Join us as veterinarian, Dr. Linda Bender, walks us through her journey as a child and a vet school student who was deeply connected and aware of the sentience and consciousness of the animals. From an early age, she was undeniably aware of the interconnectedness of all life, and also the cruelty and sadness that exists in our reality. Linda talks about what it was like practicing veterinary medicine and travelling the world as an empath, deeply connected to each being and aware of each living soul's sentience and consciousness. Linda shares with us what we must do now, as we experience climate change, loss of biodiversity and all kinds of unfortunate human-driven situations that test and try our tenacity. We also talk about whether science and spirituality are complementary or contradictory, and how we can navigate uncomfortable conversations with those who don't see things the way that we do.Linda is a Best Selling and Award Winning Author, Animal Advocate, Activist, Veterinarian and Spiritual Teacher around the World."For over twenty-five years, Dr. Bender has practiced meditation and studied many of the world’s wisdom traditions, including shamanism. Learning the traditions and wisdom of indigenous peoples enriched her understanding of the sacred connection shared by humans, animals, and nature. All of these experiences helped shape Dr. Bender’s environmental consciousness and deepened her commitment to spirituality, conservation, and animal advocacy.Dr. Bender started one of the first pet therapy programs in Cincinnati as part of their state mental health program. She is cofounder of the non-profit charity From the Heart and the author of the Amazon best seller Animal Wisdom: Learning from the Spiritual Lives of Animals. 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.comBarbara's website: www.barbarashor.comInstagram: instagram.com/animalsanduspodcastFacebook: facebook.com/animalsanduspodcastTwitter: twitter.com/animals_and_us