I Admit It, I’m a “Helicopter Parent” to My Pups and I’m Not Alone…Recent Research Suggests This May Be a Good Thing…

Researchers Reevy and Deldago, conducted a national survey of 1098 pet owners to learn more about the human-pet bond.  They measured their participants’ personality types, attachments to their pets (e.g., My pets and I have a very special relationship, My pet means more to me than my friends do)  and whether they identified as a “Cat Person” (19%)  a “Dog Person” (38.4%) “Both” (38.6%) or “Neither” (3.5%).  The majority of the participants lived with their favorite pet. 

10 Tips for a Successful Pet-Centered Meditation/Petitation Practice

Petitation is a type of meditation that you do with your pets.  We call it the peanut butter cup of health, meditating is great for you and so is having pets.  Therefore, it follows that Petitating is an excellent practice to enhance your health and well-being.  

Petitating deepens your connection with your pet and can help with relaxation and relieving anxiety for both of you.  Petitating also helps with mood regulation and sleep.  To learn more about Petitations, visit our website—www.petitations.org 

Here are 10 tips to keep in mind when you Petitate

1. Pick a time when your pet is already somewhat relaxed—this will help a successful Petitation practice and will happen more and more as you develop your practice
2. Find a comfortable position for you and your pet—as long as you don’t fall asleep, I recommend being comfortable so it is something that is pleasurable and you are more likely to do it
3. Try and incorporate Petitation as a daily habit, at least once a day.  Although I can’t always do it, I find starting my day with a short Petitation and ending with a longer Petitations works well for me
4. Start small, only a few minutes at a time—meditating is just like working out in a gym, you have to develop your meditation muscles with practice
5. Don’t force it….if you or your pet aren’t in the right space, try again later—forcing it will only make you and your pet miserable
6. Make sure that you prioritize Petitating—you and your pet are worth it
7. Don’t let it get you frustrated or stressed if you or your pet are having a hard time.  Petitations, although they are easier than other types of meditations, can be difficult. But, they are well worth it for improvement in physical and emotional health and a deeper connection with your pet
8. Try to incorporate different types of meditations or Petitations—this can include Basic Petting Petitations and Gratitude Petitations as well as the other ones we offer—I find that including different types keeps me and my pups interested
9. Do what works—If you like silent meditation or meditation to Steve’s music then do that, if you like guided meditations, there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s all about focusing your mind
10. Have fun—meditating/Petitating doesn’t have to feel like a chore.  It’s one of the most enjoyable part of the day for me and my pups

Pets are Social Bridges Between People and Enhance Neighborhoods

Social support is extremely important for physical and emotional health and well-being.  To better understand this, scientists in Australia and the United States led by Lisa Wood studied the impact of pets on social connectedness. 

We Know that Pets Help Adults, But How About Kids?
Here are 10 ways that pets can help Children: by the ASPCA

https://www.aspca.org/parents/term/ten-emotional-intelligence-lessons-taught-by-pets