The Native American Indian always felt a special oneness with nature and also with the creatures who occupied the natural world. This feeling was not just confined to the world around them but also with the world of the spirit.

The animals inhabiting this inner world were seen to be their spirit guides. These spirit guides offered great comfort and advice when it was needed most. From birth to death the spirit guide shared the trail of life with them as the days wended their way through the forest of time.

With the step by step meditation I am about to show you, it wont be too long before you are in contact with yours. Your spirit guide can be in the form of any animal, it could be a reptile, a bird, a cat or a dog. Choosing which animal is going to be best suited as your spirit guide will depend a whole lot on your personality, this is because your animal guide will focus on what is inside of you.

During your meditation you will hear a number of different animals, however the one which you hear talking clearly to you, and displays a knowledge of who you truly are will be your guide. We must bear in mind that we have evolved past the animal stage, and your animal guide is just that, a guide into your inner and outer self. The guide is not the master of you.

You have to believe that your animal guide is waiting for you to initiate contact, this process of meditation will bring you not only closer to your guide but also to nature.

Let us begin:

To enable you to come into contact with your animal spirit guide, use the following meditation. Do not be disheartened if you do not make contact on your first attempt, it often does take a few attempts for full contact to be made.

1. Your surroundings. Your spirit guide will be able to contact you anywhere, however, they will find you more accessible if you are in an open area i.e. The countryside or parkland. An area such as this will also make you feel more comfortable and at one with nature.
2. Be comfortable. Do not wear clothing which is restricting and uncomfortable. You must be prepared to be in a sitting position for quite a long time, so finding a comfortable spot to sit is important. You are going to have to be without distraction, so avoid playing music or wearing strong perfumes.
3. Your Senses. Look around you and take in everything you see. Listen closely to the birds, the breeze blowing the tree's etc. Concentrate on the smells which are around you and allow your skin to feel all of the vibrations your world and its surroundings is making. Consider how all of the things you are sensing have been playing out in that place for centuries.
4. Open your mind. Now close your eyes, You will still experience all of those senses, however, your mind will now enable you to visualise all of these senses without any outside interference.
5. Make contact. If this is your first attempt at meditation, you will find that you get distracted and your mind will wander. A number of different animals will appear to you, do not accept that the first one you see is going to be your guide. You must converse with each individual one and try to sense what message it is trying to convey.
6. Communicate. You will find that your actual guide will have a great deal of important things to say to you. Your guide will not just try to flatter you or condemn you. He or she will not want to take over your life, they already have their own life to live. Your guide will enable you to take control of your life and show you how to make changes.
7. Learning. If, at your first attempt, you feel that you have not made contact with your spirit guide, do not be discouraged. Consider this as a learning experience, think about the surroundings you have chosen, perhaps you could try a different time of day. Try again another day in different surroundings. Keep trying, and you will find success.
8. Making a bond. When you have found your true spirit guide, you will begin to see them on a regular basis. They may show up in your dreams, or perhaps when you are out and about. You spirit guide will now be with you forever, guiding you through life.