Beyond words with Anna Breytenbach

Anna Breytenbach’s path into interspecies communication did not begin as a calling—it began during a tracking workshop in the United States.While immersed in the discipline of reading land, movement, and animal sign, Anna experienced an unexpected and unmistakable moment of communication. What occurred was specific, relational, and grounded in the reality of the moment—and it altered the course of her life.That encounter opened a body of work spanning more than two decades, during which Anna has communicated with wild animals and ecosystems across continents, supporting conservation efforts, wildlife rehabilitation, predator research, and ecological restoration. Her communication with a black jaguar named Spirit, later featured in the documentary The Animal Communicator, is one of many encounters that demonstrate how information can move clearly and accurately across species boundaries.In this session, Anna shares stories from the field that reveal how interspecies communication actually unfolds—how animals convey perception, intention, and environmental awareness, and how humans can receive that information when attention is steady, assumptions fall away, and relationship leads.Grounded in lived experience rather than belief, this conversation offers insight into interspecies communication as a natural human capacity—one that becomes available through presence, respect, and sustained engagement with the living world.This gathering is part of The Listening Field: Tuning into the heart of Nature, a live, interview-style conversation with space for reflection and participant questions.Anna Breytenbach is an internationally acclaimed professional interspecies communicator, based in Europe and practising for over 20 years on several continents. Native to South Africa, she mentors and consults globally. She holds a degree in Psychology and Economics, and studied telepathic animal communication with the Assisi International Animal Institute as well as tracking and mentoring at the Wilderness Awareness School in the USA. Her work is the subject of the documentary The Animal Communicator, watched by tens of millions of people and available on YouTube.As a qualified and experienced master facilitator, Anna focuses on mentoring in a practical manner that reminds us humans of the ways of indigenous nature awareness. She has guided thousands of people to rediscover and develop their natural senses and connection with all species in an honouring manner.Anna’s consultation work is exclusively with wild places and beings, facilitating peaceful interventions globally via remote work. This includes predator and cetacean research, wilderness protection, ecological restoration, wildlife management and rehabilitation. She facilitates wilderness retreats and animal communication safaris, and is engaged by communities and organisations as a teacher and inspirational speaker.Anna’s passion is raising awareness and advancing the relationships among human and nonhuman animals, on interpersonal and spiritual levels. She is a voice for animals and natural environments, sharing wild wisdoms for the benefit of all.Explore Anna’s Work: https://www.animalspirit.orgSupport the show