The Human Animal Bond and Mindfulness Series: 3. Explaining the Human Animal Bond

We continue our Human Animal Bond Series today with Part 3. Theories explaining the healing power of the Human Animal Bond. This is a continuation of my learning received through some introductory courses at the Dreamcatcher Association and at Healing Hooves, interspersed with some personal life connections and reflections. There have been several different ways people have tried to explain how their bonds to animals have created such life-altering benefits. As noted in the first…

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The Human Animal Bond and Mindfulness Series: 2. Researched Benefits of the Human Animal Bond

We continue our Human Animal Bond Series today with Part 2. The Researched Benefits of the Human Animal Bond. As part of completing the introductory training offered by the Dreamcatcher Nature-Assisted Therapy Association and Healing Hooves Equine and Animal-Assisted Therapy, I’ve been able to review various research studies highlighting the value of the bond between humans and animals on several levels – emotional, physical, social and cognitive (or thoughts-based). There is certainly a need for…

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Guest Author: Nicole Toren on The Inner Critic

Nicole’s biography: Nicole contributed all of the watercolour designs and technical diagrams to our upcoming book project, Sharing The Now: Connecting With Your Horse through Mindfulness. We first met Nicole through her business, Tonic Equestrian, and purchasing items from the line, including amazing artwork from Hand Gallop Studio. She also completed a commissioned portrait of Stella for Shreyasi a few months prior. When we approached her about this project, she was excited to help and we are so…

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The Gift of Being With A Horse

One of the things we often explore on the blog is how the presence of horses has a calming and often healing influence on people. Here is some common research exploring this topic. An often-cited example of the tangible calming effects that horses have on humans’ autonomic nervous systems when they spend time together is the research completed by Dr. Gehrke, in collaboration with the Heart Math institute. The autonomic nervous system mediates a human…

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