Love knows no distance or boundaries and neither does the power of the reach of yoga’s connection.
Last week ,we received an email from Dana in New Zealand, more than 8,000 miles away. The email offered a chance to allow our practice to take a new form and expression.
Her family member, Zoe had passed away two days before. She was a 10-year-old lab with cancer.
Perhaps the grief compelled Dana to send the email. Some might say she wasn’t letting go and needed to cling.
But I saw someone saying goodbye to a faithful friend, someone acknowledging the spiritual journey of Zoe as a sentient being.
Her email read:
“My name is Dana Jones and I have been Googling aura and dogs and you came up. Wondered what your thoughts on this picture of my dog are? Taken Sunday 12th July 2015 at Muriwai beach Auckland New Zealand, she was put down on Tuesday 14th July as the aggressive mouth cancer had led her to be in immense pain (believe me it was the hardest decision ever). She was given 1 -2 weeks to live when her biopsy came back be she lasted for 5 almost 6 weeks as we cared for her and spoilt her as best we could. She was just over 10 years old and been a huge part of our family we loved her with all our hearts…”
“…My husband is saying it is just because he had a polarizing filter on the camera and that it is the sun – but how does the sun mimick the shape of a dogs head with ears??? The centre is white red and blue and then what look like green dots on each side in the shape of ears. Could this be her life force? “
I think it’s a beautiful testament that their relationship is more than owner-pet. Zoe was not owned. She was family. She was connected to them and they were to her.
In today’s era of unfeeling acts of horror, like the killing of Cecil the Lion, it’s heartwarming to see the compassion we can share between beings, no matter the species.
A few years ago, Just B Yoga hosted aura photography sessions for people to get reports on their aura energy, and we included sessions with dogs at AnnaBelle’s Pet Station. All creatures are connected to and emit energy. Just because they can’t express it to us in the way we understand doesn’t negate the validity. I believe it’s a part of our faith journey to see beyond our forms and acknowledge and respect our connection to source.
Here’s my response to Dana:
“Dear Dana,
First, thank you for the honor of sharing this amazing photo of your sweet girl.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I have felt the sting of the loss of a dear canine friend and I know it is like no other. I honor your connection.
I want to state first that I cannot say with certainty that it is a reflection of her aura. So, on a physical, earthly technical level, your husband may be right.
I’ve never professed to “see” auras and without this being from a kirlian photography camera, I wouldn’t want to say for sure.
But what I would like to offer is insight into the image if we choose to believe that her energy is being reflected here. I agree that this is a very auspicious image, especially with the timing of her passing a few days later and her diagnosis. She was departing. She knew she was departing. Her energy was ready to release.
So, I’d like to offer what I see from my experience of interpreting chakra energy photos for others and my studies and practices.
Red, blue/violet, yellow/white, light blue to blue with an encircling of green globes surrounding.
I see the red through blue row as her chakra energies. I see the green globes as spirit/guides or connections to other spirits.
Most dogs only register in the lower chakras – Root and Sacral. They tend to be mostly connected to earthly realm energies. The red (root/earth) I see as being aligned toward the rear of her body and everything else is coming forward to her head.
That she has so many other colors dominating shows ascension to me. She was already leaving the earth elements and connecting with the higher planes and energies.
Blue/violet – blue is our 5th chakra (communications/listening) and violet is our 7th (spirit/thought/service)
Yellow is the 3rd chakra (will/determination)
White is 7th – Spirit
Indigo – 6th chakra – inner vision/insight/psychic ability
The chain of colors we see are aligned with her listening and communicating with spirit. Her will to stay on the earth was diminishing and her will to connect with higher planes was increasing (look at the yellow being so faint connecting the red-blue to the white-blue area).
The blue being so strong in both areas makes me wonder if she was trying to communicate something to her humans as well as communicating with the universe to return to source. Only you can interpret that. But the strength of the blue means her connection was strong in the 5th chakra. She was trying to communicate a truth and listen to the messages being told to her. Maybe she was saying goodbye or that it would be OK? Maybe she was communicating her love and joy of the life she had with you?
Now, the green guides/spirits.
These are usually seen encircling the head in an aura photograph.
I don’t have deep knowledge, so I will share the peripheral understanding I have.
They represent either spirit guides that have been with her her whole life, or some are guides and some are energies of people around us.
The color is significant – green is the heart chakra (4th). That’s loving kindness, forgiveness, compassion. She is surrounded by pure love, that point is clear. She is also sending out universal love.
I can’t tell you how much it meant that you shared this very poignant and personal moment with me.
I’m sorry it took me a while. I reflected a lot on how to respond.
I hope this helps. I also would like to ask if it would be OK to share your photo in a blog post on my website? I’d like to share your story and your lovely friend’s energy.
I believe all creatures have energetic auras and deep connections to spirit and universe. In many ways we don’t need any special cameras to “prove” it. I know it. I feel it.
But it’s always nice to have an opportunity to see with our earthly eyes a representation of spirit helps us reinvigorate and commit to our faith and our practices.
Blessings to you and yours….”
I have felt deeply touched to be connected with a woman 8,000 miles away in this time of departure and change and transition for Zoe and her entire family.
Dana had not actually shared Zoe’s name in the email, so I asked for it in a followup note.
Dana’s response:
“Thank you so much for your beautiful insight about the colours and energies. I am so overwhelmed with emotion and immensely grateful for your time.
Her name was Zoe (meaning life how very fitting as she epitomised it). Here are some pics of her and the one dated 12 July 15 was that last day at the beach (when I took the other pics that I sent through to you) it is of her with me and our oldest son who is 8.
She was an exceptional being – I say being as she sometimes did not feel like a dog … she never snarled or growled and anyone even if you moved her food, interrupted her while eating or you stood on her foot or the kids laid on her etc. she was so calm and would just get up and reposition herself if the kids when they were babies yanked her tail or sat or her leg. … She was quite a character. When we would go for walks other dogs would bark at her and she remained calm. She only ever barked at couriers and even if they came in the gate she would bound up and jump on them in a friendly way. She loved water in every way and even acted like a lifeguard she would try and save us when we swam in the ocean as she thought we were drowning she was such a wonder dog!
Zoe was 10 years old and we had her before the kids 18th April 2005 – 14th July 2015.
Yes, you can most certainly share the picture and info it is my pleasure. I think perhaps as there was a polarising filter it had the “ability” to capture the energy and it was the most beautiful clear day. “
Namaste, Zoe and Dana and her entire family.
Thank you for sharing her light and energy with us and showing us that strangers can share love and spirit half way around the globe.