[dropcap type =”circle”]O[/dropcap]xfordshire writer Jane Yates has recorded a guided meditation to help people cope when their pets die.
Jane, who lost her own beloved dog and constant companion Mandy six months ago, recorded the meditation after struggling to come to terms with her own loss.
She said: “The grief of losing Mandy hit me so hard that I struggled to sleep. It was heart breaking. I didn’t have her ashes, and there wasn’t a funeral so there wasn’t really any closure. I just came home and couldn’t settle. I couldn’t sleep and that was the worst part of it because I was so used to Mandy lying on my bed.”
According to the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, which commissions the annual Pet Population Report, in 2016 it was estimated that 11 million or 40 per cent of households in the UK have pets. The pet population in the UK stands at around 57 million and 40 per cent of those pets are dogs.
Jane has been featured on BBC Oxford, The Paula Vail show on BBS internet radio and For the Love of Reiki on Voice-America internet radio. Thousands of pet owners across the world have already listened to her meditation.
Jane added: “When Mandy died I was disappointed with the lack of support available for grieving pet owners. When my mother died I went to the doctor, I got medication and was offered counselling. Everybody would listen to me endlessly talking about my mother and my mother’s memories, but it was completely different for Mandy.
“I just really want to help people who have gone through the same thing and to show them that they are not alone and there is a safe place where they can connect with the memory of their pet. When I listen to it, it does make me cry but I think that’s all part of the healing process. I think once you cry you shift a bit and feel a bit better.”
For more information about Jane’s RELAX: Guided Meditation to aid sleep after the loss of a beloved dog visit Jane’s Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/RELAX-friendship-and-sharing-storys-after-the-loss-of-a-beloved-dog-796583110498700/
