8 State Hurricane Kate

I wrote this in June and want to share it with you now.

My Own Story of Dolphin Healing

~ Jenny Pavlovic, June 9, 2012 ~

I went to Bimini for the amazing opportunity to swim with wild dolphins. Animal communicator Mary Getten was leading the trip and she had been urging me to go for a few years. I finally got the chance! I had studied animal communication and had visited the gray whales of Laguna San Ignacio with Mary. On the Bimini trip, I was also going to gather ideas for a college course to teach math, physics and engineering through dolphins, and to explore how dolphins might provide a sense of calm and help relieve math anxiety.

I had never been to the Bahamas, or snorkeling, nor had I jumped from a boat into the open ocean before. On the first day out, I panicked a bit after first jumping from the boat into the sea, and swallowed some salt water when first learning to snorkel. I couldn’t see well in the water because I didn’t have my glasses, but the water was very clear. Even in twenty to thirty feet of water, visibility was clear all the way down to the bottom.

When the dolphins first joined us in the water that day, they “SONARed” me. I felt vibrations aimed directly at my midsection, as a strong buzz, like an electric current, ran through my middle. It felt good, like being in a whirlpool bath with strong jets of bubbles aimed directly at me.

I became nauseous later that day and vomited several times. I had never been seasick before, and attributed my nausea to swallowing salt water and to a poorly-timed trip below deck while the boat was moving. The vomiting felt like a purging, and afterward I felt better.

It wasn’t until weeks later that I understood what had happened.

I had read about how dolphins have helped people heal physically, mentally, and spiritually. As a biomedical engineer, I’m aware of the use of ultrasound to treat swelling, and of vibrations to accelerate bone healing. But although I hadn’t gone to Bimini seeking this sort of healing, I realize now that something powerful and intentional occurred.

Swimming with Wild Dolphins in Bimini--Those are my knees (top center)! (Photo by Atmoji of Wild Quest)

Each day that I was in Bimini, we swam with wild dolphins. Although I felt their echolocations in the water many times, I was only treated directly by the strong buzzing that one time on the first day. Now I think it was intentional. You see, I had a surgery to remove tumors in my abdomen in 2006. The tumors were benign, but were very painful. As one of the tumors grew, it felt like I had a bowling ball wedged between my kidney and my spine. Of course, the tumor wasn’t that large, but it felt like it! Since the surgery, I had never recovered my previous abdominal strength. In certain positions, like while lifting something, doing yoga, or sitting up from a reclining position, my abdominal wall muscles often went into a complete, uncontrollable spasm. When this happened, I had to lie on my back on the floor until the muscles relaxed again. I couldn’t release them.

Swimming with Wild Dolphins in Bimini--That's me, upper right! (Photo by Atmoji of Wild Quest)

Although I was still very active outside, and especially with my dogs, I limited certain activities to avoid these uncontrollable contractions. Sometimes I still experienced the spasms, especially when I was tired. In May of 2012, 5 ½ years after the surgery, I had gained weight and had not regained my previous abdominal strength.

In Bimini, the first time I entered the water from the boat by sitting on the ladder and sliding into the water, I noticed that this position might cause the dreaded abdominal contraction. I usually held back until others entered the water, and then took my time going in. But that first day I was “SONARed” by the dolphins, and I never had any problems entering the water from the boat.

Spotted Dolphins that We Swam with in Bimini (Photo by Atmoji of Wild Quest)

After I got home from Bimini, I began to notice that I could lift heavy things and sit up from a reclining position without the uncontrollable contraction. My yoga teacher commented that I looked stronger. The yoga positions and ranges of motion that I’d had to limit before weren’t giving me trouble. I began to test my limits, and found that my previous limits didn’t seem to exist! Tonight in a swimming pool, I treaded water, did the crawl, and even tried underwater flip turns, something I haven’t done for many years. The flip turns require me to quickly pull my legs into a tucked position while rotating my body, then using my tucked legs to propel me off the pool wall. This use of my abdominal muscles would have caused spasms before. In fact, I wouldn’t even have tried it. But tonight I was in the pool swimming and playing for over an hour, pushing my limits without one uncontrolled contraction! Something significant has changed. I feel like I have been healed!

I believe now that when I first entered the water, the dolphins gave me the “SONAR treatment” to heal me. Whether they sensed the scar tissue and damage from the surgery, or just that I was sick to my stomach that day, I don’t know. Perhaps their intent was to heal my scar tissue, and the vomiting (which occurred later) was a purging of sorts. Somehow they knew that I was hurting inside and gave me a treatment that healed me.

Fondly Remembering the Spotted Dolphins of Bimini (Photo by Atmoji of Wild Quest)

Since this was my first time in the water with dolphins, I hadn’t known what to expect. I thought maybe the buzzing feeling happened all the time. But after being in the water with the dolphins for a few days, I realized that the very direct and targeted treatment that I felt on the first day was unique and likely very intentional. I had read books by Horace Dobbs and others about dolphins healing people, but I hadn’t thought about seeking that type of healing for myself. The dolphins seemed to sense my need and focus right in on it to take care of me.

Swimming in the sea made me feel stronger again. I have always loved to swim. Now I seek more opportunities to swim even here in Minnesota, many miles from the ocean. In the water, I feel closer to the dolphins. I can swim now without concerns about muscle spasms, and swimming is helping strengthen my core again.

I believed before that dolphins can heal people. Now I know from personal experience, from my own unexpected gift from the dolphins, that this is true.

I must also give credit to Tara of Wild Quest, who did energy work on me toward the end of my week there. Tara helped balance my energy and, I’m sure, contributed to my healing along with the dolphins. What a magical team and a beautiful experience!

Note: I plan to visit the wild dolphins of Bimini with Mary Getten and Wild Quest again in 2013. If you would like more information, please email me at [email protected]. fine more information at http://www.marygetten.com/ (Click on “Trips”) and http://www.wildquest.com/.