It has been a long time coming, but slowly and with great reservation, the scientific community is beginning to accept the fact that animals have minds and emotions. OK, so they have only begun to accept this regarding some of the ape family. Researchers who have worked with primates in particular were always in danger of being ridiculed when they intimated that their research subjects were able to understand and respond to emotions and even abstract ideas. Considering that the scientists are only now beginning to accept the concept of the human mind as opposed to there only being brain grey matter, I guess things are looking up!

In contrast Yogic and Qi Kung scientists from the last few thousand years have been working with the concepts animal health with MIND in mind. There are manuscripts from Asia with the acupuncture-points for elephants and horses dating back to times when Europeans were still scattered mobs in clan villages.

Acupuncture is the child of Qi Kung which is the science of understanding the inner dynamic nature of all things, particularly from the view of the forces in Nature, the different qualities they produce and how these affect complicated structures in Nature like humans and animals. Qi (or Chi) is the vital Life force which can be in an invigorating or debilitating flow coursing through our meridians and organs, conditioned by the state of consciousness around it. So Mind influences state of Qi or energy. The Mind state therefore directly effects the state of health.

In Yogic science the different mind qualities of animals were understood and have been brought down the ages through the art of the later mass religions such as Hinduism where you see gods and goddesses riding on or seated with different animals. In Yogic science of the Chakras, animals were used to represent different mind states dominating a particular Chakra. The crocodile was the intent, desireful nature of the water Chakra, for example.
For any modern day pet owner, especially pet lover or general animal lover it is easy to see the way a mood will affect the health of an animal. Each animal species has its own psychology, has its own psychic needs which, if understood, enables a human to ensure a good life, internally and externally for the animals in their care.
In Wildflower essence therapy we see that domestic pets and wild animals respond very quickly to mind healng levels. A flower essence has no barrier to overcome in a wild animal and very little in even a domestic pet. Unlike humans who can try to re-establish old patterns, animals move forward with appreciation into the new head space or physical body stance.

Wildflower essences are safe and simple to use on all wild animals like kangaroos, koalas and cockatoos, domestic horses and a wide selection of house pets. Some common treatments are:

Aggression
Red Leschenaultia, Spiked Orange Pea, Balga

Fear
Ribbon Pea, Hops Bush, Fuchsia Gum

Trauma of being orphaned
Goddess Grasstree, Purple Nymph Waterlily

Lack of vitality/Life force
Pink Fountain Triggerplant, Cowkicks

Set, negative behaviour patterns
Blue China Orchid, Brown Boronia

Lack of feminine or maternal response
Macrozamia, Goddess Grasstree

Lack of or extremes of masculine response
Macrozamia, Balga

A simple application method for these essences are - two drops of each essence on top of the head between the ears 6 times a day.

Painful injuries and general pain relief
Menzies Banksia around the wound site or painful area every twenty minutes or so

Muscles being tight or in spasm
Dampiera around the area

Swelling
Macrozamia around the area 

(This article was originally published in "The Flowering Times" AFEA newsletter May/June 1999)