NEWS FROM FOUR LEGS & A SOUL 4

NEWS FROM FOUR LEGS & A SOUL

BROOKE’S UPCOMING APPEARANCES

Join me at the Illinois Horse Fair in Springfield, IL, March 5th-7th.  In addition to the Four Legs & A Soul booth, I will be presenting a seminar both Saturday and Sunday. De-Mystifying Animal Communication will constitute a practical introduction to animal communication techniques and theories.  These one-hour presentations will focus on empowering individuals to reach out to animals using their own language.  The vocabulary of animal communication consists of images, thoughts, sensations and emotions; during these educational talks, I will provide participants with the tools to use this vocabulary to communicate fluently with animals. 

De-Mystifying Animal Communication with Brooke Baxter:

Saturday, March 6th at 11 AM

Sunday, March 7th at 3 PM

LC Seminar Hall, Illinois Sate Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL

For more information, contact Brooke or the Horseman’s Council of Illinois.

BROOKE’S FOCUS ON RESCUE

E.A.R.S. or Equine Angels Rescue Sanctuary is an incredible organization founded by Frank Weller.  Over the last nine years, Frank has placed over 260 foals into forever homes and has had a significant impact on the industry, helping to keep horses out of the feedlots and end the cycle of pain for Premarin mares and their babies. 

I have a long-standing relationship with E.A.R.S. and Frank, having volunteered my services to the foster program for many years.  In addition, Wood’s and my beloved Clydesdale, Hudson, was among Frank’s earliest rescues. 

The spotlight is on Deja in this month’s newsletter.  Deja is a 20-month old jet-black Premarin filly with an angelic disposition and soul-searching eyes.  She has had the best of care since arriving on the East Coast as a weanling and after a successful and happy foster experience as well as professional handling and training, she is ready for her forever home.  Deja is a draft cross and will be a big but elegant girl suited to many riding pursuits and most of all, eager for love and companionship.  

Deja is currently in the NY/CT area but has the opportunity to "hitch a ride" to the Midwest next week when one of her fellow PMU fillies goes to her forever home in northern IL.  Deja's current foster family will be moving due to a job change and therefore can no longer foster her.  

Please consider welcoming Deja into your heart and home.  

For more information about Deja and other available PMU foals, please contact Brooke or Frank Weller, founder of E.A.R.S.

THIS MONTH, BROOKE RECOMMENDS…

DYNAMITE RELEASE

This is one of my favorite products!  The Release spray has so many wonderful, practical applications and I consider it an essential tool in my holistic first aid kit.  Made from pure distilled water and organic flower essences, Release works on a vibrational level, opening the body, mind and soul to the experiences at hand.  This light, delicate mist has a very mild, clean aroma that makes it appealing and unobtrusive for the animals. 

Release is incredibly useful with nervous, injured animals, helping them to settle for treatment.  It is also a terrific tool prior to bodywork, vet visits, massage, grooming and competition of any kind, allowing the physical body to soften and accept touch.  So-called “cold-backed” horses benefit greatly from Release prior to riding.  Cats and dogs who struggle with traveling, having their nails trimmed, being examined by the vet, groomer or judge, and other stressful environments will quickly relax under the soothing influence of Release, which makes muscles malleable and accepting. 

To purchase Release spray, click here.

WITH LIGHT,

FOR THE ANIMALS,

BROOKE

NEWS FROM FOUR LEGS & A SOUL 3

BROOKE’S UPCOMING CLASS SCHEDULE

On February 20th, I will be hosting the first part in the Four Legs & A Soul Animal Communication Series here in Illinois.  The workshop, Introduction to Animal Communication Techniques, will serve as a prologue to animal communication theory and practice and is a prerequisite for future coursework with Four Legs & A Soul.  The goal is to offer an overview of the principles of animal communication in order to facilitate greater understanding between human and animal.  Whether you are a professional in the veterinary, behavior, grooming or training arenas, or an animal-lover or owner, this class will give you practical, hands-on experience to work with animals more clearly, effectively and profoundly.  During this interactive and exercise-based class we will discuss and experiment with all techniques as a group.

Some of the topics we will address:

• What is animal communication?

• How does non-verbal communication work?

• Can everyone communicate with animals?

• Techniques for communicating with animals

• Distance communication

• Confidence through practice

Please bring photo(s) of animal(s) you would like to communicate with as well as note-taking supplies.  And please feel free to pass this info on to anyone you know who may also be interested.

Cost: $90 with advance registration; $100 at the door

For more information on time and location, click here or email Brooke.

Stay tuned to the Calendar for more information on future courses and ongoing classes in the animal communication series.  Contact us to set up classes in your area.

BROOKE’S NOTES ON NUTRITION

Consider whole foods as valuable nutritionally and beneficial for your animals’ health.  The advantages of unprocessed foods have much to offer animals, who, after all, don’t cook or otherwise break down their food in the wild! 

Many people are now familiar and comfortable with feeding raw diets to dogs and cats, thereby supplying them with readily available, unadulterated nutrients.  In addition to being highly digestible and usable energy, raw food can boost an ailing immune system, reinvigorate a fading, shedding or dull coat, brighten tired eyes and assist animals to maintain well-being despite chronic conditions or high stress levels. 

Whole foods also provide wonderful bio-available health solutions for horses.  Garlic has tremendous parasite and insect-repelling properties as well as the ability to tone the circulatory system and digestive tract.  Bananas can offer much-needed relief and relaxation to ulcer-prone equines due to their inherent enzymes and naturally occurring pre- and probiotics.  Green bananas are preferable for horses coping with insulin resistance or other related metabolic issues, as the riper the bananas become, the higher their sugar content goes.  Apples are cooling, anti-inflammatory foods, which in addition to being much loved treats can offer support for horses healing from injury.

Contact us to learn more about natural nutrition and how it can benefit the animals in your life.  Consultations are available via phone or in person, and I enjoy working in a complementary and integrated way with the team of professionals—veterinarians, trainers, nutritionists, etc.—currently in place.

THIS MONTH, BROOKE RECOMMENDS…

YOUNG LIVING LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL… AGAIN!

As I have said often, Lavender is a wonderfully healing and multi-purpose essence.  It is very gentle, very safe and very effective.  With its phenomenal anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-septic, anti-tumoral, anti-convulsant, anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety properties, pure lavender has so much to offer animals and humans alike. 

And for the next week (until January 31st) you can help Young Living help the victims of Haiti’s recent devastating earthquake by purchasing lavender essential oil or Peace & Calming essential oil.  In order to provide much-needed funds, Young Living Essential Oils and The D. Gary Young Foundation: Young Living Outreach, will give 10% of proceeds from the sale of lavender and Peace & Calming essential oils between now and January 31st, 2010, directly to relief organizations working in Haiti.

To purchase, visit https://www.youngliving.org/fourlegsandsoul

I am also recommending simple breathing exercises to share with your animal companions before competition, training, stressful situations or transitions, entering loud or chaotic environments or just as a means of connecting more deeply with one another in the moment.

Whether standing side by side with a dog, sitting in the saddle on a horse, inviting a bird to perch on your finger or shoulder, asking a cat to curl on your feet or shoulders, breathing together will open your energy systems, clear your minds, center and align your bodies and allow you both to proceed through the day with ease and success.  For Tai Chi practitioners, the qigong style of breathing exercises can be extremely beneficial for both human and animal.  Pilates and Yoga practitioners are also well versed in the art of breathing fluidly.  But skilled yogis or not, we can all take a moment to breathe deeply through our noses into our core, filling our lungs and abdomens with fresh air, exhaling steadily and softly through our mouths.  Repeat this exercise 3-9 times in the presence of your animal companion and then begin your day.

WITH LIGHT,

FOR THE ANIMALS,

BROOKE

NEWS FROM FOUR LEGS & A SOUL 2

BROOKE’S RECENT AND UPCOMING APPEARANCES

In late November, Raquel Wynn interviewed me for her show, Wynn with Dogs, on Pet Life Radio.  We had a great time sharing stories about animals and healing, and I also offered some practical ideas for listeners to try at home.  Our podcast interview (episode 23) is now available on iTunes, PetLifeRadio.com and here.  Also, take a peek at Raquel's website for info on how to purchase her wonderful book, Stretch Your Dog Healthy.  

Next Tuesday, December 15th, you can find me at Thomas Tails' natural pet product shop in Crystal Lake, IL.  I'll be leading an educational talk on animal nutrition entitled The Energetics of Eating: Muscle-Testing our Animals' Diet for Optimum Health.  For more information, check out the Four Legs & A Soul Calendar or Thomas Tails' website.  (Although the event was originally scheduled for Tuesday, December 8th, a blustery Midwestern snowstorm delayed it by one week.)

BROOKE'S HOLIDAY THOUGHTS

Snow has blanketed our corner of Illinois, the smells of the season--fresh-cut pine, cinnamon sticks, baked desserts--permeate our home, and I find myself reflecting on ways we can help the less fortunate in our communities.  Reach out to your local shelters or rescue groups, offering the gift of care and attention by walking dogs, grooming cats, talking with birds and otherwise spending a few hours sharing love with homeless animals.  If you cannot give your time, donate much needed funds, food, warm blankets and toys to these animals in need.  The Humane Society of the United States, Best Friends Animal Society, the ASPCA, Return to Freedom, Equine Angels Rescue Sanctuary and H.A.R.P.S. are just a few of the organizations that can help get you started.

Remember that holidays can be hectic and overwhelming for the animals in our life as schedules shift from the routine, families travel or welcome guests, festive food and not-so-safe sweets abound, and emotions run high.  Take a few minutes everyday to focus on your four-leggeds, quietly touching and talking to them in a serene corner of your home, reminding them that this is a joyous and brief season and that all will return to normal shortly.  Breathe deeply together as a grounding exercise to help all your family members—human, equine, canine, feline, avian, reptilian and otherwise—enjoy the holidays with lightness and laughter.

As temperatures sink and winds start to howl, make sure all animals have insulated shelter and fresh water (snow and ice do not count).  Clear paws of icicles and warm them up quickly upon returning inside; delicate paw tissue can burn and crack in extremely cold environments.  Clean out horse hooves daily to prevent painful snowballs from forming and blanket thin-coated, older, immune-compromised or actively competing equines.  

Finally, take time to laugh daily in the company of two- and four-legged family members.  The healing sound and feeling are happily contagious!

GIFT IDEAS FROM FOUR LEGS & A SOUL

Gift certificates for animal communication, energy healing and natural nutrition services make wonderful last-minute gifts and stocking stuffers for your animal-loving loved ones.  Certificates can be mailed through the postal service or emailed instantly, as you prefer.

Click here to contact Brooke and order yours today. 

THIS MONTH, BROOKE RECOMMENDS…

DYNAMITE  DYNA-PRO PROBIOTICS FOR HORSES, DOGS & CATS

Extensive studies have shown that live probiotics are incredibly important in keeping our digestive systems running smoothly.  With the holidays fast approaching our animals will be more at risk for stress-induced or food-related stomach upsets.  Used preventatively or curatively, Dyna-Pro is a fantastic, natural, side effect-free solution to colic, diarrhea, vomiting and a host of other digestive ailments.  What sets Dyna-Pro apart from other products on the market is its proprietary blend of enzymes that trigger the animal's own system to heal itself by producing more native healthy gut flora.

To purchase Dyna-Pro for horses, dogs or cats, click here and enter “Dyna-Pro” in the search box. 

WITH LIGHT,

FOR THE ANIMALS,

BROOKE

NEWS FROM FOUR LEGS & A SOUL 1

News FROM FOUR LEGS & A SOUL

BROOKE’S RECENT AND UPCOMING APPEARANCES

In early November, my husband, Wood and I and our three lab mixes, Belle, Harmony and Scout, took a road trip down to Louisville, KY for the Healthy Paws Festival of Healing for Pets.  This holistic expo and education conference focused on alternative therapies and preventative health for animals.  It was a wonderful weekend of working with fellow practitioners, broad-minded veterinarians and caring pet owners, helping them to better understand and connect with the animals in their life.  In addition, I taught an exciting introductory workshop on animal communication techniques.  Everyone who attended was able to leave with a few new “tools in their toolbox,” skills they could take home and practice right away with their animal companions.

On Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22, Four Legs & A Soul will have a booth at the Horsemen’s Council of Illinois’ 2009 Equestrian Lifestyle Expo.  With more than 150 vendors at the new Lake County Fairgrounds’ Expo Center, it promises to be a fun and vibrant weekend focused on all things equine.  If you are in the area, please stop by and join us!

BROOKE’S AFRICAN ADVENTURES

During the end of September and first half of October, Wood and I traveled to Africa for the third time, revisiting the continent of our dreams.  In Uganda, we trekked through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to spend time with several families of rare and endangered mountain gorillas.  Then, in South Africa, we traveled to three different wildlife regions to meet white rhinos, leopards, African wild hunting dogs and many other incredible species.

Along the way, I talked with the animals, gaining perspective on their way of life, survival techniques, familial relationships and more.  The divide between prey and predator became potently real: herd animals in the wild just don’t have time to chat the way well-fed pack members do!

I had a particularly stunning Reiki experience with a female cheetah in the Timbavati region, which is situated on the border of the famed Kruger National Park.  This particular cheetah had a severe injury to her right front leg and according to the ranger, had not been weight-bearing on that limb for over two months.  During this time period she had been scavenging birds, lizard and other very small or injured prey in order to survive.

When we located the cheetah, she allowed us to approach closely in the vehicle.  I worked on her at this distance from the open Land Rover.  Two and a half hours passed as I sent healing, loving energy to her lame paw, helping to clear the scar tissue, bone calcification and inflammation that had encased the old fracture.  At the end of this super session, to the ranger’s astonishment, the cheetah moved off with a far-smoother gait, put weight on her right front and was able to sprint for the first time in months.  After a few minutes of getting used to her renewed regal bearing, the cheetah left us to hunt, loping off in hot pursuit of a steenbok gazelle.  A beautiful morning in Africa!

For more stories and details from Africa, check out Four Legs & A Soul on Twitter.

THIS MONTH, BROOKE RECOMMENDS…

YOUNG LIVING LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL

Lavender is an incredible essence to use in healing and in everyday life.  Unlike many oils, lavender is completely safe for all animals (including cats and birds) and humans of all ages.  Lavender is anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-septic, anti-tumoral, anti-convulsant, anti-inflammatory and definitely anti-anxiety.  It is wonderfully soothing on burns and open wounds, and on animals, helps the hair coat grow back smoothly and quickly.  Lavender calms skittish animals, relaxes hot, tense horses and enhances the brain’s ability to focus on the task at hand and think clearly.

It is very important to use therapeutic grade essential oils, which is why I recommend Young Living’s well-researched products.  They are of the highest quality and integrity.  It is particularly vital to use lavender oil from a pure source because many brands use synthetic or hybrid lavender, which do not have the same healing properties and may even burn or sting delicate, injured tissue. 

WITH LIGHT,

FOR THE ANIMALS,

BROOKE

Welcome

Good Morning and Welcome!


It is a beautiful late August day here at Four Legs & A Soul, still cool as the sun has not yet risen above the trees.  The dogs are at my feet as I type this and the horses are in the field beyond, lingering over each mouthful of grass.  Birds are starting to emerge from the trees surrounding the house, flitting in and out of the lush leaves, awakening one another with their calls.  The cats are upstairs, not yet arisen from a night of happily prowling the halls.


Some introductions:


My name is Brooke Baxter and I am an animal communicator, Reiki Master, energy healer, Healing Touch for Animals practitioner, aromatherapist, natural nutrition consultant and natural horsewoman.  I am an equine and canine specialist but work with all species in my practice, Four Legs & A Soul.  I have dedicated my life to helping animals and their people achieve greater balance in their relationships as well as improved health, stress-free companionship and successful performance.


The horse in the logo is Lightning.  She has since passed away but continues to influence and guide me everyday.  She was a wise grey mare, a natural healer and a passionate friend.  The dog in the logo is Belle.  She is my angel, my shadow, my constant companion and bringer of joy.


Along with my husband, Wood, Belle and I also live with two other rescued labrador mixes: Harmony and Scout.  Harmony is our resident Master Healer, protector and snuggler.  Scout brings unconditional and constant love as well as much laughter into our household.


The great Irish warmblood, Thunder, leads our herd of horses with fairness, courage and strength.  Spellbound, a Danish warmblood, is both our greatest athlete and our most sensitive soul.  Hudson is a rescued Clydesdale, a Premarin foal from over the border, who is just a giant baby but wants so much to please... and to play.


Lulu and Duma are the black-and-white polka-dotted kittens who rule the roost from the second story of the house, keeping everyone in line with their beautiful independence and free spirits.


And so we begin another day here at Four Legs & A Soul, anticipating more learning, much love and great fun among the animals....


Please visit us at www.fourlegsandasoul.com to learn more.