Unleashing the Power of Connection
Sri Aurobindo and the Mother understood that energy, the very essence of creation and all living beings, is a Divine manifestation of consciousness that can be harnessed to transform ourselves and the world we inhabit. Cesar Milan calls energy „Being-ness, as it is who and what you are in every moment.“
While humans rely heavily on verbal communication, our animal friends communicate through a universal, interspecies language called energy.
Take a moment to observe the animals in your backyard or out in the wild. Notice how they all communicate with the same relaxed, balanced, non-confrontational energy. They go about their business, drinking water, foraging for food, and relaxing without a care in the world. Their energy tells them everything they need to know about each other’s emotional state, without any need for verbal communication.
Unlike us humans, they don’t have to ask each other how they’re feeling. They simply sense it through the energy they’re projecting. It’s a constant dialogue that they engage in, without ever having to utter a word.
A Mothers Way
As the hot Indian sun began to set over the tent-like Banyan trees, I observed a canine mother how she stood watch over her playful litter of puppies. As the pups, bursting full with life energy ran and leapt around, testing the limits of their tiny bodies, their mother remained ever watchful, ready to step in at a moment’s notice.
It was fascinating to watch as though she was silent, her presence alone was enough to command respect from her mischievous offspring. With a single glance, a gentle nudge, or a firm but loving touch, she could communicate volumes without uttering a single sound.
This silent communication is the hallmark of her role as a Pack Leader, a position of authority and responsibility that demanded the utmost respect and deference from those under her care.
A Dance Between Two Species
Dogs have an incredible ability to reflect also their human parents’ emotional and energetic state, almost like a mirror image of our inner world. They can sense if we’re feeling anxious, upset, or simply off-centered, and respond immediately to the energy we emit. It’s like a dance between two beings of different species, as we unconsciously project our energy and they adapt their own energy to match ours.
To communicate effectively with our dogs, it’s crucial to become first aware of the quality of energy we project while being around our dog and use it consciously in a calm, confident, and positive manner. Sri Aurobindo wrote that the power of thought is greater than that of speech or action, since thought is the very essence of energy. By harnessing our thoughts and projecting a calm and assertive energy, we can create a strong connection with our furry friends and achieve deeper understanding and communication.
When it comes to I.D.E.A. Integral dog training, energy isn’t just about how we’re feeling on the inside. It’s also about how we move our bodies to express how we perceive our energy but also about the vibes we are giving off.
Canine Energy Detectives
Dogs have evolved to become masters of reading body language, as their survival and socialisation hinge on their ability to interpret the subtle cues conveyed by their environment. They’re like little energy detectives, sensing and responding to the emotional and energetic signals that we send out and can pick up on the subtlest of cues – from the way we hold ourselves to the most subtle expressions on our faces. In their communication with both humans and other canines, they rely heavily on the art of observation, scrutinising every twitch of a muscle, arch of a back, and flicker of an eye to ascertain mood, intention, and emotional state. Dogs just know whats going on on the inside as their capacity to read these subtle hints is unparalleled, and their instant and intuitive responsiveness to these signals is a testament to their heightened sensitivity to the interplay of physical movement and emotional energy.
To attempt to deceive them by covering our true emotions would be an exercise in futility, as their acute sensitivity to our energetic signature surpasses any veneer of artifice we might try to veil it with.
Dogs may not be able to grasp the specifics of human problems, such as breakups, layoffs, or the importance of lost car keys, as they belong to a different species with an entirely different non-reasoning mindset. But dogs do have an amazing ability to perceive and understand the emotions that these experiences stir up within us. They have an innate connection to the universal feelings of pain, sadness, and grief that transcend the barriers of species, allowing them to relate to and connect with being around them on a deep and sentient level.
Those Big Pleading Puppy Eyes
Picture this: You’re sitting on your sofa, and your pup comes over to snuggle with you. You know you shouldn’t let your furry friend on the couch, but those big, pleading eyes are hard to resist. You cave in and let your pup hop up beside you. But what you don’t realize is that your pup is reading you like a book. It senses your uncertainty, and it quickly learns that your words don’t match your actions. Before you know it, your furry friend is claiming the sofa as its own and ignoring your commands to stay off it.
After multiple failed attempts to get your pup to obey, you might start to raise your voice or even yell. But this is a grave mistake, one that will only serve to backfire on you. Your dog is sensitive to your vocal energy, and if you’re in an agitated, unstable state, it will pick up on that and respond accordingly. You’ll only be confirming to your pup that you lack the calm and assertive energy that a true leader needs to possess. As a result, your dog may either continue to ignore you or become frightened by your outburst.
So the next time your pup begs to join you on the couch, resist the temptation to cave in. Show your furry friend that you mean what you say and show that you’re a strong, dependable leader. Only when we learn to align our words and actions with our true intentions, and project a confident and grounded energy, your dogs will naturally follow you lead.
The Body Expresses The Energy Inside
As you watch your furry companion with loving eyes, have you ever stopped to consider that they too are constantly observing you?
It’s important to remember that their body language is a reflection of the energy they are projecting. In essence, the energy feeds the body language and, in turn, the body language reinforces the energy. The two are interconnected.
Dogs are incredibly expressive creatures, and their body language can convey a wealth of information about their thoughts and emotions. From the way they hold their ears to the position of their tail, each movement and gesture can reveal their innermost thoughts.
When a dog’s ears are back, they may be signalling calm submission, indicating a follower’s role in a pack. Alternatively, they may be signalling fear. Similarly, when one dog mounts another, it may indicate dominance or simply playful behavior. The energy always creates the context.
Take tail wagging, for example. Most people interpret this as a sign of a happy, friendly dog. While this is often the case, tail wagging can also indicate fear, insecurity, anxiety, a challenge to dominance, an attempt to establish social relationships, or even a warning that the dog may bite.
Understanding your dog’s body language and energy is the cornerstone of effective and integral dog training. By tapping into the subtleties of your dog’s nonverbal communication, you can deepen your connection and enhance your ability to communicate with them in a meaningful way.
By paying attention to your dog’s body language, you can learn to become conscious about your own energy and body posture and use your dog as yoga teacher to improve your mindfulness and control over your energy and movements.
Calm Energy Is The Boss
Dogs have an uncanny ability to sense and respond to human energy. They are naturally drawn to calm, assertive energy, while recoiling from weak, nervous, or unbalanced energy. As such, it’s crucial for anyone who wants to establish themselves as a Pack Leader to be mindful of their own energy and learn to control and adjust it.
Dogs themselves communicate dominance not with words, but with their calm, assertive energy. They simply move in and claim their space without the need for “excuse me,” “please,” or “thank you.” As humans, we rely heavily on language to communicate, but we can still learn from our furry friends. By paying closer attention to our own energy and how it affects those around us, we can more effectively convey our messages and influence others.
Think of a great public speaker, someone who can capture and hold the attention of an entire room. It’s not just their words that make them so persuasive, it’s their energy. Even the most well-written speech can fall flat if delivered in a monotone or unenthusiastic manner. On the other hand, someone with confident, enthusiastic energy can easily sway a crowd, even if their ideas are less than brilliant. Our energy speaks volumes, even when our words fall short.
A Magical Interspecies Dance
Through constant interaction with your dogs and becoming aware of the constant biofeedback, you can gain a greater awareness of your own body and energy, which can further enhance your ability to communicate with and be better understood by your dog. By consciously adjusting your posture and energy levels, you can create a more harmonious and balanced relationship with your dog.
A magical interspecies dance of evolution has begun. As you and your dog are becoming more and more attuned in your energy and intuitive understanding to each other, you merge into a sphere of united consciousness, experiencing each other in intense unity.
The shared bond between humans and dogs is a remarkable and unparalleled connection, forged over the course of more than 15,000 years of coexistence. It is a relationship that has only grown stronger with time, as we have evolved together side by side. There is a certain indescribable beauty to this connection, a oneness that is truly one-of-a-kind. It is a bond that transcends words and can only be fully appreciated by those who have experienced it firsthand. Through thick and thin, through the trials and tribulations of life, this bond has remained steadfast and unbreakable, a testament to the power of love and loyalty.
