The Power of Pets Archives - Center for Health & Wellbeing https://yourhealthandwellbeing.org/tag/the-power-of-pets/ Find Your Center. The Journey to a Healthy Body, Mind and Spirit Starts Here. Tue, 12 Apr 2022 18:01:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://yourhealthandwellbeing.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cropped-CFHWlogoRGB_color_solid_long-32x32.png The Power of Pets Archives - Center for Health & Wellbeing https://yourhealthandwellbeing.org/tag/the-power-of-pets/ 32 32 The Joy of Dogs https://yourhealthandwellbeing.org/the-joy-of-dogs/ https://yourhealthandwellbeing.org/the-joy-of-dogs/#respond Tue, 12 Apr 2022 03:47:00 +0000 https://yourhealthandwellbeing.org/?p=25016 At a young age, Joy Henderson’s love for animals had no bounds. The Winter Park resident of more than 50 years was kept from owning dogs because of her severe allergies to canines, but this proved to be the furthest thing from a challenge for the spirited, active animal lover. “I kept exposing myself to...

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At a young age, Joy Henderson’s love for animals had no bounds. The Winter Park resident of more than 50 years was kept from owning dogs because of her severe allergies to canines, but this proved to be the furthest thing from a challenge for the spirited, active animal lover.

“I kept exposing myself to animals at friends’ houses and rode horses. I was defiant,” she says. “I never said, I’m allergic. I can’t pet your dog. Ever. I was more like I don’t care I’m allergic.”

And that determination would ultimately pay off in Henderson’s favor. She would eventually overcome her allergies, leading her to own and foster dogs for the next 33 years. Today, she lovingly dotes on her 2 year old Rottweiler, 9-year-old Tibetan Spaniel, and two German Shepherds, ages 10 and 11, revealing the many health benefits she reaps from pet ownership that have enriched and challenged her.

“There is comfort and love in their company, an unconditional love, and it’s something to nurture because I don’t have children,” Henderson says. “It’s also about companionship, love, and discipline. It does take discipline along with training. Training is so important.”

 Henderson, who is also an instructor at the Crosby Wellness Center, relates her fitness experience to her love and care of her animals. Both promote overall health and well-being. Personally for her, self-care and self-discipline are most significant and she believes she has learned a lot from her experiences of caring for and training her dogs.

Henderson notes that she walks her dogs every day. “We take a couple of mile walks daily. I used to run with my dogs when they were younger. The German Shepherds are good for running but Rottweilers are not really built for running. When I exercise with [my pets], there’s endorphin production and there’s dopamine production which is very beneficial for mental health. Essentially it’s the exercise, the companionship, the comfort and everything that comes with it, the whole experience is a win-win.”

Henderson, who is also a mental health therapist feels that her dogs have greatly impacted her overall wellbeing.

“Dogs can really help regulate emotions, so can any animal really,” she says. “It doesn’t have to be a dog.  “The companionship, the physical presence of an animal is soothing to the nervous system. There is a peace that comes with petting an animal and their closeness.” Henderson considers this peacefulness as a spiritual component of her relationship with her dogs. She smiled and said “after all you know, Dog spelled backwards is God.”

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), an estimated 78 million dogs are owned as pets in the United States. Ongoing research shows that the health benefits of owning a canine companion are vast and undeniable. According to a study by Harvard Medical School, dog owners have lower blood pressure, healthier cholesterol levels, and a lower risk of heart disease, than non-owners.

The Power of Pets

Like Joy has found, pets have the power to make us happier and healthier in mind, body, and spirit. This spring, the Center for Health & Wellbeing is offering special programs focused on the incredible ways our pets support our wellbeing in several different ways. Click here to discover our upcoming “Power of Pets” Community Education Programs.

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]]> https://yourhealthandwellbeing.org/the-joy-of-dogs/feed/ 0 Creating a Pet Garden (In Person) https://yourhealthandwellbeing.org/event/creating-a-pet-garden-in-person/ Wed, 01 Jun 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://yourhealthandwellbeing.org/event/creating-a-pet-garden-in-person/ Join us in person for “Creating a Pet Garden” taking place on Wednesday, June 1 2022 at 1 PM in Community Conference Center. Join us for Creating a Pet Garden, a class intended for Florida growers to learn the basics of growing food for your furry friend including the do’s and don’ts of edible plants...

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]]> Join us in person for “Creating a Pet Garden” taking place on Wednesday, June 1 2022 at 1 PM in Community Conference Center.

Join us for Creating a Pet Garden, a class intended for Florida growers to learn the basics of growing food for your furry friend including the do’s and don’ts of edible plants for animals. This class is led by local horticulturist Caroline Chomanics, program director at Fleet Farming, a non-profit program of IDEAS For Us, where Chomanics also serves as the chief operations officer.

Special Instructions: Attendees should bring a notebook and pen for note taking.

This program is presented by Caroline Chomanics and is hosted by the Winter Park Health Foundation.

Canceling Your Reservation: If you are unable to attend a program, cancelling your reservation gives us an accurate count of how many to expect; for sold-out programs, cancelling your reservation also allows someone on the waitlist to attend in your place. Cancelling can be done in two easy ways: by calling 407.644.2492 and selecting Option 1, then Option 3 to speak to a representative or by using the online ticket cancellation option in your original confirmation email from Eventbrite.

By participating in this program, you agree to CHWB’s Gracious Space policy.

About the Program Presenter

Caroline Chomanics is a passionate horticulturalist in the Central Florida community, having earned her degree in Landscape and Horticulture Technology from Valencia College and her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Sustainable Urbanism from Rollins College. She acts as chief administrative officer to IDEAS For Us, a non-profit organization located in Orlando, FL, that develops, funds and scales environmental action projects in the focus areas of energy, water, food, waste, and ecology. When she is not farming, Chomanics is honored to be the gardening teacher at Inspiring Minds Day School, teaching children about the wonders of the natural world.

She developed her horticultural skills while living for four years at Nehrling Gardens, a historic botanical garden, in Gotha, Florida. Since 2015, Chomanics has been a program manager for Fleet Farming, an urban agriculture program that transforms lawns into farms.

About the Presenting Organization

Fleet Farming is a non-profit urban agriculture program of IDEAS For Us that transforms the average American lawn into a bio-verse, productive micro farms and edible gardens. To learn more about Fleet Farming, please click here.

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]]> The Power of Pets: Expressive Art Journaling Workshop (In Person) https://yourhealthandwellbeing.org/event/the-power-of-pets-expressive-art-journaling-workshop-in-person/ Thu, 05 May 2022 14:00:00 +0000 https://yourhealthandwellbeing.org/event/the-power-of-pets-expressive-art-journaling-workshop-in-person/ Join us in person for “The Power of Pets: Art Journaling Workshop” on Thursday, May 5 at 10 AM in the Community Conference Center. To register for an upcoming program on “The Power of Pets,” please click here.  Draw your furry best friend and explore art journaling in this class led by Atlantic Center for the...

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]]> Join us in person for “The Power of Pets: Art Journaling Workshop” on Thursday, May 5 at 10 AM in the Community Conference Center. To register for an upcoming program on “The Power of Pets,” please click here. 

Draw your furry best friend and explore art journaling in this class led by Atlantic Center for the Arts Community Artist Bethany Bennett. In this session, you’re invited to honor the special place in your heart held by your favorite pet. Did you have a beloved childhood dog? Or a cat that keeps you company these days? Maybe you’ve always loved horses. Bring along a photo or two of your favorite animals and celebrate the role these special creatures play in our Emotional Wellbeing. Not an animal lover? Not a problem! This program is open to all and will include guidance on a variety of topics for art journaling.

The goal of art journaling is to reduce stress and promote relaxation by increasing participants’ ability to play, experiment and gain self-guided insight and understanding of one’s own emotions. Added benefits can include self-growth, discovery, and joy through visual storytelling in a supportive group environment.

This program is presented by Bethany Bennett and hosted by the Winter Park Health Foundation in collaboration with Atlantic Center for the Arts.

Cancelling Your Reservation: If you are unable to attend a program, cancelling your reservation gives us an accurate count of how many to expect; for sold-out programs, cancelling your reservation also allows someone on the waitlist to attend in your place. Cancelling can be done in two easy ways: by calling 407.644.2492 and selecting Option 1, then Option 3 to speak to a representative or by using the online ticket cancellation option in your original confirmation email from Eventbrite.

By participating in this program, you agree to CHWB’s Gracious Space policy.

 About the Program Presenter

Bethany Bennett is an interdisciplinary artist who earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Central Florida and her Master of Fine Arts from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The artwork she produces questions women’s equality and role in society. Her investment in the community is to boost others’ confidence and self-worth through artistic practices. She is a professor at Daytona State College and leads community outreach at Atlantic Center for the Arts.

About the Presenting Organization

Founded in 1977 by Doris Leeper, an internationally known sculptor and painter, as well as a visionary environmentalist, Atlantic Center for the Arts (ACA) is a non-profit multidisciplinary artist residency facility located in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. To learn more, please click here.

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