Around a large lit candle, a dozen pre-teen girls are sitting in a circle inside a community hall in East Sussex, each in their own “nest” of cushions and blankets. The woman who has assembled the circle poses a question: “What do you do when you have those big feelings?”
“I read a book,” one says.
“Great,” the woman responds. “A good story helps you escape the thing you’re feeling sad about.”
Another girl volunteers: “I cuddle my dog — I feel like she really gets me.”
The facilitator smiles. “Who else has animals here?”
“My cat is so intuitive,” another pipes up. “She always comes into my room when I’m sad.”
“Animals relax you, don’t they?” the facilitator replies. “Research shows that the vibrations