Jonathan’s Helpful Hints
Meridians Pulse and Tongues Tell Stories
Meridians Pulse and Tongues Tell Stories Would you like to be able to assess the qualities of pulses of individual meridians. All you have to do is learn how to…
Read MoreThink Less, Do More
Think Less, Do More Message I got a message the other day from a friend in a meditation group. The note said “Think less and do more.” Think Less About…
Read MoreSkills To Get Spontaneous Validation from Dogs
Are You Doing It Right? Have you ever wanted to get spontaneous validation during your canine massage? Would you appreciate the knowledge that at that moment, you were doing what…
Read MoreWater Puppies For Health and Happiness
Water Puppies For Health and Happiness Water babies Many of us are water babies. I’m not just referring to people who were born in hot tubs ala French obstetrician Frédérick…
Read MoreCanine Massage, The Future of
Canine Massage, The Future of Job Scene In 20 Years Do you ever wonder what the job scene might look like in 20 years? Where will the jobs be? We…
Read MoreThe Life of a Canine Massage Practitioner
The Life of a Canine Massage Practitioner Wake up. Think about massaging dogs. Massage dogs. Do something that supports your dog massage practice. Go to sleep. Repeat. All dogs love…
Read MoreDog Sitter Walks On The Wild Side
Anastasia and I took a short vacation to celebrate her birthday. We arranged to have a friend come to our home throughout the day to take care of our dogs.…
Read MoreSoft Eyes See Where To Focus
Soft Focus There is soft focus in the practice of yoga. There is the soft focus used in meditation. Use your soft focus with your dog in PetMassage. Hold your…
Read MorePetMassage Training, Students, Validated With Testimonial
PetMassage Students Are Awesome We’re proud of our students. Every dog massage that our graduates give demonstrates the depth and quality of the training they’ve received. They proudly post the…
Read MoreIndian Hand Gestures: Mudras
Mudras Mudras, hand gestures, in classical dance in India, are symbolic for directing energy towards the sun, the moon, the spirit, the ground. We integrate these predominantly in our Transitions…
Read MoreSumi-e PetMassage
Japanese Ink Painting I had an intriguing lesson last weekend. I attended a short workshop on Sumi-e painting. I rediscovered and reclaimed a freedom that I had nearly forgotten. I…
Read MoreFluid Flow
So much significance is placed on lymphatic and other fluid movement is because they can be tracked and measured. PetMassage affects the movement and viability of all the fluids in…
Read MoreCrisis At The Dog Park
Socializing At the Dog Park The Park District in Toledo OH just opened its first dog park. Toledo has finally joined the rest of the cities in the country in…
Read MoreCandle Flame
Firing Neurons, Scottie I caught a flicker of a candle flame. It appeared during a recent meditation. The reflection was the shadow of a tiny flare that flashed way back…
Read MoreConducting the symphony
A conductor’s job is to bring the disparate voices of the orchestra together for the purpose of creating magical moments of music. Woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings, chorus, solo artists, all…
Read MoreLaws Concerning Canine Massage
Due Diligence The due diligence that one of our students did while deciding whether to pursue a career in canine massage was very impressive. While most of us might look…
Read MoreHeart Chakra
This week’s newsletter is a beautifully written research paper submitted by Susan Miller, of south Florida. Foundation Level students must each write a short paper on a subject assigned to…
Read MoreAdvanced Level Workshop
There are still openings for the final Advanced Level PetMassage workshop in 2017. You can still register for it. The dates are September 18-22. Your prep for it is your…
Read MoreMassaging Dogs on The Floor
Quality Control Sometimes it is impossible to get a dog up on a table because they are too heavy to lift, or if they are in so much pain you…
Read MoreInspirational PetMassage Instruction
Quality Instruction In my opinion, a good instructor must always present the course content as if it were in an engaging conversation. The energy of the learning experience must be…
Read MoreReleasing Reciprocal Joints
Sometimes when we pick up the dogs foreleg the whole limb feels stiff. All three major joints, the shoulder, the elbow, and the carpus, or wrist, are locked. There are…
Read MoreReactions And Responses Of Dogs
Recently, a PetMassage student told me that when she was deciding which school to take her training, she determined that the PetMassage program differs from the other schools in the…
Read MoreGratitude
We just had an exciting 9 days. It began with PetMassage for Dogs Day. This, the honorary day proclaimed by the City of Toledo, Ohio, recognizes the contributions PetMassage has brought…
Read MoreBreak Dance
Play Patterns Watching our two dogs play, I see a pattern. They charge, engage, parry, peak to intense excitement, and break away to regroup. Then, they repeat, and each time…
Read MoreSpirit Expressions of Lake and Dogs
Spirit Expressions of Lake and Dogs Messages From The Deep Sitting on the beach watching the waves, I’m drawn to the dark grey-blue horizon line defining the lake surface against…
Read MoreNo One Told Me About Rescue Dogs.
No One Told Me About Rescue Dogs. There are some significant things that we didn’t know when we set about adopting a rescue dog. The learning curve has been going…
Read MoreTouch Breathing
Touch Breathing Animal Shelter Pitbull Visiting a dog shelter recently, I watched a young woman bring a young pitbull outside for some fresh air and exercise. She brought him into…
Read MoreDogs At The Movies
Dogs At The Movies Anastasia and I recently spent a frustrating hour at Family Video, a neighborhood video rental. We were searching for some light entertainment for the evening. What…
Read MoreNatural resource
Natural resource Dog Park Dogs have a “natural” way to help us rediscover OUR sense of balance, well-being, and happiness. Anastasia and I took Camille, our boxer, to a dog…
Read MoreKinesio taping
Kinesio taping I recently experienced kinesio taping. My right hand and arm, which had been in a sling for a month following a hairline crack in my elbow, started to…
Read MoreMore About the Flew.
More About the Flew A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the effects of moving the air about within the dogs flew. Let’s bring this home. Let’s take this…
Read MoreThe Flew
The Flew Signs And Signals Of Stress In Dogs There are overt signs and signals that we’ve learned to look for in dogs to determine the level of stress in…
Read MoreAccidental Life Lesson
Accidental Life Lesson I had a life lesson last week when I had an accident. I was walking down the street -actually I was skipping and dancing down the sidewalk,…
Read MoreGolden Retriever Moves Slowly and Limps, Then Gets PetMassage™
Golden Retriever Moves Slowly and Limps, Then Gets PetMassage™ Luke Skywalker, healthy, active, eight year old Golden Retriever. Complaint: moves slowly and limps. Luke Skywalker was limping and his owner…
Read MoreSmall Price To Pay For Correctness
That’s Our Policy Last Friday afternoon someone from Queensland Australia signed up for one of our PetMassage™ Foundation Level workshops. We had corresponded on Facebook and she felt that our…
Read MoreCAVE People
My friend George used an interesting acronym the other day: CAVE people. When heard it I envisioned Neanderthals squatting around a fire, grunting at each other. The letters represent: Citizens…
Read MorePetMassage Workshops for Dog Owners
Taking This Workshop Demonstrated Students Devotion to Dogs PetMassage had another successful day of workshops for Dog Owners. The morning session was all about Dog Handling and in the afternoon…
Read MoreDog With Issues With Men Triggers Observation
A Male Practitioner With Female Clients I am told that I project an energy and quality of presence that people and dogs are comfortable with. Dogs and people are easygoing…
Read MoreLove and a dog
Love and a dog I’ve got my jacket on, Camille’s leash in my hand and the little wiggle butt is sitting as pretty as she can, gazing up at me,…
Read MoreTrust and Transformation in PetMassage
Dogs, Dogs, and More Dogs I write this blog every week to share some of the insights I’ve had about dogs. I’ve written about dog massage, dog life, dog death,…
Read MoreBurping in PetMassage™
What’s In A Burp? At the beginning of each PetMassage™ Foundation Level workshop we introduce ourselves to the group, sharing a little about ourselves. Students describe how their lives and…
Read MoreFrayed Green Dog Collar
There is a counter in our garage, just to the left as you walk in. It is cluttered with tools, piles of stuff I haven’t organized (yet), books, boxes, bundles…
Read MoreGreater Good For Sensitive Canaries Smells And Looks Okay
How are you? So I have to ask. How are you dealing with everything that is going on? I keep wavering between being overwhelmed by the angst over what is…
Read MoreSpirit Connection
I had a dream. I awoke a few mornings ago with vivid images of my last dream. I was seeing all life as evolving spirits. Glowing beacons of light. Some…
Read MoreSwitchable Modes
Scratch the side of your dog’s neck moving from shoulder to ear. Notice the ruffled pattern of coat where cool air accesses the skin. Touch your dog’s deltoid muscle and…
Read MoreGrounding Yourself and Your Dog
Grounding you While you are administering a PetMassageTM make sure you are well grounded; that you feel a connection with the earth beneath you. Benefits of Grounding: sending the signal…
Read MoreGoals and Resolutions
Goals and resolutions achievement is a process. It is the beginning of the year and my Facebook feed is filling up with encouraging suggestions for the best way to set…
Read MoreGOAAAL
How “now” Dogs know. They live intuitively in their ever shifting reality of the “now.” Our dog Camille is totally invested when she is gnawing contentedly on a raw bone.…
Read MoreIn Uncertainty Lies All Possibility
In uncertainty lies all possibility It is winter and the roads are slick with invisible ice. My tires cannot grip. My car starts its sideward slide. I do what I…
Read MoreEnd of the Year Completions and New Beginnings
End of the year completions and new beginnings We see the end of the year on our calendars and think of it as an end and a beginning. New Years…
Read MoreThe Immune System, Lymphatic Movement and PetMassage™
The immune system The immune system protects dogs from all sorts of invaders. The skin and coat are the innate portions of the immune system. These are their first lines…
Read MoreTrying to Make Sense of Lola’s Transition
Trying to Make Sense of Lola’s Transition Yin – yang dynamics We talk about yin and yang a lot. The yin – yang dynamic is a description of disease and…
Read MoreWhat do your dogs feel in PetMassage?
What do your dogs feel in PetMassage? With PetMassage Myofascial Release there is no consistent answer. It is like asking you to imagine the color blue. What you visualize will…
Read MoreYou are Right
You are Right Baseball: Who’s on First? The World Series is playing. It’s the Chicago Cubs vs. Cleveland Indians. I’m watching it on TV. Wrigley Field in Chicago is a…
Read MoreTransitions PetMassage
Transitions PetMassage Letters ten yards high During our recent PetMassage Advanced Workshop, when I introduced the subject of Transitions PetMassage, I could feel the students’ anxiety rise around the table.…
Read MoreWe had quite a scare
We had quite a scare DNR, Do Not Resuscitate I had a Healing Touch session last week during which the abbreviation “DNR” surfaced to my conscious awareness. I heard…
Read MoreInspiration: Where does it come from?
Inspiration: Where does it come from? What’s that sound? Moving your hands over the dog, you listen. You are open to hearing the faint stream of suggestions that will help…
Read MorePetMassage Due Diligence
PetMassageTM Due Diligence A student’s quest A student in our last PetMassage Foundation level workshop shared with me that, once she had decided to learn canine massage, she spent considerable…
Read MoreIntegrating PetMassage with veterinary care
Integrating PetMassageTM with veterinary care We are so different and so alike Listening to myself describe how PetMassage integrates with veterinary medicine at the AHVMA (American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association)…
Read MoreRight Livelihood
Right Livelihood Over the past 20 years Anastasia and I have had several challenging times keeping PetMassageTM going. Each time we would ask ourselves, would we be as fulfilled if…
Read MoreTiny “fix,” big adjustment
Tiny “fix,” big adjustment Tiny fixes for quick relief Tiny fixes provide quick relief and make a huge difference in my quality of life. When I’m thirsty, it’s all I…
Read MoreHand positions
Hand positions Think about your hands Your hands are the part of your body that touches the dog. They discharge the energy drawn up from the earth, processed through your…
Read MoreSummertime in Ohio, and the living is intuitive
Summertime in Ohio, and the living is intuitive Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy Our boxers love to lie in the sunlight. Inside, they will seek out any shaft…
Read MoreDaddy’s home
Daddy’s home As Lola. Camille. and I amble past a house on our evening walk, we notice a young woman and her little person gardening in a side yard. A…
Read MoreSpace for another piano
Space for another piano Twenty years ago, I bought a beautiful old baby grand piano. It has a soft, rich voice. I’ve enjoyed playing it. “Playing” being the appropriate description…
Read MoreIntimacy in Canine Massage
Intimacy in Canine Massage Hey! You talkin’ t’ me? When you go to a party, who do you greet first, and hang out with the most: the dogs or the…
Read MoreOne hundred naked birds smile
One hundred naked birds smile Birds of a feather I watched a huge flock of birds descend upon a tree in our neighbor’s yard. Sections of the tree are bare;…
Read MoreKind and Gentle is Fundamental
Kind and Gentle is Fundamental Interview Cancelled The morning of July 11th I was scheduled to be on TV, to talk about PetMassage for Dogs Day. As we were heading out the door…
Read MoreLearning PetMassage is like learning a new language
Learning PetMassageTM is like learning a new language PetMassageTM is a journey. The goal of the PetMassage Advanced workshop, is to take the Foundation Practitioner’s level of expertise and capacity to…
Read MoreThe Reveal
The Reveal Fixer Upper Formula for Success Anastasia and I enjoy watching the “reveal” on the show Fixer Upper on HGTV. We eagerly look forward to seeing what plans,…
Read MoreExhibition Booth Design Elements, Part 2
Exhibition Booth Design Elements, Part 2 Your Booth Design is based on your Intention What is the purpose for your booth? Again, it is about having a clear, simple message.…
Read MoreAnatomy of a successful trade show booth and show
Anatomy of a successful trade show booth and show To Market, To Market Summertime, and the livin’ is easy. Now is the perfect time to market your canine massage. There…
Read MoreMarking Territory: Signs, Signals, Methods, and Value Added
Marking Territory: Signs, Signals, Methods, and Value Added Marking Territory, Signs, Signals, Methods As a species we have found that we need to leave a mark to show where we’ve…
Read MoreWith Puppies, Keep Expectations and Protocols in Check
With Puppies, Keep Expectations and Protocols in Check Puppies get PetMassageTM Last weekend, I had the opportunity to PetMassageTM several 4 week young Old English Sheep Dog puppies from a…
Read MoreListening as an Act of Love
Listening as an Act of Love Interview “On Being” hosted by Krista Tippett Sunday mornings in our house involves the ritual of gathering around the radio, waiting until 5 minutes after…
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