Ever since I can remember I’ve felt a deep kinship with creatures large and small, plants, trees, and any being from Mother Nature.
That rapport came naturally to me. As a child I thought everyone talked to Mother Nature's creatures. It was only after I realized that this wasn’t true that I kept my experiences to myself.
In the 80’s I was taking care of Jeremy, an orange tabby. One icy winter day, he started to walk crooked. So I asked him what was going on and how did this happen? He told me he was climbing on the wood pile, slipped and fell which misaligned his spine. So I took him to my chiropractor and sure enough that was the problem. She was able to do a spinal adjustment on him. Another time he was sitting on my daughter’s lap and she squealed about something. Jeremy leaped straight up and ran and hid. He started to act kind of crazy. I asked him what’s going on and he told me his ears hurt. So I massaged and reset his ears. Then he calmed down and relaxed.
Gradually, I started helping other people with their pet’s problems. In the 90’s my daughter got two new kittens for her children. She had an older cat that was a stray living with them. The baby cats and Mary, the older cat, weren’t compatible so she asked if I would take Mary. She was a stray who decided that she wanted to live in my daughter and son in-law’s home. I could tell she was not happy. I sat down with her and asked her for her story. She told me her story how she landed at my daughter’s place. After I acknowledged her and heard her story, she settled into our home and was much happier.
I have ongoing conversations with the living creatures that inhabit my yard. I don’t even think about it. One day I was in my living room and a bird ran into the window. I rushed outside and found it stunned laying on the ground. I picked it up and gently massaged it’s head. He came around and flew away. Later on that day I was giving a massage in the studio and I heard him telling his friends what I had done. As his friends were listening they started singing outside my window. Not too long after that I noticed more birds in my yard. I talked to the birds about watching out for the windows. this happened happened about 4 1/2 years ago. Two weeks ago I'd been thinking about moving. The next day two birds crashed into my window. I realized they were upset about me leaving. So I went out and told them I'm here. Not to worry. Thank goodness they calmed down.
Today, I feel joyous any time I can communicate with animals and help him or her communicate with their humans. A little understanding and we're all happier!
When I work I'm coming from a full bodied meditative space. There are times when I'm told to have the owner / family join in. Inner verbal communication along with kinesthetic awareness and imagery play a role in my work.
That rapport came naturally to me. As a child I thought everyone talked to Mother Nature's creatures. It was only after I realized that this wasn’t true that I kept my experiences to myself.
In the 80’s I was taking care of Jeremy, an orange tabby. One icy winter day, he started to walk crooked. So I asked him what was going on and how did this happen? He told me he was climbing on the wood pile, slipped and fell which misaligned his spine. So I took him to my chiropractor and sure enough that was the problem. She was able to do a spinal adjustment on him. Another time he was sitting on my daughter’s lap and she squealed about something. Jeremy leaped straight up and ran and hid. He started to act kind of crazy. I asked him what’s going on and he told me his ears hurt. So I massaged and reset his ears. Then he calmed down and relaxed.
Gradually, I started helping other people with their pet’s problems. In the 90’s my daughter got two new kittens for her children. She had an older cat that was a stray living with them. The baby cats and Mary, the older cat, weren’t compatible so she asked if I would take Mary. She was a stray who decided that she wanted to live in my daughter and son in-law’s home. I could tell she was not happy. I sat down with her and asked her for her story. She told me her story how she landed at my daughter’s place. After I acknowledged her and heard her story, she settled into our home and was much happier.
I have ongoing conversations with the living creatures that inhabit my yard. I don’t even think about it. One day I was in my living room and a bird ran into the window. I rushed outside and found it stunned laying on the ground. I picked it up and gently massaged it’s head. He came around and flew away. Later on that day I was giving a massage in the studio and I heard him telling his friends what I had done. As his friends were listening they started singing outside my window. Not too long after that I noticed more birds in my yard. I talked to the birds about watching out for the windows. this happened happened about 4 1/2 years ago. Two weeks ago I'd been thinking about moving. The next day two birds crashed into my window. I realized they were upset about me leaving. So I went out and told them I'm here. Not to worry. Thank goodness they calmed down.
Today, I feel joyous any time I can communicate with animals and help him or her communicate with their humans. A little understanding and we're all happier!
When I work I'm coming from a full bodied meditative space. There are times when I'm told to have the owner / family join in. Inner verbal communication along with kinesthetic awareness and imagery play a role in my work.
TOBY'S TRANSFORMATION
Getting a rescue animal can be a gamble. Toby (Lhasa Apso-Poodle mix) was no exception. He arrived with the undignified name of Buddy Boy and had spent the first four years of his life in a dorm room with a young man.
This was all we knew; however, it was immediately clear that that Buddy Boy loved to run, and came with a mixed bag of issues, namely serious aggression. He liked women and disliked men. Other dogs were to be dominated sexually or fought for dominance. Training him was a nightmare, and I became increasingly frustrated to the point of wanting to give up. It was then that a friend recommended Viana, who had the gift of ‘pet whispering’.
Excited by the opportunity for any improvement, I invited her to meet Buddy Boy. She sat with him and in a silent exchange, immediately learned from him that his name was Toby, not Buddy Boy. He was clearly very happy to then hear his true name. She helped us understand that he thought of himself as the alfa of the house. With her guidance I learned how to meet his aggression effectively.
He and I learned to understand each other. And while he was never good with other dogs, he and I lived peacefully together until he crossed the rainbow bridge where I expect he is running at full speed wherever he goes.
Ed Mckillop
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NOT SO SEPARATE ANYMORE
Buddha is a Red Heeler about four years old. He has a great deal of energy and is very attached to me. His need to be near me increased a lot during the pandemic.
During the many months of lock-down, I was doggy day care, as we spent most of the day together (with the much calmer Uma, a Blue-Nose Pitbull) who is about nine. Both often appeared in my work meetings. Recently he began peeing while next to me, or while in contact with my feet, if he was on the floor. After the third time I realized he did it while he was asleep. When he woke up, having peed, he was sheepish and awkward -- Buddha goes out several times a day so has many opportunities to pee.
Viana was able to ascertain that he has acute separation anxiety and that it was only during sleep that he experienced a needed level of calm, hence the release of urine. She communicated with him on an internal level, while she and I were at her house. When I got home, he was much calmer than he usually was.
However, like all of us, his covid-era anxiety had taken its toll on his body. Viana recommended supplements to support his kidneys and overall health. Because they were made for dogs, they came in a powder with a convenient measuring spoon. Dosage instructions were easy, based on the dog’s weight. Buddha's most recent peeing was just a few drops, a huge improvement. A month later buddha stopped peeing while sleeping altogether.
Ed Mckillop
During the many months of lock-down, I was doggy day care, as we spent most of the day together (with the much calmer Uma, a Blue-Nose Pitbull) who is about nine. Both often appeared in my work meetings. Recently he began peeing while next to me, or while in contact with my feet, if he was on the floor. After the third time I realized he did it while he was asleep. When he woke up, having peed, he was sheepish and awkward -- Buddha goes out several times a day so has many opportunities to pee.
Viana was able to ascertain that he has acute separation anxiety and that it was only during sleep that he experienced a needed level of calm, hence the release of urine. She communicated with him on an internal level, while she and I were at her house. When I got home, he was much calmer than he usually was.
However, like all of us, his covid-era anxiety had taken its toll on his body. Viana recommended supplements to support his kidneys and overall health. Because they were made for dogs, they came in a powder with a convenient measuring spoon. Dosage instructions were easy, based on the dog’s weight. Buddha's most recent peeing was just a few drops, a huge improvement. A month later buddha stopped peeing while sleeping altogether.
Ed Mckillop
NEW HOME FOR AN OLD CAT
Charley
When I moved in to take care of my 96-year-old mother, her cat Charley had been her sole companion. I remember one morning I went to open Mom’s bedroom door and as I started to enter Charley slammed the door in my face. He was very protective of her. It took a while to gain his trust. It didn't take long before he wanted to spend more time with me than her. I told him that she still needed his companionship and that we could find times to hang out together. He understood reluctantly. I’ll never forget the looks he’d give me when she held him too tight. He would say, 'Can I get down now? " I’d wait and then get Mom to release him.
Charley moved in with me when we had to put Mom in a retirement home. By then he was 17. He’d always been an indoor cat but the house we lived in for a few months had a cat door. He started to venture out and then come in and tell me what happened in this new world. One time he told me he met a friend. I’ll never forget how thrilled he was. He passed away at 19, the year before Mom passed away at 102.
Viana Fox
HEALING TOGETHER
Winston
Viana brings kindness, compassion and an intuitive ability to listen to animals along with an ability to work with energy and movement. When we worked together she invited me to join in the process of working with my dog Winston who was challenging us with his growling. As she worked with Winston, I saw I needed to work on my fear as well. Now Winston and I can travel together on a path of healing.
Sally Fox
Rates for Private Sessions in Animal Whispering
$120/hour
$75/half-hour
$120/hour
$75/half-hour