A Personal Story About Energy, Healing, and the Science of Unconditional Love

Sometimes the most profound teachers come in the smallest packages. While I enjoy reading and studying stoicism, meditation and learning more about what drives happiness. My greatest teacher about breaking free from negative energy walks on four paws and answers to the name Miso.

I know how it sounds. Another person claiming their dog is special, that pets have magical powers, that animals are more enlightened than humans. But before you roll your eyes, let me share what science is revealing about the energy exchange between humans and dogs and how my little Miso became my unwitting energy healer, and daily reminder that happiness doesn’t require a philosophy degree.

The Science Behind What Dog Owners Already Know

Dogs are extremely good at sensing negative energy and this can impact on the way they behave and react. But what I’ve discovered through living with Miso goes beyond sensing.

They sense energy, and they take on the energy they’re exposed to. Because dogs spend most of the day with us, the chances of them absorbing our energy is high.

I noticed something remarkable: while Miso would initially absorb whatever negative energy I brought home from a difficult day, she had this incredible ability to transform it. She’d take in my stress and somehow metabolize it, returning only pure, uncomplicated joy.

The Miso Method: A Master Class in Present Moment Living

Every morning, regardless of what happened yesterday or what might happen today, Miso wakes up with the same unbridled enthusiasm for existence. She jumps into the bed, craws up to my chest and just gives her energy . Her first thought isn’t about bills, deadlines, or work. It’s pure excitement about the of being awake for another day and seeing you!

Dogs specifically have been proven to reduce stress, anxiety and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise, and improve your overall health. She thought me 3 lessons.

Lesson 1: Energy is Contagious (So Choose Yours Wisely)
Pets, particularly dogs, can absorb the emotional energy of their human counterparts, potentially affecting their well-being. Watching Miso respond to my energy made me acutely aware of what I was sending. If I came home stressed and agitated, would bring over growing happiness and joy and make me feel home, grounded and peaceful, she’d settle into contentment.

This forced me to take quickly review my state energyI was sending, and change my mood to happy quickly.

Lesson 2: Happiness Doesn’t Require a Reason
Marcus Aurelius wrote about finding joy in virtue and wisdom. The Buddhists speak of unconditional contentment. But Miso demonstrates this daily without reading a single philosophical text. She finds pureness in chasing butterfly’s, sniffing plants, belly rubs, and the simple fact of being alive.

Her happiness doesn’t depend on external circumstances aligning perfectly. It’s her natural state, occasionally interrupted by life, but always returned to as her baseline.

Lesson 3: Love Without Conditions is Possible
People with furry friends tend to spend more time outdoors, exercise more often, feel more loved and just generally be happier than those without a dog or cat, often by significant margins. But the “feel more loved” part is what gets me.

Miso doesn’t love me because I’m successful, because I have my life together, or because I’m having a good day. She loves me because I exist. Period. No conditions, no qualifications, no performance requirements.

The Energy Exchange: What’s Really Happening

Energetically, they are highly sensitive creatures. Some traditions believe that dogs have the ability to sense bad vibrations, spirits, or upcoming problems in the family. While I can’t speak to spiritual interpretations, I can share what I’ve observed living with an intuitive little creature.

Miso seems to operate as a kind of emotional barometer and energy filter for our home. When tension builds, she positions herself strategically between me and my wife. When someone’s having a rough day, she offers her presence, not demanding attention, just being available.

It’s as if she absorbs whatever negativity exists and processes it through her system of pure love, returning only lightness.

The Research Validates What the Heart Already Knows

Recent studies confirm what Miso has been teaching me all along. A recent study found that people who spent time with a therapy dog while in the emergency room reported experiencing less pain after. And regular access to therapy dogs boosts first-year students’ mental health, showing measurable improvements in psychological well-being.

But the research doesn’t capture the subtle, daily magic of living with a being whose default setting is joy. Animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood. What it doesn’t measure is how Miso’s unwavering faith in the goodness of each day gradually rewired my own relationship with happiness.

Lessons from Miso’s Instagram (@miso.babi)

If you follow Miso on Instagram (@miso.babi), you’ll see her philosophy in action: every moment is an opportunity for wonder. A walk is an adventure. A nap is a luxury to be savored. A cuddle is cause for celebration.

She doesn’t post inspirational quotes about gratitude, because she lives gratitude. She doesn’t talk about mindfulness, she embodies present-moment awareness. She doesn’t preach about unconditional love as she demonstrates it every single day.

The Liberation Dogs Offer

While I write about breaking free from mental prisons, Miso shows me what freedom actually looks like. She’s not trapped by stories about the past or anxiety about the future. She doesn’t carry grudges or construct elaborate narratives about why life is difficult.

Dogs really are a person’s best friend, not least because they impact both our physical and our mental health. But beyond the health benefits, they offer something more precious: a daily masterclass in how to exist without the psychological baggage that weighs down human consciousness.

The Teacher Who Never Lectures

I’ve learned more about psychological freedom from watching Miso navigate daily life than from years of reading and learning. She’s taught me that happiness is a choice, that love doesn’t require perfection, and that the present moment contains everything we need.

Most importantly, she’s shown me that breaking free from negative energy doesn’t require complex strategies or years of therapy. Sometimes it’s as simple as wagging your tail, finding a sunbeam, and remembering that being alive is inherently wonderful.

Maybe the secret to breaking free has been wagging its tail in front of us all along.

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Follow Miso’s daily lessons in joy on Instagram [@miso.babi] – she posts more wisdom in one day than most humans share in a lifetime.

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Sources:

• Dogs and Negative Energy Sensing Research
• Energy Exchange Between Humans and Dogs
• UC Davis: Health Benefits of Pets
• NIH: The Power of Pets
• Recent Study: Dogs and Mental Health
• MSU Study: Pets and Happiness Link
• Mayo Clinic: Dogs Are Good for Your Health