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Shelter Animal Reiki Association

Shelter Animal Reiki Association

Healing Animals with Meditation

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Animal Reiki Dogs

Lessons From Skeeter

August 14, 2022

It was a cold day in December three years ago when I first met Skeeter.  I had just moved into my new home and he was the first neighbor I encountered.  That unconditional enthusiasm that only dogs have mastered was evident in his greeting.  He danced, wagged, woofed and jumped in circles in his joy at meeting someone new.

Skeeter had a tough beginning in life.  My neighbor rescued him from the middle of a road where he stood frozen in fear.  She called to him and he ran over to her and jumped into her arms.  She said his relief was palpable.

At the Vet, they learned that Skeeter had heartworm, was not neutered and was approximately 4 years old.  From clues in his condition, the Vet felt he had most likely been used at a puppy mill as a stud, then abandoned to his fate when his services were no longer wanted.

It had been six years since that day of rescue when we met and Skeeter was a happy, healthy, neutered little boy.  A Pomeranian mix, he had a soft, fluffy coat and big waterfall ears, bright eyes and the sweetest disposition.  I fell in love with him, as does every single person who meets him.  “There’s just something about Skeeter” is a frequently heard refrain.  I occasionally shared Reiki with Skeeter during that time, sometimes in person and other times, from a distance.

Then, about three months ago, Skeeter, now around 12-13 years old, developed SARDS (Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome) which resulted in immediate blindness.  My neighbor worked hard with Skeeter, clapping her hands and buying a clicker so he could move around with some security.  He was making the transition fairly well when it became apparent that other medical issues were also causing problems for this loving boy.  Skeeter became lethargic, showed little interest in anything, although he was still eating and drinking.  It was at this  time that I began sharing regular Reiki sessions with him.

As with everyone, both people and animals, it is important to get their permission to share Reiki.  With Skeeter, I began our sessions by placing my hands near to the front of his face where he could smell me and feel the energy.  When he gave my hand a few tongue licks I took this as his saying he was good with the Reiki session! 

When I had shared Reiki with Skeeter before he lost his vision, he let me know that he preferred a “hands-off” approach but with the loss of his sight he “asked” for physical touch. He did this by raising his head or moving his body into my hands until they were touching him, then he would settle down with a sigh.  Our Reiki sessions last about 30 minutes until he lets me know, by moving away, when it is  enough. 

After each session, my neighbor says he walks around her home more, expresses interest in going outside and seems able to locate his food and water bowls with more ease. His facial expression is more alert and he is more curious about scents.  He loves his treats afterwards!  Instead of laying “like a limp rag” he rests peacefully and comfortably.

While no one knows when Skeeter will leave us or when my neighbor will have to make the incredibly difficult decision to let him go with her help, his life and this transitional place he finds himself in, are being eased with the help of Reiki.  It’s a blessing to Skeeter and to those of us who love him to be able to help him along the way.  

By Laura Copland

5 Distinct Traits of Animal Reiki

January 24, 2022

a cat touching a flower

Have you wondered what the distinct traits of Animal Reiki are and what exactly is the need for specialization? Is Animal Reiki different from traditional Reiki? The elementary answer is that Animal Reiki is also Reiki. The universal energy is the same – there is simply one universal energy. And at the same time, Animal Reiki is about the animals and is practiced honouring the unique sensitivities of the animal kingdom.

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Our Dogs Show Us the Way When the Worst News Comes

January 13, 2022

a dog named chili

Just before Christmas we received some bad news about Chili.

The diagnosis is bone cancer, with only one option of curative treatment which is amputation. We decided we did not want to put her through that, so palliative care and pain relief became real. But oddly I already sort of knew. I saw it in the vet when she referred us for the scan. And certain things were adding up. I knew.

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Reiki Journey to Freedom

January 6, 2022

a white dog laying on a couch

I adopted Freedom, a rescue dog, about 3 years ago. I describe her as a cat in a dog’s body because she is not very social and doesn’t need a lot of attention. She just sleeps, eats, drinks LOTS OF WATER, and walks to me when she wants a minute of petting/playing. When I adopted her, I worked full time, so she was a perfect fit for my home.

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SARA Featured in Redfin Article: “Adopting a Shelter Pet: Expert Advice to Prepare Your Home for Your New Furry Friend”

April 14, 2021

a boy feeding a cat

Adopting a shelter pet is an exciting and fulfilling experience. Not only will you be helping an animal in need of a loving home, you’ll be gaining a new family member. However, it’s important to pet-proof your home, get their space set up with the essentials, and do a little research before bringing home a rescue pet.

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The Offer of a Paw – The Ultimate Show of Trust

March 3, 2021

a human hand reaching out and holding a brown dog paw

It was our final Reiki meditation of the day and a storm was brewing. Gretchen and I settled in, offering Reiki to both her dogs. Bindi wandered around a bit, stopped, and offered Gretchen her front paw. It was beautiful to see Bindi stand there with her paw in Gretchen’s hand…so beautiful I could not interrupt the moment to snap a picture though I wanted to. The love between them radiated. Bindi sat back and put both paws in Gretchen’s hands. Gretchen sat teary eyed, holding her best friend’s paws.

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From Growls to Belly Rubs – Reiki to the Rescue

December 23, 2020

a brown and white dog named Bruno sitting in a car

Bruno is loving walks and belly rubs these days. And he took his freedom ride to his foster home this past weekend! For months, Bruno cowered in the back of his kennel at the shelter, growling at staff. He had been there almost six months, surrendered for killing a chicken and a goat. Terrified, he would not let anyone touch him and it was difficult to clean his run. Leah, a shelter worker, knew they couldn’t keep him much longer if he couldn’t be handled, cleaned up and vetted. In a last-ditch effort, she reached out to me to share Reiki with him. I also asked Animal Reiki Source’s Animal Reiki Healing Circle to share Reiki with Bruno.

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Deaf and Food Aggressive – Romanian Rescue Dog Finds Peace and Safety

December 2, 2020

ali carrington sharing reiki with pebbles the dog at a shelter

This beautiful deaf boxer girl had come over to the UK from Romania at approximately 6 months old, her history not clear, and was first fostered by a couple with a handful of other dogs. It quickly became very obvious and worrying that she was a very anxious girl around dinner times, guarding her food and showing aggression towards the other dogs and the humans in her foster home. It became so severe that the couple had to take the heart breaking decision of handing her back to the rehoming organisation and, due to her aggressive behaviour, sadly she had to be looked after at a rescue boarding kennel while the organisation began the responsible and stressful task of finding the next right home for her. Prospects were unclear… who would take on a deaf dog who literally might bite the hand that feeds her?

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Brutus Healed Me

November 24, 2020

Kala Hall and a dog named brutus

A few months ago, I felt a strong calling to begin volunteering Reiki with shelter animals. I had shared Reiki with rescued animals before but was not officially “in” with a local rescue as a regular volunteer. I wanted to put myself out there, but during these COVID times it has been challenging to meet face to face.

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In Loving Memory of Dusty…

November 17, 2020

Dusty was found after wandering the Arizona desert as a pup without identification or microchip. After a week of no one claiming him at the Humane Society, he was adopted by SARA member Gerianne. He lived a very happy 15 1/2 years with his special Reiki mom and family. He was a devoted family dog, meditation partner and lover of Reiki. Thank you so much Gerianne for honoring SARA with a donation in his memory.  Fly free and in peace, Dusty!

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Addie Scores Big – Reiki Furever

October 27, 2020

dogs in the sunset

We rescued “Belle” from the wonderful shelter Homeward Bound in Middlebury, Vermont where I volunteer, about two and a half years ago.  She had been surrendered in South Carolina and moved to our shelter in Vermont.  She had only been in Vermont for about two days before I discovered her one Saturday while sharing Kathleen Prasad’s Let Animals Lead® method of Animal Reiki.  By the following Friday, she had claimed our bed and hearts.  The people at our shelter said, as she wiggled and wriggled on the way to our car, “bet she is going to get lots of Reiki!”; and she has.  Her name was immediately changed to Addie and she was often referred to as Mrs. Wiggles in those early days.

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My Animal Reiki Journey: The Beginning

October 20, 2020

Tamara Grodzicky and her cat

Ever since I can remember, my life was all about animals and nature. As a child, these were the things that helped me survive through difficult times and made me believe that God, or some form of Supreme Being, really exists…

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Reiki Meditation While Horse Riding

September 7, 2020

Sharing Reiki with an animal doesn’t have to mean sitting in mediation with them. Experience the wonder of moving meditation with your animals. Here I am in the Lolo Forest in Montana with peaceful horses and dogs. A true Zen moment!

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How to Support a Shelter Dog

September 7, 2020

The Let Animals Lead® Method of Animal Reiki created by Kathleen Prasad is ideal for working with recent rescues-I work mostly with recently rescued canines.

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Found! Awakening to Animal Reiki

September 7, 2020

Gabi, a SARA Practitioner, introduces her teaching memoir: How Animal Reiki Found Me and Other Stories, by Gabriele Annegret.

In her book Gabi shares her journey of awakening through encounters of animals as spirits, message carriers, and healers … Animal Reiki found her!

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Mandy’s Reiki Session…Her Way

January 27, 2020

Mandy

Meet Mandy. She is an elder canine. She was recently welcomed into her forever home. Today was her Reiki session.

With Mandy, I practiced the Let Animals Lead® approach created by Kathleen Prasad of the Shelter Animal Reiki Association (SARA).

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Reiki & Pet Sitting: The Perfect Combination

June 6, 2019

As pet sitters, we often encounter animals who are afraid, timid, confused or stressed because they are alone with a stranger in their home. We face emergencies with sick or injured animals when their people are away.  We sometimes care for animals who are transitioning while their family is gone.  These things are stressful for the animal and for us as pet sitters.  There is an amazing balm for these situations:  Animal Reiki – specifically the Let Animals Lead® method developed by Kathleen Prasad.  This practice has made my job as a pet sitter easier and has decreased stress and anxiety in my animal clients.

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Talking about Reiki and Making Connections

November 28, 2018

Hank's Reiki Nap

A friend who is starting her Animal Reiki business asked how I explain Reiki in a way to pique someone’s interest and share what we do, while staying away from the “woo-woo”. After I shared my thoughts, she suggested I write an article to help others starting out.

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Riley and Reiki

March 17, 2018

Riley was a ten- pound King Charles Cavalier with big soft eyes. Chasing summer toads around the driveway in summer and falling leaves in autumn, his heart soared.

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A “Chants” for Zahra

November 7, 2017

Zahra

Like most rescues, Zahra’s story is not fully known. A gentle, sweet mutt with upright pointy ears and a noble square muzzle, she appears to be part Great Dane, part Australian Cattle Dog.  Zahra was adopted from a shelter in New Mexico.  Her new family, Kirby, and her partner Alex (musician and teacher) were thrilled when their application to adopt Zahra was approved. This approval came just as they were heading to South Carolina for a family vacation. The shelter was unable to hold Zahra until their return and so they packed dog food, water bowl, toys, etc. and took Zahra along to the beach.  Zahra proved to be a good traveler.  No nausea or drooling, she enjoyed riding in the car and was well-behaved on leash. So far, so good!

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Pearls of Wisdom

October 15, 2017

Pearl was her name, and she certainly shared her wisdom with us that day. She was a little Chihuahua that was volunteered to work with me and my students during the “Self-Healing for Animal Caregivers” class that I taught at the local shelter where I volunteered.

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Sunday with Kaja

October 11, 2017

It was one of those easy Sundays, when you wake up slowly, with no need to finish any remaining tasks and just being grateful for everything, spending simply your time with your family, doing this and that and relaxing.

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Oliver’s Passing

September 22, 2017

One of the things I feel called to do with my Reiki practice is to help animals and their families with loss and saying good-bye. To serve in this way I have cultivated relationships with local veterinarians who offer at-home euthanasia services. On our peninsula there are four such Vets, all acting upon callings of their own. It is both an opportunity and a blessing to offer Reiki and massage (I am an animal massage therapist as well) to dying animals, their other human and animal family members and to the very environment they are leaving. Being invited to help create a peaceful space for this part of life is a great application for humility and gratitude and can be very meaningful for all. Doing this for Oliver simply was not simple.

The situation was that my 78 year old sister-in-law, beginning to be frail and reclusive, was not able to adequately care for her 15 year old Westie and ultimately had to surrender him on Condo association and Court order. Very complicated situation but I was certain that the dog could not be rehomed and was suffering in subtle but clear ways. I was asked to facilitate a home euthanasia and support Oliver and the Vet with Reiki and massage. Oliver was not my favorite dog! Over the years he had vomited, pee’d and poop’d in my home, accosted my dogs and been genuinely unfriendly. He was, however, a noble and trusted companion to my SIL through many difficult times of her life and for this I loved him.

The hardest part in agreeing to do this was disconnecting from the complicated, emotional and personal baggage in order to be a supportive vessel for whatever Oliver needed to pass peacefully. I was also working with a Vet I had wanted to meet but had not yet met and who I would like to work with in the future. In a practical way, Oliver offered me the portal to help others through the relationship with these special Vets. My main learning was how to create a healing Reiki space when the path is personally, logistically and emotionally complicated. Gratefully, my experiences with SARA and in practice helped me to understand where I had to be and how I had to be in order to offer Reiki in these circumstances.

I made the arrangements with the Vet who was extremely open and welcoming to my wanting to create a Reiki space for Oliver’s passing. The arrangements were difficult both in terms of the personal turmoil of the owner, my SIL, and of the logistics and constraints of my life. I began the Reiki space meditation the day before, offering distance Reiki and getting to a point of presence myself. The morning of, I was at the shelter for two hours just before, and it was such a blessing to have that time and environment to prepare myself. Oliver was brought to my house, arriving about 20 minutes before the Vet. My son took my animals to another part of the house and my husband was there to support his sister. Oliver was able to explore the yard, something he was never allowed to do, and seemed greatly moved by the smells and sounds of nature. He had sadly not been outside for some time and though stressed, was so happy to be “free” and connected in that way. After the 20 minutes where we let him wander he came to his favorite bed and stopped for treats. The Vet arrived and supported my SIL and did the necessary paperwork while I sat with Oliver who was already making the transition. In the many times I have seen animals at this point in their lives, in the shelter and elsewhere, there is often a sort of life surge that looks like health and optimism in the minutes before injection and peace. It is alarming to some because it mimics good health energy when really I believe it is preparatory phase, a knowing perhaps of the release and peace of what comes next.

In any case, this was how Oliver went. With emotional lightness and comfort in spite of physical discomfort, he settled down on his bed for the sedative before the lethal injection. The Vet was so full of connection and grace, so comforting and caring, so generous with the time and process. Her grace allowed me the time to create a space for all of us to support Oliver’s passing. I experienced an unexpected calm and peace myself and was conscious of the incongruity with the outward condition of anxiety and sadness and even the symbolism of this woman losing her companion because of decreasing ability herself. It was simply, or not so simply, a sacred experience. Thank you Oliver.

Reflections on My BrightHaven Animal Reiki Training

August 21, 2017

Cara and Chula

I recently had the privilege of reveling in the presence of animals and healing at Brighthaven Sanctuary, studying Animal Reiki with Kathleen Prasad of Animal Reiki Source! What got me there was a series of “coincidences” and life experiences that all merged to remind me that this lifetime animal enthusiasm has much more to teach me yet.

Cara and Bianca
Cara and Bianca
Let me back up… two of my top-ten influential life teachers are dogs. Chula retired from the role of human teacher in 2011, after being the best best friend to me for over 13 years. Bianca took Chula’s job over a few months after she passed and has been fully showing up everyday for work for over six years now. I can’t quantify what I have received from both of them in terms of wisdom, healing, love, and strength but I’ll qualify by saying they have taught me to love, be loved, lose love, nurture and nourish, strengthen, and show up fully as the perfectly imperfect human that I am. Chula was my guide when I left my childhood New York home to “find myself” in California. Bianca took over when it was time for me to learn to take as good of care of myself as I did them.

Cara and Daisy
Cara and Daisy
I’m the girl who interrupts in-depth conversations with a squeal at the sight of a wire-haired terrier with her tongue hanging out or a murmuration of birds passing overhead. I’m the one who pulls animal cards to ask them for wisdom and healing. My friends know to call me to check my Animal Speak book when they find themselves curious about a recurring critter visitor. “What’s it mean, Cara?” I’m also the one who has been known to trap feral cats to get them fixed and released. I meditate on the bird songs around me and carry on meaningful conversations with the hummingbirds who frequent my hibiscus tree. What’s my point? I like animals and I like listening to and learning their language. I always have and it started with Daisy, the sheepdog, who took care of me from the moment I was brought home from the hospital after being born.

Loving and being loved by animals is one beautiful benefit of nurturing relationships with them but now I see there’s a whole next-level benefit involving the ways they teach and heal us. Whether it’s my sweet Bianca getting attacked and needing me to provide round-the-clock care to save her life or whether it’s a hawk “randomly” showing up in some unexpected place to remind me of the mystery of the universe, they guide me back to myself when I get in my own way.

I learned of the work of Kathleen Prasad in early 2016 and became very intrigued. Kathleen is the world leader in the field of Animal Reiki. With so much gratitude, I received the Buster Scholarship to participate in a weekend workshop to study beginner Animal Reiki with her. This opportunity came from a generous student of Kathleen’s, Gerianne Hummel, who was touched deeply by her first Animal Reiki teacher, Buster, her cat who lived over 23 years. In his honor, she offered this scholarship and I was the lucky recipient!

I felt like I came home that weekend. From the moment I walked into Brighthaven Sanctuary — where animals are treated homeopathically, with Reiki, and shown love and care after often experiencing a lifetime of neglect, suffering, and/or illness — I knew I was walking into something special. Kathleen’s Reiki offerings and teachings have been the cornerstone of their success. I sat with seven other animal lovers like myself, all happy to come home and all grateful to experience the healing that Reiki and animals offer us. I wasn’t weird for talking to animals here; I belonged.

As a massage therapist, I’ve understood energy and have experienced feeling the movement of energy between myself and a client. As a mindfulness practitioner, I’ve understood the benefits of presence. As an animal lover, I’ve understood the benefits of loving and being loved unconditionally. BUT, Animal Reiki brings all of these tools together to show me a framework for promoting interspecies healing in my life and in my work and to incorporate the healing of presence, energy, and love to transcend our suffering.

We live in a world where it’s “normal” to torture, kill, eat and wear animals. We have an opportunity right now, though, to stop eating and wearing them and start listening to and learning from them. They are showing us the impact of our misunderstanding of their role in the survival of the planet. Animal Reiki and the work so many are doing to promote interspecies connection and conversation has the potential to change the world we live in. I know, because I’ve seen it in my own life, that if we shift from dominating animals to befriending them, we will invite the possibility for a peace we haven’t yet known.

There are countless stories of the ways Kathleen’s work has had miraculous outcomes for thousands of animals and people all around the world. Animal miracles are no stranger to me but I’m looking forward to the multitude of miracles to come as I incorporate Animal Reiki practices into my daily life and continue to look to the critters to show me how to live a more aligned, sustainable, and meaningful life.

To learn more about Kathleen’s transformative work, click here.

Cara Carrillo

Meditating with Animals

July 28, 2017

Kensi SwimmingI love meditating with animals! I say this with great joy and enthusiasm because in the past, I had a teacher who told her students that animals will draw energy away from you and disrupt your mediation if they are in the same room. Well, this teacher also says that we should take what resonates and leave the rest behind. I choose to leave far behind her limiting belief about meditating with animals!

I have practiced meditation my entire life. As a child, I didn’t know that I was meditating. I was simply going to a quiet place to withdraw deep inside myself to avoid a crowded and chaotic household. We weren’t permitted pets, except for fish and the occasional hamster so my favorite place to retreat in mind and body was the small greenhouse that my father had built to grow orchids. In this beautiful space, the only animals were insects. Oh and Charlie, a clam my mother had brought back from Lake Erie and kept in a bucket. It was never clear what Charlie ate, but he grew bigger over time. I felt bad for Charlie, stuck in that small home that wasn’t home. But I was a kid and I didn’t pay much attention to Charlie or the insects. They weren’t warm and fuzzy and I couldn’t hold one close at night to help me sleep.

Kensi Watches Over Me
Kensi Watches Over Me

Fast forward a few decades. I now live on a small piece of property with four horses, six dogs, and ten cats. All of the dogs and cats were strays or rescues who chose to share their lives with my husband and me. We are fortunate to back up to a national park and over 100 acres of conserved woods, with a running stream and a pond that serves as a watering hole for wildlife and a swimming pool for the horses and Kensi, a border collie.

I love to sit by the pond for meditation, and am usually accompanied by Kensi. She will take a dip, shower me with pond water, and settle down in the grass. Kensi’s presence is comforting and relaxing and it is easier to fall deeper into meditation feeling her energy merging with mine. On a recent afternoon, practicing a homework assignment for Leah’s Animal Reiki for Reiki Practitioner’s class, I began a meditation by the pond, starting with the Joshin Kokyu and adding the Three Diamonds meditation. The Three Diamonds meditation brings so much peace. It becomes a beautiful moving meditation in which I easily lose myself.

TurtlePrior to beginning the meditation session, I spent time observing the surroundings. A large turtle lounged sunbathing on a log that extends out into, but above, the water. I set an intention to invite Turtle to join me. I began with Gassho, giving thanks for the day, the spring that feeds the pond, the dragonflies and other wildlife that share this space with me. I then practiced Joshin Kokyu Ho for some time, noticing that our barn cat, Lady, and Kensi had chosen to join me, lying a few yards away in the grass within the space created by my practice. Floating on Lady’s rythmic purr it was easy to fall deeper into meditation and gently transitioned to Three Diamonds. I felt the world dropping away, and yet was more acutely aware of the subtle sounds of dragonfly wings, a breeze blowing through the trees, the splash of a fish jumping. I found my breath syncing to the movements of my hands and felt myself moving even deeper inward.

I became aware of a gentle, patient and wise presence. Turtle had joined me with a message. He said, I am one with the earth. I am one with the water. I am one with the air. I am in these elements and these elements are in me. I am in balance.

I felt another presence, light and fluttering. Dragonfly said, I am one with the sky, I am one with the air, I am one with the water reeds. I am in balance.

Stillness overcame my mind and body and I sat, absorbing the messages and feeling so grateful for Turtle and Dragonfly. Slowly I returned to present, feeling the sentience of the beings around me. I don’t know how long I sat, deep inside myself but at the same time open and part of the world around me.  Returning gently to awareness, filled with peace, I gave thanks to Turtle, Dragonfly, Kensi and Lady.

I was in balance.

Beth Cavalier
SARA Practitioner

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