Wellness Wednesday: Animal Assisted Counseling of Indiana
Why Practice Mindfulness Techniques with Your Pet?
When stress and anxiety build, finding calm can feel impossible. Integrating mindfulness techniques with your pet offers a gentle way to reconnect with the present moment and ease tension. Here at Animal Assisted Counseling of Indiana (AACI), we witness daily how therapy animals—like our Saint Bernard, Sadie—help clients feel grounded and centered.
3 Simple Mindfulness Techniques with Your Pet
Try these easy practices to bring awareness and calm alongside your animal companion:
Breathing in Sync
Sit beside your pet, rest your hand gently on their back, and match your breathing to their natural rhythm for 2–3 minutes—allowing your mind to gently settle.Deliberate Petting
Focus fully on how their fur feels, the warmth of their body, and their subtle breathing—letting intrusive thoughts pass like clouds.Mindful Walks
Put away your phone and tune into your footsteps, your pet’s movements, and the world around you—the rustle of leaves, the wind’s touch. This walk becomes a moving meditation.
The Science Behind Mindfulness with Pets
Animals are masters of presence—and scientists are discovering its benefits:
A Harvard Health guide explains how dogs naturally bring us into mindful awareness, encouraging us to notice our breath, senses, and surroundings more deeply
A Wag ’N’ Tails article outlines five practical ways to practice mindful walks, breathing, and space creation with your dog—a useful guide for anyone looking for daily routines
Animal Wellness Magazine highlights that interacting with pets reduces cortisol (stress hormone), increases oxytocin (bonding hormone), and even improves attention and empathy
How Therapy Animals Enhance Mindfulness
Unlike casual pet-owner interactions, therapy animals like Sadie are trained to mirror calmness and emotional safety—helping clients practice presence in sessions. Being with a therapy dog during guided mindfulness exercises can strengthen the benefits. Want to learn more? Visit our Animal-Assisted Therapy Process to see how we integrate mindfulness tools in counseling.
Bringing Mindfulness Home
You don’t need a quiet retreat to practice mindfulness with your pet. Start small:
Spend 60 seconds fully present while your pet eats or rests next to you.
Take a daily five-minute mindful walk with your dog—no distractions.
Pause before touching your pet; observe their breathing and alignment with your own.
Even brief moments like these can reduce anxiety, improve mood, and deepen your bond—step by mindful step.
🐾 Experience Mindfulness with a Companion
Want to bring intentional presence into your sessions? Experience mindfulness techniques with your pet in therapy with AACI. Whether it’s solo practice or a session with Sadie, we’d be honored to support your journey toward calm and connection.