One of the things I was most curious about when I started learning about animal consciousness and communication was how the animals felt about us, humans, consuming them and their by-products. In this episode, I (Avantika) share my thoughts on animal perspectives on our relationship with them as food. I share what I have learned, through my research and my own personal experience in communication with them. Humans can have a very special connection with animals, and this extends well beyond just our companion animals - we can also connect deeply with all animals we interact with, including the animals we consume. Animals have endless love and compassion for us, but are also aware of our human activity and how they are impacted by it. I talk about how mindfulness and gratitude can help us bridge this gap and allow us to connect more deeply to all the animals in our lives, especially the ones who sacrifice their lives for us. I also read aloud an excerpt from Dr. Linda Bender's book called Animal Wisdom - Learning from the Spiritual Lives of Animals. She talks about the prey/predator relationship and how animals perceive life and death, and human consumption of animals. Dr. Linda Bender was our guest in Episode 3. She is a Best Selling and Award Winning Author, Animal Advocate, Activist, Veterinarian and Spiritual Teacher around the World. Her work has been endorsed by Dr. Jane Goodall, Deepak Chopra , Dr. Larry Dossey, and many more. Dr. Bender has been featured in the Huffington Post, Natural Health magazine, Spirituality & Health magazine, Modern Dog, Elephant Journal, on Gaiam TV, Deepak Chopra’s One World TV show, and many more media outlets. She lectures around the world advocating for animals and the conservation of their habitats. Recently, she was personally invited to Japan by the Goi Peace Foundation to be one of the first signatories of the Fuji Peace Declaration for a peaceful and a sustainable world." https://lindabender.org/ https://www.instagram.com/drlindabender/ -- Podcast website: www.animalsanduspodcast.com Barbara's website: www.barbarashor.com Instagram: instagram.com/animalsanduspodcast Facebook: facebook.com/animalsanduspodcast Twitter: twitter.com/animals_and_us