Animal Communication Made Easy - Pea Horsley
The open heart
« The heart has eyes which the brain knows nothing of. »
Charles H. Perkhurst, clergyman and social reformer
When we communicate with animals, we come from our heart with an intention of unconditional love. One of the reasons people struggle to connect with animals is because they have closed their heart, and sometimes bolted and padlocked it as well. In some cases this has happened in childhood and in others more recently. Spiritually, if your heart is closed or blocked, you may experience a lack of empathy or a feeling of disconnection. You may not trust yourself and lack self-esteem. There can also be deep insecurity and an ever-present sense of fear. All in all, it can be harder to communicate.
Yet the feelings of grief, anger, jealousy or hatred are often what draw people to animals in the first place. Animals express such a vast amount of unconditional love that it feels good to be in their presence. They are literally healing us by their be-ingness. So that we can hear them, and not just be healed by them, we need to spend some time working towards healing our own heart, one gentle step at a time.
When our heart is open, we naturally feel love and compassion for others and are open to receiving. Opening the heart is the start of a healing process and key to clear communication with animals.
Exercise: The OpenHeart process
A simple yet profound way to open the heart and raise self-esteem is by visual cues or affirmations. I invite you to write an affirmation on a sticky note and strategically position it as a daily reminder to yourself. Make as many as you like – the more, the merrier. These statements help to increase positivity for your heart. You can stick them on your fridge door, laptop or bathroom mirror. Stick them on your forehead, for all I care, just stick them somewhere!
I’m going to suggest some affirmations for you, but really I want you to create your own, because they’ll hold much more power coming from you.
- ‘I am opening to love.’
- ‘I forgive myself.’
- ‘I deeply and completely love and accept myself.’
- ‘I live in balance.’
- ‘I respect myself.’
You can also say the affirmations out loud and make some up at random times throughout the day: when you’re on the bus, taking lunch or having a bath. Be creative and spontaneous. I’m not suggesting you shout them out loud on the bus, but if you want to, go for it, others might benefit!
- ‘I take loving care of myself.’
- ‘I am whole and complete.’
- ‘I am beautiful.’
- ‘I feel peace, love and joy.’
- ‘I am healthy and energized.’
Affirmations are about shifting energy to a different vibration – a more positive one. You can say them to attract what you want in your world. When you first say them, they won’t feel true, because if they were, you wouldn’t need to say them in the first place. But it’s like planting seeds – it takes some time from the first planting to the blossoming of the rose.
Make your affirmations with faith and feeling and believe that they have already been fulfilled. Louise Hay, the founder of this book’s publishing company, Hay House, and the queen of affirmations, produced many affirmation oracle cards that you might enjoy.
Your first communication practice
I bet by now you’re keen to get going. Wait no more. In this exercise you’ll learn how to move your awareness, your consciousness, from your body into the body of an animal with whom you want to communicate. That might sound challenging, but really it can be a lot of fun, and what you’ll experience can be astounding. Just focus on enjoying the experience and don’t think about the results. Be in the moment.
This exercise also opens your mind and encourages your consciousness to embrace new possibilities. Let go of any preconceptions you may have. The best way to approach this exercise is with a light-hearted sense of fun.
Exercise: Through their eyes
You can do this exercise with horse friends, bird buddies and all sorts of animals, but let’s start with an animal you already know and love to bits.
- Find a quiet space to sit and relax. You don’t need your animal in the room with you for this one, but if they’re already close by, that’s okay too.
- Think of an animal in your life now and mentally ask them, ‘Can I merge with you and see things from your point of view?’
- If the response is positive or inviting, you know they’ve agreed.
- If you feel any resistance at all, understand that now may not be the best time for them. Waiting is not failure; it’s a respectful acknowledgement of your animal’s wishes and can also be a reflection on your state of being. Give it a few hours or a few days. Practise the Deep Relaxation Technique or CalmSpace. Then ask again. When they agree, continue with the following steps.
Step 1
- Close your eyes and picture the animal in front of you.
- Try and visualize, as best you can, their face and features. Notice the length of their whiskers, the size of their paws or the shine of their long, lustrous mane.
- See them standing, perching or sprawled out in front of you and say to them, ‘Thank you for being with me.’
Step 2
- Imagine now that you’re shrinking down into a tiny version of yourself, shrinking down into your chest area. You are becoming a much, much smaller version of yourself inside yourself, while your outer body is remaining where it is.
- To help you to retain the image of yourself inside yourself, transform it into the image of a dot of light or another image you can sustain, perhaps that of a fairy, unicorn or elf.
Step 3
- Float slowly up your chest into your neck and then into your head.
- At the top of your head there is a trapdoor. It can look any way you want it to. Be as creative as you like.
- Open the door, and now, as the tiny dot of light (or whatever image you have chosen), fly out of the top of your head and over to the top of your animal’s head.
- If you’re not a particularly visual kind of person, don’t worry. Instead imagine that they’re there with you and remember how they look.
- They have a door at the top of their head too.
- Open your animal’s door, slip inside and close the door behind you.
- Be open to your animal changing their mind and asking you to leave. Sometimes they find the sensation of your presence unusual and prefer it to be for a very short time only. If they ask you to leave, please honour their request immediately and exit back to your own body using the guidance in step 11.
Step 4
- Float down into your animal’s chest area and allow them to get used to the feeling of you being there.
- You are now as one with your animal. You are your animal. When you ask them to do something, you’ll be doing it as them inside their body while your body remains seated.
- Slowly glide up to their eyes and for the first time in your life look through their eyes. Amazing, isn’t it? You’ll have lost all sense of your own sense of sight and will be seeing things entirely differently, from their perspective.
- Notice what they can see and how they see it. Notice if you are close to the ground or high up with a panoramic view.
Step 5
- Now focus on their protective coat: the fur, hair, feathers or scales of your friend.
- How does it feel to be wearing their coat?
- What does it mean to them?
Step 6
- Ask your animal, ‘What do you like to do for fun?’
- As your animal, allow yourself to do that fun thing. You could find yourself galloping across a field or flying across to your best friend to sit on their shoulder and nuzzle into their neck. Go with the flow and whatever you feel your animal wants you to experience.
- Notice how it feels to do this fun thing. Become aware of why your animal enjoys it so much.
- And be open. The reason they enjoy it may not be the one that you think.
Step 7
- Now picture your human standing in front of you and shouting at you or telling you off, saying words like ‘Shut up!’ or ‘Will you get out of my way?’
- As your animal, notice how you feel. What do you feel physically when someone you love talks harshly to you?
Step 8
- Now picture your human standing in front of you and saying words of adoration, like ‘I love you. You’re so special.’
- As your animal, notice how you feel. What do you feel physically when someone you love talks kindly to you?
Step 9
- Take a moment to let your animal know just how much they mean to you and why you’re so grateful that they’re in your life.
Step 10
- Ask them gently, ‘Do you have a message or gift for me?’
- Openly receive whatever comes to you. It may be something physical like a crystal or box, or an emotion, an image or some words.
- Accept gratefully anything you receive and say, ‘Thank you.’
Step 11
- Now prepare to leave your animal’s body, knowing you can return whenever you are both willing.
- Say to them, ‘I am going to leave your body now,’ and float up to the top of their head.
- Open the trapdoor there, fly out and close the door behind you.
- Fly back to the top of your own head, slip inside and close the door at the top of your head.
- Glide down into your chest area.
- With your eyes closed, picture again your animal in front of you.
- Notice your perspective has changed and you’re now viewing them from your seat.
- Again thank them. Say, ‘Thank you for doing this exercise with me.’
- Gently dissolve the image of them before you and allow them to carry on with their business.
Step 12
- Bring your focus back to yourself and that tiny dot of light in your chest.
- Morph back into that tiny version of yourself.
- Expand outwards to fill every part of your body.
- Bring yourself back into your body awareness.
- Take a few seconds to move your fingers and toes.
- Take a slow deep breath and release it.
- When you feel you’re fully back, gently open your eyes.
Step 13
You might like to make a note of everything you experienced:
- What you noticed when you looked out of your animal’s eyes.
- How it felt to wear their coat.
- Your response to harsh words.
- Your response to kind words.
- And any message or gift your animal gave you. They gave it you with purpose. It’s no accident you received what you did.
How was your experience with your animal? Did it take your mind outside the box? I understand some people feel they are making it all up. You do need to allow your imagination freedom.
If you feel it didn’t work at all for you, please question if you were expecting too much, like something really solid and concrete, rather than going with the flow of whatever came to you. Even if we feel we know what our animal likes to do for fun, we can sometimes be surprised to find they wish to express something else. Be as neutral as possible, but also go with what you feel they are expressing, even if that is what you presumed it would be.
If you feel the exercise really isn’t working as you were hoping, just go with the parts that are (if any) and know that you can always repeat it another day.
Some people prefer to close the door to their head when they fly out and over to their animal. They worry that by leaving it open they are open and vulnerable to some kind of negative attack. I hold no such fear and prefer to leave it open to remind myself to return. Whatever feels comfortable to you is okay. Like a lot of animal communication, it’s about finding your own way and what works effectively for you and your mindset. The reason I close the door to the animal’s head when I slip inside is because I know I’m going to be ‘moving’ as that animal and I struggle with the thought of their door flapping as I race through a tall grass meadow or roll in some wonderful fox poo!
Repeat the exercise as many times as you like if your animal is willing, because it will increase your connection with them and your ability to think outside the box. These aspects will strengthen your communication with all animals. Each time you practise this you’re learning to get out of the way of your own preconceptions and to go with the flow of what your animal is expressing to you. Plus, your animal will love being able to show you the ropes. Animals enjoy being our teachers and encouraging willing, listening students.
