Being in nature and with or near animals is known to have an emotionally calming effect on us human beings and sometimes this can be very profound - the obvious caveat is that either the animals do not pose a danger to us or we are not too close!

But, generally, we love animals and their power to transform our mood for the better is evidenced by the number of people who keep pets and, in more recent years, the growing popularity of mental health service animals.

I decided to investigate the symbolism of animals so I could create a guided relaxation video to assist in harnessing the positive energy and unique qualities of a selection of the wonderful creatures we share our planet with. Some very hard decisions had to be made about which critters to include or leave out, there are over 6,000 mammals alone to choose from!

In the end I opted to do an A-Z, which made the process easier, until I came to the letters Q and X, of course, as any Scrabble aficionado will attest - there are very few words that begin with these letters! You may, therefore, find some unexpected animals included that you have not heard of before.

I hope that you enjoy the video and please do let me know what you think. If you have a YouTube account and are signed in, you can leave a comment on YouTube. Or you could visit Light House Psychology on Facebook and leave a comment there. Alternatively, just send me an email to info@louhillier.co.uk to let me know your thoughts.

Don't forget, you are a magnificent creature too!

Namasté
Lou