In 2012, I twice had the honor of sharing Reiki with a sweet 10 year old Shetland pony named Pete. Through a beautiful two-way connection each time, Pete gave me a gift; he taught me the power of the “circle of healing” through Reiki.
Pete lives at a barn near Green Bay, WI, with a wonderful family, about 10 horses and a couple of mini horses, a place where he receives a lot of love and attention. Pete’s life has not always been so idyllic. Pete came to live with Diane from a place where he was most likely abused and not well-cared for. It seems that Pete received little attention; he was kept in his stall most of the time; and his stall was rarely cleaned. These people really did not want Pete, and luckily for him, Diane was willing to give him a loving home. As a result of his past, Pete had lost trust in humans and responded very cautiously and fearfully when people came near him or tried to ride or interact with him.
I offered Reiki to Pete in the pasture he shares with the two mini horses. At first, Pete was very shy and guarded around me. As I created the Reiki space and invited him to join me, he moved away from me towards the edge of the bubble, his tail swishing. But, Pete stayed; as we shared this beautiful space of Reiki energy, I could feel Pete become more and more relaxed and mellow. At one point he did move away for a minute, but he soon came back and stood next to me. His head dropped, he began chewing and his eyes closed. Then, he gently leaned his body against mine. Pete was totally relaxed and part of the energy; he was no longer concerned about what was happening around him. There was just a beautiful energetic connection between us, which we shared for a few minutes.
As I was talking with Diane after the treatment, Pete came over to stand by me and to nuzzle his face against me. Diane commented, “He really likes you!” A couple days later, Diane reported that she was playing with Pete in the arena with all of the horse toys. For the first time, Pete was not scared and thoroughly enjoyed himself. I was honored to have this opportunity to connect with Pete and assist him on his journey to overcome the fears of his past.
But the story does not end here……
About six months later, Alan and I were asked by a friend to come to the same barn to offer her horse a Raindrop treatment. On that particular day, I was not in a good state of mind; I was stressed and overwhelmed; I was definitely not following the five precepts. I even forgot to bring my barn boots and didn’t have shoes appropriate for the barn. I told myself that I should have stayed home. Our friend suggested that she would bring her horse outside for the treatment since it was a nice day; I asked Alan to apply the Raindrop treatment since I was not prepared. We happened to be right next to the pasture that Pete shares with the mini horses.
When Pete saw me, he quickly came over to the fence, looking very intently at me. I didn’t go over to him right away, but he stayed there grazing. After a few minutes, I realized that Pete was calling me to come over to him, so I approached the fence to say “hi”. As I stood there with him rubbing his nose and muzzle, I felt this warm energy surrounding me; I felt my demeanor shift; I felt the stress melt away; I felt calmer; and I felt this strong connection with Pete. We stood there sharing the Reiki space for about 10-15 minutes. It was so peaceful!
Pete gave me a beautiful gift that sunny fall day, a gift that definitely was not expected. Pete created a Reiki connection with me, he offered me that space of balance and harmony that I so needed. He helped me to feel better and happy that I did not stay at home (and happy that I forgot my boots!).
Reiki really is a gift, a two-way gift. When we truly connect with animals and open our hearts, we have the opportunity to experience the “circle of healing”, either in the same treatment or over multiple treatments. We not only help the animals through Reiki, but they in turn help us. I want to thank Pete for trusting me, for connecting with me and for giving me this beautiful gift.
Ann Noyce, Animal Reiki Teacher
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