Heartheld: A Shared Cup of Calm with your Pet
- Fabienne
- Aug 6
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 3
For humans and animals navigating stress and anxiety, together.
Have you noticed how your animal seems to know when you’re anxious, before you’ve even said a word? How they seem more restless on days you’re overwhelmed or more withdrawn when you're feeling weighted down?
This isn’t coincidence. It’s co-regulation.
Just like humans, animals have complex nervous systems shaped by early life experiences, current environments, and their closest emotional bonds. And in the beautiful tangle of cross-species connection, your nervous system and theirs are not separate. They are in constant, silent conversation.
When you're keyed up or dissociating, your animal companion often feels it in their own body. Dogs might pace or bark more. Cats may hide or become unusually clingy. Rabbits may freeze. Horses become hypervigilant. These aren’t simply behavioral quirks, they’re responses rooted in nervous system dysregulation, often mirroring yours. And it goes both ways: when one of you finds a moment of grounded calm, the other can more easily follow.
The Biology of Shared Stress—and Shared Calm
When we (or our animals) experience stress or anxiety, our sympathetic nervous system kicks in: heart rate increases, digestion slows, and muscles tense for fight-or-flight. This is useful in short bursts, but over time, it frays the body, frays the bond, and keeps us stuck in survival mode.
Healing begins when we activate the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the “rest and digest” state. This is where the body can truly repair and where emotional healing is possible. And the wonderful truth? Animals are naturally attuned to this shift. When your breathing slows, when your heart rate softens, when your body says “I am safe now,” your animal receives that message too, sometimes even more clearly than words.
This is why calming rituals done together can be so profoundly healing. They speak to the body, not just the mind.
A Cup That Speaks Safety
Herbal medicine has long been used to support this transition. To help bodies and spirits remember how to come home to calm. And when the same calming ritual is shared between you and your animal, it becomes more than wellness, it becomes connection.
That’s what Heartheld was created for.
A gentle tea to support nervous system regulation in both humans and animals, made with herbs traditionally known to:
Encourage the parasympathetic response
Ease muscle and emotional tension
Support rest, mood balance, and presence
Herb | Nervous System Action | Notes for Animal Use |
Valerian Root | Deeply calming to the nervous system. Helps ease tension, restlessness, and anxiety-related insomnia. May support emotional release. | Safe for most dogs in small amounts. Omit for cats, who may react paradoxically or become overstimulated. |
Hops (Hop cones) | Soothes overactive nerves, helps with agitation, restlessness, and irritability. Also supports gentle sedation and muscle relaxation. | Generally well-tolerated by dogs. Use cautiously with small herbivores. May be too bitter for picky eaters. |
Lemon Balm | Uplifting and calming. Supports emotional balance, eases nervous stomach, and helps quiet the mind without sedation. Also antiviral and gently cooling. | Generally safe and well-liked by most animals, including cats and small mammals. A beautiful ally for shared calm. |
St. John’s Wort | Nervine and mood-supportive. Helps regulate the nervous system over time, especially with emotional sensitivity or “frayed wires.” Also supports nerve repair. | Use with caution. Omit for cats and consult a vet before offering to animals on medication. Optional in the blend. |
Every animal is unique. Start with small amounts, observe closely, and always consult with a holistic vet if unsure. The real medicine is in the connection you share.
The Herbal Blend
This gentle mix is intentionally formulated to be animal-safe when used as directed, with the option to omit or adjust for sensitive species.
Ingredients:
40 g Valerian Root (omit for cats)
30 g Hops (Hop cones)
30 g Lemon Balm Leaves
20 g St. John’s Wort (optional, especially for cats)
This herbal tea is suitable for both you and your animal, with minor adjustments for safety.
How to Prepare
For both human and animal use:
Use 1 teaspoon of the dried herb mixture per 250 ml of freshly boiled water.
Pour the hot water over the herbs, cover, and let steep for 7–10 minutes.
Strain the tea and let it cool to a safe, lukewarm temperature before offering to your animal.
Sweeten your own cup as desired. Only offer honey to dogs and animals safe to ingest it—never to cats or young animals.
For animals:
Offer by spoon,
Mix with a small portion of food,
Or use to gently moisten a treat.
Please consult your veterinarian or holistic vet before offering herbal preparations to your animal. This tea is not a substitute for medical care.
A Ritual to Return To
Let this be more than tea: As you prepare your own cup and cool a small portion for your companion, you are already entering the field of shared calm. There is no right way to do this. No performance. Just presence.
A soft invocation to speak while preparing or sharing:
“As I prepare this, I invite peace into both our bodies. May calm return like breath, gentle and natural. We are safe. We are loved. We are ok."
Or simply lean into the quiet rhythm of this shared mantra (hum or sing it if you like):
We are safe. We rest together.
Be present with them while you drink your tea
Watch your animal. Not for a result, but for their way of showing you the moment: The long blink. The stretch. The happy sigh. Or the belly.
When you rest, your animal can rest too. When you soften, the space between you starts to breathe and vibrate again. This is the healing that requires no effort—only presence.
The Deeper Thread
In my work with humans and animals, I witness again and again that our companions often carry the echoes of our own emotional patterns. Not out of duty—but out of love.
And when we meet our inner world with compassion, something shifts in them too. As we release, they settle. As we come home to ourselves, they come home too.
If your animal has been guiding you toward something deeper, trust that. They already sense who you're becoming, and they walk beside you, not behind.
If this stirred something in you, I invite you to explore my sessions and offerings for healing the human–animal bond. You don’t have to walk the path alone. And you never have.
With warmth and possibility,
Fabienne
The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases. The statements on this website/blog/shop have not been evaluated by any Swiss or international authorization and supervisory authority for drugs and medical products.
Do not use herbal products on children, or if you are nursing, pregnant, taking medications, or undergoing treatment for any medical condition, without first consulting a healthcare professional.
