Mindfulness meditation is the experience of bringing oneself into the present moment. It has been well researched by John Hopkins University and they found that mindfulness meditation can help ease stress, anxiety, depression, and pain.
Animals are very sensitive to energy as they are pure energy beings. They pick up on the energetics of their surroundings including us!!! They react to what they sense. It is their way of knowing what is going on in the environment and how to keep themselves safe. If we are calm, loving, nonjudgmental, centered, peaceful, in the present moment miracles can occur and the animal has a fighting chance to come out of its shell and know it is safe and can relax.
Therefore, when an animal can relax and trust they can release many fears and memories even of abuse, neglect, anxiety. Helping an animal change is quite profound.