Be like the Buffalo: The Buffalo is my Spirit Animal

A black and white photo of the face of a bison (American buffalo) looking straight at you. Only half of the face is in the frame. The background is white and light grey and washed out. — Photo by Yannick Menard on Unsplash

My spirit animal is the buffalo. I live my life trying to be like buffalo. Why?

I have learned a valuable lesson from buffalo.

Before the Storm

What instincts do animals have in storms? Animals have keen senses and can often detect changes in weather. Anything from changes in barometric pressure to premature vibrations from an earthquake. Animals tend to exhibit strange behavior as storms approach such as agitation, pacing, or hiding. When barometric pressure drops it often indicates a storm is on the way.

If we are observant, we can begin to notice similar changes in ourselves or those around us as our own storms approach. That tension in your neck and shoulders, why is there? Do you find yourself yawning or sighing more than usual? Maybe you are beginning to take more shallow breaths and your body needs oxygen.

When the Storm is in Sight

As the storm rolls in many animals hide, hunker down and prepare to endure the storm. Some choose to turn and run away which only prolongs the amount of time they suffer the effects of the storm.

When we make our own connection to what is bothering us, we may become agitated, stressed, or anxious. As we try to seek shelter from our own storm, typically the symptoms in our bodies increase as well. The tension in our neck and shoulders gets worse as a pounding headache takes hold. The extra yawning and sighing may become accompanied by feeling lightheaded or dizzy, maybe even blurred vision. Our heart rate increases, we may feel sick to our stomachs, and all this leaves us extra exhausted. Not a great position to be in when facing a storm.

A black and white photo. The background is a brick wall with a dark border at the bottom of the wall. In front of the dark area sits a wet bird fluffed up, sitting on what looks to be a flooded road. The bird is sitting in the open during a rainstorm, enduring the rain falling upon it. Raindrops are splashing into the wet road all around the bird.

The Storm

No matter if we choose to run from our storms or try to seek shelter, the storm will still come upon us time and time again with all the strength that has built up inside. This takes a toll on our mind and bodies and keeps us in a heighted sense of stress. The longer the storm lasts the more the effects on us snowball. What if there was a different way to handle the storm?

We can learn so much from the buffalo. Instead of hunkering down to endure what is coming their way or turning to run away and prolonging the agony, buffalo charge directly into the storm. Are they nervous? Maybe. However, they are fueled by their instinct that tells them storms won’t stop coming but there is a way to lessen the effects and shorten the time spent suffering. Hunkering down, hiding, or trying to run away may cause us to be petrified. Instead, charge directly into the storm with the strength that knowing it will be over soon can fuel inside. Face storms head-on. You cannot stop the storms but you can control how you respond to them. That should empower you!