An Unexpected Crossroads

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Sindi Somers

Life is not perfect. It can get a bit messy. At times it can seem impossible to clean up. Patience can be a challenge when you want it all to be over now. Remembering that life is a learning process can help to allow more patience. But it can still be a challenge to slow down and go through the growing pains while cleaning up the mess! You can do it though and so can I. We can do it!!

If you’ve been following my writings over the years you know that my life path has taken many twists and turns. Some directions have been easier than others. I’ve been blessed to experience many exciting adventures, which have included road trips through different states and meeting new people and animals that have become a part of my life. I’ve had fun and there have also been times that were unpleasant. Such is life! Without all of the different ups and downs, failures and successes, I would not be where I am today. I have always said that life is a canvas. We get to decide what we paint and how we paint it. It can be helpful to remember that all of our experiences play a part in the steps we take. Or choose to not take.

It can seem challenging to refrain from taking a turn when a particular direction is everything you’ve been wishing for. Sometimes the challenge is taking time to know yourself and what you want. It is important to find what is most beneficial for you vs. what others want for you or what you THINK others want for you. Maybe all the “others” really want is for you to be happy. By taking time to let go of expectations, either ours or those of others, we can gain clarity about who we are, what we want and what our life path is.

Recently I made a choice that I did not foresee making. I was excited and content about my situation so making a change was not in my plans. However things occurred that made it obvious to me that I needed to switch my focus. What happened is that I ran smack dab into myself! The good, bad and the ugly. Some wasn’t so ugly, but it still needed to be acknowledged. I could no longer run away or ignore that I needed to clean up some messes that up until them I had been avoiding. Does this sound at all familiar? Has something like this ever happened to you?

Years ago when I was going through a tough time I asked God for help. I asked, “What should I do?” I heard, “Work with animals.” I love animals so much that I was excited about this information. I was a bit shocked because it wasn’t something I had been pursuing at all, but I liked the idea. I remember sharing it with someone who’s opinion mattered to me. This person invalidated the spiritual communication and projected onto me that working with animals was not what I should be doing with my time. I had a low sense of self and allowed this person’s invalidation and judgment to change how I felt about this new insight and information. I potentially allowed myself to stop me from taking steps towards this new focus and change the direction of my life. It wasn’t until over ten years later that my life took me into turns that supported this message of spiritual guidance. It was then that I formerly started on my path as an animal communicator and pet psychic.

Ginger helped me in my transition into working with animals way back when. I have since said a physical goodbye Ginger, but am happy knowing she still exists as the beautiful, bright light that she is. Ginger was spirit when here on Earth and is spirit now, as she continues her spiritual journey. I offer services for souls that are physically present and those that have left their bodies and have passed on. It’s all spiritual communication!

I am now based in Everett, Washington, just north of Seattle. While I have been slowing down on the amount of work I have been doing with animals and their people, my current crossroads is bringing me back to increasing this focus again. Here in Everett, Seattle and other areas of Washington State, as well as Oregon, I offer in-person sessions. I also offer long-distance readings for anyone, anywhere.

If I can help you and your animal friends, whether wild, tame or somewhere in-between, you can call or text me at 360-601-4358 or email me at sindi@apetpsychic.com. I hope to hear from you!

Wild and Tame Happenings in Your Neighborhood

Posted on April 11, 2018 by Sindi Somers

Isn’t this little one adorable? Do you get to get up close and personal with squirrels where you live?

Daily I have the joy of watching squirrels in my neighborhood. They energetically hop, run and climb trees, seemingly without effort. I love seeing them play chase with each other.

They often seem happy and that they are enjoying their life. We can definitely learn from our many animal friends. When they find food they’re excited, whether they opt to eat it or hide it for later.

What a wingspan this crow is displaying!

Other local wildlife I encounter regularly include various birds. Crows are abundant residents of my area and very communicative. There are birds of all sizes that live near me. I’m not too far from Puget Sound so I see seagulls quite often also.

I love seeing and hearing the seagulls near me!

What wild animals are in your area? I encourage you to take a moment to admire their beauty and unique personalities and characteristics.

Of course there are always our lovely canine friends walking the sidewalks and beautiful felines staring through windows or elsewhere. I love seeing them too!

While I usually am asked to help people with their domesticated animal friends, did you know that I communicate with any and all animals? Wild or tame and either in-person or long distance.

If you want to learn more, feel free to email me at sindi@apetpsychic.com or call me at 360-601-4358. I hope to hear from you fellow animal lovers!

The Most Important Ingredient in a Cat’s Diet

Posted on August 14, 2016 by Sindi Somers

Sindi visiting with the friendly residents at Friends of Cats shelter in El Cajon, CA.

The most important ingredient in your cat’s diet isn’t actually food. It’s love. Okay. While this actually is true, at least in my belief system, let me change my demeanor to one of a more serious nature and start again.

The most important ingredient in your cat’s diet isn’t actually food. It’s water. This actually is true and not true. Are you confused yet? Cats are 100% carnivores, which means that their digestive systems naturally process meat and only meat. So in reality, the most important ingredient in your cat’s diet is meat. However, the reason I filled in the blank with water is because our commercial pet food industry is producing dehydrating pellets by the tons and calling it food. Regardless of whether there is meat in the pellets or not, the fact that it is a dry food meant for cats is in and of itself potentially harmful. Why? Because, as I mentioned it is dehydrating. When a body, whether animal or human gets dehydrated it starts pulling water from wherever it can get it. Unfortunately, this means that moisture will start being depleted from the organs of that body. This, of course is detrimental. This survival technique of the body can lead to uncomfortable itchy, dry, flaky skin, as well as more serious conditions such as bladder and kidney issues.

By getting to know your cat and his or her preferences, you can find ways to add additional hydration to their daily routine, including encouraging water consumption. Some cats will drink from a bowl, but you might also consider trying a glass or mug or turning on the bathroom faucet to see if they like the running water. The pet supply industry also makes water fountains and other devices that allow the water to be moving, which can motivate some cats to drink more frequently. I still recommend an all wet food diet, which would eliminate the need to drink as much, if any additional water at all.

Another survival response of the body is that it gets thirsty when it is dehydrated. This is so important because it will motivate the individual to drink liquid. This will hopefully replenish the loss of moisture in the body and if addressed soon enough will lessen the chances of permanent physical damage.

So, if you feed the dry pellets a.k.a. kibble to your cat it will hopefully drink from its water bowl to counteract the dehydration factor of the dry food. The reality though, is that if your cat is drinking from the water bowl, even if he or she is drinking a lot, most likely an adequate amount is not being drank. Why? Because cats instinctively get their water from their food. It is not a natural behavior to seek out water, even though they might at times do so. Both in a domesticated environment and in the wild. Obviously this is a problem when the majority of commercially manufactured pet food is in the form of dry, dehydrating, highly processed kibble.

Okay. Are you still with me? If it is not a natural instinct for them to drink water, how can they possibly get enough of that all important ingredient in their diet? By making sure there is plenty in their bowl. While clean, fresh water changed daily in their water bowl is essential, what I am talking about here is their food bowl!

cat drinking water from glass on kitchen counter

Nothing like a drink of water from their person’s glass to help a feline friend feel bonded! P.S. Kitchen counters are made for paws. Well in some households anyway.

Should you just dump water on their food? Well you can, but I have a better idea. Feed food that is already loaded with water, which would be referred to as wet food; fresh raw, frozen, thawed raw, cooked or canned. Cat food also comes in the form of dehydrated or freeze dried, which you need to add water to before serving. This is an alternative option for some cats. My cat, Misty is on a 100% wet food diet. But I still often add a little water to her food to add additional hydration. She also does drink from her water bowl on occasion, especially when the weather is warmer. Even though she is an indoor cat and our home stays nice and cool, the outside temperature seems to make a difference in whether or not she visits her water bowl.

Wondering how to help your cat or other pets have the highest quality of life possible? In addition to animal communication, energy healing and reading sessions, I offer personalized nutrition consultations for dogs and cats, as well as other animals. Just like with us humans, simply changing a diet can help lessen and heal a wide array of health conditions including, allergies, itchy skin, hot spots, hair loss, body sores, digestive upset, hairballs, watery eyes, arthritis, bladder infections, kidney issues, diabetes and even cancer.

Oh my gosh!!! Kittens!

If you have questions or could use some support with what you are dealing with, you can email me at sindi@apetpsychic.com or call or text me at 360-601-4358.

Thanks for reading! I look forward to helping you and your animal friends however I can. Have a wild and tame day! – Sindi

Basics of Animal Communication

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Sindi Somers

Animal communication can be defined as animals communicating with animals and people communicating with animals.

Whether you are consciously aware of it or not, you are already communicating with the animals in your life. Communication is happening on many levels with all other beings, all the time. The important skill to increase is conscious awareness of our communication.

Like most of us humans, you are probably most consciously aware of audible, verbal communication. We learn from a young age that sounds, especially words, have meaning and great power. Over time we learn what sounds, words and vocal inflections will get us what we want. We learn to believe words, even when they are lies.

Sindi doing a psychic reading and animal communication session at a public event at the Friends of Cats sanctuary and rescue in El Cajon, CA.

Learning to believe lies teaches us to not trust ourselves, our intuition, our information and our ability to read, and otherwise sense energy. Even physicists, scientists agree that everything is energy, including words. Words that mask the truth are a different energy than the actual truth. Have you ever experienced an interaction with someone and you just knew they weren’t telling you a lie, and it turned out that you were right?! In that instance, you were reading energy. You were using your clairvoyance, your spiritual sight. You were seeing the truth underneath the untrue words. Did you find that you doubted yourself and what you saw? Did you second guess your awareness, and talk yourself out of it? I’ve done that before! Not everyone wants you to see the truth, and most people have things that they want to hide, or deny. Whether it is something they are ashamed of, or they want control or to manipulate a situation, or for some other reason.

Animals are reading our energy all the time. It is confusing to them when we verbalize one thing and non-verbally communicate another. If we let them, animals can help keep us honest! One example is recently I gave a reading to someone that was worried about the health status of their cat. They had a lot of their attention focused on a future veterinarian appointment, and it was causing them a lot of stress, and their body was afraid. Meanwhile, they wanted to lessen their cat’s stress and communicated that everything was okay and they didn’t have anything to be worried about. The fear and nervous energy the person was communicating underneath their words was received by the cat, along with the energy of the communicated facade that everything was, and would be okay. Receiving both conflicting communications, was giving mixed, unclear messages. It was confusing to the cat, and stimulating fear in their body. The cat’s human realized what they were doing, and made a commitment to be more authentic with their feline friend. I love their relationship and the loyalty and devotion they have with each other.

My Wild and Tame Meditation Club teaches techniques to help you to be more aware of energy. These tools will help you to change your energy, if needed to keep your words honest! Or at least be more aware, and increase the conscious control you have of your choices. The meditative, visualization techniques that I practice and teach can help you to have clearer communication with yourself and your companion animals. They will actually help you to have clearer communication with any animal or person.

Meditation

Ginger was one of the great loves of my life. She taught me and continues to teach me so much. She has played a huge part in the direction of my life and the involvement of animals in my work. Thank you, Ginger! You are an amazing, beautiful and loving being. I miss you being physically here with me. I am so glad that we can still communicate, as spirit and look forward to the time when we meet again here on Earth. I love you!

Sometimes when we are close to an animal or person it is harder to trust ourselves and be as clear. For those moments, I am here for you! I offer long distance animal communication sessions and psychic readings, as well as in person appointments. Right now, I am offering in person psychic readings, energy healings, and animal communication sessions for people in Seattle and other parts of Washington. Mainly for fundraisers, and other public events, but I do have some availability for one-on-one sessions also. Throughout the year I offer long distance sessions for anyone, anywhere, via Zoom, as well as an audio only option, if preferred.

Interested in finding out more? Call or text me at or 360-601-4358 or email me at sindi@apetpsychic.com.

I got the job!

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Sindi Somers

I look forward to continuing my work with animals and their people in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Long story short… I got the job! Okay. So you may not have known that I was up for a specific job, but I was and I am over the top excited that I got it!

Now for the long story, for those that enjoy details and especially those that believe, like me that everything happens for a reason and other woo-woo perspectives. 😉 It also is a great example of being in the present moment and going with the flow. What helped me to do both of those things was using the simple, powerful meditative, visualization technique of grounding!

I visited the most beautiful rest area I have ever seen just north of Grants Pass, Oregon.

Monday, May 25 – I crossed the border from California into Oregon. As I enjoyed the lush green trees, I kept saying to myself, “I could live here!” My actual destination was Washington State, which I loved and still love. Washington is where I lived the majority of my life. However, when I arrived at my friend’s house in Beaverton, Oregon, where I was planning to stay for just a couple of days, I decided that I should look into the possibility of living in the area, instead of continuing on to Washington. That night I looked on craigslist for job possibilities. I saw a number of jobs that I felt I might be qualified for. However, it was one job in particular that got my attention! I was very excited and felt motivated to move forward with applying.

Another beautiful site at the rest area just north of Grants Pass, Oregon.

Another beautiful sight at the well kept rest area just north of Grants Pass, Oregon.

Tuesday, May 26 – I wrote a personalized cover letter, specifically for that one position. I attached my resume and applied for that one job and only that one job. The job that I felt was made for me and perhaps was the reason I had ended up in Beaverton, Oregon.

Wednesday, May 27 – I received a phone call from the owner of the store, wanting to schedule an interview with me. Of course I said yes! It was scheduled for the following Monday.

Me and my loyal companion, Rock taking in the sights in Oregon.

Monday, June 1 – What a great way to start a new month, with an interview for a job I could not believe was available in the area where I was staying and the week that I had arrived! I interviewed with three animal loving people and felt that all went well, though it can be hard to tell with interviews. I decided to remain optimistic.

Tuesday, June 2 – I was called for a second interview, which was scheduled for Thursday.

Thursday, June 4 – I felt that the second interview went great. The four of us seemed like a great match! But you never know for sure and interviews can always bring up insecurities and doubt. I did my best to stay in the present moment, have faith and allow whatever was meant to be and was most beneficial to just happen. I emailed my references, as requested and then sent a thank you card to the store owner.

So excited that we will be carrying Answers Raw Goat's Milk for cats and dogs!

We will be carrying Answers Raw Goat’s Milk for cats & dogs at our store in Tigard, OR! Yay!

Tuesday, June 9 – I received a call offering me the job! The owner went over the details and I again, of course, said YES!!! I am going to be the store manager for a brand new pet supply store opening in July. It is located in Tigard, Oregon, which is less than ten minutes from where I am currently staying in Beaverton!! Coincidence? No such thing!! Did I mention that I am over the top excited?!

Wednesday, June 10 – I started my role, by helping with the interviewing process to select our retail staff. We will be doing more of that next week. Woo hoo!

So in case you were wondering, I definitely will be staying in Oregon. I will still be teaching continuing education classes in Centralia, WA in July and August at Centralia College. The commute isn’t too far. I’m sure I’ll be making other visits to Washington too, so I hope to see some of you reading this later this year!! Yay! P.S. My classes are on page five of the course catalog that can be found on this link.

Please Note: I will still be offering private, long distance animal communication sessions and readings and nutrition consultations and holistic pet care sessions. I will be doing in person appointments in Beaverton, Tigard, Gresham, Aloha, Lake Oswego, Newberg, Hillsboro, Salem and Portland, Oregon and surrounding areas, including Camas, Salmon Creek, Minnehaha and Vancouver, Washington. Remember I’ll be traveling to Centralia, WA once a week starting on July 25th too! I will also be visiting Chehalis, Olympia, Federal Way, Tacoma, Everett and Seattle, Washington and adjacent cities soon.

P.S. If you or someone you know happens to be in the Tigard/Beaverton/Portland area, I hope to see you/them at the store in July or after! I’ll keep you posted, as things unfold. Thank you for reading the long version of my story!

P.P.S. If you want to learn to meditate and experience the sometimes hard to believe results of using life changing meditation techniques like grounding, contact me! You may want to consider joining my Wild and Tame Meditation Club. More information can be found here on my website on the Meditation menu tab at this link. Join The Club! 😉

P.P.P.S. If you want to get started meditating now, visit ESpirit.info for meditation instruction on their website. They also have books and CDs available for purchase that can be shipped to you or downloaded. Enjoy the perks of a grounded life!

I Love Seattle!

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Sindi Somers

Anyone that knows me knows how much I love Seattle! Not just Seattle, but Western Washington in general. Although an abundant list of important learning and lessons have come my way while living in San Diego, I often missed certain things about Washington. Number one being the lush greenery a.k.a. TREES!

The beauty of Washington State includes, lush green trees and water galore!

In addition to the green beauty, there are rivers, waterfalls, creeks, snow capped mountains, the blue waters of Puget Sound, wildlife and just all around loveliness!

I have had the joyous privilege of seeing some of the most beautiful landscapes the earth has to offer. Many in person. Others in photographs and videos. However, I definitely haven’t seen them all! There are so many breathtaking sights in nature and there is nothing like taking them in up close and personal.

I love Mother Earth! The form of meditation that I practice and teach helps me and others to be more in touch with the Earth. This includes the easy to use, but powerful, meditative visualization technique of grounding.

Snow capped mountains add to the beautiful green scenery.

Snowy mountains add to the beautiful green scenery.

Grounding is the foundation of all that I do. Similar to how roots are the foundation of trees. Roots ground the tree, giving it stability and strength. It is the roots that allow trees to live. Roots provide trees with the capacity to absorb water through their entire growing body. Roots help trees and other plants to flourish. Grounding can help you and your body in the same way!

When in doubt, literally and figuratively, I ground! The other day, I was having a tough time. I was upset and having a hard time talking myself out of it. Ever have one of those moments?! 😉 Anyway, I sat down to meditate. I grounded and then began to use additional techniques including, centering, releasing energy, running energy and more! I felt a little better, but still was feeling overwhelmed and extremely emotional. It wasn’t until I slowed down enough to just focus on my grounding that I began to feel better. In fact, I felt instantly better with this sole focus.

Mount Ranier is a beautiful sight indeed!

We have such a busy world and have become so used to doing more, more and then still more! Our plates are beyond full and our capacity for multitasking is truly amazing. We are capable of doing so much that it is easy to get swept up in the complexity of doing. As I sat there meditating and adding technique upon technique upon technique, I was trying to do more to solve my problems. As our society gains technological advancements, the concept that more is better seems confirmed. So instead of taking the time to gently and calmly experience each individual, beneficial technique I hurriedly tried to feel better by making my simple meditation complex. I wanted to get out of where I was and tried digging myself out by piling more on!

One of the most beautiful skylines in the world, in my opinion. 😉

Slowing down to ground and focus exclusively on my grounding was the secret. How often are we trying to be more productive, successful and achieve more? By doing and doing and doing, we certainly can accomplish. However, when we take the time to slow down instead of using our time to speed up and spread ourselves out into multiple places, we actually can complete more. We can do so with less stress and frantic feelings and more peace and a sense of fulfillment. And even joy! We can have fun while we do! Doing can be fun and I have found that doing less often is more effective and doing “nothing” is sometimes essential.

If you would like to learn more about grounding and how it can assist you and your body, call me at 619-797-0705 or email me at sindi@apetpsychic.com. Enjoy!

Ancient Mystery School Meditation

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Sindi Somers

There are many forms of meditation. Enjoying nature is one of them!

When I was a frustrated, depressed and very angry teenager, it was meditation that saved me. At the ripe old age of 18 years old, it was meditation that helped me to move from a place of apathy, fatigue and depression to an energetic space of optimism and enthusiasm. I began to experience life differently. I was an extremely shy, fearful child, which led to continued shyness and fear, as an insecure teen.

When I enrolled in an eight week beginning meditation class, I was nonchalant about my decision. I had absolutely no idea that that class would change my life forever. In retrospect, it was that Meditation I class that gave me hope. It got me back in touch with myself as spirit. I actually saw myself, as spirit consciously for the first time that I could remember. I had an awareness of myself and other spirits when I was a child. Although I was still aware there was something more than what I physically saw, it was difficult to access under a heavy cloak of misery.

As a spiritual being with a physical body here on Earth, I had collected pain, doubt, shame and feelings of worthlessness. So that moment in my Meditation I class is a memory that changed me and my life forever. There were only two of us students that were in the class. If you put on events or teach classes, remember that no matter how few or how many attend, you can make a difference!

Meditation has helped me and continues to help me in all aspects of my life.

I am forever grateful to all of my many teachers at the CDM Spiritual Center in Everett, Washington that I had over the years that followed that initial class. The simple, powerful, meditative, visualization techniques that they teach, and I now share too, are the foundation of all that I do. They are tools that can help you to change your mood, increase your vitality and self esteem and improve your overall well being. You CAN change your life with meditation! I did and continue to heal and grow with the help of these techniques.

People often ask what type of meditation I practice. They want a name. One of my students deemed it Sindi Meditation. Haha! While it isn’t Sindi Meditation and may not have a formal name, I have given it different labels at times. Energy Meditation, Psychic Meditation, Self Healing Meditation, Spirit Body Meditation, Body Soul Meditation, CDM Meditation and I just thought of this one: Ancient Mystery School Meditation!

Why that name? These easy to use, powerful, life changing meditation techniques are ancient! Often information categorized within the group of metaphysical teachings are labeled New Age. The techniques that I share and practice are not New Age because they are not new! They have been on the planet for a very long time, including the ancient mystery schools where Jesus studied. Yes… that Jesus!

Speaking of Jesus the Christ, if you want clearer communication with him, as well as yourself, God and other spiritual teachers, including Buddha, meditation is the way! The form of meditation that I teach and practice helps spirit and body to work more in harmony. You can more consciously create your life and manifest yourself and your unique energy using this style of meditation. For me, meditation is not about escaping or not feeling. It is about more consciously experiencing and creating your life. Whether you consider yourself spiritual and not religious, or a Christian, Buddhist, Christian Scientist, Catholic, Mormon, Hindu, Muslim,Taoist or have chosen another spiritual focus, or none at all, you can benefit from meditation. Regardless of our beliefs, we are all spirit in physical bodies. We can learn how to reduce stress, improve sleep, change habits and have more fun, by taking time for ourselves. If you do not believe in God and the spiritual realm, are Agnostic or Atheist, you don’t have to miss out!! Even physicists agree that everything is energy! If you prefer a scientific, instead of a spiritual focus, simply validate your great ability to acknowledge, release and change your energy! Everyone can do this. So why not…. go forth and meditate!

Whether as an individual or with a group, meditation can be a fun, rejuvenating activity in your life!

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

Polite Dog Calming Signals

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Sindi Somers

Looking away, sniffing the ground, licking lips and seeming to ignore are polite, “calming signals” to dogs.

Just as we have information that can be helpful to our companion animals, so do they have some lessons for us. I have learned so much about myself and human behavior, from observing and interacting with animals.

My dog, Ginger and I recently moved into a new neighborhood. We go on numerous walks everyday. During our journeys we have met many neighbors. One new neighbor is a dog that barks at us, protecting her territory, every time we pass her yard. In response to the barks, Ginger, would promptly begin giving the dog “calming signals” to communicate that she is not a threat and she respects the dog’s territory. Ginger was using these behaviors and silent communication tools in an attempt to calm the other dog.

Calming signals are a communication from one dog to the other. At first glance they may appear to be one dog simply ignoring the other. In actuality, the dog that seems to not be interested or paying attention, is in fact very much aware. As was the case of Ginger in her attempt to calm the other dog. Ginger would get some distance from the fence and would look away and either keep walking by with her head looking forward, avoiding eye contact or she would sniff at the ground, while walking. When your dog looks like she isn’t doing much, she is often doing a lot! Ginger’s behaviors were clear communications to the barking, protective dog that she had no desire to harm or challenge her or invade her territory. She was a friend, not a foe!

These same interactions happened whenever we would pass and the dog was in her yard. I noticed that sometimes she had biscuits on the porch. She would stand on the porch and bark from there, very obviously guarding what was even more important than her yard; her tasty treats! Ginger never echoed the dog’s barking or responded in any excited physical, non-verbal or audible way. Then one day last week, everything changed.

On that particular day, as we began to pass by the house I saw that the dog quickly ate her biscuits when she saw us. Meanwhile, instead of slowly passing, my dog stopped. I saw that today was going to be a different type of day for these two beauties! I said to Ginger, “Oh. You want to say hi to the doggie today.” She wagged her tail as she waited for the other dog to approach. There were no barks from the other dog. She had protected her treats by eating them and then without any sound, came down off the porch. The two dogs met at the fence and sniffed each other, looking towards each other while both wagged their tails.

It took time and patience on Ginger’s part, but they were now officially friends! The dog learned that Ginger was not a threat and that it was okay for us to walk by and also to approach. I never tried to force the relationship or even encourage things one way or the other. I allowed them the space to work things out, not having any investment in whether it ever progressed beyond what it had been. On their own, they took the time they needed to get to know each other. Ginger helped create a safe place and when our neighbor dog felt safe enough, the relationship changed. The neighbor dog was able to let go of her fear, let down her guard, allow herself to trust and reciprocate Ginger’s friendly gestures.

There was something else that was different about this day. In the yard next door to Ginger’s new friend was another dog. Although he had a stockier build, he looked very similar to Ginger’s new friend, but I was told they are not related. After enjoying a few minutes of new found friendship with the female neighbor, Ginger and the male neighbor were instantly excited to see each other and approached each other with little hesitation. The two greeted, smelling each other through the fence, wagging tails and showing genuine excitement to have met each other. Ginger started bowing, exhibiting her desire to play. She went to the gate and looked at me, trying to convince me I should open it so they could play. Instant puppy love! Although I couldn’t open up the gate or take away the fence barrier between them, I did share in the excitement of this new bond. I enjoyed watching both friendships blossom.

How people express politeness when greeting, is very different from how a dog with “good” manners might greet another dog.

Obviously there are a number of lessons that can be taken from this experience. But the main one that I want to share is that all relationships are different. All friendships are different. Each individual soul is unique. It is the two unique souls coming together that create the interaction. Since no two souls are exactly alike, it is impossible for any union to be exactly the same.

Some meetings are immediate connections of kindred souls. Others have challenges and may take time, patience, kindness and compassion to work through. Even if there is fear, avoidance or not seeing eye to eye in the beginning, that doesn’t mean there isn’t the potential for friendship or at least, civil communication.

Below are some examples of canine calming signals. Watch dogs’ interactions to see if you can spot them while they are happening! You can even try them yourself, with your dog to enhance your communication and display greater understanding.

Turning the head or body to the side or away
Looking away or averting the eyes
Licking lips
Yawning
Sniffing the ground
Moving very slowly
Moving in a curve or arc, not a direct path or head on towards another dog

My name is Sindi Somers. I am an animal communicator and energy reader with a desire to assist with people and animals understanding each other better. Instead of training, I like to use the word, education. Because that is really what I see it as. Using a foundation of energy awareness and positive reinforcement techniques, I approach each situation individually. No being is the same, regardless of the body it is housed in. Dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, rabbits, fish and people; regardless of the species, each soul is unique. I offer long distance sessions for anyone, anywhere in the United States and the world. However, at this time I am only able to conduct sessions in English, so an interpreter may be needed. I also offer in person sessions, including home visits in San Diego County, and at times other areas of southern California, including Orange, Los Angeles and Riverside Counties. I am available to travel to your location outside of southern California, in certain instances, depending on the situation and requested dates. Although I am available on short notice, at times depending on my schedule, advance notice is generally required for all appointments requiring short or long distance travel. I can be reached at 619-797-0705 or sindi@apetpsychic.com. Thank you for reading my blog!

Sindi Somers with Wild and Tame Wellness and Communications

bridging the gap between wild and tame animals and people

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