Resources
from Animal Chaplain Sarah Bowen
for members of Holistic Actions
Sarah offers...
Thank you for joining me at the Holistic Actions "Quality of Life" presentation! Here are some of the research and resources from our journey together. If you'd like to go deeper, consider training with me to become an Animal Chaplain.
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If you'd like to dive deeper into interspecies spirituality or grief over animal loss, check out Sacred Sendoffs: An Animal Chaplain's Advice for Surviving Animal Loss, Making LIfe Meaningful, and Healing the Planet. (Monkfish Publishing, 2022)
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If you have suffered a loss, find an animal chaplain to support you 1-on-1:
Whenever people confess to me “Nature is my spiritual practice,” I often push them a little further. What is nature? When we use that term, are we conflating interspecies relationships into this word? And what might we gain from being more specific about who we are sharing our spiritual practices with, naming them by species? I meditated with an American Goldfinch. I forest-bathed with a spider monkey. A deer showed up during yoga practice in my backyard this morning. These moments of interspecies connection touch us in a visceral way, these moments of accidental spirituality. But what if we went beyond chance encounters— transcended merely hoping other species would be attracted to our practices?
―SARAH BOWEN, animal chaplain
General Resources
All of Sarah's columns for Spirituality & Health Magazine
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Animal Chaplaincy Training program with Compassion Consortium
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Podcast for Spirituality & Health Magazine: Animal Chaplain Sarah Bowen on Respecting and Revering All the Animals
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Article: Religion News Service: Pope Francis called pet owners selfish. An animal chaplain says he sells love short.
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Article: Tricycle: The Buddhist Review: “You Have a Church for Cats?” The Service of an Animal Chaplain
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Book: Sacred Sendoffs: An Animal Chaplain’s Advice for Surviving Animal Loss, Making Life Meaningful, and Healing the Planet book by Sarah Bowen
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Article: Faux Paws: Common Sayings Animal Lovers Should Avoid (How to use animal-inclusive language)
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Interspecies Mindfulness & Spirituality
Guided Meditations you can try or share with others, including "Follow the Birds" and the "WTF Prayer"
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Power of Intercessory Prayer for Animals
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Jane Goodall on Animal Spirituality
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Sacred Sendoffs
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DIY Ritual Kit for Animal Loss
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Surviving the pain of pet loss
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Sarah's award-winning book:
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Sacred Sendoffs: An Animal Chaplain’s Advice for Surviving Animal Loss, Making Life Meaningful, and Healing the Planet by Sarah Bowen
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Other book recommendations:
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Blessing the Animals: Prayers and Ceremonies to Celebrate God's Creatures, Wild and Tame by Lynn L. Caruso
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Prayers for Healing: 365 Blessings, Poems, & Meditations from Around the World edited by Maggie Oman
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Peace to All Beings: Veggie Soup for the Chicken's Soul by Judy Carman
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Some research we find useful:
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The Lived Experience of Companion-animal Loss: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies.
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Exploring the Grief Experience Among Callers to a Pet Loss Support Hotline
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Upcoming Events
Animal Mindfulness Workshop (on Zoom) from Omega Teacher's Studio on Wednesday, March 13, 2024
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Animal Funerals & Habitat Memorials 1-Day Workshop at One Spirit Learning Alliance Sunday March 24 by Zoom Register Here
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Animal Mindfulness, a 5-day immersive training with Amanda Ree & Judy Liu Ramsey at Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, June 23-28, 2024
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Animal Chaplaincy Training program with Compassion Consortium starts each Sept 6
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