tongue baths.

What animal is associated with healing?

A dog is well known for its salvia healing benefits. Butterflies are known as healing in the spiritual context because they symbolize personal transformation.

Do animals have healing powers?

Yes, numerous animals and their DNA have been shown to have healing benefits. Animals, in general, have been shown to provide emotional, physical, and mental health benefits.

Conclusion – Research by Findithealth.com

Whether you were aware of animals’ healing power or just realized they made you feel good; you now know that animals have healing powers. Researchers at FinditHealth hope you were inspired by this article and encourage you to find a way to include healing animals in your life.