Shelter Animal Reiki Association

Healing Animals with Meditation

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Loud Noises and Border Collies

Sessan is a lovely 12 year old border collie. Her companion, Kinna, asked me to work with her this past summer for several reasons. For most of her life, Sessan suffered from skin allergies and, like many of her breed, fear of loud or unexpected noises such as thunder and gunfire. In addition, she had parasites in her throat when she was younger. Kinna has kept her on a special diet to ease her allergy symptoms, but needed help with Sessan’s fear of noises. When Sessan was startled, she would bark, escalating to a point where it appeared she could not stop herself. When a thunderstorm was brewing Kinna would have to sit in the hallway, away from windows and hold Sessan. Often, Sessan would seek refuge in the tub.

Our first session together was interesting. When I arrived Sessan came right up to me and looked me in the eyes as though she knew I was there for her. We had already discussed Kinna’s concerns about Sessan over the phone, so we got right to work.
I settled in to create the healing space by offering Reiki to Sessan, letting her know she was in charge. I then set the intention and began breathing into my hara. Kinna sat quietly in the room with us, guarding the gate she put up so Laddy, the other border collie, stayed out. After a couple of minutes, Sessan put her paw on the gate to get out. Then, she went and lay down in the other room where I couldn’t see her. Laddy, however, stretched out on the other side of the gate with his head on his paws. Of course, when Sessan left, my ego tried to move in. I started to worry about what Kinna would think now that Sessan had walked out. Keeping the precepts in mind, I returned to breathing deeply, bringing in the first symbol and reminding myself that everything was just as it should be. After all, the session was about Sessan, not me. This has happened before in my practice with animals and has taught me to let go of the outcome and trust Reiki.

During the session, a chipmunk distracted Sessan and she demonstrated the frantic barking Kinna told me about. Finally, Kinna got her settled down and we continued working. She remained quiet for the rest of the session. I felt the energy shift after about 30 minutes and closed the session. Sessan immediately came into the room and sat in front of me. I thanked her and Reiki. I also thanked Laddy, who sat fascinated at the gate the whole time. His occasional long yawn and rapt attention let me know he was also receiving.

We set up a schedule for Sessan of four consecutive sessions. Each time I came to work with her she spent less time in the other room. During our second session the sound of a gunshot came from a farm nearby. Sessan lifted her head but did not bark. The chipmunks no longer tormented her. She offered her throat for Reiki during one session. All of our sessions were approximately thirty minutes.

Our fourth and final session together held a surprise for me. Sessan spent the majority of the time in the room with me. As I sat quietly offering Reiki to this lovely dog I had an image of a vast snowy field. When we finished I mentioned this to Kinna. She told me that winter was Sessan’s favorite time of year. She found relief from her skin allergies and there were no thunderstorms!
A couple of weeks after our last session I received a call from Kinna. A severe thunderstorm had passed through the night before. Sessan had remained calm throughout the entire storm!

Kelly McDermott-Burns

Annie Oakley’s Lesson – Listen to the Animals

“Lots of people talk to animals…Not very many listen, though…That’s the problem.” ~ Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh

One of my best Reiki teachers is my husband’s buddy, Annie Oakley, a 9-year old black Labrador Retriever, who taught me the value of listening to animals through Reiki. Annie & I first experienced Reiki together after she ruptured the ACL in her left knee in the summer of 2007. This was a rough time for Annie. Physically, she experienced pain and limping. And during her 3-month recovery from surgery, she became sad and discouraged from not being able to go for a walk and run and play.

I offered Reiki to Annie as we prepared for her surgery and continued regularly throughout her recovery. I initially used a hands-on approach with her, and after only a few minutes, she got up and walked away into another room. The next time, I sat a few feet away from her and created a bubble of Reiki energy filling the entire room. After moving around the room for a few minutes, Annie eventually positioned herself in front of me, sighed deeply and fell asleep. Annie now just lies down somewhere in the Reiki bubble depending on the amount of energy she wants at the time. And she is often joined in the Reiki bubble by her three furry sisters, a dog and two cats, who are just as eager to receive Reiki. Listening to Annie taught me the value of allowing animals to choose how and when they want to receive Reiki.

Listening to Annie has also taught me to let go of my expectations when working with Reiki energy. She taught me the importance of opening my intention to facilitate healing on whatever level she needs at that time, rather than focusing solely on what I think she needs. My initial intention with Annie was for the Reiki energy to help her leg heal. I did sometimes feel the energy focusing on her physical injury. But more often, I felt the energy helping her deal emotionally with her situation. Annie’s knee has now healed and she is back to her happy, playful self.

Practicing Reiki with Annie and listening to her has deepened my relationship with her. She and I are now much closer, we better understand each other, and she often comes by to hug me just when I need a good hug. I want say “Thank You” to Annie for teaching me how to listen to the wisdom of our animal friends.

Ann Noyce

It’s His Ears!

Three of us used to meet at Guide Dogs for the Blind once a month and offer Reiki to the dogs in training. The dogs that the organization selected for Reiki treatments would have a particular issue, physical, behavioral, or emotional.

I was fairly new to Reiki—still feeling my way with the energy. I was happy just being able to feel the Reiki energy flowing, hoping somewhere along the line to get more of an intuitive feeling about an animal’s actual situation. I knew something was happening, however, by the reactions of the animals during the sessions.

The other person in our trio, I’ll call Bea, had more experience working with Reiki and with animals than I. The third person, Kathleen Prasad, had much more experience. She was, in fact, my animal Reiki teacher.

On this one particular day, a dog was brought in to us because he was exhibiting a lot of stress during mealtimes. When most of the dogs were barking and dancing about in anticipation of their coming meals, this dog was whimpering in a corner. The dog would eat once all the noise and chaos of mealtime had passed. We were asked to offer Reiki to the situation.

At the end of the Reiki session with the dog, the three of us shared what we had felt or experienced. I reported out that I felt tightness in my chest. I felt that the dog was very anxious around mealtimes. This, of course, was already a known fact. I was just happy to have felt it! Bea reported that she felt his anxiousness was around all the barking at mealtimes only. All other times he was a happy camper. Kathleen, our experienced teacher, said, “It’s his ears! All the barking is hurting his ears, that’s why he’s in the corner whimpering.”

Oh my gosh! It was amazing to me how much clearer my teacher’s vision was of what was going on with the dog. Here I was, new to Reiki and to opening up my intuition and all I felt was the anxiousness. Bea, with more experience than I, but not as much as my teacher, narrowed the anxiousness down to the barking. Our teacher nailed it precisely. This experience brought home to me the real need to keep doing my personal meditation practice, keep opening, and keep offering Reiki to others. This combination, I knew, would gradually help me be more effective in helping animals heal.

Post script: the dog was put in a quiet room with earplugs during mealtime and the problem was completely solved! Thank you Kathleen Prasad for your dedication to the animals and your awesome teachings, and thank you Reiki!

©2010 Joyce Leonard – All rights reserved
Posted with permission

The Pet Guardian Program at the APF


My shelter, the Animal Protective Foundation (APF) of Scotia, NY in cooperation with the Schenectady (NY) Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) sponsors the Pet Guardian Program. Basically, the APF takes in pets belonging to battered, abused or otherwise compromised women who seek shelter at the YWCA. The APF provides for the care and feeding of these pets in a secure environment, accessible to the women and select APF personnel. As the Shelter Animal Reiki Association (SARA) representative at the APF, I approached APF management and proposed that Reiki be offered to these animals. The APF agreed and granted me and my wife (also a Reiki Master) access to these pets.


As we entered the room used for housing these pets, we found two dogs (one female about two years old and one male about six years of age) and a Cockatiel. Randomly my wife selected to male and I took the female, named Queenie Sue. She took one look at me, six foot and 200 pounds, and became extremely agitated, barking and running around the pen. I assumed that I resembled the abuser in some way and Queenie Sue wanted nothing to do with me. My wife had to problems offering Reiki to the male dog. Given Queenie Sue’s greeting, I thought that a distance treatment, to start, might be the best way to go.

I went outside the room, into the hallway, and offered Reiki to Queenie Sue. I sensed that the offering was being accepted but did not go back into the room. My wife completed her treatment and met me in the hallway. She indicated that Queenie Sue had relaxed and was taking a Reiki nap. I returned in a few days and repeated the distance treatment on Queenie Sue. After about three to four distance treatments I ventured into the room and was able to offer Reiki to Queenie Sue directly. In fact, I was able to get her out of the pen and into my arms.

My wife and I continued to offer Reiki to both dogs and the bird. We were subsequently told by the APF that all three were surrendered to the APF by the owner (she could no longer take care of them), put up for adoption and all three adopted.

George Belev

An Unexpected Reiki Gift from a Ball Python

I had an incredible experience on January 11th, 2009 when my husband and I attended an event called “Eagle Days” in Smithville, Missouri, to learn about bald eagles. The first thing that I saw when we entered was a snake exhibit and my usual response is to pivot and head in the opposite direction whenever I see a snake! But for some reason, I headed straight towards it!

It may be because an eleven year old girl was standing there with a ball python wrapped around each of her wrists. After many questions, I found out she had visited the day before, and the volunteers noticed how natural she was with the snakes and had asked her to help out the following day. Amazing but true!

As we were talking, a four-year old boy came up and asked her if he could hold one. He did, and handed it back to her. Before I knew what was happening, the words “I know that I’m not a kid but can I hold one too?” came out of my mouth. She replied, “Sure”, and told me to cup my hands together. My husband was standing near me with an “Are you kidding me?” look on his face but I ignored him as I was embracing my fears!

As the four foot ball python curled up in my hands, his tongue flicked around my heart center. Within seconds, I somehow went into a peaceful trance and all of the commotion around me completely disappeared. What I experienced was beyond what words can describe. I was in a different dimension that enveloped me with tranquility and filled me up with tremendous unconditional love in every cell of my body.

Within minutes of holding him, I came back to the present; his head was resting on my heart space literally inches from my face. I was completely startled, but at the same time I was absolutely stunned at what he had shared with me. He was a master teacher in a four foot long snake body sharing with me his wisdom of the Reiki energy. Thanks to him I have a new respect toward snakes that I have never had before!

Camille Pukay
SARA Practitioner/Teacher

An Incredible Trip To The Popcorn Zoo

I went to the zoo last week with two animal communicators who have extraordinary gifts. We visited Popcorn Zoo in Forked River, NJ spending time with an exceptionally compassionate man, John Bergman, who has been involved with the Humane Society for over thirty years and has helped create the zoo over this span of time as a variety of exotic and other animals came under his care.

I am completely indebted to the two animal communicators, who wish to be anonymous, for this brief submission and my sister, Agnes, who took pictures during our visit. I am going to let the conversations between the communicators and the animals tell their own story with an occasional picture. Enjoy!!

I am going to depict the conversations as received from Communicator M who is very attuned to what animals wish to communicate and Communicator K who has the gift to speak to the animal and be understood by them.

One of the first animals we met was the camel, Princess. It was a very hot and humid day and she had severe arthritis in her legs. She was just baking in the hot sun. And just looked totally thirsty

 

K: [Encouraging her to get some water] You must get some water for yourself.  Get up and get some water!

 

M: You fetch me some water please.

 

K: No, I can’t get inside to fetch you water, you must get up yourself.

 

M: [Slight movement of the head looking over at the water.]

 

K: You need to do better than that.  Go load up for the day.  [All to no avail – effort just too much.]

An Emu was strutting up and down along the cage and we were wondering what she was up to.

M: I want the red box people. Where are the red box people? [No one in our party had any red box filled with popcorn.]

People eventually came with popcorn but she did not have an interest in them as they offered her popcorn.

M: Look at how pretty I am!!

As she continued to strut up and down along the fence.

M:Where are the red box people?

Seemingly she just wanted admiration from the Red Box People.

Next we visited a horse.

 

M: I want some carrots!!

 

K:  I will go and find some carrots for you.

 

Later K told the manager about the horse’s wish for carrots who got in touch with one of his staff to get her some carrots.

M: My butt itches!

Bob the Macaw parrot was in a beautiful large cage at the office entrance and where the previous dedicated owner still visits him. He had often let him out of the cage when he was doing his work in the garden and one day the parrot had flown into a tool shed and somehow dislodged some tools which caused him serious injury and one of his wings needed to be amputated.

M: Things came crashing down. Things came crashing down. And they took my wing.

 

K: No one took your wing. When things came crashing down it injured your wing and it  had to be amputated.  This is what made you better.

 

Greta was a breeder who had all her puppies taken away from her and who escaped. She was brought to the attention of the Humane Society and John found it very difficult to catch her. It took many weeks and much patience. She was very distrustful of everyone. John kept her by his side in his office and she has become very attached to him.

M: She is afraid that you will leave her. When you go home at night she is very fearful that you will not return.

 

Later the Manager wrote us and told us Greta was feeling more comfortable every day.  He had more staff walk her so that she would get use to others but still does not like to leave his side. But he did have her with another dog and she was able to keep her focus on that dog and-not where he was. Those things seem to be the key and-he thinks he has found her a forever home.

A chicken was walking around the zoo grounds looking for peanuts.

M: Where are the peanuts? [Looking for peanuts although it is making her feathers fall out.]

 

K: [Trying to give her popcorn.]

 

M: That’s popcorn. Where are the peanuts?

 

K: Referred to her as a rooster.

 

M: Quite insulted. [M tells K that she’s a chicken.]

 

K: Referred to her as a chicken

 

M: Still insulted. [Oops! She wants to be referred to as Miss Hen.]

K: Only when she was called Miss Hen, did she look at K.

 

 

Just three weeks previously the lioness, Nyla, had lost her companion, Porsche. She was seriously ill and when they decided to do X-rays and blood work to determine the extent of her illness and a possible way to treat her, she died in the process.

M: Porsche wants to thank you for letting her go.

M. Nyla just wants security and sameness – doesn’t want any changes right now.  Does not want a new friend now.

Cesar is from the same family as Dante, another Tiger in the Zoo. He was in need of special care which he was able to receive at a sanctuary at Texas A & M before coming to the Popcorn Zoo where he continued to improve daily.

He is the youngest Tiger at the Zoo. Many kids were surrounding the fence where Cesar was and just being kids but Cesar was not happy with them. He began pacing up and down along the fence.

M: I don’t like things thrown at me. [Kids were throwing popcorn into the fence.]

 

M: Nervous at the loud, high voices of the children and was pacing because the noise stressed him out.

He began to eat the grass by the fence

M: I need to calm my nerves.

DANTE

Another tiger nearby was inside on this hot humid day and we called for him to come out.

K: Come on out and take a a swim in the pool. There is a nice breeze out here.

 

M: It is cooler inside

At first we thought he had air-conditioning inside, but later found they had fans.

Later the manager John came out and called to him.

Amazingly he came right out and up to the fence.

M: You are on the wrong side.

There were two fences, an outside fence and an inside fence. John then took us between the two fences and Dante laid down and put his body right next to the fence where John could scratch his back and neck.

M: [He then purred.] Thank you very much.

After John left and we had come back out of the fence space between the fences some children began to mimic sounds of a tiger or lion roaring.

M: I don’t sound like that.

What a great day. We were all so grateful to all the animals and especially to John Bergmann, manager of the zoo. He was so helpful and gracious to us and wanted the e-mails of the animal communicators to keep in touch with them when needed. And what a validation of the wonderful work he has been doing in the zoo. No animals even hinted at any issues concerning their care.

SARA Teacher Bill Stevens

Healing Puddin’

Puddin’ is a five year old male Calico cat adopted from a local animal shelter. The first time I met Puddin’ he was having a tough day. He had recently injured both front paws in an unexplained accident, losing several claws and bleeding intermittently. He had become skittish, would not allow anyone to touch his paws and had become unresponsive to his care person’s commands.

Puddin also had issues with veterinarians. When he sensed that’s where he was headed he growled, hissed, fussed and could not (and would not) be handled. In addition, his care person indicated that she was going through a very stressful time in her life, having recently moved into the house, agreed to foster a therapy dog candidate and changed jobs. She explained that Puddin’s behavior was adding to the already high level of stress she was experiencing.

I gave Puddin’ a Reiki treatment immediately to boost his immune system and help with the healing of his front paws. Over the next couple of weeks I visited Puddin’ and gave him regular treatments. He took Reiki from a distance but gradually moved closer to me. However, Puddin moved around the room from hiding place to hiding place, although I could tell he was accepting the flow of energy. When he came out from these places, and looked me in the eye, I could tell the treatment was over.

A few weeks later his care person asked me to give Puddin a treatment so she could bring him to the veterinarian for necessary shots and examinations. She was very apprehensive. During that visit Puddin took quite a lot of Reiki energy for his highest good. He became quiet and relaxed during the treatment. His person reported that Puddin was a perfect gentleman at the veterinarian, allowing him to be examined without fuss.

George C. Belev
Reiki Master Teacher
Certified Healing Touch Practitioner
Healing Touch for Animals Certified Practitioner
Pet/Massage Instructor
Certified Pet Care Technician
Certified Pet Sitter

Killian’s Story

Killian is an eleven-year-old Rotweiller. Her health had declined sharply during the past year. She was in constant pain despite medication. Walking was a huge effort and putting any weight on her front left leg was close to impossible.

Her family is my niece, Ginny, her eight year old son, Logan, her 4 year old daughter, Maria and an adorable pug named. Chewy.
Ginny asked me to offer Reiki to Killian the day before she was to be euthanized. Both Logan and Maria wanted to participate.

Killian was also depressed over the unexpected death two months earlier of her twin sister, Amber. In addition, Ginny was going through a divorce and the family was in turmoil.

When I arrived at their house, I was shocked at Killian’s appearance. She looked so small and caved in. She hadn’t been able to stand and relieve herself for almost 24 hours. She surprised us when she pulled herself up, followed me outside for 15 excruciating minutes to relieve herself then returned inside.

The real point of this story, for me, is the effect the two children’s offering of Reiki had on Killian. Logan needed a minimum of coaching. Maria’s approach was to brush and hug Killian. We worked together for forty minutes. I felt that I was witnessing something special. Before I left, Killian was giving Maria kisses. When I checked that evening, Killian was wiggling her rear end like a puppy. She even climbed the stairs that night to join the kids in their bedrooms.

That was a year ago this past June. As of today, August 30, 2010, Killian still wiggles like a puppy, climbs stairs and takes special care of the children and of course, Chewy.

Mary Gillen

Boots’ Lesson: Allow the animal to decide

A series of treatments with a cat at the Fox Valley Humane Association taught me the value of allowing the animal to determine how they wish to receive Reiki energy. This cat is a sweet 8 year old black and white tuxedo kitty named Boots. Boots came to the shelter because her family had too many animals and could no longer take care of her. She had been at the shelter for quite awhile when I met her and her suite-mate Smudge. After one session with Boots and Smudge, both soon left for their forever homes.

Unfortunately, at my weekly visit a couple of months later, I learned that Boots had returned because she wasn’t fitting in well with the other animals at her new home. Boots was sad and felt rejected, and had been screaming in her cage for a couple of days. For our first solo session, I took Boots into a small sunny room where she could roam around and offered Reiki energy to her. At first, she was a bit nervous wandering around the room, sometimes sitting in the corner and at times brushing my legs. She eventually jumped on the table a couple feet from me and sat in the sun looking out the window. Her eyes then closed as she sat there peacefully, and by the end of the treatment, she had lied down and fallen into a deep, snoring sleep. As I approached Boots to thank her, she licked my hands and arms saying “thank you for helping me.” She was so calm and grateful – it was beautiful.

Our second session was similar to the first. By our third session, Boots was much more confident with Reiki and with me, and came right over to my feet, looked up at me with those loving kitty eyes and began meowing. I invited her to sit in my lap if she wished, an offer she immediately accepted. She at first licked my hands and arms, and then lied down with her body cradled in my hands. She remained in my lap for the entire treatment, purring and then sleeping. We spent a wonderful hour together offering each other a space of calm and harmony.

It is now my turn to express my gratitude to Boots for teaching me that it may take multiple sessions before an animal is comfortable enough with the energy and with me to ask me to touch her. And animals appreciate that we allow them to decide how they wish to receive the Reiki energy. We need to remember that they truly do experience and benefit from the energy even though we may be sitting a few feet apart. Thank you, Boots, for teaching me this important lesson!

Ann Noyce

China: The Angel Dog

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a sweet, white Staffordshire Terrier puppy with a unique (and very fitting) heart-shaped spot on her nose was rescued from the ravaged region. We don’t know the story of her previous family, but luckily she found her way to Best Friends Animal Society’s sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. But five years later, she’s still there, waiting for her forever home.

We couldn’t believe it as we played and snuggled with her in our cottage on the sanctuary’s grounds. Kathleen Prasad and Leah D’Ambrosio, directors of the Shelter Animal Reiki Association, had just spent the weekend training the staff at Best Friends how to use Reiki, a Japanese holistic healing modality, to help the animals and boost adoption rates at the shelter. When we picked China up at the end of the day for our overnight, we didn’t know what to expect, as we had been told she was dog-aggressive. What we got was an angel—in fact, we all kept calling her “Angel” by accident during our brief visit together.

As expected, China was initially a little shy when we first picked her up. But on her walk she really began to open up. We strolled in the last rays of sunlight over by the potbellied pigs in Piggy Paradise and admired the beauty of the landscape around us. China, whose age is estimated at about 6 years, fit right in and had a great time smelling everything, wagging her tail, showing her sense of humor, happily obeying our commands and having lots of fun.

She even joined us for dinner in town at Rocking V Café. Despite the fact that we had probably six other dogs on the patio near us (including a precious little Australian Shepherd puppy), she obeyed Leah’s orders (she had already picked Leah as her favorite!) and rested on the ground with her back to the dogs. Sometimes she wanted to look at them, but she exhibited no signs of aggression and did not beg from the table. (China has some food allergies and must follow a careful diet.) Still, she would do best in a home without small children or another dog. The owner at Rocking V knew her well—China always goes on overnights because she has such a sweet and easygoing disposition.

She remained calm even as we discovered an enormous hairy spider on the ceiling of our cottage after dinner. Kathleen bravely placed it outside as China watched us with curious eyes and expressive, floppy pink ears that look just like pig ears. Later, as the three of us curled up in blankets and chatted about the weekend’s amazing experiences and events, she fell into a deep, contented sleep on the bed while listening to our voices.

After China snuggled at the foot of Leah’s bed all night, the inevitable happened the following morning: We had to drop her off at Dogtown. She’s been through this many times before, and we witnessed firsthand the resignation as she prepared internally to go back. The volunteers and staff at Best Friends are absolutely wonderful, but China is ready to find a real home and meet her soul mate, best friend and lifelong companion. We believe that person is out there, somewhere.

We couldn’t leave without promising her we’d do our best to find her the perfect home. Maybe our visit to Best Friends—and the serendipitous way we were placed with her for the overnight (we let the staff make the selection, as the dogs we had offered Reiki to that day were not the right fit)—was timed just right so we can now tap into our global network to help China finally take the next step in what has been a long and solitary journey. She’s survived the largest natural disaster to hit the U.S. in more than a century, but she hasn’t let it break her spirit or dampen her hope or ability to love. Finding her forever home should be easy by comparison.

If you’d like to adopt China, a home inspection will need to be scheduled. You can also meet her in person at Best Friends in Kanab, a four-hour drive from Las Vegas. More info can be found in her official bio on the Best Friends site. Please forward this article to anyone you know who might be interested, and definitely keep us posted!

For more information on China, contact:
Tamara Dormer, CPDT KA, AKC CGC, APDT
Dog Trainer, Best Friends Animal Society
5001 Angel Canyon Rd.
Kanab, UT 84741
(435) 644-2001, ext. 4489
tamarad (at) bestfriends (dot) org

Charlotte Jensen

Remembering Missy

I met Missy during my first month as a volunteer at Horse Haven of Tennessee. Following my volunteer shifts, I am able to do Reiki work with the horses that our barn manager feels would benefit. I had been primarily working with a Hackney pony, Napoleon, who had a severe mistrust of most people with the exception of our barn manager. He had been coming along nicely, so when a new group of rescue horses arrived, I began to work with them as well. The first horse I chose to work with was Missy. As I entered her stall, I realized that this was the type of moment I had most feared experiencing since starting my work at Horse Haven: she was severely emaciated, weak and blind in one eye. She openly welcomed me into her space. She had been munching on a large pile of hay, deeply contented. You could see some relief in her face to have clean water and probably what seemed to be a never ending supply of hay.

I began to let the Reiki flow from the corner of her stall. She stopped her munching to shift her stance in my direction, and as the minutes rolled by she began to lower her head into a relaxed position. After some time, she approached me and put her head right into my hands. This was a new experience for me, because Napoleon had exclusively preferred to experience Reiki without contact. Missy directed my hands to her blind side, clearly wanting to feel the Reiki near her blind eye and on this side of her head. After a while, she stepped forward and leaned into me so I could place my hands on her chest and shoulder. She gradually repositioned herself, even actually turning around, so I could place my hands on the sharp prominent bones of her spine and hind quarters. It was in this very moment, while working with such a trusting and beautiful though severely neglected soul, that I realized that the Reiki was lifting me up and far away from my fear and sorrow. The Reiki was allowing me to hold the light for Missy, creating the healing space that she desperately needed. It was even more amazing in that I felt almost a forgiveness pouring out of her heart toward human kind and to those that had abused her. She could see so far beyond this, even in her weakened condition, to allow another human to share her space, remaining fully open to the experience that unfolded between us.

I thanked Missy for giving me the privilege to create a healing space for her with Reiki and for the healing that I received as well. As I said good bye to her, I was already looking forward to our next session the following week. I did distant Reiki work with her on the following two days and felt a connection with her and acceptance of the Reiki treatments. The following Sunday when I arrived for my weekly shift, my heart dropped when I saw that her stall was empty. I frantically sought out my shift leader, who sadly informed me that Missy had colicked on Thursday night and despite all efforts to save her, she died around midnight that night. She was surrounded by the volunteers on duty that night that stayed on to assist the veterinary team. She died peacefully, surrounded with the love and caring that had been absent from her life for far too long. I still think of Missy to this day and feel so blessed to have known this beautiful spirit, even for such a short time. Her memory will remain with me always.

Carrie Dorsey-Higdon

The Butterfly Who Said Yes

During the time I was taking an Animal Reiki Correspondence Course with Kathleen one of the options for a homework assignment was to work on an insect. Since most of my time is spent working with dogs, cats, and birds I set my intention to work with a butterfly. Not only did I want to work with a butterfly I wanted to work with a beautiful, large, yellow butterfly.

So for two days I set my intention and it seemed as if butterflies were appearing all around me, yet not one of them was yellow nor would any of them come close to me. On the evening of the second day as I was relaxing on my back patio with my three dogs to my delight an exquisite large yellow butterfly appeared in the distance and began to come closer to me.

I communicated to the butterfly that I would like to offer her a Reiki treatment if she would like for me to and she only needed to take what she was comfortable with or none at all. The butterfly started circling around my body and flying within arms distance and finally came to rest on the patio floor about 3 feet from me. I took this as a yes that she indeed wanted Reiki. So I kept my distance and proceeded.

She stayed in that position for 20 minutes only moving to inch closer to me, eventually ending up about a foot from me. One of my dogs, Tony, became very curious and he came and sat down by my side. I asked him if would also like to send her Reiki and he began to also give the butterfly Reiki. This was such a wonderful experience to be in that moment of giving Reiki to the butterfly with my dog working at my side. I knew, in essence, they were actually teaching me. I felt very honored to be in their presence.

It was such a beautiful circle of unconditional love that I knew I was really the one receiving healing on such a higher level. Our time together came to an end when children in the neighborhood began to play and frolic outside arousing the attention of my dogs. The butterfly took to flight, but not before flying around me and actually brushing the side of my face with her wing. I knew she was thanking me and I was overwhelmed with such joy and gratitude for being allowed to experience this. She then flew to a branch on a tree and remained there for the next twenty minutes without moving. I felt certain she was resting after her Reiki session.

I thanked her for allowing me the gift of giving her Reiki and I also thanked my dog, Tony, for all his work. It was so amazing to be able to work with a butterfly and to also work with my dog at my side. The both were showing me and guiding me to go even deeper in my work. I was truly blessed by this time of healing.

Felecia Calaman Childress

The Watering Hole

Sitting in the quiet, sacred space of my Reiki treatment room, I proceeded to offer Caesar The Cat Reiki. Being somewhat new at offering Reiki from a distance (Caesar lives in Texas, I’m in California), I have a tendency to “beam” the energy directly at my subject. Usually the person/animal drinks in the Reiki energy, but today with Caesar, the energy feels like it is hitting a brick wall—it’s just not going anywhere.

So of course I try harder. Nothing. Try harder still…nothing. Then an idea comes to me as if it’s coming directly from Caesar: imagine the Reiki energy as a watering hole. A watering hole? Okay. I take my direct focus off of Caesar and put my attention to a space a few feet away. I imagine a shallow hole in the ground, about 3 feet in diameter. I proceed to let the Reiki energy pour into the hole, filling it to the brim. In my mind’s eye, I see Caesar casually walking over to the watering hole and drinking from it. The Reiki energy fills his body and his spirit. He takes just as much as he needs and walks away. After a minute or two, he walks back over to the watering hole and takes in more Reiki. This goes on for the entire 30-minute treatment and the Reiki energy is flowing strongly.

Caesar taught me a valuable lesson that day: offer Reiki, do not “beam” Reiki. Put the energy in a place where the animal can come to it. This way they can maintain their own space, take their own time, and take as much as they need when they need it. To this day, whenever I do a distance animal Reiki treatment, I utilize the image of Caesar’s watering hole. Of course, I’m having much more success in terms of the animals accepting Reiki’s healing energy!

Joyce Leonard is the founder of Santa Cruz Reiki Works and is a Reiki practitioner and teacher. Contact her at www.santacruzreikiworks.com or 831-336-8073

©2010 Joyce Leonard

Jared – How Reiki Helped A Rescued Cat

One day in early spring, I walked into RCHS and noticed a cage on a table with a towel over it. Jess, the manager, told me there was a cat under the towel. He had been trapped and brought to the shelter. He was traumatized by the event and the towel was to help him feel secure. He was a long-haired orange boy whose fur was all matted and dirty.

My first session with Jared took place before I even got a look at him. I sat outside the cage wanting to lift the towel a bit and take a peek. I resisted and began offering him Reiki sitting quietly in meditation and focusing on the flow of the energy. I found it a little difficult at first, not being able to see him, but I felt the Reiki moving through my hands and relaxed into the session.

JaredThe next time I came in, the towel was lifted on the front end and I got a look at Jared. Because of the condition of his fur he had been shaved and he looked like a little lion! He huddled in the back corner of the cage. The staff thought he was a little embarrassed by his new do. I settled down for the session, careful not to face him directly. I offered him Reiki, letting him know he was in charge of how much he would receive, set the intention and began. I checked in with him periodically, taking quick sidelong peeks. He never took his eyes off of me and seemed to relax a bit.

I was looking forward to working with him again and checked on him first when I arrived at the shelter. To my surprise, he was dressed in little blue sweater. The staff was concerned that without all his fur he might be cold and they put him in a cat sweater. He was adorable! I began the session as before, only this time I sat facing him. He was very receptive to the Reiki and seemed to be coming out of his shell. He came forward, curious about the energy.

We worked together every week, continuing after he had been integrated into the cat room. Naturally, the introduction caused him some stress and he continued to be shy with the other cats. He enjoyed Reiki when I offered it for a few weeks, although unlike other cats, Jared wasn’t likely to get in my lap in those sessions. His hair was growing back nicely and he seemed to be gaining confidence. Then one day he declined my offer of Reiki.

The next week I was told he had been moved next door to the office where he was free to roam the building with another cat. This suited his loner personality, I think. Shortly thereafter Jared was adopted and found his forever home!

Kelly McDermott-Burns

Reiki & Animals: A Life-Changing Journey

My interest in Reiki has truly been a journey – my Reiki Journey. Reiki and the idea of working with energy did not come naturally for me, but I was drawn to learn more. My husband, Alan, and I began studying Reiki in 2003 and, with the encouragement of our Reiki teacher Susan Cossette, completed our Reiki Master Teacher training in 2005. At this point, I still did not fully trust my capabilities, even though others did. I had not yet found my purpose with Reiki.

When we opened our pet treat bakery store, Two Paws Up Bakery LLC, Susan suggested the idea of offering and teaching Reiki for animals, but I procrastinated. One day a couple of years later, I opened a magazine directly to an ad for Animal Reiki Source. I felt inspired to call Kathleen and then register for her next Animal Reiki Workshop followed by many other classes. Kathleen’s Earth and Sky meditations helped me to ground and center myself, and offering Reiki to my own animals and others helped me open up and start feeling the power of Reiki. The animals guided me to a new phase with Reiki and helped me to realize that my purpose with Reiki is with animals!

Through this, I have also learned that my best teachers have been my animals – they have taught me some key lessons in life; they have taught me how to share Reiki with animals; and they have taught me to trust Reiki. My animal friends have guided me along an important path on my Reiki Journey and will continue to do so. As a member of SARA, my journey is expanding to new paths, and shelter animals and their caregivers will become my teachers too.

So as my journey continues with SARA, I will share a series of stories about the many animals in my life and the role they play in leading me on this wonderful journey of life and Reiki. And I hope that the Reiki we offer to the animals can serve as a gift of thanks for the many lessons that they teach us!

Ann Noyce

Faith: A Tribute To A Great Teacher

I came to know Faith, a mammoth donkey, in the fall of 2007. Crystal Montgomery, the owner of Storybook Farm Equine Rescue (www.Storybook-farm.com,) called me one evening to ask if I could do Reiki with Faith. Crystal was desperate to find something that could give Faith relief from pain and symptoms…and maybe more!

Crystal had rescued Faith the prior year in the spring of 2006. She came from a local sale barn where she was about to be put down. She was lying in a pen, not willing to stand up. She was delivered to Storybook Farm where treatment began immediately. They started trimming her feet properly which were long and contracted from a lifetime of neglect. They resembled soup cans. Her hoof x-rays showed severe chronic founder. Her coffin bone, the bone inside the hoof, was badly rotated. Faith responded very well to frequent trims, taking a small amount off each time. Her x-rays 6 months later showed huge improvements; she was walking much better and more freely.

A year or so later Faith was having a period where she wasn’t responding to any therapies or treatments. She wasn’t getting up or eating very well. Bedsores were becoming a problem. That is when Crystal first contacted me. I was not close enough that I could come out in person right away, so we set up a series of remote Reiki sessions, which Crystal was amazingly open to trying. After the first treatment began, Faith immediately got up, sneezed a couple of times, and began eating! She was on the mend and continued to do well for some time.

She would have setbacks over the years as her hoof angles changed and her legs had to adjust. Her body was used to standing on feet that were growing at bad angles, and it had to re-adjust as they were corrected. Massage therapy, chiropractic adjustments, and of course Reiki helped with this. There were times where it seemed Faith’s life on earth was coming to an end; then she would get Reiki treatments and all would be well again. We were always so amazed and delighted that she did so much with her treatments.

I came out to Storybook Farm periodically to offer Reiki treatments to Faith and other donkeys and horses over the next several years. I also have gotten the opportunity to teach Reiki classes at the farm. I have always loved horses and donkeys but never really had much exposure to them prior to my work at Storybook Farm. This was a dream come true for me! Working with Faith gave me confidence in myself as a fledgling Reiki practitioner – teacher. She was so open and responsive to her treatments that Faith was teaching me how to be a better more confident animal Reiki practitioner. I understood early on that Faith was giving me “faith” in myself.

This past spring, for whatever reason, Faith just stopped improving or rebounding from any of her setbacks. It was her time to go even though she was only 8 or 9 years old. As Faith crossed the Rainbow Bridge, she had a grasshopper on her legs and we thought how appropriate and fitting that was since she had so many issues with her own legs.

I often think that Faith was put on this earth just to teach me about Reiki. I am honored beyond words that I was a small part of her journey. She touched and changed my life forever. I am forever grateful. Thank you Faith. Thank you Crystal.

Kay Robinson
www.RefreshingReiki.com

Macy and Her Puppies

MacyMacy is a beautiful brown Cocker Spaniel with a bit of white on her. She was recently brought to Animals in Distress having just had a litter of seven puppies. One of the puppies had made its transition by the time they got to AID. The other six seemed to be doing all right.

When I arrived at AID for my weekly visit two weeks ago, Lori, the kennel manager, had just left for the vet with one of Macy’s puppies. She returned just before I left for the day and asked that Reiki be offered to the pup as well as Macy and the rest of the litter. In the ensuing week, that puppy made its transition and was followed by three more. The fifth puppy was rushed to the vet shortly after I arrived last week.

I began my visit by asking for Lucy, the little Chihuahua who is one of my regulars. Lucy likes to snuggle in her towel in my arms soaking up Reiki as we make the rounds of the hospitality center and the cat wing. This time, we stopped at Macy’s enclosure and offered Reiki to her and her remaining pup from outside the enclosure.

I performed a healing attunement on the pup and on Macy, as well. Of course, I hope the pup survives, but it is now in the hands of Reiki and the universe. The cause of the pups’ illness has been identified as a herpes virus. According to information I’ve researched, pups contract this virus through the mother who is an asymptomatic carrier of the virus. Most pups who contract the virus do not survive and those who do typically become carriers, as well.

The point of this story, however, is to illustrate yet another situation where we as Reiki practitioners must detach ourselves from the outcome. Naturally, the staff at AID has taken the pups’ transitions hard. They want to save every animal that comes through their doors and it is their dedication to this mission that keeps them going day after day and on weekends and holidays when the rest of us are enjoying family time and time with our own animals.

We offer Reiki to the animals and to the staff and then we must let go and let the outcome be what it will be. This is another example of “getting out of the way” and letting Reiki do what it will do. We never know the “big picture”, so to speak, so we accept that whatever happens is the “right” thing in the eyes of the universe, our personal opinions notwithstanding.

The blessing is that as we learn to step out of our judgments and let be what will be, we are better able to serve the animals and people to whom we offer Reiki. We also find that we become more grounded and peaceful ourselves, which benefits all connected with us.

Update: the 7th and last puppy made its transition the Saturday night after I was there last. I saw Macy today and got the picture above. She’s a very sweet little girl. She’ll stay in the cat wing a short while longer, then move to the dog wing to await her forever home.

 

By SARA Director John Sawyer

Creating The Healing Space

It seems that Animals in Distress has a never-ending supply of teachers to show up and give me my lessons. Every animal I work with has something to teach me. Sometimes it takes me a while to get the idea, but that’s never the fault of the teacher. It just means I wasn’t paying attention!

My latest “mentor” is a senior black Chow dog named Tulip. She arrived at AID a few weeks ago badly matted with some physical injuries that needed tending to. She is now sporting a lion cut, but her coat is growing out and will soon be back to its full glory.

Tulip is very shy around people she doesn’t know. That would be me. When I first met her, we decided I would take her for a walk. Tulip went outside with me, but made it clear she was not going for a walk with just anybody! She did her best to get around behind me and stay there while eyeing me suspiciously.

We went back inside and she reluctantly stayed with me as far away as the leash would allow her. I knew she would not like being closed in the introduction room with me, so we stayed in the hospitality area near the front desk. She was quite happy to see Lori and other kennel staff as they came by, but kept her distance from me. After a short while, I turned her back over to Lori.

I know not to take it personally when an animal reacts this way at first. They are not sure what I’m all about and given the history some of them have, it’s not surprising that they’d be leery of anyone new. Typically, it takes a few sessions in cases like this for the animal to decide I’m harmless and possibly even beneficial!

We had a couple sessions that went pretty much the same way until last week. I realized that I was trying to get Tulip to accept Reiki, which is exactly the opposite of what I should be doing. It’s all about creating a healing space and inviting the animal in, as opposed to continually offering Reiki like a treat they don’t want to accept.

Last week I sat in the hospitality area with Tulip and simply focused on creating a healing space, a Reiki bubble, if you will. My attention was on Reiki flowing into the bubble instead of on Tulip and what she was or was not doing.

Tulip stopped trying to be elsewhere and sat down at the end of the leash. Over the next 15 minutes or so I got a half dozen hearty yawns out of her, which was a clear indication that she was relaxing and accepting Reiki. She even lay down once or twice for a minute or two.

Lesson learned! Going forward, I will create the space and let Tulip decide what she wants to do with it.

 

By SARA Director John Sawyer

Overcoming “Shelter-itis”

I find working with animals in a shelter environment to be extremely rewarding, as do many others. Those of us in SARA have made it our mission to bring Reiki to as many animal shelters as possible. Of course, there are more shelters than there are SARA members, so it’s very important for us to find other Reiki practitioners willing to share Reiki with shelter animals.

This is not as easy as it might seem. It’s not difficult to find a Reiki practitioner who will offer Reiki over distance to a shelter or a particular animal if requested. The difficulty arises in finding those Reiki practitioners who are willing to visit shelters and work with the animals and staff directly.

I’m sure you have encountered people who say things like “Oh, I can’t go to the animal shelter. It just breaks my heart to see those poor animals!” Many can’t bear the thought of animals in some shelters being euthanized. Still others find themselves frustrated because they “can’t take them all home.” At the heart of all the reasons people give is the fear of their own emotions.

Reiki practitioners are not immune to these fears. We as healers have as our first duty to heal ourselves. We can’t create a healing space for others if we do not have the ability to create that inner space for ourselves first. That does not mean we have to be completely healed in order to offer Reiki to others. If that were the case, virtually no one would be offering Reiki! What it does mean is that we must be able to recognize when we are out of balance and practice bringing ourselves back to a more grounded place.

The more we practice offering ourselves Reiki, the better we’re able to achieve the balance we desire. The more confidence we gain in being able to balance ourselves, the less fearful we are of our emotions running out of control. The key is to practice before putting ourselves into potentially stressful situations.

If you are considering offering Reiki to shelter animals, but have had difficulty in the past coping with the shelter environment, you will need to research the shelters in your area to find one that is a good fit for you. Not everyone can work in a euthanizing shelter. For them, a no-kill shelter is obviously a better choice. Fortunately, there are more no-kill shelters today than ever before so the chances of finding one nearby are much greater.

Once you have found a shelter that seems to be a good fit, start slowly. Visit the shelter occasionally and get to know the environment before making a commitment. Observe your reactions to different situations and evaluate them as objectively as you can to see if you’re simply reacting or if there’s something deeper going on. Often we react to things based on past history instead of seeing each experience as new and different.

Don’t expect to be devoid of emotion. We humans are emotional creatures. If something upsets you, acknowledge it and remove yourself from the situation as much as possible. Try looking at it another way. For example, many people say they feel great sadness about all the animals in the shelter. Rather than being sad for the animals in the shelter, be grateful that they are safe and cared for and have a place to sleep. Appreciating the shelter’s service toward its residents will help turn the negative view into a positive one.

If you or someone you know would like to help shelter animals, but are hesitant, I hope the above will help convince you to give it a try. The animals and shelter staff can use all the help they can get!

 

By SARA Director John Sawyer

Larry’s Legacy

Last month, I introduced Larry, a senior boxer dog with advanced cancer. Not unexpectedly, Larry has since made his transition leaving behind more lessons for those of us privileged to offer him Reiki.

A week or so after my previous post, I was visiting AID as usual. I noticed Larry going outside with another volunteer. Larry loved to go outside in the courtyard between the dog and cat wings. He would “investigate” the area, soak up the sun, and of course, make sure that those coming after him were aware that they were on his territory!

The volunteer took a blanket with her for Larry to lay on. I tended to my “regulars” while she and Larry were outside. After a half hour or so, they came back into the building. I was holding little Lucy, the long-haired Chihuahua, at the time, so couldn’t go over and greet Larry, but he looked directly at me and I got the sense he wanted to spend some time together with me. I resolved to do so on my next visit.

The following week, I asked to see Larry. We had a nice walk around the courtyard after which we sat in the hospitality area and “helped” Lori go through old medications to discard those that were out of date or for animals that were no longer at AID. Larry watched Lori intently while occasionally backing into my hands and soaking up Reiki. His curiosity about Lori’s activities was typical Larry while his acceptance of and even request for Reiki was not. I wasn’t surprised given his “message” to me the previous week. It was interesting how much energy he drew during our session, especially compared to our previous meetings.

Lori and I both knew Larry’s time was coming sooner rather than later and Larry was evidently preparing himself for his transition. As always, he was accepting Reiki on his terms and in his own way. The decision was made to call the vet and have her come out the following week to assist Larry’s journey home.

When I arrived that Thursday afternoon, Lori told me Larry had gone home that morning. It was a beautiful day so they were able to take him out to the courtyard he loved so much and free him from his broken down physical body.

Lori and another staff person reported that Larry was very peaceful and obviously ready to go, demonstrating his awareness of his eternal nature. He knows he will have many more rides on this merry-go-round so he easily accepted the end of this journey.

 

By SARA Director John Sawyer

Our Animal Teachers – Learning From Larry

Larry is a brindle boxer of indeterminate, but apparently advanced age. He came to Animals In Distress several months ago riding in the bed of a pickup truck along with another dog with whom he’d been wandering in a rural area nearby. An elderly woman saw them and ordered her sons to go get them before they were hit by cars or otherwise harmed.

Larry and his traveling companion had obviously been dumped out in the country and had no idea where to go or what to do. It’s fortunate for them that they were seen and brought to AID. Both were emaciated and full of sores. They were taken for veterinary care and afterward, with the love and support of the AID staff and volunteers, began their healing process.

Larry did well, putting on weight and gaining a healthy shine to his beautiful coat. Then, after a time, Larry began to limp on is right foreleg. X-rays and other tests determined that he has bone cancer which has spread to his lungs and elsewhere. He now has a pronounced bulge in his right shoulder that continues to grow. The cancer is aggressive and resistant to known treatment methods. The vets gave him a very poor prognosis and estimated he would live another three months.

I began working with Larry shortly after his diagnosis. After being introduced, we went into the introduction room to get better acquainted. Larry was interested in me for a few minutes, but then was distracted by conversations and laughter going on out in the reception area. I quickly learned that Larry is a very curious fellow and likes to know what’s going on at all times!

It’s not unusual in the beginning of my relationship with animals at the shelter for them to be interested in Reiki for a very short time. Many of them grow to enjoy it more as time goes on. Others love it from the first moment and soak it up. Still others are receptive at first, but then make it clear that they have better things to do that receive Reiki.

My first session with Larry was perhaps 5 minutes. He was becoming more agitated and clearly wanted out of the room to go see what was going on out in the reception area. So, out we went and Larry thoroughly investigated the situation.

After several sessions that played out essentially the same way, I came to the conclusion that Larry simply wasn’t receptive to Reiki. I stopped seeing him on my weekly visits and focused on other dogs and cats that were referred to me by the shelter staff. I always ask about Larry and the report iss always the same: he’s doing fine with regular pain management and is as curious as ever.

One day one of the shelter staff, a Reiki student of mine, pulled me aside and told me of an experience another of my students on the staff had had with Larry recently. She had been sitting with Larry in his run petting him and had gone into a sort of meditative state. She felt Reiki begin to flow through her and realized that Larry was drawing Reiki energy! She said she felt a wave of sadness pass over her and had the feeling that it came from Larry. He continued to draw Reiki for a few minutes, then it stopped.

Clearly, Larry had set his own criteria for his Reiki session. It was completely in his control, as it should be. My student had created a healing space and Larry chose to enter it, albeit for a brief time.

I was reminded when hearing this story of how we as practitioners must remember to simply create the healing space and let the animals choose to enter it or not. I had to admit that I had not done as good a job of that as I could have when working with Larry. I had let my expectations that he would gradually accept Reiki more readily take precedence over my primary task. Larry had been trying to tell me not that he wasn’t interested in Reiki, but that he wanted it on his own terms in his own time.

All the animals, our own and those we work with, are our teachers. It is our obligation to honor their wisdom and acknowledge their spiritual being. If we may offer them Reiki, so much the better, but that is for them to decide.

 

By SARA Director John Sawyer

We’re Invisible!

…….by Jodie Brenner

I noticed during one of the Reiki I classes at Synergy Animal Hospice that  the Sheriff’s department had placed a pregnant mare and two other horses on the shared property of the Animal Hospice.

We were told we could offer Reiki to the horses, but we were not allowed in the gated area, which led to their locked paddocks.  The second day of class we offered Reiki to the horses and positioned ourselves  along the back fenced area.  The wire fence was about 8 feet tall and the horses could see us and actually touch us if they came down to that part of their paddocks.  The horses seemed very curious and accepting of 5 people offering them Reiki.  We felt the pregnant mare was totally immersing herself and her unborn baby in the Reiki.

A couple of weeks later one of my students, who is also my friend and I went to the property, we went to the same area in the back of the paddocks and sat on the earth next to the fence.  We both were totally in our Reiki space and could feel the energy vibrating as all three horses were licking and chewing and doing the involuntary head bobs.  She only had her new Reiki hands for a couple of weeks and was amazed at the heat and energy she was feeling.

I was distracted when I heard a truck coming up the driveway to my left.  It was a member of the Sheriff’s department, most likely coming to feed the horses and check on them.   My friend and I looked at each other wide eyed as if  “Oh no”.  Although we had permission to be there and it was my understanding the Sheriff’s department was aware that “people may be offering Reiki to the horses” I still felt like I might have some explaining to do:).  We watched him enter the locked area and begin to throw hay into the three paddocks.  The horses did not seem to be in a hurry to eat and slowly began to move towards the now filled hay tubs.  We wondered why the man did not acknowledge us, surely he could see us.  My friend said “maybe the Reiki makes us invisible” we both quietly laughed. He walked towards us to the water pump and began to turn it on.  He was  about 20 feet from us and still did not appear to see us!  My friend said “Hello”  he looked around and then spotted us on the ground.  After his reply of “Hello” I felt I needed to add something so I said “we are with the Animal Hospice and are giving the horses Reiki”  he replied “oooh, OK,  well have a good day”  he continued with his chores and then left.

We laughed as to wondering if he knew what Reiki was or if he thought we were just a couple of crazy women sitting on the earth looking into the horse pens and humming:)

Caring For The Caregivers

One of the many wonderful things about Reiki is its ability to heal the healer, so to speak. As we offer Reiki to others, the energy flowing through us benefits us, as well. This is one aspect of Reiki that makes it ideal for shelters and rescue organizations.

As I mentioned in my last post, when we offer Reiki to the animals in the shelters in which we volunteer, it is equally important to be mindful of the staff and volunteers who care for the animals. As anyone who has worked with animal rescues knows, it is a never-ending task. There are always more animals in need than resources available. As a result, overwhelm and burnout are very common among rescue workers. This is one reason SARA is dedicated to teaching Reiki to shelter workers.

Reiki is as much a way of living as a healing technique. The Reiki Precepts guide us to balance in our lives on many levels while the Reiki energy we offer to other beings helps to balance our physical bodies. Balance is very important for rescue workers as it is easy to lose perspective when faced with the grim circumstances that are all too common in shelter and rescue work.

SARA’s mission is to bring Reiki to animals in shelters and rescues for their highest good. An important part of that is helping the caregivers do the best job they can as they care for the animals on a daily basis. Ultimately, supporting the caregivers supports the animals, which is what SARA is all about.

As SARA defines its teaching curriculum, emphasis is placed upon techniques that shelter workers may use to help themselves stay grounded and to maintain a healthy balance physically and emotionally. Traditional Reiki teachings are the basis of this curriculum with additional resources added specifically for that purpose.

For example, meditation is a wonderful way to quiet the mind and bring it back into balance. Teaching shelter workers specific grounding meditations gives them an important and powerful tool for maintaining their equilibrium.

Teaching shelter workers to recognize signs of burnout in themselves and their co-workers is important, as well. It is easy to get so caught up in the daily details that we don’t notice the imbalance until it becomes a real problem. Even something as simple as taking 5 minutes prior to each shift to get grounded can make a huge difference!

Expectations and intentions play major roles in our daily lives. Taking a few minutes at the beginning of the day to set our intentions can make all the difference between a “good” day and a “bad” day. In the case of shelter staff, simply setting the intention to do the best they can be of significant benefit.

Finally, following up with students after their intial Reiki training is vital. It’s not enough to hold classes and leave students on their own afterward. Many will have questions and encounter situations they don’t know how to handle. Making a point of asking how they are doing with their Reiki practice and being open and available for questions and just listening to their experiences will help them become better practitioners more quickly.

 

By SARA Director John Sawyer

The Mantra of the Rescuer

One of the things that we as animal Reiki practitioners sometimes forget is that the people who care for the animals in the shelters in which we practice sometimes need Reiki as much or more than the animals do. Having been in animal rescue in one form or another for about 15 years now, I’ve seen many rescue people burn out from the overwhelming nature of the task. The same syndrome occurs in shelter staff and volunteers.

This was brought home to me recently when one of the people I’d trained in Reiki at AID had a very difficult time with the passing of one of her charges. The dog crashed suddenly and was rushed to the vet, where she went into cardiac arrest and was unable to be revived. A necropsy showed massive internal problems so she would not have lived long even if she had been revived.

One thing that made her transition so difficult for my student was that no one had seen it coming despite the dog’s age and a recent trip to the vet for another incident. More importantly for her, my student told me that during the 36 hours or so that she cared for the dog during this crisis, she “forgot Reiki.” It dawned on her after the dog made her transition that she’d simply forgotten to offer her Reiki. This combined with the shock of the dog’s unexpected passing really knocked her for a loop.

We had a conversation about the incident and her distress over it during which I silently offered her Reiki. I asked her why she thought it had upset her to that degree and she replied “Maybe I could have done more.”

I knew the answer before she spoke, but wanted her to come to that realization on her own. I told her that she didn’t need to worry about turning Reiki on and off, that she being Level 2 now is Reiki and flowing Reiki all the time. Had the dog wanted more Reiki, it would have been drawn from her to the degree where she would have noticed it.

I explained that we have all been through that sort of “maybe I could have done more” or “I could have done it better or differently” remorse. It’s the nature of healers to want to see those with whom they share their healing to heal on a physical level. What we need to remember is that we can only offer healing. It’s up to the recipient to do with it what is for their highest good.

One of the many beautiful things about Reiki is that it heals on levels other than the physical. Most of us don’t have the ability to see the healing take place on those non-physical levels, so we simply have to trust Reiki and know that what we have offered has been used for the highest good. In the same way, we honor the recipient’s free will to remain physically focused or not.

I think all of us when we first began learning and practicing Reiki wanted to be able to cause healing to happen. Especially those of us raised in Western culture where medicine is believed to cause healing. It’s a major paradigm shift to go from the notion of “zapping” beings with Reiki to make them better to offering Reiki and allowing them to do with it what they wish.

It’s especially difficult for practitioners like my student who had a good deal of success early on with their Reiki, “success” being defined as having outcomes that matched her expectations. To paraphrase an old adage, one doesn’t learn from success, it’s failure that carries the real lessons. This outcome (the dog made her transition) was perceived as a failure by my student, even though it was not by any means a failure on her part.

It’s easy to see how she could fall into a negative spiral from thinking this way. I simply reminded her of what we’d discussed in her Reiki 2 class about how the animals are sentient beings in control of their own lives and we don’t get a vote as to whether they choose to heal on a physical level or not.

I also gave her what I call the “Mantra of the Rescuer”:

All you can do is all you can do, and all you can do is enough.

I don’t know who first said that. I read it long ago and it has been a touchstone in my life when I’ve felt overwhelmed by seemingly insurmountable obstacles in my path. It fits well with the Reiki philosophy, in my view, and is completely appropriate for shelter or rescue personnel as they deal with the never-ending stream of animals needing their help.

 

By SARA Director John Sawyer

Reiki for Roxanne

In December I  went to visit my good friend in Montana that recently moved her horse sanctuary to a 1,200 acre ranch.  I was excited for our visit and especially excited to meet Roxanne.  Roxanne,  a four month old filly arrived a week before my visit.  She came to the sanctuary from a neglectful situation and her mother had already weaned her, as she was not able to feed and care for her.

During my stay the temperatures dropped to 25-40 below zero for 5 days.  A small corral was constructed inside one of the barns for Roxanne.  Her adopted Aunt Madison, a retired broodmare that found a home at the sanctuary last year was in the corral outside the barn.  They could still be close to each other and nuzzle through the panel that replaced the door.

One of the many things I wanted to do during my visit was to offer Reiki to Roxanne.  Roxanne was very shy and stayed her distance when I was in the corral helping with the chores.  She would look at me out of the corner of one eye.  We felt Roxanne would benefit from a Reiki session.  I did not have all of my “winter gear”, but I was determined to sit with Roxanne.  My friend gave me a horse blanket to wrap myself in stating it would be warmer than any human blanket she could give me.

It was a cloudless blue sky, beautiful, sunny and 25 below zero day.  It was my last day at the ranch.  I walked out to the barn, turned a bucket upside down, wrapped myself in the horse blanket and sat about six inches from the corral panel.  The sun warmed my back as it shone in the opening of the barn.  Roxanne stayed in the far corner quietly looking at me and most likely wondering what the heck I was doing.  A human in a horse blanket sitting on a bucket outside of her new home.

I created my Reiki space and set my intentions to offer her Reiki and for her to take the amount of Reiki that was appropriate for her.  As with the SARA technique, I allowed Roxanne to participate in her own healing and I remained outside of her corral.  Allowing her the freedom to move around and feel safe in her space.  I began to feel the Reiki flowing through my hands, I could hear Roxanne moving around.  I opened my eyes to see her place her tiny hips and tail a few inches from the panel in front of me.  As she swayed in a gentle motion back and forth.  She let out a baby sigh and began to eat the hay in front of me.  I felt a wave of happiness and excitement that she was willing to come to my side of the corral and showed signs of receiving the Reiki.

The time with her was very magical and peaceful.  She ate for about 20 minutes and then stood in the middle of the corral doing the “involuntary head bob” and letting out deep sighs.  A couple of times she came over and placed her head in front of me and our faces almost touched.  I could feel her warm breath on my face.  As I gazed into those soulful eyes I resisted the urge to reach out and touch the baby soft tiny nuzzle.  I really wanted to climb in there and just hug her, but I did not.  This was about her needs and not my desires.  She had to learn how to trust humans and in the process trust life.  In her four short months on this planet she had already experienced much saddness, betrayal and loss.  I was offering her healing and allowing her to take the Reiki energy to heal herself.

I looked at my cell phone to check the time and realized almost an hour had gone past.  I quietly told Roxanne I was preparing to end the Reiki.  I heard a soft, quiet voice say “not yet”, I could feel my eyes full of tears and a wave of tingles through my body.  I stayed.    I could no longer feel my toes, but surprisingly enough they were the only body part that was cold.  I continued to offer her Reiki and hoped some of the heat I was generating would travel to my toes.

Shortly after the hour I could feel the Reiki flow subside and I knew Roxanne had received all she needed for now.  She looked at me and began to yawn many times and then she stuck out her cute pink tongue and was stretching it in all directions.  I laughed at the antics and the faces she was making.  I knew she was releasing so much.  I asked her what she was releasing and heard “pent up emotions”.  I was happy to see her finally relax enough to release all she was holding in her little body.

I looked up to see Madison standing in the sun with her head against the barn sleeping  next to the opening.  It was such a peaceful moment.  I did not want to leave.  I thanked Roxanne, Aunt Madison and Reiki for allowing us to unite in this incredible space.

I shared the information about Roxanne sticking out her tongue with my friend.  She felt this information made sense with what she had noticed of Roxanne in the few days she had been there.  Before we left the ranch we stopped by to check on the horses.  Roxanne and Madison were standing in the sun half asleep.  We could see the soft nature in their eyes and bodies in total relaxation.  They were enjoying the warmth from the sun, the bond they created with each other and a knowing they are in a safe, nuturing space.