Summertime 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 of light, even the jagged slice streaming through the edge of closed window blinds. In the yard outside, they have favorite areas where they snooze on the cool grass and bask in the sun. They are sun worshipers. Their god is Ra. 

We live in a neighborhood with tree lined streets. So when the dogs and I go for a walk we are strolling under a lush green canopy. Sunlight textures the sidewalk with splashes and dapples. Occasionally we pass a yard where the trees are scarcer; there are no overhanging branches to block the sun. When the summer sun beats down, the heat of the day is intense. 

Relief from the heat

We scan ahead as we walk. The sidewalk is variegated with alternating patches of bright and dark. I sense our boxer Lola anticipating the variations in our path. She moves faster in the hot sunlight and slows her pace while she’s in the protective shade. She wants to spend more time lingering in the shade and less time in the heat. It’s clear what she is doing. She adjusts her gait. The difference is just a few degrees. And it is enough for her to need to change her activity level. She stalls and takes more time perusing the aromatic business cards left on tree trunks; less time moving from tree to tree. 

While we walked, I was observing her behavior; thinking about the ramifications. And then a cloud drifted in front of the sun. Clouds. Here was another environmental variable. When the bright glare slipped into the slightest overcast, Lola slowed her pace. As soon as the cloud passed and the sun blazed down again, she sped up to get into the shade where it was cooler.

Such a minor shift. Quick, too. We both felt the difference in temperature; the difference in comfort.

Sunshine PetMassageTM 

When you are giving your dog a PetMassageTM outside in the sunlight, consider what is happening as you move your hands over her body. The shade beneath your hand creates a noticeable difference in temperature. It’ll be a couple of degrees. The shift is immediate, like the effect of a cloud. The positions of our hands and bodies vis-à-vis the dog in the environment will affect the PetMassage protocol. The smallest movements of our hand and body shift your dog’s environment – and her experience of your touch. 

Shade PetMassageTM (Indoor)

Indoors, other environmental variations come into play. While variations in heat generated from sunlight are not a factor, the proximity of your hands and body vis-à-vis her body causes slight, and noticeable, temperature and energy variations. When you are close, your dog feels more of your radiating body heat. She senses more of your body-mind presence. She senses more of a spiritual connection with “you.” The closer you get, the more your dog feels you. As you pull your hands further away, you distance yourself. 

See for yourself. Place your hand 12 inches above your dog’s back and see if you can feel her body heat. If you can feel hers, she can feel yours. At each level observe how your hands experience and respond to different exchanges of heat and energy. Notice how different this is at 6 inches, and 3 inches, and then 1 inch. 

Attend a workshop

Do you enjoy what you read in these articles?  Do you feel like we are on the same page when it comes to dog care and its spiritual nature? 

Learn the Foundation level of the PetMassageTM method of canine massage in a hands-on workshop. http://petmassage.com/product/petmassage-foundation-level-workshop-full-enrollment/  You can still register and attend the next Foundation level workshop on September 22-26, 2016. 

1 Comment

  1. 3accommodate on January 12, 2022 at 7:10 PM

    3insinuate

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