Animal Reiki with Cats: Helping Mookie Heal
I have been in animal rescue for many years, and I have always felt a lot of sadness about the animals I could not take home and “save”. One of the most important things I have learned about the Let Animals Lead® Method is that animals don’t want you to pity them. They want you to hold space for them, let them know “all is well”, and meditate with them.
I recently started to volunteer with a local cat rescue and said to my husband, “I found my tribe.” A tribe of like-minded people who are not afraid of trying new things. I felt like I was home after years of searching for a place I could be myself.
A couple of weeks ago I went to the rescue for my normal Thursday morning shift and the founder of the rescue was there and told me a story about one of the new cats named Mookie. He and his sibling were involved in a very traumatic event. His sibling, although shaken and scared, was able to be handled and ultimately went to a foster home. Mookie was completely shut down, he was hiding as far back in the crate as he could get hissing, spitting and lunging at everything and everyone. The sign on his crate said, “Do not touch, Deb only.” Deb is the founder. He was there for about two weeks when I finally got up the nerve to ask Deb if I could do some Animal Reiki with him, using the Let Animals Lead® Method. Deb said, “Of course you can anytime with any of the cats.” I was so happy and prepared myself for the next Thursday morning I would be there. I settled down in a chair next to his cage and heard him growl and hiss. I kept repeating in my head all is well, all is well. I put my headphones in, picked a meditation and held space for Mookie. I did not pity him or feel sorry for him, I continued to tell him all is well. I sat with him for 20 minutes and when I took my headphones out, I noticed a change in him. He was no longer growling or hissing. He moved closer to the front of the crate he was in and looked at me. I slowly blinked my eyes (a calming gesture to cats) and this time I said out loud, “All is well, Mookie”.
I do a meditation with Mookie every Thursday morning. I am so thankful for being able to help Mookie with The Let animals Lead® Method of Animal Reiki.
By SARA Practitioner Tina Burgess
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