1:3 USING OUR LOVE OF ANIMALS TO LEARN FROM THEM AND BE HEALED OF OUR ANXIETY

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USING OUR LOVE OF ANIMALS TO LEARN FROM THEM AND BE HEALED OF OUR ANXIETY

Animals can help us to improve stillness in our minds. We all know that humans fell out with God in the Garden of Eden. Since then, we have been struggling to return to that stillness and oneness that was experienced before the fall of humans. The good news is that animals do not have the problems with innocence and sin that we have as humans. This has its pros and cons. It means that animals don’t understand the difference between right and wrong as we do. So this is why we need to train dogs with force-free training. We call this positive reinforcement and it involves using cues (like ‘sit’), praise (like ‘good’) and rewards (like food treats, cuddles or toys). This is a great opportunity to improve your own and your dogs wellbeing. We no longer need to shout, push, pull or tell our animals off but we aim to give them choice and control. They can choose to do what you are asking them and then be praised and rewarded.

It really works and on top of all this we can learn from them their stillness. We do this by doing Centering Prayer when we can sit still and do nothing with our dogs. They are experts in this and they can help us to love this Divine Therapy. We aim to do this Centering Prayer twice a day for 20 mins. We need 20 minutes as the first 10 minutes our mind is settling and we get the real benefit in the last 10 minutes. We usually sit upright in our favourite chair or quiet place. Sometimes you can start and end with a prayer. This Centering can really help us in our daily life to stop faffing, get more stillness in our mind and learn with practice not to be distracted by our thoughts. These are the 5 guidelines and if you want to join a Zoom Group then get in touch (see details below) as we meet every Wednesday at 7pm:

CENTERING PRACTICE

5 Guidelines:

  • Consent to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit within.
  • Sit quietly with eyes closed.
  • Every time you have a thought say the sacred word to remind your mind to be still in God’s presence.
  • Allow the thoughts to come and go because the ones that cause you grief need to be healed in the silence.
  • At the end of the prayer period keep eyes closed for 2 minutes.

WELLBEING DOGS TEACHES NEW BEHAVIOURS THAT IMPROVE WELLBEING, INDEPENDENCE AND QUALITY OF LIFE.

Wellbeing Dogs specialises in training Assistance Dogs for Mental Health with the owner. We train puppies, adolescent dogs and adult dogs all the way through to be able to complete the Public Access Wellbeing (PAW) Test so that they are fully trained to be obedient and focused in the community. Then we can train your dog in three (or more) skilled assistance behaviours to help in your recovery from Mental Health problems. 

Wellbeing Dogs spreads the word about how dogs & Owners need choice and control in their life to have Wellbeing. We train any dogs, specialising in spaniels, poodles, Labradors, collies and cross-breeds, with 100% positive methods using verbal and visual cues to enable the dog to choose to do a behaviour and be rewarded with praise and a treat. We believe that dogs have a mission to improve your wellbeing by learning to stay calm in challenging situations. We do this by learning the canine language of calming signals, doing ‘Click to Calm’ and the comforting ‘touch procedure’. 

For more information or to book please click on the link below:

https://www.wellbeingdogs.org/wellbeing-dogs-group-training-sessions

One of our key & unique selling points is that we can learn from our dogs:

* to be still in the moment, 

*stop over thinking the training, 

* use less words

* communicate through feelings

* listen to our dog’s agenda

We train ourselves and our dogs to be more centred and focused by doing Centering Therapy and Trusting Activities.

Rev Liz Maitland, KCAI (AD) is a Kennel Club Accredited Instructor and has experience in training Assistance Dogs since 2009 to improve Wellbeing of the Owner and the dog. She worked 2004-2021 for the Charity RECOVERY Assistance Dogs as Executive Director and Senior Dog Trainer. Now she is Training Dogs as Assistance Dogs to help people recover from Mental Health problems at Wellbeing Dogs.  Also, Rev Liz is a born again Christian and an ordained priest with the Liberal Catholic Church (Old Catholic Apostolic Church) working in Leicester with the Homeful people (those who are homeless or vulnerably housed).

Contact Rev Liz at mothersmessages@gmail.com or 07932433148

Published by Rev Liz

In June 25, 2022 I was ordained a Priest in the Liberal Catholic Church at Wimborne in Dorset. So, I am now Rev Liz Maitland. This is exciting for me as I have had a calling to ordination since I was 19 years old (1975). It has taken me this long because in those days women were not priests. Nowadays women are priests in the Anglican and free churches and it’s about time that the Catholic Church caught up with the times. One of our aims at Mothers Messages Agapé Church is to follow Mary’s model for life. Mary invites us to trust in the truth of God’s love and the truth within ourselves. In our teaching, learning and relationships we are seekers of Truth and people of Love. Mary teaches us humility and strength, leading the way to a relationship with God and eachother. Mary is a great example to us as she is the first human to be able to live in the Divine Will in God’s Kingdom and righteousness. She helps us to be peaceful and loving in our relationships as she negotiates for us those sips of the Divine Will that we need to have inner peace in Shalom (God’s Kingdom).

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