A Curated Wellness Experience
Stillness
for you and
your beloved
A thoughtfully curated wellness experience for pets and their people. A sanctuary of resonance, rest, and deep connection.
A Curated Wellness Experience
A thoughtfully curated wellness experience for pets and their people. A sanctuary of resonance, rest, and deep connection.
Pets experience the world through sensation far more acutely than we do. Their nervous systems are exquisitely tuned — and equally susceptible to the anxieties of modern life. I created Paws & Breathe to offer something rare: a shared space of healing and relaxation for animals and the humans who cherish them.
Sound is a universal, innate language — one that every living being understands without translation. It has the capacity to heal, to settle, and to restore. Research published in Frontiers in Plant Science has shown that even plants respond to sound vibrations, demonstrating improved growth, strengthened immune systems, and changes at the genetic level when exposed to acoustic frequencies — a powerful reminder that the reach of sound extends far beyond what we can hear. As part of a holistic healing practice rooted in vibrational medicine, sound works on the body at a cellular level, inviting the nervous system back into balance simply by being heard. Our sound practitioners blend Himalayan singing bowls, crystal alchemy, and nature tones into sessions that resonate at frequencies known to calm the autonomic nervous system — for both species.
Paws & Breathe was born from a deeply personal moment: unable to find anyone to watch my puppy, Maya, during a six week sound healing training, I brought her along — and watched her fall asleep, session after session, in the most peaceful stillness. What struck me most was that neither of us had to do anything. There was nothing to perform, nothing to achieve, no checklist to complete. We could simply be — and that was enough. That stillness, that permission to just exist together without doing, is at the heart of every session I offer.
Read our full storyEvery session is thoughtfully designed around you and your pet — the instruments, the pacing, the setting — so what you receive is never generic. It's a considered experience built specifically for you. And at its heart is sound healing, one of the oldest forms of therapy known to human civilization, and one of the most universal. It asks nothing of you except to receive.
How It Works
Intentional sound frequencies are introduced through instruments — singing bowls, gongs, drums, the human voice — creating vibrations that travel through the body's tissue, bone, and water. The nervous system responds by shifting from sympathetic overdrive into parasympathetic rest.
The Parasympathetic Response
When the body enters parasympathetic rest — sometimes called "rest and digest" — it shifts out of survival mode. Heart rate slows, cortisol drops, muscles release. This is the state where the body heals, regenerates, and returns to its natural equilibrium.
Vibrational Medicine
Sound healing is part of a broader tradition of vibrational medicine — a holistic approach that works at a cellular level. It is not a medical treatment, but a non-invasive complement to overall wellness that supports the whole being: body, mind, and spirit.
The 432 Hz Frequency
432 Hz — sometimes called nature's frequency — is the tuning at which many sound healing practitioners work. While most modern music is standardized at 440 Hz, research published in Cureus (2025) links 432 Hz to reduced anxiety, lower heart rate and blood pressure, improved sleep quality, and enhanced emotional balance — suggesting it may modulate neural oscillatory synchronization in ways that create conditions deeply receptive to rest and healing.
Cureus Journal of Medical Science, 2025
"Sound healing is not something that is done to you. It is something that happens with you — and with your animal, in the same room, at the same moment, through the same frequencies."
— Paws & Breathe
Paws & Breathe came to life in the most unplanned, perfectly ordinary way. I was signed up for a six week sound healing training, and couldn't find anyone to watch my puppy, Maya — so she came along to every single session.
Every time the bowls sang and the room settled into resonance, Maya curled up and fell into the deepest, quietest sleep. It happened session after session, without fail. Something in the sound reached her in a way that nothing else had — and I watched it happen in real time.
The training wasn't only healing for Maya. For me — someone whose ADHD had long made meditation feel impossibly out of reach — those 40 hours became a revelation. Sound effortlessly transported me into a deep meditative state — and I want to be clear about what a miracle that is. For someone whose mind never stops, whose thoughts layer over each other like static that won't quit, finding stillness had always felt out of reach. Sound didn't ask me to quiet my mind. It simply did it for me.
In that shared experience — me finding my calm, Maya finding hers — Paws & Breathe was born. The belief at the heart of everything I do is simple: healing doesn't have to happen separately. It can happen together, in the same room, at the same moment, between the people and animals who love each other most.
Maya still attends every session she can.
At a Glance
Every session is intimate, unhurried, and led by a certified sound practitioner with deep experience in animal wellness — each one curated to the temperament, needs, and pace of the pet and person in the room.
A private 60-minute sound bath for you and one pet. Fully customized to your companion's temperament and your own intention for the session.
A curated small-group gathering for up to four pet-and-person pairs. Perfect for bonding rituals, birthday ceremonies, or wellness gifting.
A half-day immersive experience including guided meditation, intentional play, a sound journey, and botanical refreshments for you — organic treats for them. Every Paws Retreat is thoughtfully customized for your group, honoring the unique needs of your family and the animals you love.
Some moments call for something deeper. This session is held with extra tenderness, intention, and time.
For puppies navigating the big feelings of early life — crate anxiety, separation stress, overstimulation, or simply the overwhelm of a new world. Sound healing introduces calm as a felt experience, helping young animals build a positive relationship with stillness, rest, and their own safe space.
Sessions are gentle, short-form, and paced entirely around your puppy's comfort and curiosity.
A new baby changes everything — including the world your pet has always known. Shifts in routine, new sounds, unfamiliar scents, and a change in attention can be disorienting for even the most settled animals. This session creates a calm, intentional space for your pet to settle into the new rhythm of your expanding family.
Sound healing works to ease anxiety, reduce stress hormones, and support nervous system regulation — giving your pet a foundation of calm as they adjust to one of life's most joyful transitions.
Sessions can be offered before the baby arrives, in the early weeks at home, or at any point when your pet needs additional support. And because new parenthood carries its own overwhelm, these sessions are designed to offer restoration for everyone in the room — including you. Because a growing family includes everyone.
If you are reading this, you may have already noticed your fur baby slowing down — a little less playful, a little more still. Perhaps you have been told their time is drawing near. Or perhaps no one has said anything at all, and yet you feel it. Our pets give us everything — their unconditional love, their patience, their joy, their presence through every chapter of our lives. Whatever has brought you here, as a pet parent you know your fur baby deserves intentional, loving care throughout their entire life. Every animal that is aging, quieting, or simply moving at a gentler pace deserves to be met there — with presence, with sound, and with love. We have an opportunity to be just as intentional for them as they have always been for us.
The Gentle Farewell was created to address two questions that rarely get asked: how do we help our beloved fur babies leave this world surrounded by love and in peace? And how do we hold space for the loyal and courageous humans who love them through their transition? A sound healing session held in your home, or veterinarian's office, at whatever stage of their final chapter they are in — with no rush, no script, no agenda. Only presence.
Sound has been shown to reduce cortisol, ease anxiety, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system in animals. In their final season, what your fur baby needs most is to feel safe and loved. These sessions create exactly that — and they are designed as a journey, not a single moment. Gentle Farewell packages are designed as a series of sessions: beginning while your fur baby is still comfortable, continuing as their needs deepen, with a session held at the time of passing, and a closing session afterward to help you process, breathe, and begin to find your footing again. Packages are flexible and can always be modified to meet your individual needs.
Reach Out Gently →What a session holds
"Every animal deserves to leave this world in peace. And every family deserves to be held in that moment — not just witnessed."
— Paws & Breathe
The Gentle Farewell is available as a standalone session or in coordination with your veterinarian or end-of-life care team. Life does not follow a schedule — and neither does grief. Please do not hesitate to reach out. This time is precious, and every moment together deserves to be cherished, held, and honored.
Sound healing is not simply a feeling — it is a measurable physiological event. A growing body of research supports what practitioners have observed for decades: that therapeutic sound and frequency can shift the nervous system, reduce stress hormones, and support emotional regulation in both humans and animals.
Cortisol & Stress
Cortisol levels in shelter dogs dropped measurably following Tibetan singing bowl sessions.
Research into sound therapy with shelter animals has documented significant reductions in the primary stress hormone cortisol — the same marker used to assess anxiety and trauma in clinical settings.
Sedona Crystal Temple · Sound Therapy Review
Heart Rate & Behavior
Dogs exposed to classical music showed increased heart rate variability, lower heart rate, and spent more time lying down calmly.
A peer-reviewed kennel study (Brayley & Montrose, 2016) tracked HRV, salivary cortisol, and behavior in shelter dogs over 7 days, finding measurable short-term benefits across all three markers.
Brayley & Montrose, 2016 · Applied Animal Behaviour Science
Nervous System
Tibetan singing bowls induced significant reductions in anxiety, alpha-amylase, and increased heart rate variability in a randomized controlled trial.
A randomized controlled trial published in the NIH's National Library of Medicine found that singing bowl sound sessions produced measurable autonomic nervous system shifts — the same system that governs the stress response in all mammals.
NIH · National Library of Medicine, 2023
Veterinary Validation
Sound and music have a measurable impact on animal neurology. Even brief daily exposure to therapeutic sound can reduce sympathetic nervous system overdrive and support emotional regulation in animal patients.
Veterinary neurologist Dr. Susan O. Wagner (The Ohio State University) presented evidence to the dvm360 conference that specific sound frequencies create measurable calming responses in animal patients.
dvm360 · Dr. Susan O. Wagner, OSU College of Veterinary Medicine
Species-Specific Sound
Cats showed significantly reduced stress in veterinary clinics when exposed to species-specific music designed around feline communication.
Research by Snowdon & Teie (2015) demonstrated that sound tailored to an animal's own communicative frequencies produced deeper relaxation than standard human music — pointing to the profound sensitivity animals have to acoustic resonance.
Snowdon & Teie, 2015 · Applied Animal Behaviour Science
Neural & Cognitive Function
Sound therapy has been shown to stimulate neural pathways and enhance cognitive function in both humans and animals.
Certain frequencies support focus, memory, and learning — making sound a valuable tool not only for relaxation, but for training, rehabilitation, and building trust between animals and their caregivers.
Paws For Sound · Sound Therapy Review
Sound healing for animals is an emerging field. While formal peer-reviewed research specific to singing bowls and pets continues to grow, the existing body of evidence on therapeutic sound, frequency, and the mammalian nervous system offers meaningful support for its application in animal wellness. Paws & Breathe sessions are designed to complement — not replace — veterinary care.
We arrive at your home and take time to settle into your space together. A brief consultation helps us understand your pet's temperament and what you'd both like to release before the session begins. Your pet will also have a gentle opportunity to familiarize themselves with the instruments at their own pace.
Soft lighting, organic botanical scents, and ambient tone help both of you arrive in body before the bowls begin.
Himalayan and crystal bowls, voice, and resonant tones are woven together in a 40–50 minute immersive sound experience tailored for your pair.
Silence is held. No rush to re-enter. Herbal teas and filtered water are offered as you and your pet return to the present, together.
"Misti didn't just bring her sound, she brought my sound out of my soul."
Frank
& Sparky · Poodle / Jack Russell / Chihuahua
"Having the opportunity to share this experience with my dog made me feel complete. So often we have to leave half our family at home, so getting to share this with my whole family was such a special moment. Misti's calming, kind and authentic presence carries the music she makes into every part of the sound bath experience. It left me rejuvenated and refreshed."
Allison
& Saoirse · Pit / Lab
"I've always been anxious and I know my dog picks up on my anxiety. Sound baths have always had a calming effect on me, but I never knew how much of an impact it would have on my dog. After the session he stayed calm and the energy in the house shifted. So thankful for the gift Paws and Breathe provided."
Keko
& Ziggy · Mixed Terrier
"Misti was amazing. She made time for Gelo to become familiar with the instruments beforehand. I didn't want the sound bath to end!"
Daniel
& Angelo · Leopard Cat
Paws & Breathe is based in Southern California, offering in-home sessions throughout the region. Virtual sessions are also available, and wherever you are in the world, we will find a way to make it work. Whether that means showing up at your door or connecting across a screen, the intention and care remain the same. Distance is not a barrier — you and your pet's wellbeing is the priority.
We welcome dogs, cats, and other companion animals. Please contact us if you're unsure whether your pet is a good fit — we'll do our best to find a way.
Inquiries
misti@pawsandbreathe.org
(310) 916-9674
End-of-life veterinary care is among the most compassionate — and emotionally demanding — work in medicine. The teams who guide families through the loss of a beloved animal carry that weight every day.
Paws & Breathe offers sound healing services in partnership with veterinary practices that specialize in end-of-life care — bringing a layer of peace, intention, and ceremony to one of the hardest moments a family will ever face. We come to the clinic or to the family's home, and we hold the room with care.
We also recognize that the veterinary team needs support. We are honored to offer dedicated sessions for staff — practitioners who absorb the grief of others and rarely have a space to set it down.
Partner with Paws & Breathe"The acoustic properties that calm animals in documented research — sustained, harmonic, relatively simple tones — overlap meaningfully with the properties of a well-played singing bowl. That overlap is worth paying attention to."
— The Ohm Store · Sound & Animal Nervous System Research Review
We currently partner with
End-of-life veterinary specialists · In-home euthanasia practitioners · Palliative care clinics · Animal hospice providers
Paws & Breathe brings sound healing directly to local animal shelters, offering sessions to the animals who need calm the most — those living with the stress and uncertainty of shelter life while they wait for their forever families.
The shelter environment, however lovingly maintained, can be overwhelming for sensitive animals. Sound healing offers a non-invasive, deeply soothing way to ease anxiety, lower stress responses, and help animals feel safe — which in turn supports their health, temperament, and adoptability.
This work is close to our heart. Because every animal deserves peace — not just the ones who already have a loving home.
"Rescued and traumatised animals, such as shelter cats and dogs, have shown significant improvements in behaviour and trust after regular exposure to soothing sound frequencies."
— Mindful Store · Sound Healing Benefits for Animals, 2024
Our shelter outreach is funded in part by the generosity of our community. Every donation directly supports sound healing sessions for animals in local shelters — animals who are stressed, uncertain, and in need of calm.
No contribution is too small. A single session can shift an animal's entire nervous system — and sometimes, that shift is what helps them find their home.
100% of shelter donations fund in-person sound sessions for animals in need
Sessions are intimate and limited. We recommend booking in advance to secure your preferred time.
Reserve Your SessionGift certificates available
