animal spirit guides

Sweet Pea of Remembrance

Posted by Barbara Techel

Sweet Pea of RemembranceI never thought to plant sweet peas. But when my friend, Victoria was here this week she said I should plant them so they grow up the wire on the gate in my perennial garden.

This morning I did just that. I can hardly wait for them to bloom!  And then in the mail came a lovely gift of remembrance from a faithful reader of my online journal, Debbie.

A glass stone paw print to remind me of Joie’s sign to me after she passed away in August 2013. You might recall that it was a few weeks after I said goodbye to Joie that she sent me a sign that she was well in the shape of a water paw print.  There was (and still is!) no doubt in my mind it was her.

As I contemplated where to put the glass paw print it finally came to me. Of course—near the sweet peas I had just planted. I actually put a few seeds in the wrought iron bird bath too.

Then I realized as I stood back, that on either side of the bird bath are two hummingbirds.  Frankie, my first dachshund, visited me as a hummingbird a few weeks after she had died.

Then I got goosebumps. It is all so right and perfect. So fitting. Both sweet peas I had the honor of loving and caring for.

Now I think perhaps I shall scatter Joie’s ashes among the sweet peas once they begin to bloom. I’ve been wanting to do something with her ashes, but just wasn’t sure. Now I know what I will do. It feels right and good.

Frankie’s ashes I plan to scatter at Bookworm Gardens where a statue of her resides. I hope to do that on the 3rd anniversary of her passing which is in June.

What a lovely day it turned out to be with what unfolded. My heart feels content and happy.  Thank you, Victoria and Debbie for being a part of such a divine plan.

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Wednesdays with the Wisdom of Dog: Stand in Your Truth

Posted by Barbara Techel

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Stand in your truth. There is no other way in which to truly live. When we allow our light of truth to shine, we open doorways to invite more of who we are in.

It seems when we find the courage to own a piece of our truth, another teaching shows up to test us. This will in turn lead us deeper into our authenticity if we don’t let fear stand in the way.

I find myself in this place yet again as a new lesson on Self and trust of my inner voice presents itself, almost as if a mirror to me from Gidget—as she encourage’s me to lean into my intuition.

There is definitely something to this sprite of a spirit that I’ve been blessed with that I so want to honor, and in turn, I realized I am also honoring myself.

I continue to be in immense gratitude and complete awe for what our animal friends give to us when we are open to receive.

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Wednesdays with the Wisdom of Dog: Stillness

Posted by Barbara Techel

IMG_2260 eI’m starting a new weekly series right here on my online journal, “Wednesdays with the Wisdom of Dog.” Each week I’ll share a lesson I’ve learned from my dogs, or write about something I feel they are trying to teach us. I hope you will enjoy it. I welcome your thoughts on any of the lessons or teachings that resonate with you.

As I gave thought to doing this weekly series the word that immediately popped into my head was stillness. So this is the lesson from Dog that I’ll begin this series with.

I think our dogs are masters at teaching us stillness. That is, if we are willing to pay attention and participate.

Perhaps this is just the state of being that I’ve found myself in for quite some time now, though one I grapple with on and off. It’s not always an easy place to be, that is for sure – for we restless, on-the-go, achieving humans that we are.

But as I sat looking at Gidget the other day contemplating the lesson in stillness, I heard in my mind, “Sit. Stay. Staay. Staaaay….listen. Hear that? Hush. Trust me. It’s there. Slowly tune into opening one ear. Good. Now the other. Hear it now?” Was that Gidget sharing this message with me?

I took a deep breath, and let it all out. Whooossssh.

There it was. A vast open space of what felt like nothingness all around me. Not really nothingness, but rather a calm, presence of peace that slowly and gently covered me like a warm blanket, lightly flowing from the top of my head, down to my feet. A letting go of thoughts wanting to spin an endless loop in my mind, but gently slipped away out into this open, vast space of nowhere.

What at first felt like nothing, was actually what feels like home in my heart. That right and still place within me. The center of me, who I truly am, connecting with that something that is bigger than myself—a Spirit of my understanding.

It’s always there. It only goes away when we rush through our lives, trying to figure everything out. Trying to have answers now. Trying to control every. single. moment.

But it’s the stillness that brings answers. Sometimes the answer is stillness itself and there is nothing that needs to be figured out. Right here and right now is all we need to be.

Have you felt this stillness when in the presence of being with your dog?

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