Danica Holoviak, CBP, RSMT: BodyTalk for your Pet
BodyTalk for your Pet; Is your pet in his or her optimal health?
Does your dog have hereditary or environmental health issues, such as allergies, heart problems, or skeletal or muscular imbalances?
Does your pet struggle with behavioral problems and stress?
The BodyTalk System is a simple and effective holistic health care therapy. It is designed to help the body repair and prevent disease while rapidly accelerating the healing process. BodyTalk is helpful with a wide range of physical, mental, and emotional concerns both in humans and animals. It works by reconnecting the communication between all the systems, cells, and atoms in the body, stimulating the body’s innate ability to balance and heal itself.
BodyTalk and AnimalTalk are effective with chronic and acute health problems and can be seamlessly integrated with any health care regimen to increase overall wellbeing. BodyTalk is safe, simple, non-invasive, and objective in application. It is at its best when treating the entire family, rather than only the injured or diseased member.
AnimalTalk is designed specifically for animals - wild and domestic. Animals undergo stress and environmental and physical trauma just as much as humans, which can lead to disease or structural imbalances. Animals usually respond very well (and often better than many humans) to sessions. Help your pet feel its best, recover from chronic health and behavioral issues, and be less vulnerable to disease.
For information: www.danicaholoviak.wordpress.com or contact Danica Holoviak at 646-734-3289 or danica.bodytalk@gmail.com
My approach to the body/mind/spirit draws upon all of the different movement, bodywork, and healing therapies that I have explored. I am a certified practitioner of BodyTalk, Topf Technique/Dynamic Anatomy, Thai Yoga Therapy, and Reiki, and am a Registered Somatic Movement Therapist through ISMETA. I am currently studying and teaching Western Herbal Medicine. I received my B.S. degree in Zoology and a B.A. in Dance from Univ. of Massachusetts, and am a professional modern dancer, studio potter/ pottery instructor, and fiber artist.
- Credentials: Certified BodyTalk Practitioner (CBP), Registered Somatic Movement Therapist (RSMT)
- Qualifications: Certified BodyTalk Practitioner, Reiki Practitioner, Topf Technique Practitioner, Professional Modern Dancer, Ceramic Artist/ Instructor
- Studies: BodyTalk modules 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, Adv. Practical, Family Constellations, Breakthrough, AnimalTalk Access, Traditional Chinese Medicine, BodyTalk Interactive, PaRama College, Ayurveda - Wise Earth Ayurveda, Western Medicinal Herbs – Level I and II (Third Root Community Health Center, Brooklyn, NY), Flower Essences – Julia Graves, Topf Technique/ Dynamic Anatomy – Nancy Topf, Thai Yoga Therapy, Reiki
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Being yourself. Feeling whole. Being well.
How do you find ways every day to feel healthy, balanced and happy?
What is something you're already doing that helps you feel good?
What are things you do for your family?
Even those simple, subtle things mean so much and do really make a difference.
Make a list of all the little and not so little loving things you do and want to do.
Pick one each day (or one per person/animal companion).
And don't forget to include yourself!
A Short Definition of each: BodyTalk and Reiki
BodyTalk and Reiki are amazing healing modalities for Adults, Children and our Animal Companions
Bodytalk is a unique approach to health that allows for unlimited potential for healing, that understands healing as a creative process, and that treats the mind-body-spirit in a holistic way.
Bodytalk is a an integrated and holistic healing practice that builds upon our bodies’ innate knowledge of how to heal from illness and pain. Bodytalk realizes that all of our bodies possess this inherent wisdom. Yet the stresses and strains of daily life can obstruct the flows of communication between and among the different parts and aspects of our physical, mental and spiritual selves. Bodytalk works to facilitate the re-opening and re-aligning of these channels of communication and flows of knowledge, allowing for the body to ‘remember’ how to be healthy and in balance.
Reiki is the healing energy of the universe. All things consist of Reiki, since life force infuses all things. Reiki flows through our bodies along pathways – chakras and meridians – circulating through our bodies and keeping us in energetic balance. During a Reiki session, I place my hands over blocked areas of the body, encouraging and inviting the energy to flow as the body needs. Reiki is gentle and completely noninvasive, as healing energy flows through the body to relieve stress, pain and injury on emotional, physical and spiritual levels. Reiki is a powerful complement to Body Talk (which focuses on balancing and easing communication and energy flows within the body) because it draws also on the healing power of universal life force.
How Does Our state of Health Affect our Pet's?
Are you aware that your health on all levels affects the wellbeing of your animal companion?
Our pets are closely attuned to us. And that's one of the many things we love about them! Nothing wrong there, however, our pets are sensitive to both our good energy and emotions and our negative ones. This is one of those ideas to keep in mind when you've had a grumpy day or are going through a challenging time in any area of your life -- health, emotions, work, or relationships. Because over time as our pets absorb our stress, health issues, and unbalanced emotions, they too become stressed, which (just like in humans) can lead to a long list of health and behavioral challenges.
Our animal companions are there for us as our best support system. But remember to help them release any built up stress or other negative energies that they may have taken on. Simple to do... long walks and runs, extra play time, and plenty of cuddle time. Basically time to move and release stiff and stuck energies and lots of time bonding and connecting with you and your family.
Frustrated by your Pet's behavior?
Here are a few helpful thoughts when you're confused or frustrated by your pet's behavior.
- His behavior makes sense to him.
- She is reacting to and trying to balance the energy dynamic of the whole family.
- He is responding to your cues, body language, actions, words, and even thoughts and emotions.
- She may be trying to release excess anxiety.
- Take note of anything that has changed in her environment recently and may be causing her extra stress.
- Ask yourself how you might be contributing to an unwanted behavior.
- The whole family matrix will need to change and shift to bring about lasting healing.
Remember, when seeking help for your animal companion, don't forget to schedule a session for yourself and your family!
Zilch - the Boston Terrier - Jack Russell
This week I gave a session to a super cutie. Unfortunately, she's been in surgery for tumors and an enlarged heart. To read more about Zilch's story go to: http://www.gofundme.com/6eshw
Her session:
Giving herself permission to disperse the energy she takes in. (anger - from arguments in the family). Which will help her resolve the conflict she feels within the family -- wanting to be the bottom dog, but being thrust into the top dog position.
Circulation on all levels: body, mind, spirit
Linked to cellular repair: helping her body on the cellular level to heal, recover, process and eliminate her disease pattern.
Pituitary gland (master endocrine gland regulating hormones) reminded to be in balance with all the endocrine glands. How important it is to take care of self and not send all of your energy out into taking care of others.
Understanding Your Pet's Behavior
Understanding your pet's behavior can be a challenging thing. If animals communicated just like humans it might be easier for us, but our companion animals do communicate with us. We need to learn how to listen in a new way.
To start there are a few things to remember:
- our pet's behavior makes sense to them
- our pet's are often balancing the energy dynamic of the family
- animals show their emotions differently than we do
- they are usually responding to our actions, thoughts, feelings and behaviors
Next step: Be brave and take a look at yourself. How are you contributing to the unwanted behavior? Use a critical and honest eye, not to blame but to understand. Seek expert advice, if necessary.
Embracing Alternative/ Holistic Health for your Animal Companion
Focus on balance and rhythm among body, mind, emotions, and spirit for the entire individual.
Rev up the imagination, and engage in some open-minded observation.
View health and healing from a deeper perspective of optimal wellness.
Return to a sustainable supportive system of healing and health. One that honors and shares with all beings on the earth.
Open yourself to the intuitive, philosophical process. Let go of addictive and destructive habits, which lead to disease and injury.
Trust in our bodies. Trust in the healing process. Remember how to listen to your body. Trust in the body's remarkable and miraculous ability to take care of itself.
Be courageous.
Helping Them Get Along
A young female kitten comes to live with a woman and her older male cat. He prefers to stay hidden - in closets, under beds, hiding from guests, and appearing only for meals. She is a non-stop, gravity-defying, destructive force. Needless to say, they do not get along. He bullies her for food and spends even more time in his hiding places. She takes giant leaps out of nowhere and lands on him. Their owner asked me to give them a session. AnimalTalk sessions can be done on individuals, groups and situations. You just need to expand your definitions a little. In the session, for the male cat we addressed his need to receive affection, loosen set behavior patterns, and create boundaries with the kitten. For the kitten, helping her not let energy get stuck and agitate her, but to let it move through her body and release without leading to something being broken. And for the entire dynamic, links to bring balance and mutual nurturing, and easing the older cat into an 'older-brother-guiding' role to help reign her in. A few days later the woman sent me a picture of the two cats curled up, grooming each other. Looks like a step in the right direction!
Co-dependent Dog in Brooklyn
Last week I worked with a sweet rescued Rottweiler. She's doing well, building strength, but follows her owners around non-stop and prefers to be right in their laps, which is tough because she's big! One of the things I first noticed was that her movements seemed a bit uncoordinated or unorganized. I suspect that she'd been so malnourished and under-excercised that her muscles lost integrity and their ability to function in a cohesive way, leaving her feeling unsteady and lacking confidence. AnimalTalk and BodyTalk are great for this sort of thing. A technique called reciprocals helps the body re-organize. It's a wonderful technique to have done on people and animals on a regular basis, but especially good after any type of injury, when the muscles, ligaments, tendons somehow lose their deep knowledge of how to work together to create fluid movement. Cortices is another invaluable technique used daily to help balance the entire brain and keep the body on a positive healing path. I'm looking forward to checking in with her again and seeing her return to the powerful, courageous dog she should be.
My parents' little dog
Even on vacation, I can't help but to share AnimalTalk. I just visited with my parents last week. They have a 7 yr. old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who has Cushing's syndrome. Some of her symptoms are labored breathing, extremely dry skin, hair loss, an agitated look about her, and a potbelly - like her muscles aren't strong enough to hold her posture. Every morning as I greeted her, I found my hands going through the AnimalTalk Access balancings -- musculo-skeletal, immune, hydration, breathing cycle, overall brain/body function. By the end of the week, her skin was softer, hair shinier, breathing easier, eyes more clear. As you might guess, she is always happy to see me!
A 14 year old cat in Brooklyn
This week I visited with a 14 year old cat in Brooklyn. She was very thin. Her owner said she'd been getting progressively worse through the summer and fall, all of a sudden, not eating or drinking enough. The owner had begun holding her to feed and give her fluids with a baby dropper. She had already been to see several veterinarians who had ruled out cancer, but had found a cyst near her stomach. We started with the 'Animal Access' techniques, which are basic AnimalTalk balancing links to help her body return to a better organization, reduce anxiety, and bring her to an optimal state of being..
During our discussion, we looked for anything which might have been causing anxiety in their relationship. Following a hunch, based on the owner's loaning her cat carrying case to a neighbor for her sick feline, what I suspect happened is that my client's cat picked up on the fear that was lingering in the carrying case by the neighbor's trip to the vet and tied it in with my client's fear that her cat wouldn't get better, thinking 'well, she is old after all,' and turning it into being afraid of getting better.
This is not an uncommon pattern that can develop, this 'fear of not getting better' by one party and 'fear of getting better' by the other, somehow creating a disfunctional balance.
The thing that struck me most was how the session affected the owner. As I was leaving, she said that for the first time she felt less worried and had a returned hope that her companion would recover fully.
In addition to AnimalTalk, I recommended an herbal vitamin tea to help replace nutrients and an herbal tincture to support her liver and kidney function.
Treating the whole family, including your Pets
Look at your entire family and make sure to take care of every member of it. Earlier this week I worked with a woman and her cat. She came in for a BodyTalk session and was surprised when we started to focus on her cat. The day before she'd been angry and frustrated with a friend and went to bed agitated and slept badly. In the morning, her cat was acting sick and throwing up. She was concerned that she might need to take him in to see the vet. During the session, we worked on the worry he felt in taking on the job of internally working out her unresolved frustration. We also helped him become more balanced to allow him to move any emotions out of his body more easily. It hadn't occurred to her that her cat was absorbing and reacting to her unprocessed emotions. She called me later to say her cat was calmer and more relaxed. She also felt that she was more aware of how her emotions and stress level affect those around her, including her animal companion!
Working with a fearful - aggressive dog
Recently I worked with a large dog who was obsessive, fearful, and did not like being touched. His reactions included cowering, lashing out and biting, over-excitement, and destructive behavior. The owner felt these behaviors had started right after receiving his rabies shot. Before this he was a very social and easy-going dog.
I gave him a distance BodyTalk session and later called the owner to talk about the details of the session. In the session, he and I focused on his reaction to his environment and the relay system in his brain that helps him to understand what's happening in the moment and then guides him to the appropriate behavioral response. This seemed to be where his confusion was, which triggered his fear and aggression reactions. We also helped his body balance his immune response and did a general balancing technique for his entire brain, called Cortices.
Since the session, the dog has been much calmer and less obsessive about playing ball.
You can learn to do 'Cortices' yourself here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYk7V4BxP-U
Taking Care of Our Pet's Emotional and Physical Health with BT
Taking Care of Our Pet's Emotional and Physical Health with BodyTalk
We love our pets. They are integral members of our families. And they deal with more stress than we may realize. BodyTalk sessions are a wonderful way to understand and heal the relationships between people and animals, including learning how to work with the dynamics of the entire family (adults, children, and pets). Many animals are trying to deal with intense emotional trauma and environmental conditions. Let's give them all the support we can. BodyTalk works to uncover the underlying issues and concerns, be they physical, emotional or environmental, and can lead to an ease and healing for everyone in the family matrix. Comment, email or call for more information and to schedule a session! http://danicaholoviak.com/