Animals as Teachers: Finding Inner Authority

One thing I like about having conversations with animals is witnessing the way animals so lovingly present their human’s with observations about particular habits.  The observations are full of compassion and love.  They are delivered without judgment and often are full of curiosity.  Inviting their people into a safe space for exploration and awareness.
I once asked a horse, Dante,  “Can you give me a reflection of what I am doing with my inner authority?” It was a beautiful spring day and he was out in the paddock grazing on all the fresh new green grass that had just been pushing its way through.  I leaned back against a tree just 5 feet from him watching him graze when another horse came over and took a dump basically right in front of Dante.  The other horse wandered off and Dante stopped grazing and walked over to the steaming manure and starting sniffing each manure ball.  He was so focused on sniffing and going over each manure ball with each nostril for  what seemed like five minutes when I finally  I asked Dante, “What is going on?” He lifted his head and looked me in the eye and I heard “You spend a lot of looking at the shit instead of looking at the beauty around you.”  He then went back to grazing.  I was doubled over laughing – another reason I love talking with the animals they make me laugh. What he said was true.  As I quieted, I allowed the truth of his words to ripple into my consciousness into my being into my knowing.
Then I instantly asked him “Can I offer you some Reiki?”  He went straight over to the manure again and started sniffing.  I heard him say “More shit. Why do you think you have that to do something in return?  Just allow yourself to receive.” This time it was not laughter but tears that had me doubled over.  Again, I quieted and allowed the truth of his words ripple into my consciousness, into my being, into my knowing. I spent time with him in the paddock listening to his steady breathing, the chomping of his grazing, the switching of his tail.  Just being by his steady presence, my inner authority went through a big transformation that day, all thanks to Dante and a manure pile. Sometimes when I am in the middle of something or feeling stuck I hear his words or see him, or smell manure and I self-correct and start looking at the beauty around me and start receiving.