The Kindred Connections Pawdcast - Episode 1

Kindred Connections is a podcast hosted by Tanya and Alana, where they explore the world of animals and their unique stories. Each episode features a different animal and their experiences. In this first episode, Tanya and Alana introduce themselves and share their journeys with animal communication. Alana's interest in animal communication started when her partner found a stray dog, which led her to schedule a session with an animal communicator. The session resonated with her and sparked her fascination with animal communication. She eventually joined an animal communication class and met Tanya. Tanya has always had a deep bond with animals and believes that everyone has the ability to communicate with them. She shares her experiences of finding and helping animals throughout her life. Hello, animal lovers! Welcome to Kindred Connections, a podcast by Tanya, Alana, and the animals. Each week, we dive into the fascinating world of animals, exploring their unique stories, behaviors, and the incredible connections they share with us and each other. We'll be chatting with a different animal each episode, giving them a voice and a platform to share their experiences. From household pets to exotic wildlife, no creature is too small or too large for our conversation. Whether you're an animal lover, a curious listener, or someone looking to learn more about our furry, feathered, and scaly friends, this podcast is for you! We're here to celebrate the bond we share with animals and to highlight the amazing things they bring to our lives. So, grab your headphones, settle in, and get ready to connect with the animal kingdom like never before. Welcome to Kindred Connections. Let's get started! Welcome! This is our first episode of Kindred Connections. Yeah, welcome everybody. We're so glad you're here. Yeah, we're so excited to be recording our first episode for the podcast. That's right. So, let's get started introducing ourselves. Yeah, so we thought we might introduce ourselves and to share with you our journeys with animal communication, what brought us to this point of starting this podcast, and what we anticipate coming out of it, and our vision for the podcast. Yeah, so you get to know us and our stories and how we got into all this. Yeah, would you like to get started, Alana? Exactly. Sure, Tanya. So, I'll just share a little bit about how I got into animal communication and what I'm doing now, and just to introduce myself. So, I live in the D.C. area, and some background on how I got into animal communication really starts with my own fur babies. They really are the culprits who got me into this. And I can't really tell a full story about how I did start on this path without telling about Lydia and how she came. Well, so to give you background on that, so my partner, I live with my partner and two dogs. And my life partner is very predictable, like, goes to bed at 9 o'clock on the dot, wants to eat at the same restaurants all the time. Like, everything is just so predictable, okay? So, I say that and set up a story because we've always, like, taken our dogs on walks on a regular basis. And by dogs, I mean our one dog before our second dog came. And so, one day, he was just randomly like, let's just go somewhere completely different to a whole different part of the neighborhood that we've never been to before. And I probably was kind of taking it back because he is typically very predictable. And it probably took me a second to process that information, but then my adventurous soul was just like, sure, let's go. So, we go, like, we end up venturing into a whole different part of the neighborhood we've never explored before. We're walking along with our little miniature Opsy that we had at the time. And then all of a sudden, something literally darts out of the bushes running towards us. And the three of us are like, whoa. And my Opsy is like, what? I don't remember her really barking or anything like that. Like, she typically doesn't. She was just more like, what? And so, we were all just like, oh, my goodness. And we were kind of registering the fact that right in front of us there was the cutest little floppy-eared, brindle, white-toed, pimple-boxer mix that you ever saw. And we're just like, what is this dog doing here? And we didn't really know what to do. We were just kind of taken aback, just like I was earlier when Ryan was like, let's go to a different part of the neighborhood. And so, we're just trying to walk along and continue our walk, just kind of like, there's just this dog here. And essentially, as we continued walking along, this dog continues following us. And then, some random neighbors came out. We'd never met them before, but they kind of observed our plight. Maybe they'd been watching us from inside the house or something. I don't know. But they come to the edge of their yard, and they're like, do you have a random dog following you? Like, yes, we do. And they were like, okay, hang on. The neighbor runs inside, goes and gets a dog's leash and collar, brings it out, hands it to us, and he's like, here you go. We're just like, okay, what do we do with this? So, essentially, we put the leash and collar on the cute little dog, and we're going around the neighborhood trying to figure out, like, who does this dog belong to? Nobody knew. Long story short, got the chips, checked all the things we were supposed to do, ended up keeping this dog. I don't know. And it was kind of a chaotic time, too, because we were about to actually go overseas on a trip, and we were just like, we have this crazy dog. So, it was kind of an interesting time, but it all worked out, and looking back, we wouldn't want it any other way. We probably would not have signed up to have another dog at the time, and yet, like, this dog was exactly what we needed. What an incredible story. Yeah, that is amazing. I really, truly believe that they signed us. Definitely, yeah. He is just, like, the sweetest thing, the cutest little cuddle bug. Anyway, so that's how we ended up with two dogs. Beautiful. Congratulations, and what an incredible story. And that is Lydia, right? Yes, that was Lydia's story. So, it segues into how I ended up in animal communication, because, you know, kind of concurrent to all this and maybe preceding this, I work in the healing profession. I've been interested in more of the metaphysical type stuff. However, I didn't know anything about animal communication until I one day heard, bringing this full circle, I heard an animal communicator being interviewed on a podcast. And so, having, you know, this time where we're adjusting to this new dog having adopted us, I'm just like, oh, let me reach out to her and see if I can schedule a session and see what she has to say about this whole process. Like, I was curious about Lydia's background and what we could do to help her adjust to being in the new environment and so on and so forth. So, I scheduled a session, and let me say I've had, like, other sessions with other psychic healers, whatnot, before, but this one resonated with me so much. It was very impactful, because she knew things there was absolutely no way she could have known these things without having gotten the information from the dogs. And it also very much validated the experience of Lydia finding us, because, you know, one thing she said was that there were kind of, like, spirit was guiding this to happen, which made so much sense. For one thing, it was on an anniversary date for my partner and I. For another thing, he's so predictable. Why would he say, like, go to another house? That part got me. And there was just so many, like, synchronicities with it. And without me telling her the story, she said that when Lydia saw us, there was just this immediate heart connection, which I just thought that just was so neat and resonated so much. And also, anybody who knows Lydia knows that she really, like, leads with her heart. So, there was so much about it that just, I got really fascinated. I had other follow-up sessions with her, and then I was thinking for a while about getting into an animal communication class so that, you know, I could build those skills, too. I kind of sat on my hands around it for a while. I found Maya's class, which is how we met, which I'm sure we'll get into. But I literally, after finding her class, I thought about it for six, literally six months. I'm not even exaggerating before I signed up. Because I probably kind of had an inclination that it would be a commitment, and it has been, and it's been very worth it. Yeah, it's definitely, it was a journey getting there. That's pretty much how I got into animal communication, and the rest is history. Yeah, that is amazing. And that's where we met. I'm so grateful for that. So, I want to hear your story, because you've told me it before, but I don't remember all the specifics. Yeah, I'd love to. Yes, absolutely. So, yeah, I want to start out by saying that everyone really has the ability to communicate with animals. And it's a practice that I believe Indigenous people have really engaged in since ancient times. Like, I read books where they refer to trees as tree people, and they would ask the flowers if they would be okay, if they would cut them, or, you know, fruit. So I was always so amazed by that, how they really respected nature and were part of nature themselves, and not set apart. And so my lifelong love for animals has led me to have pets of all kinds my whole life. And I would always find animals out in the wild and look for them, you know, while in a car or a train or on a boat. Like, this is what I do. I look for animals wherever I am, and I try to help them wherever I go. I can find a bee on the sidewalk, or anybody who needs help, or just admiring the dogs walking by, or a cat, or any of these lovely creatures. So, yeah, I... Oh, I was going to say, that's very true, because you would bring, you know, just random animals to class and things like that. That's very true. You know, just the owls, I remember, were very amazing. They would just show up one night, and unfortunately, I didn't get to see them, but they were, you know, just calling out and calling out. And I was like, you know, what are they going to say? What are they saying? I would really like to know. And I was still in the beginning of my practice back then, and I was just like, I liked the validation and what everybody heard. And yeah, that's true. I just love to connect with animals, and I kept always forming really deep bonds with all of my pets as my constant companions. So, they meant a lot more than just being a pet to me. And I remember that when I was even a teenager, and I couldn't get a dog, I would get hamsters. And people would just say, it's just a hamster. And to me, I had, like, especially to two of them, I really had a soul-to-soul connection. And that hamster would come when I called him, and he would just hang out with me. And I mean, it was such a special connection, and it took me a very long time to get over his transition, which unfortunately, they only lived two or three years. And so, yeah, animals have always had a big place in my heart. And yeah, whether it was dolphin or whale watching, wherever I would go, observing penguins returning to land, swimming with dolphins in their natural habitat, visiting an elephant sanctuary. Each experience has been a cherished connection with wildlife. And I would seek them out wherever I was traveling. Any animals I could visit, and I would make sure it is respectful and they wouldn't be disturbed. I remember actually with the dolphins, it was quite cute. That was all the way in New Zealand, and the trip wasn't even booked. I was already looking for swimming with dolphins. And when we got there, we were in that boat, and eventually dolphins showed up. And so the guides say, okay, now you guys, you can all go in the water and just stay around here and splash a little bit. And they said, if you sing underneath the water, they're curious and playful, so they will come to you. And I just went out and was singing and singing, and I never heard of them. And it was so cute. But eventually they came and they swam a little bit with us. And, you know, I would have loved to just hug them and kiss them. It wasn't that close, unfortunately. But they were around us, and that was wonderful. So, yeah. I never heard that before. That's really cool. I know, right? So, yeah, I thought that was hilarious. And, yeah, the elephant sanctuary, I just remember, it was so touching. There were all these rescued animals that were taken from horrendous situations. And they were just so grateful to be there. And a little baby elephant came and kissed my cheek and made that sweet little sound and just touched my heart. I mean, they make me cry because they're just so dear to my heart. And when I see them and they're happy, it's so wonderful and so beautiful. Yeah, it's just such a powerful feeling. Right? Yeah. I can't really put it into words quite, but it is. I agree. And it's really the deep connection that we do have with them. I don't feel separate from them. I feel like I'm part of them or I'm deeply connected with them. Like I'm part dolphin and part elephant and, you know, whatever else they are. And I don't look down on them or see them as separate or something. So, yeah, I've always had this really, really strong connection. That's where our podcast name really resonates. Oh, yeah, that's right. It does. Yes. And I really felt it resonates. Yes. So my passion for animals extended to conservation efforts, demonstrations to protect dolphins, volunteering at animal rescue organizations, and recently helping a local animal shelter with a fundraiser. So discovering animal communication was a life changing moment for me. I actually heard about it for the first time, I think, through a video I watched of Anna Breitenbach. And we talked to the black leopard and it was just amazing how she was able to help him be happy again. And so I thought at first, oh, my goodness, this is only for a few gifted people and it may not be available to all of us. And eventually I started looking for animal communication training and schools and started finding Maya. And she allowed me to sit in on a class to just give it a try and see if I like it. And I remember that she had somebody talk to one of my dogs, Luna, and I could not believe what Luna said. The first thing she said that I was here first and I was just cracking up because that is so her. She has such a great sense of humor and she was here first before Angel came, our second dog. And so I really believed, hey, this is possible. This is actually working. This is happening. I was a little hesitant. Are people making stuff up or does it really work? And yeah, so I joined the class and the rest is history. And I must say that it has been life changing. Engaging in two-way conversations with animals and nature has been profoundly enlightening. Animals possess immense wisdom and we just really need to listen. So, by the way, I live in California and we're on opposite ends. And fortunately, through the internet, we are connected now and we can do this together. So amazing. So, in addition to animal communication, I'm trained in holistic life coaching, various energy healing techniques, yoga and aromatherapy. I really have truly found my passion in animal communication and healing, allowing me to assist animals as well as pets and their guardians in diverse situations and ensure that the voices of animals are heard. I just think it's such a blessing. And I'm grateful we met and we can do this podcast and reach others and tell them about this amazing thing that is out there, that we can have two-way conversations with animals and that we can bring their message to the world and understand what they have to say. And, yeah, there's so much wisdom out there and so much they like to talk about and make us laugh and make us cry and just amazing stories to be shared. Absolutely. That really sums up what the intention is behind the podcast, which is to have a platform for the animals to share their voices. But also, like you mentioned in your story, Tanya, and I very much relate to it, is we get taught growing up that this idea that we can talk to animals or things like that is fantastical and imaginary and it's not real life. And so we kind of lose that awareness that we do have this ability. Right. And so as adults, when we're learning this, we kind of have to reprogram ourselves in a sense to really understand that we do have this skill and ability. And once you start practicing it, having experiences and things like that, there's so much confirmation that there's just no going back. I agree. And that is so true, Alana. And it's really almost like a remembering, like you're saying, as adults, we're trained to, you know, kind of have almost like this, not just almost, like a hierarchy of human beings are on top and then there are animals and, you know, there's nature. And as we start communicating with them, we really, truly realize that we are all part of nature and that we're all intrinsically connected. And that probably when we were children, we naturally talked with them. I mean, I remember I did talk to them. I just don't remember hearing things like that, but maybe that was natural that I heard or maybe I just understood on some kind of a sentient level that they were hungry or whatever they needed. But now it's truly amazing that we can remember how to do this and help those animals on such a new and different level where we can really understand their needs. And yeah, whatever it is that they may be looking for, or if they are injured or if they have any requests. And even with wildlife, I mean, we can really communicate with them all. And that I just find just so amazing. Yeah, definitely. And I think that really speaks to what a lot of the intent is behind starting the podcast is not only to help people recognize that this is possible and normalize it, because there is a lot of stigma for this kind of work. But we're pretty well adjusted, right? Right, we are. It's true. And I know there are a lot of probably critical voices out there. And I know I was critical at the beginning and I even doubted myself a long time because I was just thinking, well, you know, I don't even know if I'm hearing this right. Or I try to call my dogs without using my voice. And well, they didn't come and I thought, well, then it's not working. And over time, like Alana, you were saying with practice, we realize it is working no matter what. Even though sometimes the animals don't show us like, well, they just didn't want to come. You know, this is not the time to get up and do things right now. And also, they were probably testing me because I needed the growth of understanding and trusting myself that I could do this. And I remember another time where we had ants in the kitchen and I brought them to class and I was like, I was talking to them and saying, hey, guys, you know, if you don't get out by tomorrow, we have to kill you. And I would hate to do that. So please, just get you to sleep. And you know what? They got the message and that is their choice. They want to stay. That's their choice now. And it doesn't mean that it's not working. Yeah, I thought that was really interesting. Right. Yeah, I think really a big part of the work is trusting the messages that we're getting and that we're getting messages and that it's not just all in our head. It's a lot of what classes took us on to. And I guess we should, we've probably alluded to this, but let the listeners know that that's actually where we met was an animal communication class. That's true. And I thought it was so fun because we were the Friday students, I guess. We were, I think, the only two who were in the Friday class. And I think we bonded over that. And then we started sending each other messages, private messages. And we would find an animal out there and say, hey, could you talk to this one? Or could you talk to one of my dogs and verify what I've been hearing? And it's just been such a lovely connection. And it's lovely to have each other, to be able to have somebody who can help. Especially if you're more emotionally involved with your own pet or something, you want to hear things. And you're maybe not as clear as really listening to them. So I really appreciate you being here, Alana, and our friendship and connection over animal communication. Yeah, definitely. It helps to have someone else to just balance cases off of and to validate that, well, they're hearing the same thing. So yeah, I'm on to something here. And also, we did kind of go through a parallel process of creating our websites at the same time. And like Tanya, we were the only, there were other people in the Friday class, but we were the only people who were just in the Friday class. And we just had a lot in common that we were bonding over. And we got to where we were sending each other just like cutesy little news stories that you would find about animals and relevant topics to animal communication and things like that. And like, well, we're spending so much time like sending each other this stuff. Anyway, why not just start a podcast and we can talk about it and also open the door for other people to join us. The hope is to kind of build some community around it, bring awareness to animal communication and give the animals a platform. So we were kind of thinking we'll probably have a topic that we'll talk about at the beginning and then maybe we'll probably have an animal or two that we'll talk to on the second half of the podcast episode. And so they'll participate and share their voices with us as well. That's right. And we may even have some dogs and cats that are looking for adoptions. So we'll check in with that if there are some that need or looking for a new loving home. We may introduce or present them and maybe even talk to them a little bit and ask them for what they're looking for or what their character is like. So that if you are looking for a new pet and are interested in adopting one, then you'll find yours that way. Yes. Or if you're working in animal rescue and have some animals that would like to share their experience on the podcast too. That's right. Yeah. We would just like to have their voices be heard and do our best to help them. Yeah. Yeah. And we did have the experience a while ago where, Tanya, you were hooked into a rescue and we were talking to some animals and a whole bunch of them got adopted after talking to us. True. Yes. That was amazing. I think we talked to 10 animals and I think seven of them got adopted. And they were long-time residents. And by just talking to them and having them be heard, it made a huge difference. Yes. I'm grateful we did that. And yeah, we're definitely open to doing that for any other shelters or rescue animals or any animals who need to be heard. Yeah. Our name is Kindred Connections and it really is about fostering this community connection between us, the humanoids, and the animal kingdom and just building that relationship. That's right. Speaking for both of us, I think we've both been really excited about this. Absolutely. We are. Yeah. And we got our first episode. Yay! Yeah. So we're very excited to be bringing this to you and to have a platform to share that connection between us and the animals. Thanks for listening. Until next time. Until next time.