Mystic Dog Mama

How can you create emotional sustainability in your life with your dog? This week’s episode is completely focused on YOU as the dog parent. ESPECIALLY if you’re the parent of a reactive or challenging pup like Lucky.  My guest today is Jess Adam of Handlers and Humans! Handlers and Humans is all about bringing mental health to the dog world, and Jess is the perfect person to do this! As a licensed psychotherapist, she is also the dog mama to a beautiful 10 yr-old lab-pit mix named Dio, who has experienced his fair share of challenges with anxiety and reactivity, as well as being a lovable, silly, perfect boy. Through Handlers and Humans, Jess brings her skills and experience from the mental health and coaching worlds, to help other dog parents navigate the highs, lows, and various challenges that come with having a dog who struggles a bit with some aspects of the world. She also helps dog trainers know how to better support their human clients. This is such an important conversation to have. When we have a reactive dog, or a dog with other complex feelings and behaviours, it can be tempting to keep the focus on our dog’s behaviours, their needs, and keeping them under threshold, but I know firsthand, as I’m sure many of you do, too, when we have reactive encounters when we are out with our dogs, we, too, experience the fear, shame, embarrassment, and even trauma associated with those encounters. And this can send us over OUR threshold. Speaking for myself, I know that my nervous system can become just as dysregulated as Lucky’s due to an off-lead dog running up to him, or just because I have to be constantly vigilant, looking out for potential triggers that we need to avoid. It’s exhausting, and it can feel really isolating, so I’m thrilled that Jess is having this conversation today to highlight the need to care for our own mental health, and recognise our own thresholds. She also shares some really great tips for how to do just that. Jess and I cover a lot of ground: from allowing ourselves to feel the grief that comes when our expectations of having a dog don’t match our experience, to acknowledging the emotional impact of having a reactive dog on us, and finally, to getting to the point where we can see the gifts that lie within life with a complex dog. I know you are going to get so much out of this episode, and it’s my hope that you leave this feeling seen, as well as having some practical things that you can do today to support yourself on your journey with your dog. And Don’t forget, I’m holding a giveaway to win a free animal communication session! If you’d like to be considered for the opportunity to win this free animal communication session with me for your pet, all you have to do is rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, take a screenshot of your review, and send it to me on Instagram @mysticdogmama. I’ll draw one lucky name and announce the winner in our special 6-month anniversary episode that airs Saturday, June 8th 2024. To be considered for this, please make sure to send me your screenshot no later than Friday, May 24th, 2024. https://instagram.com/mysticdogmama https://www.handlersandhumans.com/ https://www.instagram.com/handlersandhumans DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice. TIME STAMPS: 00:22 INTRO 05:37 MEETING JESS ADAM OF HANDLERS AND HUMANS & HER REACTIVE DOG, DIO 14:00 YOU DIDN’T CAUSE YOUR DOG’S REACTIVITY 21:00 WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE OVER THRESHOLD - USEFUL APPROACHES AND TOOLS 38:25 NOBODY NEEDS FIXING, INCLUDING YOUR REACTIVE DOG 43:30 GRIEVING THE LIFE YOU ENVISIONED WITH YOUR DOG 50:00 GUIDING AND STEWARDING OUR DOGS TO LEARN HOW TO LIVE WELL WITH US 1:01:00 WHAT DIO HAS TAUGHT JESS ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN 1:06:00 OUTRO + MY 3 TAKEAWAYS

"This is how we stitch the world together." I hope you’ve got a cup of tea with you, because you’re going to want to settle in for this BEAUTIFUL conversation. Have you ever experienced a deep longing to connect more deeply to your dog, to the natural world, to the cosmos? Well, you are going to LOVE this episode. My guest today is Dr Saskia von Diest. Saskia earned a PhD in plant pathology, and has a background in postdoctoral research on how intuitive interspecies communication is used in agriculture. Since then, Saskia has pursued her passion for supporting others in having their experience of communicating with non-human Nature, and develop that both for their own benefit, and for the collective benefit. She has been communicating with various forms of Nature for 11 years, and with 15 years’ experience in teaching and facilitating in various countries, Saskia loves creating opportunities for individuals and groups to connect and communicate with Nature’s healing power and practical wisdom. She’s also trained in Family Constellations and in the Way of the Warrior Healer. Saskia founded Ecofluency in 2021, to consult, teach, and facilitate Nature communication experiences, for individuals, groups and organisations, and to promote other voices in this field. In this conversation today, Saskia and I talk about how Ecofluency developed, and we do a deep dive into what it means to connect and communicate with all of life, all of consciousness, and why this is so needed in today’s world. Spoiler alert: Not only can YOU communicate directly with nature, but you are ALREADY doing it!!  Saskia shares her own story of how entering into Nature communication helped her heal a deep sense of loneliness. She also talks about a communication session where a client’s dog who was crossing the rainbow bridge helped to reframe and shed more light on the spiritual roles that humans and dogs are playing for one another. Saskia also shares a surprising message from the land to a client who wanted to protect it. And she provides us with some really easy tips for starting your own nature communication journey today with your own dog.  This is one of those conversations that will remind you of just how important your personal thread is to this whole tapestry of life, and leave you changed. If you would like to work with Saskia, starting May 6th 2024, she is running a 6-week online course that is designed for all experience levels. For more information, visit Saskia’s website, https://ecofluency.org, where you can find out more about her offerings, including this course and a Summer Solstice workshop she will be holding in the UK. If you’d like to enter to be considered for the opportunity to win a free animal communication session with me for your pet, all you have to do is rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, take a screenshot of your review, and send it to me on Instagram @mysticdogmama. I’ll draw one lucky name and announce the winner in our special 6-month anniversary episode that airs Saturday, June 8th 2024. To be considered for this, please make sure to send me your screenshot no later than Friday, May 24th. DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice. TIME STAMPS: 00:22 INTRO 06:50 Meet Dr Saskia von Diest of Ecofluency: from PhD in agriculture to Nature communication 24:00 What is Ecofluency? Finding our way back home 31:31 Communicating with electrons and comets - it’s all possible! 43:11 Show yourself love and compassion to heal the Earth  50:40 How Nature communication and having a dog are catalysts to spiritual awakening 54:25 A beautiful lesson from a dog crossing the rainbow bridge 1:00:00 Easy tips to start exploring Nature communication today + Saskia’s upcoming courses 1:11:00 What Nature has taught Saskia about what it means to be human 1:12:15 OUTRO + Details on animal communication giveaway!

Today we are talking all things predation. What is that, you might ask?? Well, predation is a natural sequence of behaviours that your dog loves to do, and some of it, you might not be so thrilled about. It includes things like sniffing and stalking, as well as behaviours like chasing and eating things they find on the walk. In fact, most of your dog’s favourite hobbies are actually linked to predatory behaviour. I mean, did you see that reel I shared of Lucky hunting for socks?? Straight out of a wildlife documentary film! My guest today is Simone Mueller, a certified dog trainer and dog behaviour consultant from Germany who specialises in force-free anti-predation training, and she joins me to share some really easy ways you can turn your dog’s natural predilections for predation into training gold! Her training, workshops, and books, all focus on Predation Substitute Training, which involves creating fun activities that serve as safe alternatives for your dog to express their need and desires to engage in predation. So, if your dog is reactive, tends to chase things like squirrels while you’re screaming at her to come back, or scavenges everything he finds on the ground, you’ll learn some helpful tips and tricks you can apply today. From creating games that match your dog’s passions, to talking to your dog as a practice, Simone answers listener questions, and shares some really practical ways you can help your dog be more dog in a safe and fun way. Simone Mueller, MA is a certified dog trainer and dog behaviour consultant (ATN) from Germany who specialises in force-free anti-predation training and is the author of the three books of the Predation Substitute Training series and is proud to be an Associate Trainer at the Scotland-based Lothlorien Dog Training Club (AT-LDTC) and a member of The Initiative of Force-Free Dog Training, the Pet Professional Guild (PPG), and the Pet Dog Trainers of Europe (PDTE). Follow Simone’s work on Facebook and Instagram: #predationsubstitutetraining Learn more: http://www.predation-substitute-training.com To purchase Simone’s books, please consider using the following affiliate links. When you use these links, the podcast may receive a commission at no extra cost to you, and this helps to keep the podcast running. “Hunting Together: Harnessing Predatory Chasing in Family Dogs through Motivation-Based Training (Predation Substitute Training)” Amazon USA: https://amzn.to/3VlDyoi Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3TCZeei This episode was sponsored by Aspirationery, which, in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be. You can check out our shadow work and moon magic journals and workbooks, as well as our popular “My First Period Tracker” for young girls and tweens on Instagram @aspirationery. TIME STAMPS 00:22 INTRO 04:05 Introducing Simone Mueller and her dog, Malinka, who led her to dog training 06:58 What is predation, and what is predation substitute training? 14:00 The hormonal cycle that is part of predation 18:00 Markers of predatory behavior in your dog 20:15 Introducing predatory substitute training activities to your dog 30:40 Domestic dogs are more determined than wild canines 33:45 Simone answers listener questions 57:30 What dogs have taught Simone about being human 59:20 OUTRO DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

Thank you for joining me for this special episode of the Mystic Dog Mama Spotlight Series. These are episodes where I invite incredible mystic dog mamas to come on the podcast and talk about their stories, and how their dogs, or in today’s case, dogs and horses, have had an impact on their lives. It’s an opportunity to explore the variety of ways animals are impacting us, and it’s one of my favourite parts of the podcast. Today’s guest is Rhiannon Anderson. Rhi shares her experiences of living with Muscular Dystrophy, and how equine therapy and a connection with horses, -in particular a beautiful Clydesdale mix named Larry - have helped her to navigate a world that isn’t built for disabled people. She talks about the ways Larry has helped her experience profound emotional and healing breakthroughs, and given her the confidence to step more fully into an expanded version of herself. Rhi also talks about her beautiful border collie, Millie, who acted as both a physical and emotional support, and even learned some useful tricks like pulling off Rhi’s socks, even if she did get carried away with it! Rhi also shares how she developed her blog, Living Abled, as a way to deal with the fears and stresses during Covid, and how this personal project ended up catalysing a whole community, and led her to starting her own life coaching business to help support other people in their struggles. At just 24 years of age, Rhi is an incredible young woman who is such an inspiration! I know you’re going to love hearing her story, and I hope you are just as inspired as I am by her! And, just before we get started, a quick reminder that this episode is supported by Aspirationery, which, in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be. You can check out our shadow work and moon magic journals and workbooks, as well as our popular “My First Period Tracker” for young girls and tweens on Instagram @aspirationery. If you, or someone you know, would like to be featured in an upcoming Spotlight Series episode, please reach out to me in Instagram @mysticdogmama! Find out more about Rhi’s coaching services at: https://livingabled.com.au Connect with Rhi on Instagram https://instagram.com/living_abled TIME STAMPS 00:22  Intro 03:16  Introducing Rhiannon Anderson of Living Abled 06:00  The roles that dogs and horses have played in Rhi’s life living with Muscular Dystrophy 08:47  Talking about Rhi’s perspectives on the conversations around ableism and disability 10:55 Horses offering the opportunity to do the inner work, without judgment 13:30 What does equine-assisted therapy look like for Rhi? 19:50 How equine-assisted therapy helped Rhi process grief 26:30 Rhi shares her own breakthrough experiences with Larry the Clydesdale 37:50 Rhi’s Living Abled blog as an outlet that then catalyzed a community 42:00 From law to life coaching 47:00 How to work with Rhi 51:20 We are the ones writing and telling our stories 54:00 Rhi’s takeaways 56:30 What have horses and dogs have taught Rhi about being human DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

Yep! Your dog has a purpose, too! Today is a really juicy episode, and if you love to have those big-picture conversations, as well as get into some practical suggestions of how you can create change for you and your dog today, then you’re going to love this chat I had with dog trainer, dog behaviorist, and ethologist, Kim Brophey!  You may know Kim from her TedX talk on why framing our dogs as “pets” has been to their detriment, or maybe you have come across her applied ethology-based L.E.G.S course, which involves taking a step beyond training to also look at a dog’s behaviour in relation to its environment, its genetics, and its individual self. Kim aims to build bridges and invite others to contribute to a new conversation about dogs- one that challenges us to redefine how we perceive, talk about, and treat our canine companions as a society. Whether you’re familiar with her work or not, I know you’re going to get so many nuggets out of this conversation, so definitely message me on Instagram @mysticdogmama with your “aha” moments! I’d love to hear them! Kim and I go deep into how behaviour issues don’t exist in the wild, and how our dogs’ behaviours are telling us about how we may or may not be meeting their needs, and what we can do about that. We also talk about how our dogs are the new “canary in the coal mine,” showing us where we are going wrong - not only in relation to our dogs’ health and wellbeing, but to our own, and the planet’s, and how shifting our perspective from a focus on training our dogs for obedience, instead to creating a state of welfare for them, can have life-changing results -again, for our dogs, but also for ourselves. THIS is the conversation we need to be having alongside doing all the things to help our dogs better live in and cope with the world we have put them in. I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Kim mentions some resources in this chat, and I’ve left links for you in the show notes, along with how you can connect with Kim and her work. Just a quick note that this episode was sponsored by Aspirationery, which, in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be. You can check out our shadow work and moon magic journals and workbooks, as well as our popular “My First Period Tracker” for young girls and tweens on Instagram @aspirationery. To find out more about Kim and her work, visit: https://familydogmediation.com or follow her on social media @familydogmediation And to purchase a copy of Kim’s book, “Meet Your Dog,” please consider using the following affiliate links. When you do, I may receive a commission, which helps keep the podcast running. Amazon USA: https://amzn.to/3wReDyN Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3v7OA67 The article that Kim mentioned:  Montgomery, J. Evolutionary Mismatch, Emotional Homeostasis, and “Emotional Addiction”: A Unifying Model of Psychological Dysfunction. Evolutionary Psychological Science 4, 428–442 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40806-018-0153-9 TIME STAMPS 00:22 INTRO 03:50 How the idea of “pet” has affected how we understand who our dogs are 10:30 Dogs as our canary in the coal mine 14:00 The need to look upstream when we identify a problem 21:50 Behavior problems don’t happen in nature, so why do our dogs have them? 29:30 What are your dog’s L.E.G.S. and how do they affect your dog’s behavior? 41:45 Applying L.E.G.S. to your own dog - and yourself! 50:04 Even positive reinforcement is coercive 56:15 Resisting the temptation to blame ourselves, or our dogs - it’s not you, it’s the system 1:01:00 The more separated we feel from nature, the more we need our dogs 1:03:00 What does the future look like for dogs? 1:08:00 What dogs have taught Kim about what it means to be human 1:10:00 OUTRO DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

We all know we should exercise, but we don’t all know how we need to move Well, whatever it is you’re doing while listening to the podcast, (apart from driving!) I know today’s guest, Wendy Welpton, is going to inspire you to think about how you can incorporate new ways of moving while you’re doing it. Wendy founded Reclaim Movement after a running injury at age 40 turned into 4 years of chronic pain. In her search for answers and to reclaim her own movement again she discovered natural movement. Natural movement, if you aren’t familiar with it, is the philosophy of training real life practical movements to be able to keep using them as we age. It also involves strengthening and mobilising whole-body movement patterns that are underused in today’s modern world. When Wendy started using natural movement in how own life, it made her realise she had found a way to move for life. Wendy’s aim is to help you embrace a movement-rich life, at any age, to improve mobility, strength and confidence to keep moving well and doing the things you love for as long as you want.  I first came across Wendy’s work through her Instagram reels where she shares really simple ways to incorporate a variety of movements into the things we are already doing. Wendy’s philosophy is that it’s not about adding more things to your to-do list, but instead, doing what you’re already doing more intentionally, whether that’s practicing balancing on one foot to put your shoes on, sitting on the floor to fold laundry, or even squatting to clean you dog’s paws after a muddy walk. In our conversation today, Wendy and I talk about really simple ways you can start modifying and improving the quality of your movements right now, regardless of your mobility level. We also talk about how to turn your everyday routines with your dog, including your daily walk, into joyful opportunities to support your strength and mobility - along with your dog’s - so that you two can have many years of health, happiness, and fun together. As we get started, I wanted to take a moment to let you know that this episode is supported by Aspirationery, which, in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be. You can check out our shadow work and moon magic journals and workbooks, as well as our popular “My First Period Tracker” for young girls and tweens on Instagram @aspirationery. Ok, on that note, let’s get moving! TIME STAMPS 00:22 INTRO 03:55 Introducing Wendy Welpton of Reclaim Movement. What is natural movement? 05:25 Wendy’s journey from 4 years of chronic pain to natural movement 13:30 Easily adding natural movement into your daily activities 17:45 Gratitude for our body vs punishing our body 19:50 The value of getting on the ground regularly - especially with your dog! 27:30 The dog walk as a prime opportunity to engage your body - and your dog’s body - in new, playful ways 34:19 Embrace your inner weirdo 38:20 Shake things up and find more joy 43:00 The mind-body connection for releasing pain, and stuck emotions 47:10 Top tips for walking in alignment and preventing falling 54:18 Work with Wendy 57:02 What dogs have taught Wendy about what it means to be human 59:04 OUTRO Get in touch with me on Instagram @mysticdogmama More about Reclaim Movement: Website & Free Resources - https://reclaimmovement.co.uk Instagram - https://instagram.com/@reclaim.movement YouTube - https://youtube.com/@reclaim.movement Podcast - ‘Make Movement Matter’ on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Check out the videos Wendy mentioned on walking techniques: Want to walk more efficiently? 2 simple body adjustments you can implement today Uncovering the surprising pre-walk routine you didn't know you needed!youtu.be 5 Natural Movements to prepare your body for walking wellyoutu.be DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

You are going to love this conversation with this week’s guest, Niki French! Today, Niki shares her dog training backstory, and why she decided to write the bestselling book, “STOP walking Your Dog” along with founding the international #dontwalkyourdogday which happens every April 2nd. We dive into how the whole idea - and pressure! - of taking our dogs for walks in the ways that we do is actually a human invention that isn’t necessarily the best thing for every dog. Niki also talks through a real-life example of how to help a senior dog with joint issues adjust to a new routine. Niki is a self-described, “dog-mad, people-loving, award-winning dog trainer, author, and podcaster”. After a bicycle accident in 2014 interrupted her 30-year career as an international Sales and Marketing Director (queue the Universe stepping in!) Niki pursued her childhood dream of working with animals. In 2019 she set up Pup Talk and Twickenham Dog Services, in collaboration with her CEO Bodie, a lively Collie Lurcher Cross, that she rescued from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in London.  Niki’s area of expertise is really in helping dog-owners to learn how to leave stress and frustration behind with simple, fun, and transformational games to help build a stronger bond with their pup. If you’re anything like me, and the dog walk can be just as stressful for you as it is for your dog, I just know you’re going to come away from this episode feeling seen, and with a bunch of new tools for your tool belt!  Even if you don’t have a reactive dog like Lucky, you’ll gain some really helpful tips and tricks that you can be using to enrich your dog’s experience, or to give them something really fun to do when going for a walk isn’t an option. You might even want to try out some of these suggestions this coming April 2nd to celebrate and take part in #dontwalkyourdogday To find out more about Niki, her courses, and Don’t Walk Your Dog Awareness Day, visit her website: https://puptalk.co.uk Instagram/X/TikTok/Threads @puptalk101 You can also find her amazing podcast, Pup Talk The Podcast on all major platforms, including https://puptalk.libsyn.com/ Please consider using the following affiliate links to purchase Niki’s book, ‘Stop Walking Your Dog: A Guide to Training Your Nervous, Reactive, or Over-Excited Pup’. When you do, I may receive a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. This helps support the podcast to keep it running! Amazon USA: https://amzn.to/3PkMVAV Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3wZRjim And Tricia Hersey’s book, “Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto” that I mention can be purchased at the following affiliate link, if you’re interested in checking it out: Amazon USA: https://amzn.to/3VHIsMP Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3IKScOE Finally, a quick note that this episode was sponsored by Aspirationery, which, in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be. You can check out our shadow work and moon magic journals and workbooks, as well as our popular “My First Period Tracker” for young girls and tweens on Instagram @aspirationery. TIME STAMPS 00:22 INTRO 05:54 Introducing Niki French! 14:00 Finding your mentors, voice, and confidence 16:45 The dog as WOMAN’S best friend + women rising to claim our voices 19:25 Why sometimes not walking your dog might be the best thing for your pup 34:15 Why your dog might have difficulty resting and switching off 41:15 Practical alternatives to the dog walk you can do today 53:00 What Niki suggests for a senior dog with joint issues that needs to reduce his walks, but loves the routine of walks, and how you can apply this to your dog 1:03:40 Practical tips to mix up what a walk looks like 1:06:15 #dontwalkyourdogday Join in the fun on April 2nd! 1:10:45 What dogs have taught Niki about what it means to be human 1:13:32 OUTRO DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

Ditch the “musts” and “shoulds” and come back to who you truly are If you’re anything like me, I’m sure you love taking every personality test under the sun, or diving into horoscopes, or other modalities that shed some light on who you are and what you are here for. Sometimes you’ve got to kiss a bunch of frogs, or dip your toe in a bunch of modalities to find the ones that resonate with you and your personal journey.  So, today, I wanted to invite my guest, Veronica Mezzetti-Draia, to introduce you to Human Design because she is, by far, one of the most incredible presenters of Human Design that I have come across, and she makes it really understandable how you can easily and effectively apply it in your life. When I discovered one of Veronica’s videos describing Manifesting Generators (which is my Human Design energy type), I felt seen in a way I hadn’t done before. She’s honestly amazing, and I absolutely know you are going to LOVE hearing what she has to say. Veronica is a mindset coach and Human Design guide who found Human Design to be so powerful in her own life and business, that she trained in it in order to better support her clients to craft a life of ease that aligns with their unique energy flows. Something I really like about Human Design is that in life we are often given one-size-fits all advice - and you’ll probably recognize that we also we this for dogs! - but the reality is that we are all designed differently, with different ways of making decisions, with different things that light us up, and with different ways of dealing with the various challenges that life throws our way. Human Design looks at you as the unique individual you are, and gives you personalised guidelines and strategies for being the most expansive, aligned version of yourself. As Veronica says in our conversation today, when you can learn about, love, and leverage YOUR superpowers, you can learn to make aligned decisions and take aligned action. What feels better than that?? To me, Human Design feels like a permission slip to just be yourself, and I truly believe that the greatest gift you can give yourself, your dog, and the world, is to just be uniquely you. You might find it helpful to have your own chart handy to look at while she explains what all the different components are. You can download it for free on Veronica’s website, https://www.veronicamezzettidraia.com, or you can use any other free online chart generator. This episode is supported by Aspirationery, which, in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be. You can check out our shadow work and moon magic journals and workbooks, as well as our popular “My First Period Tracker” for young girls and tweens on Instagram @aspirationery. If you would like to learn more about Veronica’s coaching and Human Design Services, or you’d like to download your free Human Design chart, visit her website: https://www.veronicamezzettidraia.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VeronicaMezzettiDraia Instagram: https://instagram.com/veronicamezzettidraia TIME STAMPS 00:22 INTRO 04:53 Introducing Veronica Mezzetti-Draia and Human Design 17:35 Human Design is returning to who you actually are 21:45 An overview of your Human Design chart, or Bodygraph, and what it all means 30:28 The energy types - “The Power Rangers” - learn, love, and leverage your superpowers 38:29 The 3 things you need to know about your Human Design chart to revolutionize your life 56:25 How knowing your design helps you to better connect with your dog, and with others 1:09:00 The power of releasing the narrative 1:16:50 What Veronica’s dogs have taught her about what it means to be human 1:22:00 Outro DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

This episode is a special bonus episode that I created after a listener got in touch asking if I would speak more about Lucky’s journey. We were chatting on Instagram, and she wanted to hear more about the progress I have made with some of Lucky’s behaviours and how he has made some huge leaps and bounds recently with getting comfortable with things that used to really frighten him. So, I sat down and did some reflection on what I think has worked, what hasn’t worked, and what we’re still working through, in hopes that perhaps you might benefit from my successes, as well as learn from my failures. 🐶 🥦 🦴❤️ If you would like to take advantage of my reduced rate personalised canine nutrition consultation and diet plan for your dog as part of a case study for my ongoing canine nutrition education, comment NUTRITION in the comments, send me a DM on Instagram, or email me: mysticdogmama@gmail.com, and I'll send you a link to my intake form. Instagram: https://instagram.com/mysticdogmama Here are affiliate links for the 30ft leash I use for Lucky. When you purchase from these links, I may receive a commission from qualifying purchases, which helps support this podcast. Amazon USA: https://amzn.to/3wRrdy1 Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/4ckHcF2 00:22 Intro 02:34 Intro to Lucky's backstory: putting the pieces together to Lucky's reactivity 07:42 The impact of gut health on reactivity 08:45 The pandemic pup phenomenon 10:50 Where the problems started, and what you can learn from this 15:30 How do you say "anal glands" in Spanish?? How a random trip to a homeopath who performed the Emotion Code revealed the missing piece to Lucky's puzzle 20:00 Breaking down Lucky's reactivity: what worked for us, what didn't work for us 44:31 My litmus test that this is all working: Lucky let someone else pet him for the very first time - EVER! 46:30 Allowing myself to mourn the dog I envisioned having 47:30 Recap of the 6 takeaways from Lucky's journey you might want to apply with your dog Thank you so much for listening!  DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

This is no ordinary microbiome conversation! Well, you are really going to love the conversation I’m sharing with you today that I had with holistic veterinarian, Dr Odette Suter. She is lovingly well-known as Dr Poop Lady because of her passion for and expertise in the microbiome and the importance of gut health to your dog’s overall health. To give you a bit of Dr Suter’s background, she graduated from veterinary school in Switzerland in 1994. Early on, she recognized the limitations of conventional medicine and questioned its role in true healing. Her unconventional upbringing combined with her own healing journey has led her to explore many holistic avenues to uncover and treat the underlying cause of disease of her animal patients. As a truly holistic vet, she is passionate about education and has written the international best-selling book “What Your Vet Never Told You – Secrets to Supporting Peak Health for Your Animal.” Dr Suter is a sought-after speaker and teacher in the field of holistic veterinary medicine, and she has developed her own training and mentorship program for pet parents and professionals alike to empower them to think like a holistic vet and maximize their animals’ health This is not your ordinary microbiome conversation! We definitely do get into what the microbiome is and how to best support it for your dog’s health, but it was such a gift, and so much fun, to be able to talk with Dr Suter about the bigger questions that the microbiome invites us to ask, including, if we, and our dogs, are mostly made of microbes, who are we really, at the core, and how can a better understanding of the microbiome shed light on how we might heal our dogs, ourselves, and the planet? Not only will you take away some tips on actions you can take today to better support your dog’s microbiome, but I’m hoping that you’ll also come away with a more expanded sense of who you are and the uniqueness of, well, YOU! If you are enjoying the podcast, I would SO appreciate you subscribing, liking, rating, and reviewing it! It means so much because those things are really important for making the podcast easier to find, and letting other mystic dog mamas, and papas, know that this community is out there for them! Shall we get started? OK. let’s go! To learn more about Dr Odette Suter’s masterclass and mentorship program, visit her website: https://odettesuterdvm.com And to purchase her book, “What Your Vet Never Told You – Secrets to Supporting Peak Health for Your Animal,” please consider using the affiliate link below, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, and this helps to support the Mystic Dog Mama podcast and channel. Affiliate links: Amazon USA https://amzn.to/3woLURy   Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3TJAvoY TIME STAMPS 00:22 INTRO 05:00 Introducing Dr Odette Suter and the microbiome 08:19 What exactly is the microbiome? 11:00 If we are mostly microbes, who are we really? 13:50 Microbes invite us to reconnect to ourselves, our bodies, and the fabric of life 17:25 Studying the microbiome is creating a paradigm shift in both the conventional medicine world and the holistic world 19:29 The impact of the microbiome on cancer therapy 24:45 Helping rescue dogs to build up their microbiome 26:20 Are probiotics more harmful than helpful? 32:50 what about leaky gut? 36:36 Your dog innately knows how to heal themselves 42:44 How animals are our catalysts for transformation 45:20 How animals are teaching us that everything is perfect as it is 51:00 The gut reflects what is happening in nature 52:30 We are shifting paradigms 1:00:00 Things to support your dog today 1:04:00 How to learn from and work with Dr Suter 1:06:26 What have dogs taught Dr Suter about what it means to be human 1:10:00 OUTRO DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

What if your dog could point you to exactly what they - and you -  need in order to heal? Well, they can! In today’s conversation, I talk with Rachel Knott, the owner of My Animal Matters, about how applying the practice of zoopharmacognosy with our dogs can open up an entire world of insights into the relationship between our dogs’ health issues, behaviours, and ourselves. I know it sounds like the most incredible Scrabble word (and if you ever manage to accomplish that, you definitely have to take a photo of that board and send it to me!) but zoopharmacognosy basically translates to animal medicine knowing, and speaks to ALL animals’ innate wisdom when it comes to healing - including our own! Whether you have a dog who has health or behavioural issues that you have struggled seeing success with, or you just want to learn how to better support your dog in staying healthy, or you want to learn about deepening your bond with your dog, then you’re going to really get a lot out of this chat! Rachel shares her own story of how a wake-up call while working in the corporate world, then being laid off, led her to working in Battersea Dogs Home in London where her next chapter of working with dogs began. She also talks about how this journey with dogs helped her to see the relationship between our stress and our dogs’ stress, and how by learning the practices of deep listening, animal communication, and botanical self-healing, she has been able to support countless dogs - and their owners - on a journey back to physical, emotional, and spiritual health. From a border collie suffering from obsessively chasing shadows, to dogs with allergies and skin issues, and even her own dog who displayed aggressive behaviour.  She also shares tips on how you can start to practice self-selection with your own dog today by using some simple items in your kitchen cupboards. 00:21  INTRO 04:10  INTRODUCING RACHEL KNOTT (+ LUCKY!) 05:55  RACHEL SHARES HER OWN STORY FROM THE CORPORATE WORLD TO WORKING WITH DOGS - WHEN THE UNIVERSE FORCES YOU TO FOLLOW YOUR PASSION 08:40  MAKING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUR DOG’S STRESS AND YOUR OWN 10:02  YOUR DOG KNOWS WHAT IT NEEDS TO HEAL 17:00  WHAT IS ZOOPHARMACOGNOSY? 21:30  RECLAIMING OUR TRUST IN OUR OWN HEALTH 25:18  REBUILDING TRUST IN OUR DOGS  - AND IN OURSELVES 32:46  CASE STUDY: A BORDER COLLIE WHO OBSESSIVELY CHASES SHADOWS, AND AN OWNER DEALING WITH GRIEF 30:11  CASE STUDY: COSMO THE BOSTON TERRIER TEACHES RACHEL ABOUT ANGER 52:00  LEARNING TO REALLY OBSERVE YOUR DOG 54:10  HOW ZOOPHARMACOGNOSY HELPED A DOG WITH SEVERE SKIN ISSUE WHO HAD TRIED EVERYTHING 57:30  CASE STUDY: WHEN A LARGE DOG BECOMES RACHEL’S TEACHER 1:01:00 EMBRACING CURIOSITY AND BEING OK WITH NOT KNOWING 1:02:00 THE IMPORTANCE OF DEEP LISTENING 1:04:00 RELEASING THE IDEA OF THE EXPERT AND OUR ATTACHMENTS TO LABELS 1:10:00 HOW TO DO SELF-SELECTION WITH YOUR DOG TODAY USING THINGS IN YOUR KITCHEN CUPBOARD 1:14:00 WHAT DOGS HAVE TAUGHT RACHEL ABOUT WHAT DOGS HAVE TAUGHT HER ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN To find out more about Rachel’s work, including her botanical self-healing course, and upcoming Animal Reflections course with Denis Liam Murphy, visit her website: https://myanimalmatters.co.uk/ Check out Denis Liam Murphy's Book The Blame Game: How to Recover from the World's Oldest Addiction. By using the following affiliate links, I earn a commission and you help support the podcast, at no extra cost to you: https://amzn.to/49SzzUM https://amzn.to/3vgbb0d You can also follow Rachel on Instagram at: https//:instagram.com/myanimalmatters Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please like, review, and rate it. It really helps other mystic dog mamas who are looking for support and community to find the podcast. https://instagram.com/mysticdogmama DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

You are what you eat, and the same is true of your dog. I’m really looking forward to sharing today’s episode with you because I just know you’re going to get so much out of it. Whether you’re brand new to the idea of fresh feeding, or you’re a seasoned pro, this conversation with Kay Stewart, a registered Veterinary Technician who is a researcher, writer, and lead educator of the Feed Real Institute, is packed full of goodies on how to best feed your dog. The Feed Real Institute is such a valuable resource for fresh food feeding, with tons of articles, a feeding calculator, courses, workshops, and even the Feed Real Summit, which are all designed to make feeding your dog real food a breeze. I know how utterly confusing it is when you’re just trying to do the best for your dog, and you don’t know where to start. Or even if you’ve been fresh feeding your dog for a while. there are so many different philosophies on how to feed your dog, that you sometimes wonder if you’re doing the right thing. I am hoping that this episode will help bring you some clarity. Kay and I cover a lot of ground, including why fresh food is a better choice for your dog, the importance of using species-appropriate bioavailable ingredients, and even some useful tips for transitioning your dog from kibble to fresh food.  Kay shares her incredible expertise to help you take the fear and complication out of fresh food feeding as we demystify and debunk the AAFCO, NRC, and FEDIAF guidelines to make it easier for you to embark on, or deepen, your fresh feeding journey. You’ll come away with some helpful tips and resources, whether you just want to start by adding fresh food toppers to your dog’s kibble, or you want to up your DIY raw game. There’s something for everyone! Are you ready? Ok, let’s go! TIME STAMPS 00:21  INTRO 05:39 Introducing Kay Stewart, veterinary technician and lead educator of Feed Real Institute, from animal research to getting back into alignment as a fresh food advocate 10:15. Kay’s paradigm shift from kibble to fresh 13:11 Where to start your fresh food journey 14:40 The science behind the benefits of fresh feeding 16:22 What are the problems with kibble and why is fresh food a better option?  20:53 What are AAFCO, NRC, FEDIAF, and what do their guidelines mean about what is in my dog’s food? 28:28 What does species-appropriate mean and why is it important? 32:55 The longevity of dogs has decreased since the 1970s when kibble became the mainstay 35:00 Putting the pieces together - what you need to feed your dog fresh food 43:10 Feeding the dog in front of you and why spreadsheet models might not be providing you with the certainty you think they are 48:00 Taking a holistic approach - looking beyond food 51:00 Start topping your dog’s kibble with fresh food today with these easy tips 57:20 The benefits of allowing your dog to pick and choose their food items, and what this is telling you 59:00 The fun and joy YOU will experience when feeding your dog fresh food 1:00:00 The Feed Real Summit in San Diego, CA October 5-6, 2024 1:04:20 What dogs have taught Kay about what it means to be human 1:06:00 OUTRO and Takeaways If you want to learn more about Feed Real, their courses, food calculator, and upcoming summit October 5-6, 2024, check out their website: https://feedreal.com And you can check out the episode where I spoke with Dr Tom Lonsdale about raw meaty bones as the key to the carnivore code here. DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

In this listener request bonus episode, I answer the question of what is the Universe’s secret sauce of time travel, and share my thoughts on how you can transform your life and step into the version of yourself you want to become by consciously connecting with the breadcrumbs your future self is leaving you right now. I’ll also share with you 3.5 tips you can apply in this very moment to start connecting with your future self today! TIME STAMPS 00:21 INTRO 01:00 TRUSTING YOUR OWN PATH FOR SENSITIVE SOULS 02:50 THE UNIVERSE’S SECRET SAUCE OF TIME TRAVEL - YOU ARE COMMUNICATING WITH YOURSELF ACROSS TIME AND SPACE 05:25 WHAT HAS A DISH RACK GOT TO DO WITH OWNING A DOG? 13:50 THE LAW OF EMERGENCE - YOU HAVE EVERYTHING ALREADY WITHIN YOU 17:08 EVEN IN THE DARKEST TIMES THE FUTURE VERSION OF OURSELVES ARE CALLING BACK TO US 18:00 3.5 TIPS FOR YOU TO CONNECT WITH THE FUTURE VERSION OF YOURSELF TODAY 23:00 TRUST YOUR VOICE + OUTRO Let me know what other topics you'd like me to cover in future episodes to help you live your best mystic dog mama (or papa!) life with your dog! Message me on Instagram @mysticdogmama DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

BALANCE YOUR BODY SO YOU CAN FLOW THROUGH THIS STAGE OF LIFE WITH EASE If you’ve been in or around the fresh food dog feeding world for any length of time, I’m sure you’ve come across those posts in Instagram of beautiful plates of dog food, with a whole host of amazing and exotic ingredients, with the caption “My dog eats better than me”. In this episode we flip that script, and focus on how you can give yourself and your health the same loving attention you give your dog. Many of us mystic dog mamas are of the perimenopause age, or will be in the next few years, so in this In this episode, integrative health practitioner and health coach, Jessica Green, gives us some fantastic guidance on how to navigate this period of our life with ease by using food and nutritional supplements. She provides a great overview of what is going on in our bodies during perimenopause, symptoms you might be experiencing, and some great foods you can incorporate into your diet to help ease symptoms and help you feel your best!   And, as a bonus, many of the whole foods and supplements Jessica recommends for your health during perimenopause, are foods and supplements that you may already be incorporating into your dog’s diet (or could be!), so you probably already have them in your kitchen! Get a pen and paper ready, because this episode is chock full of useful info and tips, and you’re going to want to take notes! TIMESTAMPS 00:20  INTRO 05:50  MY DOG EATS BETTER THAN ME - LET’S FLIP THAT SCRIPT 08:00  FROM SUSTAINABLE BUILDING EXPERT TO INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTITIONER AND HEALTH COACH 11:28  THE VALUE OF WORKING WITH A HEALTH COACH ALONG WITH YOUR DOCTOR 15:50  WHY THE NEED TO FOCUS ON PERIMENOPAUSE AND MENOPAUSE? 21:15  WHAT IS PERIMENOPAUSE, AND HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM MENOPAUSE? 26:10  THE ROLE OF YOUR ADRENALS AND STRESS IN YOUR EXPERIENCE OF PERIMENOPAUSE 31:10  HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT STAGE OF PERIMENOPAUSE YOU ARE IN? 34:03  HOW THE THYROID MIGHT AFFECT YOUR SKIN DURING PERIMENOPAUSE 35:40  MUSCLE CRAMPING AND MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY  38:35  INFLAMMATION AND HOW TO REDUCE IT 40:56  THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING THE GUT MICROBIOME 45:40  SIMPLE WAYS TO REDUCE OUR EXPOSURE TO TOXINS AND ENDOCRINE-DISRUPTORS 50:17 JESSICA’S TIPS ON FOODS AND NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS: THINGS TO ADD AND THINGS TO AVOID 57:00 JESSICA’S NEW BOOK 1:00:00 WHAT JESSICA’S DOG TAUGHT HER ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN 1:01:00 OUTRO You can find out more about Jessica Green and her work: https://jessicagreenwellness.com  https://instagram.com/jessicagreenwellness https://facebook.com/jessicagreenwellness https://youtube.com/@jessicagreenwellness This episode is supported by Aspirationery, where we make books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be! I have made a special journal and workbook especially for tracking your cycle, symptoms, and navigating the identity shifts that occur during perimenopause. It’s a great way to keep track of things so you can identify patterns, and have something to reference when you talk with your doctor, naturopath, or health coach. It would also be a great tool alongside Jessica’s upcoming book. The perimenopause journal should be available by the time this episode airs, or just shortly thereafter, so check out our Instagram page for updates and availability. That’s @aspirationery. As always, I’d love to hear from you about other topics you’d like me to cover on future episodes, so please reach out to me on Instagram @mysticdogmama. I absolutely love hearing from you! Until next time! DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

If at any time you think the dog wants to be in charge, we in Canine Flow, say that's because the dog HAS a charge. I’ve got a question for you. Have you tried “all the things” when it comes to dealing with your dog’s reactive behaviours, but you’re still struggling and feeling at your wit’s end? Or, do you just know that there’s a deeper way to connect with your dog, and you’re curious about how to make that happen? Then you are definitely going to love today’s episode! I spoke with Caroline Griffith, an author, speaker, lecturer, qualified nutritional therapist, and founder of Canine Flow, who has been working in the pet industry for more than 28 years. She is phenomenal, and I am proud to call her my own teacher, mentor, and friend. Caroline’s take on all things dogs is so refreshing, because she brings the heart back into focus- both your dog’s, and your own. Canine Flow is more than just a modality to work on your dog’s behaviour. It is a way of being with your dog that invites you to understand your dog - and, again, yourself - from an energetic and emotional space. This isn’t “woo”, there is science behind the assertion that the heart is an electromagnetic organ that drives the way we experience and engage with the world around us. As Caroline talks about in this episode, she feels that the missing part of the equation when it comes to dogs, and what happens to be their lesson for us as humans, is to unite the mind and the heart in coherence. When we support our dogs in grounding their emotional charge, they become calm and happy, and the very behaviours we have been trying to change, start to be a non-factor. We talk about what Canine Flow is and what it isn’t, how it complements traditional positive reinforcement techniques, as well as how our dogs are inviting us to step into our own heart space. Caroline also shares her experience of connecting to the canine consciousness that she refers to as the sacred canine heart, and she graciously does a reading for all of us with her sacred canine oracle deck. I also share some of my personal experiences as a student of Caroline’s Canine Flow course that she will be offering again in March, so you can hear my take on it and how it has supported Lucky and me. Stick with me until the outro, because I will also share with you 3 tips on how you can apply aspects of Canine Flow with your dog today. This episode is supported by Aspirationery, which, in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be. You can check out our shadow work and moon magic journals and workbooks, as well as our popular “My First Period Tracker” for young girls and tweens on Instagram @aspirationery. Ok, grab a cup of tea, or your leash, and let’s go! TIME STAMPS 00:22  INTRO 04:15  INTRODUCING CAROLINE GRIFFITH 07:00  INTRODUCTION TO CANINE FLOW - TRANSFORM YOURSELF AND YOUR DOG 08:15  CANINE FLOW: A HEART-BASED APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING YOUR DOG AND HIS BEHAVIOUR 15:15  EMOTIONAL CHARGE AND YOUR DOG’S BEHAVIOUR 25:35  REFRAMING ENRICHMENT: FULFILLING THE DOG EMOTIONALLY NOT TIRING THE DOG OUT MENTALLY 30:30  OUR DOGS ARE SHOWING US HOW TO LIVE AS HEART-BASED BEINGS 35:30  HOW YOUR DOG’S BEHAVIOUR CHANGES WHEN THEY ARE IN FLOW 43:45  THE HEART HAS A MEASURABLE CHARGE 53:55  THE STORY OF STEWIE 59:40  LUCKY’S POSITIVE RESPONSE TO CANINE HYPNOTHERAPY IN CANINE FLOW 1:09:00 YOU ARE ENOUGH 1:10:00 WE GROUND BY OFFERING OUR CREATIVITY 1:13:00 A MESSAGE FOR ALL OF US FROM THE SACRED CANINE HEART  1:28:00 WHAT DOGS HAVE TAUGHT CAROLINE ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN 1:30:00 OUTRO + TIPS TO START APPLYING CANINE FLOW WITH YOUR DOG TODAY To learn more about Canine Flow or to reach out to Caroline, visit https://canineflow.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/spiritualdogs Link to Stewie's Canine Flow session DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

“The mother is in each out breath. You give birth through prana to yourself, to your state of being.” Today, you are in for a real treat as I chat with my guest, spiritual teacher, author, and mystic, Berdhanya Swami Tierra. She teaches those individuals who are sincerely interested in self-cultivation and inner mastery. Her passion and mission are in offering an uplifting and inspirational platform for the awakening of humanity. Berdhanya supports inner awakening and personal freedom through meditation, mystical teachings, self-inquiry and contemplation. In this beautiful conversation today, Berdhanya Swami Tierra and I talk about what it means to be walking the mystical path with our dogs, and how to reconnect to our own divine feminine energies and womb chakra. We talk about how the ultimate invitation of life is to be more of yourself in every moment, and how through a process of kinship, we are learning to become more of ourselves through our relationship with our dogs. Berdhanya says that to be a mother, to be a dog mother, is to be aware that we are creating each and every moment with the power of our out breath, and that through acknowledging this, we can more fully step into our role as alchemists. Berdhanya Swami Tierra has such a wise gentleness about her, and being in her presence is such a gift. Along with useful practices we can try, she also graciously offers so much for us to contemplate, including how we are connected to our dogs, to the elements and the elementals, and all the magic that surrounds us and flows through us.  Grab a cup of tea, and snuggle up with your dog, because you’re going to enjoy this one! To learn more about Berdhanya Swami Tierra, her courses, and other offerings, visit her website at: https://berdhanya.com. You can also find her teachings on YouTube at https://youtube.com/@berdhanya If you are enjoying the podcast, please subscribe, tell a friend, rate it, and review it. It really helps other mystic dog mamas who are looking for community and support to find the podcast. And while you’re at it, let me know what other topics you’d like me to cover to help you live your best Mystic Dog Mama (or Papa!) life with your own pup! You can message me on Instagram @mysticdogmama And a final note that this episode was supported by Aspirationery, which in full transparency, is another project of mine. At Aspirationery, we make books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be! You can check out our shadow work & moon magic journals and workbooks on Instagram @Aspirationery and on Amazon. Ok, until next time! TIMESTAMPS 00:20 Intro 02:36 Welcoming Berdhanya Swami Tierra 04:29 Berdhanya’s journey on the path of the modern-day mystic 06:50 The difference between awareness and consciousness 09:15 The archetype of the healer: how healing occurs 15:05 Womxn are the alchemists 17:35 The collective “witch wound” 19:00 Taking the first steps towards your own embodiment of being a mystic dog mama 24:15 The courage to confront the unlimited possibility 26:00 The need for empowerment vs the need for realization 30:50 The power of the womb chakra and the attribute of the mother archetype 34:00 Our kinship with the elementals and the elements -we are nature 36:00 The science of Ayurveda and Yoga - taking care of your element 41:00 What is the new paradigm asking of us and offering us? 42:00 Stepping into the power of the feminine 44:55 Coming into relationship with the goddess 52:50 Redefining the mother 59:35 What dogs are teaching us about what it means to be human 01:14:00 Where to find out more about Berdhanya Swami Tierra’s works 01:17:00 Outro DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

I think what it means to be human, at the core, is the same as what it means to be a dog…to love and be loved My guest today is Laura Thomas, host of the Rescued by a Dog podcast, author, musician, documentary maker, and all-around creative, and a mystic dog mama herself. I reached out to Laura after finding myself binge-listening to her podcast where she invites guests who have had some pretty extraordinary experiences of their dogs quite literally saving their lives in a variety of unbelievable circumstances. Laura also shares her beautiful story of how her dog Cody saved her during her battle with long Covid.  I wanted to bring Laura on to Mystic Dog Mama to talk about some of her favourite stories she’s been witness to on her podcast, to share her own story with her dogs, and to talk more in depth about what  - and how - our dogs are teaching us about what it means to be human. This was such a fun episode to record, despite the fact that a construction crew decided to start working just as we were recording, and both my dog, Lucky, and Laura’s dog, Izzy, were super eager to be involved in the podcast! I’ve done my best to edit out the annoying constructions noises, so I apologise in advance, but I’ve left in the dog interactions, because, I mean, this is Mystic Dog Mama, and I will always forgive interruptions of the canine variety! If you want to see some cameos of Lucky and Izzy, definitely check out the video version on Spotify or YouTube where you’ll get to see Lucky plant a wet one on my cheek just as Laura describes how dogs are teaching us about unconditional love! If that’s not wonderfully magical and mystical, I don’t know what is. You can find Rescued by a Dog wherever you stream podcasts, or on Buzzsprout: https://rescuedbyadog.buzzsprout.com/ You can find Laura’s book, Not Just a Dog, anywhere that books are sold. This was a listener-inspired episode, because you have mentioned that you’d love to hear inspiring stories of people and their dogs! Keep the feedback coming! Let me know what topics you’d like me to cover on future episodes to help you live your best mystic dog mama (or papa!) life with your own pup! Message me on Instagram @mysticdogmama. This episode is supported by Aspirationery, which in full transparency, is another project of mine. At Aspirationery, we make books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be! You can check out our shadow work & moon magic journals and workbooks on Instagram @Aspirationery Ok! Until next time! TIMESTAMPS 00:20 Intro 03:22 Welcome Laura Thomas 05:00 Laura shares her story of moving to Austin to run a last chance dog rescue program, her battle with long COVID, and the inspiration to start the Rescued by a Dog podcast 11:25 Craving the intimacy of storytelling 13:20 Dogs save us when we have lost ourselves, Laura and I talk about some of our favourite stories on her podcast 23:50 What do we mean that dogs are our healers? 28:00 The magical moment when you know you have found your dog 29:30 Animal communication: you are already doing it! 36:00 What dogs know 40:35 Laura’s mystical novel of a dog saving a woman’s life that was inspired by a true story 45:20 Dogs meet you wherever you are at on your spiritual journey 50:00 What dogs have taught Laura about what it means to be human 55:00 Outro DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

So, I have a question for you. Were you one of those kids who believed in fairies, who believed that animals could talk, and that even your toys might get up to no good when you weren’t home? Did you just love being outside because it felt like home? And the world was full of magic? Yeah, that was me, too! And I feel like much of my spiritual journey as an adult has been an attempt to get back to those feelings I had as a child. I think it’s probably what many of us are looking for - that reconnection, that remembering of the magic that surrounds us, and that is within us. In this episode, I welcome singer-songwriter and author, Susan Raven, who joins me in conversation about her spiritual awakening journey and how this led her back into intimate relationship with nature spirits. She talks about how coming across Rudolf Steiner’s philosophical and scientific writings on the topic of Anthroposophy and the supersensible world - the energetic world that lies beyond our 5 senses - catalysed a transformative understanding of the very nature of the energies and consciousness that is at the very heart of the natural world. She also talks about how her experience of the process of songwriting became a collaborative, intimate back and forth with the landscape itself. Susan wrote the book Nature Spirits the Rememberance: A Guide to the Elemental Kingdom as a “stirrup up to the saddle,” as she says, into the works of Rudolf Steiner and his discoveries of the supersensible world - and how this is being backed up by current research into quantum physics and biodynamic agriculture practices. It marries the mythologies of old with a contemporary understanding. The book also provides easy practices for you to try in order to connect to this unseen, energetic world, too.  Now, you might be saying, what on earth does this have to do with my dog??  Well, as I mention in the episode, our dogs really are a gateway into the natural world, and into these unseen sensibilities. I’m hoping that Susan’s perspectives that she shares in this talk and in her book might offer you a new, magical lens, as you and your dog head out on your walks, and connect with nature, with the land, - and one another -  in a deeper way. Susan has such a beautiful, poetic way about her, and I invite you to sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy the journey she takes us on.  TIMESTAMPS 00:20 INTRO 03:30 INTRODUCING SUSAN RAVEN 04:10 NATURE SPIRITS & ELEMENTALS AS OUR COMMUNITY 05:25 SUSAN’S JOURNEY WITH THE NATURE SPIRITS AS A SONGWRITER 10:15 SUSAN’S SPIRITUAL AWAKENING & HER INTRO TO RUDOLF STEINER’S WORK 16:35 THE CALL TO RECONNECT WITH NATURE SPIRITS 19:00 WHAT ARE NATURE SPIRITS AND ELEMENTALS? 28:25 RE-MEMBERING THE NATURE SPIRITS 32:20 THE LABORATORY TABLE AS AN ALTAR - bringing the soul to science 33:55 THE ROLE OF DIS-EASE 38:45 COMMUNICATING WITH OUR ANIMALS 43:35 COLLABORATING WITH ELEMENTALS TO CREATE OUR OWN REALITY 52:25 STEINER’S 6 STEPS TO SELF-DEVELOPMENT 56:35 DOGS AS GATEWAYS INTO THE NATURAL WORLD 1:02:32 EXERCISE TO CONNECT WITH YOUR OWN BODY ELEMENTAL 1:08:08 FINAL WORDS FROM SUSAN 1:20:00 OUTRO  To find out more about and connect with Susan Raven: Website: https://www.susanraven.com/ Susan’s book: https://www.susanraven.com/nature_spirits.php YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@SusanRaven Facebook: https://facebook.com/susanraven.music This episode was supported by Aspirationery, which in full transparency, is another project of mine. At Aspirationery, we make books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be! You can check out our shadow work & moon magic journals and workbooks on Instagram @Aspirationery and on Amazon. DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

So, what does the tarot have to do with dogs?? In today’s episode, I am joined by intuitive tarot and astrology expert, and fellow mystic dog mama, Sarah Vrba. Honestly, connecting with Sarah in this conversation was like meeting with a kindred spirit, I enjoyed it so much. I’ve been following Sarah’s work on her YouTube channel for a good few years now where she has created a beautiful and permission-giving space for the sensitive ones among us to reconnect to ourselves, and embrace the wild nature within us. So, what do dogs and the tarot have to do with one another? If you’ve never worked with the tarot before, it is a system of cards that uses imagery and symbolism to describe the archetypal “fool’s journey” or “hero’s journey” that we are all on as humans. In this chat, Sarah and I talk about how the archetype of the dog appears in key moments of The Fool’s journey throughout the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck, inviting us to be present to what is truly available to us, and beckoning to embrace our wild nature.  We get into all kinds of juicy topics, from becoming ok with being a work in process publicly, to deconstructing cultural conditioning, and learning to claim our needs -  lessons we have both learned from our dogs. We also talk about how dogs invite us to explore and embrace our wild selves with abandon, and how Chihuahua time is a real thing! Sarah has such a warm and inviting energy, and I just know you’re going to love connecting with her. If you want to learn more about Sarah and her work, I have left links below. If you are enjoying this podcast, I would be so grateful if you could like, subscribe, rate it, and leave a review! All of these things are so important for helping other mystic dog mamas find the podcast, and get the support they are looking for to best nourish their dogs - and themselves - mind, body, and soul. And, as always, let me know what topics you’d like me to cover in upcoming episodes, or questions you have around nourishing your dog (or yourself!)! This really is a community space, so if there’s something you want to bring up for discussion, I’m all ears! Again, just reach out to me on Instagram @mysticdogmama Sarah’s YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/@sarahvrba Sarah’s Patreon https://patreon.com/sarahvrba Sarah’s website https://sarahvrba.com Sarah’s Instagram https://instagram.com/sarahvrba This episode is supported by Aspirationery, which, in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be! If you are looking for a safe space to explore and embrace your wild self, our moon magic and shadow work journals and workbooks might be a useful support for you. You can take a peek at them on our Aspirationery instagram account, https://instagram.com/aspirationery. TIMESTAMPS 00:20 Intro 05:15 How tarot and astrology have shaped Sarah’s journey, and helped her get back to the wild river of life 06:55 Tarot and astrology to reclaim your personal power and embrace the deep, dark places within ourselves 11:18 What is the mystical path for Sarah? 12:40 Deconstructing the conditioning - across cultures 16:30 Allowing things to be messy 19:00 Negotiating identity 21:00 Productivity culture 22:20 The archetype of the dog in tarot and what it is teaching us about our wild selves 28:35 Sarah and I talk shadow work with our dogs 31:55 The will of the world, surrendering to a greater plan 37:20 When your deepest fears are really your greatest friends - lessons from our dogs 43:45 How dogs change our relationship to nature and our own needs 49:15 Dogs lead us through the veil, and return us to ourselves 53:30 Chihuahuas have their own time and the biggest energy field 55:30 Questions that Sarah offers you to explore your own path 1:04:00 What Sarah’s dog has taught her about what it means to be human DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

What if “bad behaviours” are actually your dog communicating they don’t feel safe? If you have experienced challenges with your dog’s behaviour, and traditional operant approaches haven’t really helped, then this conversation is for you! It’s also for you if you’re interested in understanding your dog’s behaviour from a more emotional and trauma-informed perspective. AND, it’s also for you if you want to learn how to be a better advocate for your dog.  I mean, basically, anyone who likes dogs, works with dogs, or lives with dogs needs to listen to what Laura has to say, because when more people are able to have compassion for dogs’ trauma and their own traumas, I am convinced the world will become a more loving place. Dr Laura Donaldson is a former university professor-turned certified dog trainer, certified dog behaviour consultant, and Karen Pryor certified training partner whose work really focuses on, in my opinion, creating a paradigm shift around how we frame and approach “undesirable” behaviours in our dogs like reactivity and aggression. Laura has dedicated herself to improving the wellbeing of dogs by getting rid of the notion of the “well-behaved” dog, and instead, focusing on how to support dogs in experiencing deep safety, and emotional resilience, so that they can navigate anything they encounter in the world. In this conversation, Laura and I talk about how asking our dogs the question “what do i need to learn from you to help you feel safe in this context?” can be truly be life-changing for your dog, and for you. We talk about how understanding the impact of trauma on our dogs, and the links between trauma and aggression, can help us to understand and have compassion for our own traumas. We also discuss some techniques that you can use with your own dog to help them release and ground the charge they feel in their bodies from trauma, including Laura’s grounding work, and other processes like Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and energy work. Laura is launching a new training this January called Transforming Puppies, which she talks a bit about in this conversation you’re about to hear. You can find out more about this training, and all of Laura’s other trainings on her course platform, which you can find below. For more information about Dr Laura Donaldson and her work, visit her website: https://fourpawsfourdirections.com/ You can find out more and register for her webinars on her course platform: https://laura-s-school-1f3f.thinkific.com/collections This episode is supported by Aspirationery, which, in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be! If you are looking for a safe space to explore shadow work and your own traumas, our moon magic and shadow work journals and workbooks might be a useful support for you. You can take a peek at them on our Aspirationery instagram account. TIMESTAMPS 00:22 Intro 05:50 Prioritizing your dog’s emotional needs through grounding 08:15 The body keeps the score - trauma is stored in the body 11:15 Understanding and redefining “bad” behaviors 19:20 The link between trauma and aggressive behavior in dogs 21:05 Redefining reactivity in dogs: why this label doesn’t work 31:00  Building emotional resilience in your dog 33:35 How Laura embarked on this journey 38:38 Why trying to stop the behavior is not a helpful approach 45:25 Practical tips you can do to help your dog with trauma, including EFT and the Triple Heater meridian 50:44 Teaching your dog non-violent social processing as a strategy  56:33 A client example: a dog in Manhattan who was too scared to go outside 1:03:24 Transforming puppies and puppy class: Changing the expectation of dogs being seen and not heard 1:12:05 How Laura’s experiences with dogs have helped her address her own trauma DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.