“Unleashing Happiness” a monthly blog by Karen Lee Stevens

Director of Wellness Programs, Karen Lee Stevens tackles topics related to mental health and the human-animal bond, along with a healthy dose of humor (because let’s face it, sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying!).

BLOG POST #31 – Tuning In To Peace

March 5, 2025
by KAREN LEE STEVENS

Every once in a while, a book comes along that is so good you let all your friends’ calls go to voicemail so you can read “just one more chapter.” For me, that book is Dan Brown’s latest page-turner, The Secret of Secrets.

In the novel, Robert Langdon is back at it, sprinting through ancient corridors in the picturesque streets of Prague. But this time, he’s mostly playing catch-up to his partner, Katherine Solomon. Katherine is a Noetic scientist who believes she’s found proof that consciousness isn’t something we create in our heads, but something we tune into—like a cosmic Wi-Fi signal.

While Langdon is busy being the lovable skeptic and dodging shadowy organizations, it dawned on me that the greatest evidence for Katherine’s “consciousness field” has been sitting on my couch the whole time, licking her own paw. My dog, Buffy, isn’t generating peace; she’s simply tuning into it.

Think of it this way. If our brains are biological antennas rather than computer hard drives, maybe mental health isn’t about fixing the hardware. Maybe it’s about changing the frequency.

How might we do this? For starters, we can stop obsessing over our internal static (hello, anxiety and depression) and start tuning our dial on purpose. It’s as simple as:

The Rhythmic Frequency: Matching our breath to the slow, heavy rise and fall of a sleeping pet.

The Tactile Grounding: Focusing entirely on the sensation of your dog’s soft fur—the ultimate “fidget fighter.”

The Present Moment: Realizing your cat isn’t worried about the 2028 election; she’s intent on the interception of a lone, drifting dust bunny.

For those of us who meditate, we spend a lot of time “quieting the mind.” We breathe, we journal, and we try to tap into that elusive state of pure presence. Animals, on the other hand, are naturally mindful and live in the present moment. If your dog is doing zoomies at 10 pm, she isn’t overthinking her career path or wondering if her tail is fat. She has accessed the Secret without needing a Ph.D. in Symbology or a tweed jacket with elbow patches.

When was the last time you felt truly anxious? (For me, it was about twenty minutes ago!) My brain was stuck in a loop of What if? while my dog was focused entirely on What is.

If consciousness really is a field that connects everything, then our bond with our pets is more than just cute—it’s a direct connection to that peace. When we sit with them, we engage in a form of entrainment, where our frantic internal monologues start to vibrate at their grounded frequency. We’re stepping out of our stressed-out head and into their world. Their naturally chill vibe acts like a giant mute button for our noisy human static, proving exactly what Katherine Solomon is talking about in the book.

While Robert and Katherine are busy risking their lives to find the meaning of existence, I’m taking a page from our companion animals’ playbook. They’re much simpler and don’t involve being chased by assassins:

1. Eat with gusto (even if it’s just kibble … or a really good bagel).
2. Love fully (without checking your phone every 30 seconds).
3. Snooze in the sun (SPF is optional for them, recommended for us).

Scholarly sleuths may still be searching for the secret of the universe, but our pets are already living it. They know the secret—heck, they are the secret—and honestly, they’re usually willing to share all their wisdom for the low, low price of a tummy rub… and maybe a little help catching that rogue dust bunny.

Have you read Dan Brown’s new novel? Karen would love to hear your thoughts about it or how your pets keep you grounded! Send her an email message at karen@therapydogssb.org.