What We Can Learn From Animals
What is your favorite animal?
What can we learn from our pets?
When was the last time you interacted with an animal?
When was the last time you interacted with an animal who is not your pet?
What have you learned from animals at the zoo, the aquarium, in a documentary or show, or in the wild?
When can there be an imbalance of humans and wild animals?
How can we live more in harmony with animals?
Animals are fascinating. From a giraffe, to a snow leopard, to a frog, to a jellyfish, to a dolphin - every animal is exquisite! Regardless of what animal you adore, we can learn something or many things from each one of these animals. A good read about this topic was recommended by a peer Shiv called The Immense World by Ed Young.
From polar bears, we can learn how to release trauma. A peer Traca mentioned how she saw a polar bear who was forced to respond to a fight-flight-freeze situation with a controlled response of freeze. The polar bear stood there - shaking, eyes narrowed, canines peaking out of it’s mouth, and a built up energy so strong it was ready to kill. From this polar bear, we can view our own freeze responses as one where we bottle up all of our energy until we’ve hit max capacity in which we will explode into a fight response. We learn that although it might feel natural to bottle emotions, it is better to release those emotions in smaller doses as to prevent a huge outburst of negative emotions.
During the beginning of the pandemic when humans fled to the safety of their homes, animals were found returning to their old habitats that were normally occupied by humans. Sea turtles returned more often to lay eggs and baby turtle survival rate was higher when the human sun bathers were no longer present. These animals were venturing back to these old homelands and reconnecting with those places. Birds also began to return to big, dusty, noisy cities and bird songs could be heard throughout the streets. More of these stories can be found on the documentary The Year Earth Changed.
People in our group talked about things they have done recently to live more in harmony with animals, such as changing their diet to eat less meat, saving bugs rather than killing them, and being more intentional with their ways of life. As we work towards harmony amongst all creatures of the planet, so too can we become more in harmony with ourselves. At the core, animals work to gather and consume nutritious foods and survive each day. As humans continue to evolve, we move further and further away from these natural, core needs and closer to nontangible things, causing a greater imbalance between the two.
Jainism practices include being a vegetarian, being kind to all creatures, and work towards this harmonic coexistence between humans, animals, and nature. This led to the discussion of different countries and how they interact with animals. In countries such as Mexico, Haiti, and Costa Rica, dogs and cats are not seen as “man’s best friend” as we see in the United States but rather free roamers of the streets. Some people in these countries do however see animals in a different light. The “Savers” work to rescue these animals and ultimately raise them as their own pets. The “Catch-and-Releasers” would save these animals by relocating them to another location. The “Enjoyers” keep little treats on them to feed the animals.
For those who view cats, dogs, rats, snakes, iguanas, fish - you name it - as pets, we can learn even more about these animals. When training your pets to listen to you, we can learn patience and appreciation for these animals. When your dog barks at the water and you ask him to not bark and he barks softly at the water, you can learn to laugh and love how smart animals are. We have the ability to find a balance between controlling our pets and allowing them to be and do in their natural animal way. Horses are another example. These creatures have a keen sense of energies; if you are afraid, they know it. They hear you through your energy.
All in all, humans and animals are very similar. We all have instincts and smarts to navigate this crazy world. We all have our own personalities and behaviors. In the end, strive for harmony and put out the energy you want to receive. You’ll be surprised how much the environment around us will respond to it. The world and the animals within are fascinating like that.
What can you learn from an animal today?
