Is My Animal Friend Happy?

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Sindi Somers

Even cute little guinea pigs can experience stress, anxiety and a full range of emotions. Get to know your animal friends and get to know yourself. By changing how you feel, you impact all around you, including your pets.

One of the questions I often get asked during an animal communication and psychic reading session is whether or not a pet is happy. Dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, guinea pigs, horses and other animals in our lives are impacted by us and how we are feeling. Are we happy, stressed, sad, angry, excited, enthusiastic, worried or anxious? How do our animal friends mirror these emotions and experiences? In all different ways!

While emotional responses can be exhibited in behavioral issues or changes they can sometimes be less obvious. Has your dog started itching, biting or gnawing himself frequently? If you rule out some of the obvious culprits, such as fleas or allergies, what could it be? It could be an outlet for stress. Why is he stressed? It can be beneficial to evaluate your stress level. Is there something that happened recently or that is currently going on that you find stressful? Everything is energy and energy can be transferred from one to the other; whether human or animal.

Other known signs of stress in animals include birds plucking out their feathers, cats overgrooming themselves, animals not wanting to eat and hiding. These behaviors can also be sign of illness, so they shouldn’t be ignored.

If there is conflict going on in your household or changes that have created a stressful environment, your pets will be effected. However some may show outward signs more obviously than others. Just like all people are different, so are all animals. Some are more go with the flow, letting things roll of their backs. Others may have a lot going on under a facade of courage, stoicism and “I’m fine!”

This dog has a treat. His panting could be a sign of stress that he feels trying to guard his tasty treasure.

Some signs of stress may seem completely natural. That is because in some situations they are natural, but they can communicate much more. There are a number of behaviors that are termed “calming signals” in dogs that can be signs of stress. Lip licks, panting, yawning, ignoring a situation by sniffing the ground or looking away are just some examples. They can be an attempt to calm a situation or another dog, though they can be used when relating to people too. For example, if it isn’t hot out and your dog doesn’t have a reason to be panting, it could be a sign of stress.

It can be helpful to not only pay attention to signs of stress in our animal friends, but to also be aware of how you are feeling yourself. If you are stressed, upset or unhappy about something in your life perhaps it needs some attention. It may be a situation that can be changed through communication with someone or perhaps it simply needs to be approached with a new perspective. Sometimes the way to create beneficial change is to completely leave a situation. Each scenario is unique, so it can be helpful to reflect on it, as such.

In addition to animal communication, energy healing and reading I teach meditation techniques that can help to reduce stress, as well as be more aware of how you are feeling. The style of meditation that I practice and share with others provides tools to help release energy you no longer want to make more room for what you want in the present. This process helps you to heal and create change in any aspect of your life. This includes your relationships with your pets.

To learn more, feel free to contact me. I will be restarting my Meditation Club soon. Everyone in the club receives a new recorded, guided meditation each month. Meditation literally saved my life. More than once and it still helps me in my life. Meditation has provided me with tools in many situations, including loss of loved ones, making changes and depression. If you are looking for support, meditation is just a deep breath away!

Thanks for reading!

360-601-4358

What Does Psychic Mean?

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Sindi Somers

Meditation provides a way to get in touch with yourself and your own information.

If you talk to different people about any topic, you will get a variety of opinions. I have found this with any subject I research. This can make it difficult when you really, really, really want an answer! I always suggest to clients to trust their gut. If you have collected information from a variety of sources, sit with it all. Then get in touch with what rings true for you and discard the rest.

Meditation is a way to get more in touch with your own information. The type of meditation that I was blessed to learn at the ripe young age of 18 years old gave me tools. Meditative, visualization techniques to help me to get more in touch with me, my body and my own information.

Okay. So then, what does psychic mean?! To me it means, spirit or of the soul. We are all spirit. We are souls. Therefore we are all psychic. We all have the spiritual abilities to see or “read” energy, give and receive non-verbal, telepathic messages, feel energy and otherwise sense energy and have an awareness of the spiritual realm.

This was a fun day at the San Diego Humane Society. I got to hang out with some of their beautiful cats that were available for adoption. I love giving healings and readings to animals and people!

I have spent a lot of time developing my psychic muscle and reading energy, consciously telepathically communicating, giving people and animals energy healings and otherwise sensing energy. But you have these same gifts.

Think about experiences you have that validate this. Have you ever been able to tell when someone was lying to you? They were verbally saying one thing, but you knew it wasn’t true? Perhaps you thought about someone right before they called, emailed or texted you. When you first go into an office, home, restaurant or other establishment, are you aware of having a response? You may like it or not. Or like how you feel or not. These are just some examples of how we often unconsciously use our psychic or spiritual abilities in our everyday lives. It’s a fun thing to play with. The more you practice, the more consciously aware you will become of how you feel in different environments and around different people. Honor your feelings and practice being more consciously aware of when you are comfortable and uncomfortable.

As far as what being psychic means to you, I encourage you to spend time being quiet with yourself. Let go of other people’s opinions that you may have picked up throughout your life. Family, friends, religious figures, the media and other sources all have input to give that we often take on. We are all free to share our opinions. As we learn and grow, it is up to us to keep what is true for ourselves and let go of the rest. We all have our own truths. Meditation is the pathway within to find them.

Sage Center of Wholeness and Health

Posted on October 4, 2015 by Sindi Somers

Wow! My last blog post was in June! I can’t believe that it has been over three and a half months since I last shared with you. With my new life choice of working full time as a pet supply store manager in Tigard, Oregon, I have not had the same amount of time to write or offer my spiritual services.

I love helping people and their animal friends with nutrition, natural health remedies and positive reinforcement training at The Filling Station Pet Supplies store. I am grateful to have this opportunity in a public, retail setting. However, it is not what I see as the foundation of what I do.

We, animals and humans are spirit. We are souls; spiritual beings. We have bodies, which are our homes on earth. Our bodies are our vessels. Our temples in which to manifest through as spirit. During a session, my first step is seeing the truth. Looking at the energy of relationships and situations. The energy is the truth underneath the words, emotions, egos, facades and behavior. Following a session, I go in whatever direction is needed. Often a psychic reading and energy healing provide enough insight and information for clients to move forward. If additional support is needed, we may look more closely at diet, ways to reduce stress or give positive reinforcement training tips. I also offer meditation instruction, counseling and pet loss support with guided meditation and animal communication. Yes! You can more consciously communicate with your companion animals too!

Now that I have relocated to Oregon, I felt it was time to find a place to offer meditation classes, group guided meditations, animal communication presentations, pet loss support groups and one-on-one sessions. The place I found is the Sage Center for Wholeness and Health in lovely downtown, Beaverton, Oregon. There I will be able to offer readings, classes, presentations and support groups. I am going to plan an open house before the end of the year for people to visit and meet me. I will post specifics, including the date once it is chosen and secured.

In addition to my in person work, I will continue to offer my long distance services remotely. Animal communication sessions, energy healings, readings, nutrition consultations, positive reinforcement training, pet loss support and recorded, guided meditations through my Wild and Tame Meditation Club are all available for anyone and everyone anywhere throughout the year. While I am planning on eventually getting a 503 area code, Portland, Oregon phone number, I am going to still keep my San Diego, California number of 619-797-0705. You can also reach me via email at sindi@apetpsychic.com.

If you would like more information or to receive my free email newsletter, I just need your name and email address. Thank you for reading! Have a Wild and Tame day!

Birth and Death

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Sindi Somers

Life is full of change, similar to the changes that occur each time a new set of waves flow on and off the sandy shore.

Today my friend’s father died at 5:45 AM. Today also happens to be my birthday. This is the day I was born, oh so many years ago. My friend and I will always remember the date, February 26, but for different reasons.

Birth and death are both transitional experiences. With birth, the soul transitions into the body and the earth plane. In death, the soul permanently leaves its particular body and transitions back into the spiritual realm.

While we can look at physical, scientific and medical reasons why a body lives or dies, it is actually the soul that determines this difference. It is the soul and its energetic presence that gives the body life. It is the departure of this same being that creates the experience of death.

Adjusting to a new life, whether our own or an addition to our own, as with the birth of a child, takes time. Processing the occurance of death also takes time. It is important to allow our body the time to process, reflect and grieve. There are a number of emotions one might experience related to a death; grief, sadness, depression, anger, guilt.

Bodies feel. They experience pain, sadness, grief, as well as lighter emotions, such as joy.

Our reaction to each death experience may have similarities, but also differences. Depending on our relationship with the soul that has passed, the intensity of our emotional response may differ. If you are a close relative, friend or caregiver, for example. These particular roles may evoke different feelings than those of a casual acquaintance, Facebook friend or stranger. If you are both a family member and the caregiver, there will be a unique intensity all its own.

Caring for a loved one at the end of their life can be emotional, exhausting and overwhelming. Watching someone die or approach death can be stressful and painful, especially if suffering is involved. Because of these intense feelings their may be a sense of relief after they pass. This may be followed by guilt, due to judgment.

If we can allow our body its complete range of emotions without judgment, we can more easily move through the grieving process. Or any experience, for that matter. When we judge, fight, resist or deny our emotions, we can get stuck. This can interfere with us reaching a place of acceptance. It can take us longer to reach a place of peace with a death.

Saying goodbye to Ginger was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. Dealing with death can be a challenge for those left living.

Saying goodbye to beautiful, loving Ginger was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. Dealing with death can be a challenge for those left living. But we can do it! Allow the time and space for your healing. Be gentle and kind to yourself.

Because of my personal experiences with death and the benefit others can be to us during a time of loss, I offer help in this area. I work with both animals and people providing one on one and group grief counseling, energy healing, psychic reading and telepathic communication with the soul that has passed. Individual and group pet loss support and assistance with end of life decisions may also include guided meditation and other services.

If you or someone you know are struggling with loss, grief, pain, depression, stress, fear or anxiety related to death or any aspect of life’s many experiences, I can help! Through energy healing, psychic reading, talking and meditating, you can regain a more neutral, non-judgmental perspective of yourself, your emotions and others.

I can be reached at 619-797-0905. Peace.

Bragging Rights

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Sindi Somers

Before children learn the “rules,” to be modest and downplay their strengths and favored attributes, they neutrally and joyfully remark about themselves. Instead of turning it down, let’s turn it up! Learn from kids and be proud of yourself. There is only one YOU!!!

A very insightful friend of mine said something to me that I wanted to share. She said that one thing she doesn’t like about our society is that we are taught not to be boastful, but that it is encouraged to have self-esteem. She was commenting on how we, as people learn to not accept compliments, but instead, disagree with the compliment giver. Here’s an example. If the compliment is, “You’re pretty,” then the trained response may be, “No. I’m not.” We may later learn the polite response is, simply to say, “thank you.” How do you feel when you respond by acknowledging it with a thank you? How do you feel if you respond by invalidating the compliment giver and disagreeing with their complimentary view of you?

We also may learn to apologize for our strengths and if we mention something we are confident about, we, ourselves may feel uncomfortable about this, or others may label us as being egotistical or arrogant. Perhaps there is a belief that if we own one of our gifts are strengths then we are saying others are not as strong in this area.

So what is okay and what is not okay? Are we only allowed to have silent confidence? If we share with others something about ourselves we are excited about, do we risk certain judgment, criticism and less than pleasant responses?

I may be able to admit that I am a good writer, but Dr. Seuss is my favorite writer! And Christopher Durang is my favorite playwright. 🙂

Here is another example. I am a good writer. I think I am a good writer. I have been told throughout my life that I am a good writer. At this point in my life, after years of practice, successful writing projects, becoming a published writer and receiving payment for some of my writing, I feel confident that I not only think I am a good writer, but I am in fact a good writer. I am not a perfect writer, however and I have never claimed to be perfect. Not everyone may like my style of writing, but I am still a skilled writer. Me knowing and stating that I am a good writer does not take anything away from anyone else’s writing abilities. Yet often, when we excel in an area, whether it is a natural attribute or a learned skill, we attract admirers and haters. Some people will love, appreciate and admire our strengths while others will be competitive and possibly feel that it threatens them, effects them in a non-beneficial way, makes them look bad or takes something away for them. Often it can trigger insecurity in someone.

We all have insecurities. We all have strengths and weaknesses. One of my strengths is writing. However, there are plenty of things that are not strengths. I do not know how to fix my broken car, change a car’s oil, do complex mathematical equations, rock climb, fly an airplane, cut a person’s hair, play guitar, sew, play cribbage, work as a barista, scuba dive and you will never see me skydive! Okay. So never say never, but performing risky stunts, like jumping out of a plane isn’t something I gravitate towards.

Okay. So I came clean with you and admitted that I believe I am a good writer. Now it’s your turn. Think of at least one of your strengths and validate it. Take a deep breath and let go of anything that says this is not a strength. Let go of invalidation, doubt and any interference to you admitting, owning and appreciating this strength. It is a gift you have and its okay to own it and let the world see it. Shine baby shine!

Oh and just to share… here’s a link to an article I wrote for San Diego Pets Magazine, which was recently bought by the San Diego Humane Society. A new version of the magazine will be out later this year. The Little Dogs’ Big Problem. By, Sindi Somers.

Me and my Rock. My Chi-ROCK-Wah! 😉

If you want help letting go of invalidation, criticism and anything else that may be interfering with your happiness and your ability to validate your gifts, I can help. With either a one-on-one private session, energy healing or perhaps learning some of the life changing meditation techniques that I practice and teach, I can help with your process. Feel free to email me at sindi@apetpsychic.com or call me at 619-797-0705.

Getting Controversial in North Park

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Sindi Somers

Here I am giving Tim an aura healing. Radar is helping!

Psychic reader and healer giving Tim an aura healing i Old Town San Diego. Radar is helping!

This Friday, May 2 at 7:00 PM, I will be giving an Animal Communication presentation and demonstration. It will last until about 8:45 PM and is $18 per person. This particular event is for people only, so please leave your animal friends at home. Those under 18 are welcome if accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.

I have given a variety of talks over the years, including Holistic Cat Care and Holistic Dog Care. I have taught meditation classes and workshops and led guided meditation for people and people with their dogs. It seems that the most popular topic I have yet to present is Animal Communication.

My goal is to help people to discover and validate their ability to consciously communicate with their companion animals. Even physicists agree that everything is energy. We store our emotions, thoughts, experiences and dreams all as energy. Not just us humans, but all animals too. As an energy healer, I feel energy. As a clairvoyant and psychic reader I see energy. As an animal communicator I engage in telepathic communication, as well as use my psychic reading abilities to receive and relay clear messages from animals to their people. I do the same for people without animals. I use the same approach because not only is everything energy, but we are spirit. All of us with bodies are spirits; animals and humans.

As a psychic, I have also been referred to, as a Medium. This term is commonly used to describe someone that talks to the dead or can otherwise tune into, sense and/or communicate with those that have passed on. I personally am hesitant to call myself a medium because I do not “channel” other spirit, other than myself. Some mediums channel the souls that have passed or other beings. I channel myself and it is me who interacts directly with the souls that have passed, whether spirits that have been associated with human or animal bodies. I communicate for them vs. them communicating through my body. I find that having separate spaces to be more beneficial.

Animal Communicator and Energy Healer Sindi giving Wyn a non-touch aura cleansing in San Diego.

I am spirit. You are spirit. Your animal and human friends and family are also spirit. We manifest through our own bodies. Souls can choose to allow other spirits to manifest, invade or be channeled through their bodies. I, however, feel best, healthiest and happiest, when it is me, myself as spirit, flowing through my body. When I experience someone else’s energy, whether they themselves have a body or are spirit without a body, I don’t feel well. Others’ energy in my body and space can make me feel tired, overwhelmed, depressed, insecure, confused, agitated, irritated, fearful, shut down and otherwise uncomfortable.

When I was 18 years old, I was blessed to learn meditative visualization techniques to assist me to consciously channel myself, flow and manifest through my own body. I learned them from CDM, a spiritual teaching center in Everett, Washington, just north of Seattle. By grounding, centering and releasing energy, I can protect and own my space, as well as let go of energies I may pick up that I don’t want to interfere with my well being.

Sindi doing a psychic reading and animal communication session at Friends of Cats in El Cajon, California.

This Friday, May 2 at 7:00 PM at the Controversial Bookstore in the North Park area of San Diego, I will be sharing these techniques with you. I will also answer questions you may have about energy, spirit, psychic phenomena, animal communication and more. If you have questions, feel free to call me at 619-797-0705 or email me at sindi@apetpsychic.com. You can also call the bookstore to register and pay in advance if you like. You are also welcome to just show up and enjoy this fun, educational talk and demonstration.

Controversial Bookstore

3063 University Avenue San Diego, CA 92104
Telephone: 619-296-1560

Here is a link to the Controversial metaphysical bookstore’s calendar of events. http://controversialbookstore.com/events.asp

At the Controversial Bookstore they have metaphysical books, meditative music, healing stones and so many other varied accessories to help you on your path, whatever your beliefs.

I strongly recommend the following website for books and CDs on meditation, healing, clairvoyance, chakras, Kundalini energy and more. http://espirit.storesecured.com/

Hope to see on Friday, May 2 at 7:00 PM!

A Fresh Day

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Sindi Somers

I have always loved black labs. One of my childhood dogs was a black lab mix named Silver. Very loving memories.

It is an absolutely beautiful day in San Diego! That is… if you like blue skies and sunshine. After posting this, I am going to be spending some time with two of my favorite beings who happened to be housed in doggie bodies. One is my Chi-Watch-Dawg and the other is my housemates’ black lab, who is an amazing watch dog all on his own. I love them both. I had fun playing with them earlier. We also did one of their favorite activities… Tricks for Treats! It’s training really, but to them, they just do things like sit and stay and receive yummy treats in exchange.

I have a session later today and I am really excited about it. I feel blessed every time someone invites me into their lives, as an animal communicator and psychic reader. It’s an experience like no other. It is a soul to soul communication. We are spirit. Souls manifesting through bodies. During a session, I communicate and read the spiritual being and what is going on within its body and external physical environment.

Sindi and dog and dog's mom in an animal communication session

Sindi getting some puppy love during an animal communication session at the Blessings of the Animals event in Old Town San Diego.

There’s a little food right there. Let me get it for you, mom!

If you have questions about your companion animal’s history or whether or not introducing a new pet is beneficial at this time, call me at 619-797-0705 or email sindi@apetpsychic.com. Maybe you just want to be sure your animal friend knows how much you love them. Or you want to find out what he or she might want more of in their life. Do they like their food? Do they like going to doggie daycare or doing agility? Are they getting enough exercise? Any and all questions and topics are welcomed! As you know, I am not a veterinarian and do not replace a vet at any time. If your pet is displaying signs of distress, new behaviors or symptoms of any kind, I recommend ruling out the medical first. Then we can address the energy behind it all.

My goal is to help you get in touch with your own information about what is best for you and your furry and not so furry friends. Thanks for reading and I hope to hear from you soon!

Look at the Bright Side!

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Sindi Somers

Sindi and black cat at the San Diego Humane Society in their cat adoption gallery room.

I felt honored to spend time in the cat adoption gallery room at the San Diego Humane Society. And P.S. I LOVE black cats!!!

I tend to be introspective about the happenings in my life. I like to reflect and find reasons behind why I attract certain situations and people. When I am able to look at life experiences as sources for learning, vs. as “good” or “bad,” I am able to do just that; learn! I also am able to move forward and take with me information to assist me in other areas of my life. Okay. So I’m guessing you are waiting for me to get to some kind of point. I tend to go off in tangents, so I appreciate you sticking with me on this!

sindi at blessing of animals event with Nichole and doggies Missy in background

Here I am with Nichole and three lovely, loving doggie companions at the Blessing of the Animals event in Old Town San Diego last January. I was helping to raise funds for the Chihuahua Rescue of San Diego! My Chi-ROCK-Wah loved that part! 😉

Over the last several years as I have had the goal of earning a living doing what I love to do, which involves working with, and helping, people and animals. While I am fulfilled by volunteering my services, how wonderful to be able to pay my bills and feed myself and my dog, by receiving income from these same services! The fall of the US economy years ago brought on financial hardship for an increased number of people. I know for many, the priority is being able to feed themselves and their pets. Looking beyond that is an extravagance. Necessity overrides luxury when it comes to basic survival needs. I know. I have been there. Because of this, I greatly appreciate those that are able to pay for my services. I definitely do not take this for granted.

I love working at Paw Country! Come visit me on Tuesdays at 5652 Lake Murray Blvd. in La Mesa!

To make ends meet, while I pursue my passion and life’s work, I have taken a number of part-time jobs. Some have been permanent, like my roles at two independently owned pet stores in San Diego, Paw Country and Point Loma Pet Pantry. Others have been short term “gigs” like designing a website or writing a blog for a business, creating a resume for an individual and dog walking and petsitting. The two latter activities, of course, are my favorites on the list, since spending time with animals is one of my absolute favorite things to do on the planet!

As I continue in my life, so does the need to earn money. I have from time to time looked for more permanent full time work, with little luck in San Diego County. I did have the honor of managing Paw Country years ago, while the previous owner lived out of state. She wanted to sell the store and asked if I would step in and be the store manager during the transition. I agreed! I loved that role. It was a lot of fun and I felt that it utilized many of my skills. I enjoyed helping so many people with companion animal nutrition and other needs on a full-time daily basis.

Recently I was hired on a “trial basis” by another local small business. They started me out with designing their website. They liked my work and the help I was able to give them. The two hesitations they had initially had in hiring me were:

I wanted a higher hourly rate than they wanted to pay.
I didn’t have experience in their particular industry.

I was told by her rescuers, that this parrot was flirting with me. I believed them until she bit my finger. Ouch! Love hurts! P.S. It doesn’t have to!!! 🙂

However, they took a chance on me because they “liked my attitude, which is really important” and were happy with my marketing, sales and computer skills. I designed their website last week and worked in their office one shift this week. However, today I was “let go.” I went in and was told that someone else that had come in asking about the job had 10 years of experience in the industry and they were also willing to work for less than I was able to. Although I was told they liked the fact that I was a woman because they have about 60% female customers, they replaced me with a male and stated that they feel like he is one of “them” because he is so experienced in their industry. There is, of course the chance they weren’t being honest with me about why they were making the choice they were making. If they are being truthful, their choice makes sense from a business perspective. They now have someone that doesn’t have to be trained on the ins and outs of their particular business and they don’t have to pay them as much. If they aren’t being honest, well… whatchya gonna do? At this point, I don’t care. I have already pulled my energy out of the situation and am moving on. Instead of working there today, I am writing this blog post. Haha! Hope you are enjoying reading it. It’s cathartic for me to do this today. 🙂

The owner was gentle and kind while delivering this information and stated that he still wants me to help with the website, if more is needed in the future. During and after receiving the news, I felt a bit shocked and definitely disappointed. I had already started feeling like part of the team, but obviously my commitment was stronger than his. I was hired to help bring them business. They couldn’t really afford to pay someone, but were willing to. And from the beginning he felt like I was a risk because his area of work is not my area of expertise. So again, from a business perspective, his choice makes sense.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t just leave after he told me I was being replaced because I wanted to write down all of the details about the website, so he and/or the “new guy” can get into their account and easily to make changes. I ended up staying almost an hour after our conversation because I needed to reset the password and of course, things were moving slowly. You know when you really want to get of a situation and the exiting process seems to take forever?! That was this instance!!

This is the gazebo just outside my office in the Mission Valley area of San Diego. It’s a great spot for meditation, a moment of peace or a relaxing break during an otherwise busy day.

So although I was as communicative and congenial, as possible, I didn’t want to be there. I wanted to go to my office to meditate. I wanted to reflect on this situation and what I need to do next to replace what I was hoping would be additional permanent income. The main thing is that it was uncomfortable and I wanted out of there.

Even though it was a “trial basis,” I had essentially been fired. When things in life happen, they trigger past experiences. When someone says, we don’t want you anymore, it brings up those internal messages that say we aren’t good enough. It stimulates past invalidation, criticisms and other pain. These are opportunities for learning and healing. When we get in touch with past pains and restrained emotions, we can then let them go. If we choose to do so. Then we have more room to experience joy, enthusiasm and amusement. In these emotional, uncomfortable, painful moments there are many options on how we can respond. We may feel hurt, angry, defensive or vindictive. Maybe there is even relief, especially if we wanted out too. In my case, I was able to keep my professional composure and complete the tasks I needed to. I certainly was not as jovial as usual, I was relatively lighthearted and seemingly pleasant. I was of course handling the emotions my body was experiencing in a public setting when I really wanted to be alone with them. I did feel hurt and angry and like they were making a mistake. Those were some of my initial thoughts and feelings. I could have crumbled. I could have chosen to go home and pull the covers over my head. I could have escaped with a sweet doggie fix a la Rock. (I can never go wrong with that choice!) I could have called a friend to vent. I could also have taken my feelings out on the business owner. I did none of those things. I instead decided to look at the bright side!

Meditation helped me to find a way out of depression beginning at the age of 18. It still helps me to lighten my mood and helps me to look at the bright side!

Sometimes it can be so hard to feel like there is a bright side when you are experiencing pain and feelings of self doubt and insecurity. But honestly, after going through the untimely death of my beloved dog Ginger, just seven months after the death of my closest relative, my Grandma Sally, being replaced at a job was nothing!!! Especially after only investing a little over a week there. Dealing with the death of loved ones puts things in perspective really quick. Yes, I was disappointed that I was not going to be kept on there and I had to confront some feelings of not being good enough, but I chose to use this as a sign that I need to focus more on my passion. I decided to use this as a motivating factor to increase my commitment to my life’s work. Instead of spending hours at their office, I went directly to my office and spent time meditating. I used the visualization techniques that I practice and teach to others, to release the past pain and uncomfortable feelings. I got in touch with my body’s anger and acknowledged it and used it to help cleanse some of the heavier energies, I was experiencing. I was able to free myself from going down a road of depression and was able to experience my enthusiasm instead.

Here’s my Rock! What a difference 12 and a half pounds of love can do!!!

I decided before going home and getting my Chi-ROCK-Wah fix, I would needed more alone time. So I came to the library. I am writing my blog from the library’s computer. Once I go home I will tell my housemate that I no longer will be working at the job I had told him about. Until I find another position to supply additional income, I will try alternative ways to build my business so I can help doing what I love to do; helping animals and people. At this point in my life I really don’t feel fulfilled unless I am helping others. Unless of course I am taking a break and spending time with my dog, taking a nap or sharing laughs with friends at a Happy Hour. But then again, doesn’t laughter and fun make the world a brighter, happier place? Aren’t we still then, helping the world?! And resting my body whether playing with my dog or socializing with human friends or taking a rejuvenating nap, helps me to replenish my energy level. If I feel depleted and exhausted, I have little stamina to give to others. When I am refreshed and full of enthusiasm and energy, I also have hope and optimism. I can move forward with confidence and faith, do my work, help others and have energy at the end of the day to give to myself, my dog and the other animal and human friends in my life.

Oh and… if you want to learn life changing meditation techniques, I offer private one-on-one sessions, as well as for groups of friends and co-workers. I can come to your business or your home. I also offer presentations and demonstrations, as a public speaker. And if you need insight into what is going on with your companion animal or your personal or professional life, I can help! I started my energy healing and psychic reading work with people. It was my love of animals that help direct where my career went. I now offer animal communication sessions, pet nutrition consultations, positive reinforcement dog and cat training and energy healing and reading for people and animals. And as aforementioned, I love sharing the meditation techniques that changed my life.. I love what I do and I would love to help you whenever you are in need of my services. 619-797-0705 sindi@apetpsychic.com

Below is a link to my first TV interview with the warm and kind reporter, Gary Kelley!

Gary Kelley was the first reporter to interview me on TV. It was a fun and memorable experience. I am happy to say, we are friends to this day. Thanks, Gary!

CLICK THE LINK AND WATCH ME DO A DOG READING ON TV!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ps5gx6nRZM

The Two Minute Trip to Disneyland Part Three

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Sindi Somers

I like to take Rock into all different environments for a variety of learning experiences. After one of our two (so far) visits to Fiesta Island, I pulled over for some meditation time. I parked and let Rock out of his carrier while I enjoyed some quiet time. He opted to climb up on the dash. Of course, I would NEVER drive with him like this! It does make for a cool photo though.

It’s been a little over a month since I last wrote about our “Disneyland” excursions and of course, a lot has happened. I will do my best to give you an overview and am sure I will revisit this topic again. Feel free to email or call me if you have questions about our education process! Sindi@WildTame.com or 619-797-0705.

The main piece of information that I would like to communicate, is that if you have a reactive dog, a shy dog, a fearful dog, an under-socialized dog, an aggressive dog or absolutely any characteristic of any type of dog, there are techniques and approaches to help teach new behaviors. You can also learn how to have clearer communication and a better understanding of your dog’s behaviors. If you have doubts, then I encourage you to do what you need to do to get rid of that uncertainty. Doubts are limits. They can discourage us and keep us from moving forward. It is necessary to believe change can happen. For change to occur, you must first want change and then you must believe it is possible. The same is true for animals. That’s why positive reinforcement training can work so well! We basically show them why choosing the alternative behavior is more rewarding and beneficial than the behavior we want to change. Animal communication, energy awareness and reading helps expedite things, by giving insight into a particular individual animal’s thoughts, emotions and history.

In Rock’s case, yummy treats, praise and affection are now more highly valued than any adrenaline rush or benefit that his reactivity gives him. That is why he now turns his head to look at me instead of lunging towards dogs. The point of reinforcement training, in my opinion isn’t to give them treats forever! We need to teach them the new behavior and make it the new habit. We need to reprogram their bodies with the new “default” behavior. Then we can wean them off the treats, praise and other rewards because it is then their “normal” behavior. It’s still fine to give treats, praise and pets because you love them. But it is best to have the eventual goal to have the behavior so ingrained these things are not needed to obtain the desired result.

Something has Rock’s attention as he sits on my friend’s lap at a coffee shop. This is one of the locations where Rock has made great progress. He can actually relax there vs. being on high alert as he seems to be in this photo.

The one thing that I find is missing in some training experiences is us people, making changes ourselves. Not actively making change ourselves, can not only slow down the educational process, but it can cause learned behaviors to be less permanent than we would like. I use meditative visualization techniques to assist me to not only reduce stress, but to also consciously create change. This includes confronting my fears and “issues” and changing habits. It is unfair for me to expect Rock to change, if I am not willing to change. As he moves from reactivity to responding in the present moment, I also let go of my reactive tendencies. Don’t we all have them? When someone pushes your buttons, do you respond calmly or do you react quickly with full emotion? Working with Rock has assisted me to be more grounded, more aware and more in the present moment. I had been working on being more consciously responsive and less reactive before adopting Rock. Him being in my life has definitely gotten my attention and helped expedite my personal healing process. So… thank you, Rock!

My approach is not one sided. I believe that in order for a newly learned behavior to “stick,” we too must be aware of our own habits and tendencies. For example, if your dog lunges at people on moving bicycles, then every time you see a moving bicycle, you tense up anticipating your dog’s reactivity, how can you possibly expect your dog to not react?! You are basically telling him and teaching him to do exactly what you are thinking you don’t want. If that doesn’t make sense, contact me! I have other analogies and can give additional information to anything I comment on in my blog. 🙂

Rock and I have both learned a lot. Rock enjoys going to the park now. And I enjoy taking him there. I am completely engaged in the environment, both what is going on around us and Rock’s reaction to it. One behavior that has become a pretty consistent default behavior for Rock I mentioned already. It is that when we are approaching a potentially stressful situation, such as a person with a dog, Rock turns to me. This is one of the most awesome things! Let me replay for you a couple of scenarios.

Scenario #1 a.k.a. THEN: Rock has been my companion now, for six months. When I first started walking him and he would see a dog, he would pull to the end of the leash, lunge and bark like he had no intention of ever stopping. He was fully committed to this behavior in this situation. If he could have gotten loose, which did happen one time, he would run to the dog. Luckily, he is reactive on leash and by the time he reached the other dogs (yes, dogS!) off leash he sniffed them, but it appeared to be a civil greeting. Rock isn’t reactive in the same situations off leash, as he is on. I know some people reading this may have a similar experience with their dogs.

I started working with him on walks about two months or so into our relationship. From the beginning, I really just went with the flow. If something appeared that I needed to work on that would be my focus. The main thing I was concerned about in the beginning was Rock’s relationship with my housemates’ dog. That is no longer an issue to the extent it was, but it is still an area that needs attention. After that situation calmed down a bit, I started focusing on the next big area, which was reactivity on leash when on walks out in the world.

Scenario #2 a.k.a. NOW = Rock sees a potentially stressful situation, such as a dog on a leash. He watches. Sometimes he watches for a long time. I let him watch, so he has room to decide what he wants to do. For me, I see the time spent watching as giving him the time to choose to respond vs. react impulsively, as before. Anyone who questions whether dogs are capable of having an actual thought process, would really enjoy spending time with my favorite guy, Rock. For me it says a lot that instead of seeing something that used to make him “react” and now instead of reacting he watches and makes a choice. His default response now, in this situation is to watch and then, at the point where he has watched enough, he physically turns to me and makes eye contact. At this point he gets praise and treats. He totally deserves both! If you do not have a reactive dog, or don’t have experience with a reactive dog, this may not seem like a big deal. For those of us that have had the experience of the impulsive reactions, know that this is a huge transformation deserving of not only praise and treats, but grandiose celebration!!!

Even energetic Rock stars need to sleep! He was watching and watching out the window and then just fell asleep in this position. So cute! I think he looks like a kangaroo here. 🙂

A couple of days ago, Rock and I ventured to a place with even more stimuli than the park by our house. We went to Lake Murray, which is in La Mesa, CA for those of you in areas outside of San Diego County. Lake Murray park, I would nickname, instead of Disneyland; DisneyWORLD! Not only are their cars, people and dogs, but also ducks, cranes, squirrels and chipmunks galore! Rock did great! We kept our distance from people and dogs, but no barking or lunging. We walked towards the lake and he found the ducks quit fascinating. I sat on a picnic table bench and he opted for the table top, allowing him a higher vantage point. We sat there for 15 or 20 minutes. Watching the ducks like we were watching Dog TV. He spent some time on the ground, but mostly on the table. He had a little reaction when he saw a huge crane. His reaction was more like, “What in the world is that?!” And he gave a very quiet woofy kind of a sound. But when I validated that it was something different, but that it was okay, he went back to watching. Glued to the set like a football fan on last Sunday. By the way… I personally am thrilled that the Seattle Seahawks won! I used to live in Seattle and was so happy for them!!!

Before I go, I have one question for you. What is your two minute walk to Disneyland? What are you letting fear get in the way of you accomplishing. You don’t have to pressure yourself into overcoming all of your fears at once or immediately. Allow it to be a healing process. A journey of unlearning and re-learning. Discover the many possibilities that fear may be hiding from you. Make it a fun time complete with treats and self-praise. It’s your life. Create it the way you want it!!!

Want help with your companion animal? Whether shy, reactive, fearful, aggressive, overwhelmingly energetic or calm as a cucumber, I can help! 619-797-0705 or sindi@apetpsychic.com.

The Two Minute Walk to Disneyland, Part Two

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Sindi Somers

Children may love to see Goofy, but he would be a scary sight for a dog that has never been exposed to such a thing! Sure he’s a dog, but just like Halloween costumes, Goofy could be alarming.

It’s been two weeks since I wrote and published my last post, The Two Minute Walk to Disneyland, Part One. Although we haven’t ventured to the park every single day, Rock has made great progress and is feeling more confident and tolerant of varied activities and surroundings. We have walked to the park, which includes the scary, noisy overpass 4 or 5 times since my last post.

I went from carrying him across the overpass, to us running across it, to today’s progression of, Rock choosing to walk instead of run. He walked quickly, but slow enough so that I could walk and his leash remained loose. We got about half way across the overpass and he decided it was time to run.

Rock likes to watch the world. It’s his Dog TV! As you can see by his upright, stiff tail, he is alert. On walks when he actually has his tail in a more relaxed position, I reward him with treats. I want to teach him that it’s okay to let his guard down.

Rock loves to watch the world around him. He also likes to smell it! While the park is a bit overwhelming and perhaps not a completely carefree experience or playground, like Disneyland is to a human child, it is interesting, fascinating and mentally stimulating to Rock. After about an hour at the park, which included sniffing like an experienced retriever and running free in the in the fenced in area, Rock walked calmly and in a relaxed manner back across the overpass. If you have a reactive dog or one who gets into “mischief” or an incessant barker, or any dog with exuberant energy, get them out of the house! Introduce them to new experiences. Our park field trips, definitely provide great physical exercise, but also, tons of mental stimulation. This combination is fatiguing, as well as fulfilling. Rock is a more relaxed dog after both outlets for his energy. Even physicists and scientists agree that everything is energy! That includes enthusiasm and joy, as well as stress, anxiety and fear.

Rock receives praise and sometimes treats when he is more interested in his walk or sniffing the ground than lunging at moving people, animals or objects. And it’s working awesomely, as a way to teach him alternative behaviors!

Some wonderful responses to note include, Rock’s choices today to walk all the way around the fenced skateboarders’ area at the park without barking, lunging or in any other way showing signs of stress or reactivity. He chose to stand and watch the action a few times, but mostly walked around sniffing and accompanying me on a stroll. There were a few key times I rewarded and or distracted him with treats. I gave him a few food rewards while he walked calmly next to the noisy skateboard area, as well as when a jogger or walker passed right by us. He impressively, did not lunge, bark or react. Although there was one woman who walked by that he wanted to chase. He didn’t bark or even lunge at her. After she passed, he just really wanted to chase her! We went in another direction and he was fine with that choice after a few moments.

If there is a chance your dog may pull or lunge while on leash, I recommend using a harness collar, like this Puppy One harness on Rock. Your dog will be less likely to damage his trachea or otherwise harm himself with a harness. It is humane, unlike prong, choke or shock collars. A comfortable harness is a safer option than a regular neck collar too. And although a Houdini dog can wiggle out of anything, a harness will be more difficult.

For the amount of time we spent at the park, I really didn’t give a lot of treat rewards. I didn’t have to. His time sniffing and exploring was reward enough, not quite Disneyland, but perhaps more like a day at Cub Scout’s or Boy Scout’s camp. Interesting and educational and experiences that built confidence and maturity with some fun thrown in.

Well… I am going to have to have at least one more part to this story! So much more to tell, but I want to cuddle up with my Rock and go to sleep.

Me and my Rock.

If you want help with your dog, whether reactive, shy or just in need of some education, call me at 619-797-0705. You can also email me at sindi@wildtame.com. And… Happy New Year to you and yours! Wishing you the courage to confront yourself, to not only help yourself, but also your companion animals.

I will be in Yuma, Arizona on January 16 and January 17. If you would like an in-person animal communication reading, positive reinforcement training session or nutrition and holistic pet care consultation, let me know! Secure your spot by calling me at 619-797-0705 or emailing sindi@wildtame.com.

Sindi Somers with Wild and Tame Wellness and Communications

bridging the gap between wild and tame animals and people

Tag Archives: dog whisperer