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.
Animal Reiki Dogs
Oliver’s Passing
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
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.
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
I 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.
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.
Prior 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
Reiki for Joyce
When I arrived at the shelter I immediately went to the kennel side and one of the caretakers asked me to help Joyce “who is very nervous.” She was in the visiting room which is away from the other dogs. As I entered, Joyce was very excited and alert. Her senses were heightened from all of the noise in and around the kennel, so it felt felt right to go into a chant (in Japanese) meditation of the 5 Reiki Precept.
Today Only ~
Do not anger
Do not worry
Be grateful
Practice diligently
Show compassion to yourself and others
Joyce acknowledged that she wanted to receive the Reiki healing. She had moments of relaxation as well as moments of movement around the room. These are common signs that the animal is receiving the healing energy which will go where it needs to go. My responsibility was to be present holding that healing space for her with no expectations, and trust the Reiki energy! I had to remind myself of that frequently due to the heavy traffic of people passing the room. Joyce could look out the window to see the people and other animals walking by. Once I relaxed and just held the Reiki space for whatever Joyce needed (and stopped worrying about trying to hold the camera! ), Joyce started to relax.
I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be there for the animals and to always be reminded by them what it means to be present and just be Reiki. This particular session, I felt my higher self also reminding me, which is one of the signals that led me to chant for her (and for myself!). What a wonderful time with her and for her! Oh, also this has led me to connect with a friend of mine that hopefully can join me next time and do the filming! Stay tuned 🙂
Dulsanea Naedek
SARA Practitioner
I See You
Sometimes the universe surprises. Out of the blue. No warning.
I was attending a yoga class the night before Thanksgiving when my teacher offered a deck of cards to me and told me to “pick one.” The card I chose evoked a little gasp of surprise.
“I see you.”
I was immediately transported back to the puppy house at Tree of Life for Animals (TOLFA) in India.
My first few days in India were spent at TOLFA with my colleague, Alison McKinnon. We were offering Reiki to the animals there. The animals are in various states of wellness, with the puppy house being the place where many animals were quite ill. Several were actively dying. So many, in fact, that I started referring to myself as a death doula.
Watching the obvious decline of some of the animals was daunting, and I began to wonder how much my presence there was really helping. How many times could I sit with a dying animal before I reached the point of no return?
This was the challenge, I knew–to hold the space with love and compassion, without judgment or expectation, and to remain grounded so as not to lose myself in my emotions. Releasing any hope for a specific outcome was critical. I confess, I didn’t get there on the first try.
I have been working with animals in shelters in the U.S. for many years. I was not inexperienced. I had also had several animal clients who were preparing to pass, as well as my own kitty companions. And I’m a hospice volunteer! So, sitting with a being who is transitioning is not a new experience for me. What was new was the manner in which I was witnessing these passings. These were not the rather quick and peaceful transitions of euthanasia. Euthanasia cannot be done at TOLFA. These animals might hold on for several days taking limited sustenance and being kept as comfortable as possible. Therefore, there was more time to connect with these beautiful souls on a deeper level. To see them as glowing light beings. To see them as whole and to bear witness to their last days on the earthly plane. To connect completely through the heart.
“I see you.”
This came to my mind as I worked with one of the sickest little pups. This sweetie would make little yipping sounds when we were near in order to get attention. I would open the door of his kennel and gently pet him as he lay there. “I see you,” I would tell him. “I see you.”
Isn’t this what we all want really–a chance to be seen on the deepest level–connected heart to heart? To be present on this level is so incredibly beautiful, so healing.
When I returned from India, I resumed my visits to Rutland County Humane Society. Shortly thereafter, I was asked by staff to offer Reiki to a cat who was brought in and was actively dying.
My puppy friends had prepared me for this moment. I stood by her kennel offering Reiki as she moved through the business of dying. Tears in my eyes, I felt our connection on a soul level. “I see you,” I whispered.
Make no mistake, my heart broke a little more every time I witnessed the death of a shelter animal. It gave me some comfort knowing they passed in the loving and compassionate embrace of Reiki. These words from the book “Animal Wisdom” by Linda Bender, DVM, also give me peace:
“What I saw, reflected back to me in the eyes of the dying squirrel was the power of my own presence in that moment. It was immensely more powerful than I had ever imagined. The reason for my presence was simply that–to be there at the moment of another’s death, to witness it and to care.”
Kelly McDermott-Burns
SARA Teacher
Cleo’s Reiki Transformation
Cleo, the Rottweiler female was rescued 6 months ago from a situation full of abuse and aggression. Since the day she was rescued, she has been running around, barking furiously and losing weight.
When I met her, I sat in front of her kennel, and told her she was beautiful. I expanded. I was the Earth, and I was the grass, the air and I was all love. At the beginning she was running like crazy all around and barking. I just mediated, without judgment. All is love, and she was beautiful.
I imagined creating love all around her, instead of offering it directly to her. There was no contact at the beginning. After some time, I started imagining I could “touch” her with this love, with the light. After 10 minutes of this, she came to the fence, barked just one and went away.
Over time she was getting calmer. We stayed together for about 40 minutes. She didn’t lay down, as she was really too excited to rest, but she came to the fence many times, always watching me and then walking away. A staff person watched everything from nearby and she said Cleo had never behaved this way before. I learned so much from Cleo that day: no judgments, and gratitude for sharing Reiki with love, love, love.
At the end of the treatment that first day, she was sitting calmly and watching me. I was looking forward, avoiding her eyes, in order not to make her agitated again. When she finally walked away, I thanked her and left.
I am also taking the Leah’s course “Animal Reiki for Reiki Practitioners” these days and I shared this experience with her. Leah recommended that I to continue offer Reiki to Cleo, so I went to visit her for a second time.
The second meeting was filled with love, I guess we were both sending it to each other. There were few moments Cleo sat in parallel to me and we were looking in the same direction, just sharing the Reiki space. In that moment it was as if we were just One, we were both above all thoughts and feelings, just present with each other.
When I went to visit her for the third time, her transformation was incredible, and I experienced such joy and gratitude. Gratitude for everything, for Leah’s support, for Cleo’s being so open, for Universal Reiki.
Cleo has taught me that when we are honest and humble with what we do, and when we manage to put our ego aside entrusting Reiki – amazing healing can happen.
Soon Cleo will take her first walk outside. Thank you Reiki! Just simply – thank you!!!
Joanna Pieczurkin
The Powerful Gift of Shelter Reiki: Helping Asia
UPDATE from Carol: Asia has been adopted to his forever family! The legacy of Reiki healing is like the vibration of a butterfly’s wings – infinite.
We don’t often share the private letters that SARA President Kathleen Prasad receives on a daily basis from so many animal lovers around the world who have been helped by her teachings. This one, however, touched our hearts so much with the good healing news that it brought, that we wanted to share it with our readers, in hopes that it will support, inspire and ground you in your important work for the animals who need you most! No matter what situation an animal has come from, Reiki can bridge the gap, no matter how wide, creating a bridge of healing. Never give up! With love, the SARA Team
Association for the Protection of Abandoned Dogs
I have been an Animal Reiki Volunteer in a Dog Shelter in Portugal, APCA-Association for the Protection of Abandoned Dogs, for two and a half years, on a weekly base
During this time, I had many fantastic experiences which allowed me to conclude that these animals are very gentle and they love Reiki.
Some of these dogs live in the same space, therefore, when I am giving Reiki to a dog, immediately the rest of them join us, lying down and absorbing that harmonious energy.
In this place, it would be rather difficult to take the dogs out of their “homes” to give them Reiki, so the session is made with our knees on the ground or on the place they sleep. Sometimes, with another animal hanged in our back.
However, despite these conditions, it is the most beautiful experience, where the hearts of two different species are connected with a very intense feeling.
I believe this is unconditional love.
The interest in Animal Reiki is growing in our country, also due to the work of Portuguese Reiki Association and its Volunteer Group.
We celebrated the World Animal Reiki Day, with a Dog Walk with the animals of APCA Shelter where we joined 55 people, many of them were teenagers and children, who were very happy to participate in this event.
Located in the beautiful Sintra, with its fantastic landscapes, it is very easy to find great paths, which remind us an Enchanted Forest.
The contact with Nature and the birds singing, provides us an intense sensation of peace.
Since the begining of March, another volunteer joined me, to give Reiki to these wonderful dogs- Patricia.
We created a page called Reinimal, on which we publish some articles related to Animal Reiki.
We also want people to know our activities at APCA, and the stories we live with their animals, so, we write regularly the Kennel Chronicles, which are published by the Portuguese Reiki Association and by Reinimal.
We were invited to organize a Dog Walk with a teenager class of Reiki 1 students, with ages between 11 and 16 years old. This Walk took place on the 18th June, and all the people involved loved not only the dogs and the place, but specially the small Reiki Session given to all of them.
To conclude, I would like to congratulate APCA- Association for the Protection of Abandoned Dogs for its work in protecting this dogs, giving them shelter, food, vaccines, electronic identification, finding them a home where they can be finally loved.
This Association, as many others throughout Portugal and the world is an example of dedication and makes an incredible work with the resources they have.
They make a difference in the life of all the dogs that have already been adopted.
Fátima Velho
SARA Friend
Cleo’s Mutley Crew
Cleo’s Mutley Crew in Scotland is the latest member organisation of the Shelter Animal Reiki Association. Founder Lynsey Murray, a Reiki practitioner and behaviourist, has been taking animal Reiki classes with me to learn some of the methods we use to offer Reiki to shelter animals and give much needed support to volunteers. In my role as a SARA Reiki teacher I offer charities and their staff free training in Reiki and meditation techniques to help support them in the amazing and selfless work that they do.
Cleo’s charity rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes dogs from across the UK, literally taking dogs from death row, a problem that is spiraling out of control with 3000 per month sentenced to death through no fault of their own. These intelligent beautiful animals are being euthanized simply for being born in the wrong circumstances – knowledge that Lynsey and her team (and of course many other organisations) have to face daily.
I met Lynsey when she came along to a Christmas event, at The Pet Empawrium the pet and veterinary centre where I practice Reiki, to represent her charity. I had heard of her work and her reputation as someone who never gives up on a dog, no matter what their reputation. That afternoon she had to go off and collect a puppy (rescued at 2 weeks old, now 10 weeks) who was with one of her network of trusted foster carers and about to go to his new home that night, she asked if I would look after her collection can while she was away. She duly returned with the most adorable, big lump of a puppy! An American Bulldog mix, he was just the friendliest contented puppy attracting lots of attention, and, as his story unfolded, you could see the shock and tears reflected in the eyes of the crowd gathered around him. illegal dog fighting is a sickening reality in our world today and it takes people like Lynsey to deal with just some of the casualties, these are the lucky ones.
Lynsey set up the organisation, named after her own rescue dog Cleo, to take ‘death row dog’s’ from across the UK and re-home them in Scotland where they receive veterinary care and behavioral rehabilitation if necessary. She uses a range of holistic therapies, Reiki and natural feeding to give these dogs the best possible start in their new life.
The charity has many success stories with dogs being re-homed to loving families including the pup and his litter mates, his name is Lucas and he is growing into a handsome chap ! Lynsey’s own dog Walter is another credit to the charity – he attends classes with Lynsey and is the perfect gentleman, Walter now helps to calm and reassure some of newer rescues and has a natural talent for healing.
As SARA’s philosophy is to take Reiki to where it is needed most and not only to support the beautiful animal souls but the humans who do this incredibly difficult, often thankless and always heart wrenching work – I am delighted to welcome Cleo’s Mutley Crew to the SARA family.
Alison McKinnon
SARA Teacher
All You Need Is Reiki … and A Little Dog Food
Two Chesapeake Bay Retrievers were wandering (scared and unapproachable) in my friend’s (Lynne’s) neighborhood for over ten days. She had been trying to befriend and catch them. Someone had obviously dumped them. One was dragging a leash and the other was dragging a short chain. Lynne had been leaving them food & water. They were pretty much staying in an elderly lady’s yard at the end of her dead end road and would run if you approached them.
Lynne called me Saturday, wanting to know if a stray-dog Reiki session would help catch them. I went over there Saturday evening and was sitting in the road “Being Reiki”. The one dog (later named Opal) started to act like she wanted to get closer to me. When I saw that Opal was responding to me, I also used some dog food to coax her. She didn’t get close enough that night.
Sunday morning I went back and Opal got closer. I was finally able to grab her leash. I led her to a fenced yard next door to Lynne’s house and the other dog (Ruby) followed us. After Ruby followed Opal and I into the yard, Lynne closed the gate. Opal laid next to me and after a while, Ruby settled down and got closer. Lynne sat by me and when Ruby was finally Reiki napping, Lynne was able to grab her chain.
Monday morning we took the dogs to the humane society where I volunteer. They were immediately given vaccinations, bordatella nose spray, heartworm/worm meds, and given a big room to stay in. They are about three years old and most likely sisters. They are scheduled to get spayed/microchipped next week. Ruby has a mammary tumor, and that will be removed when she gets spayed & sent for a biopsy.
Both will also get heartworm tested. Once all the vet services are completed, they will be put up for adoption. Now that they’re not scared anymore, the humane society director says they will go fast. Lynne is pretty sure it was the Reiki that got Opal & Ruby finally captured. I’ll be working with them when I go there. Hopefully they’ll be adopted soon.
Sue Lovell
Quick Update on Ruby & Opal: Both are doing fine and acting like normal “pets” again. They are scheduled for spay surgery and Ruby’s tumor will be removed and sent in for a biopsy analysis. Neither of the dogs have heartworm. Yay! They should be out on the adoption floor soon!
A Beautiful Reiki Teacher
Several years ago I was blessed to find two adorable beagles at a local animal shelter. At the time I had no idea what incredible teachers they were. Recently Daphne took me on a journey that would deepen my spiritual practice and expand my understanding of the power of Reiki to bring healing on all levels.
One evening Daphne began showing signs of what appeared to be digestive issues. The situation escalated overnight. I contacted our vet and was advised to bring Daphne to the local animal hospital. Fear filled my mind. What if something was seriously wrong? What if I lost her? What if there was nothing I could do to help her? What if I couldn’t afford whatever treatment she needed?
On top of these concerns I realized that I would have to leave my other dog, Dylan, at home alone while I took Daphne to the hospital. My dogs are together most of the time and I had deep concerns about how Dylan would react to being left alone, especially since I was sure he knew that Daphne wasn’t well. Bringing Dylan along for the ride unfortunately wasn’t an option.
Time was of the essence and I had no choice but to go. I called someone to come over and be with Dylan while I was gone and I left for the hospital. Dylan’s howling as I walked out the door was heart breaking. I had to trust that he would be fine. I knew that someone was only a few minutes away to give him some support.
As we drove to the hospital the fear increased but I knew that what Daphne needed the most was for me to get steady. And then I remembered that this was the perfect time for Reiki. One of my favorite ways to get out of my head and really connect with the Reiki energy is to work with the Reiki symbols in the form of a chant. As I chanted I quickly found myself releasing the fear. A feeling of peace washed over me and I knew that no matter what happened we would all be okay. I continued offering Reiki on the 30 minute drive for Daphne, for myself to help me get more grounded and calm, and for calm and comfort for Dylan at home.
Within a few minutes I felt myself level off emotionally. My breathing steadied. The panic was gone. It was a huge blessing to be able to be more present and supportive for Daphne. The more I felt these shifts the more I wanted to chant. I continued as we drove feeling confident that it was helping all of us.
In the middle of the chanting something grabbed my attention. I felt a physical sensation just below my rib cage on the left side of my body. In my mind I saw an image of a thin tube in that area of my body and what looked like molasses going through it. I also heard “gall bladder” in my head. I wasn’t sure what to make of this but I was pretty sure that the gall bladder was on the right side of the human body, not the left. And frankly, I wasn’t even sure if dogs had gall bladders! I dismissed the info and kept on chanting.
We arrived at the hospital and Daphne was admitted for testing. An ultrasound revealed a gall bladder mucocele as the cause of her distress and surgery was needed. Thankfully there was a surgeon available and she was prepped. I went home to check on Dylan and to try to keep worry from taking hold again.
When I arrived home I was pleasantly surprised to hear that Dylan wasn’t making any noise or showing any signs of stress when help arrived to sit with him earlier in the day. Score another point for that Reiki chant on the way to the hospital! It is so wonderful that distance Reiki is possible and that we can offer our support to anyone at any time without having to be physically with them.
Daphne came through surgery just fine a few hours later and when I went to visit her the next day she was looking great considering what she’d been through. I offered Reiki as we visited. Her ER doctor was wonderful and as an added bonus was a Reiki practitioner. As we spoke I became comfortable enough with her to share the vision that I had seen on the way to the hospital.
The doctor told me that the image I described sounded a lot like the common bile duct. The mucocele was described to me as a gooey ball that was clogging the gall bladder and not allowing passage into this duct. The molasses image Daphne sent me didn’t seem too far off. Other than this image showing up on the wrong side of the body for me, it seemed far more accurate a description of her situation than anything I could have come up with on my own…especially since I couldn’t have told you what the gall bladder looks like prior to her surgery.
Daphne was able to come home early the next day. She recovered very quickly. So quickly, in fact, that I had a very hard time keeping her quiet. She was not supposed to walk off leash, no stairs, no jumping, etc. She was not happy with this. She was back to her strong self. In fact, she seemed stronger than ever before.
Blood tests were needed to be sure she was healing properly. This would be a challenge. Vet visits have always required at least two if not three people to get things done with my dogs. My sweet little Daphne turns into a bucking bronco no matter what they try to do with her. We have been blessed with a wonderful vet who seems to be an expert at handling “beagle drama” but even so, I know that my dogs don’t make it easy for her.
During the recheck I left the room so they could draw blood without my stress adding to Daphne’s. I could hear them trying to coax her and having to struggle to convince her to settle. And then she let out a shriek that almost brought me to tears. I know that this was just her way of expressing her displeasure and that it was disproportionate to what was being done to her…another example of classic beagle drama, but it was still awful to hear. I wished that there was something I could do to help her. I just didn’t know what that would be. She needed the blood work done. End of story. We all got through it. Kudos to our vet for her endless patience and for getting the job done!
Daphne was healing well and I was able to travel to a Reiki class at The C.A.R.E Foundation in Florida. At C.A.R.E I had the privilege of meditating (sharing Reiki) with tigers, Asian black leopards, a crocodile, venomous snakes and many other animals. It was an incredible trip. I felt as though my connection to Reiki had gone to a deeper level as a result of my time at C.A.R.E and I hoped that I would be able to continue at this level when I got home and back to “real life.”
Daphne was due for another recheck when I got home. With the C.A.R.E experience fresh in my mind, I decided that while the vet was taking blood from Daphne this time I would go sit in the other room and offer Reiki in hopes that it would somehow make it less traumatic for all of us. I set an intention to offer Reiki for whatever Daphne (and our vet!) would need and I began to meditate.
I’ve been a Reiki practitioner since the mid-1990’s so I am familiar with the fact that it works. But I couldn’t help but feel a little amazed when after just a couple minutes of relative silence I heard the vet from the other room using words like “incredible” and “flawless.” I stayed where I was because I’d not heard any crazy noises or struggling. I assumed they hadn’t started. She must have been talking about something else. When the vet said “all done” I was amazed. Daphne had settled down and although she wasn’t thrilled, she let them take the blood without much protest. This was a first with Daphne and I was very grateful that the process had been relatively easy for all involved.
A month passed and Daphne was due for another recheck. As I left the room the vet asked if I’d done Reiki with her before the visit. I had intended to but I hadn’t been able to fit a session in that morning so I told her no, but I was going to go into the next room to do some right then. I could hear Daphne whining through the door. The drama was starting. I was concerned that the previous recheck ease had been a fluke. I dug deep to ground myself and then offered Reiki for whatever everyone needed. I was filled with happiness a couple minutes later when I heard “that was excellent” through the door. Reiki had done it again!
My preference would certainly have been that Daphne not have to go through any of this, but looking back I have such gratitude for her willingness to teach me, and all who were involved with her care, how helpful Reiki can be when we are in our spiritual practice and when we are striving to “Be Reiki” at all times.
Daphne’s healing journey reinforced for me that Reiki can be used to calm and ground no matter what the situation. It showed how well Reiki can support our healing so that we can bounce back quickly and easily from illness. It showed how effective distance Reiki can be. And it even revealed itself as a way to possibly provide clues to the question “where does it hurt” so we can share that information with the medical professionals who are working with our animals.
It also made me conscious of the fact that until I got serious about Reiki as a daily spiritual practice, I had never seen it work as quickly or as powerfully as it did to calm Daphne during her two rechecks. I never would have thought results like this possible with her, maybe not even with consistent sessions! I truly believe that traditional Japanese Reiki (meditation) can help us in extraordinary ways.
I am filled with gratitude for my beautiful Reiki teacher, Daphne, and for all of the talented medical professionals who treated us so well through the entire process. These people were filled with compassion and whether they would label it this way or not, they were beautiful examples of “being Reiki”. They went to that space of compassion and gave care from the heart. What a gift!
It is my hope that Daphne’s story will inspire others to commit to their daily Reiki practice and make it a central part of their life, helping Reiki meditation and compassion spread throughout the world, and healing our planet one beautiful spirit at a time.
Shine your light. Be Reiki!
Stacey Wall
SARA Teacher/Practitioner
Lacey One Month On
I give weekly Reiki sessions to dogs in care at the London centre of The Dogs Trust, the UK’s leading animal rescue charity, whose ethos is never to destroy a healthy dog.
The photos are of Lacey lurcher aged 8 at her first Reiki session and after one month. Her emotional journey and the improvement in her physical condition whilst in care, are clearly visible. Because we keep a photographic record of the dogs over the course of their sessions for a variety of reasons, we are able to review progress in this way. She sought out human contact from the beginning as you can see from those big pleading eyes.
What a difference four weeks have made to Lacey, who is classified as nervous around people and with high anxiety levels. We focus on empowerment as the sessions progress. The dog is free to come and go from the mat and we try to make it fun as well as relaxing, so have toys on the mat.
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I think the pictures show quite clearly her improved ability to respond to care givers, her alertness, relaxation and her head carriage show confidence and trust in us. The eye contact picture, far from being aggressive, was making a connection with us and moments before a big licky kiss. This is a dog who has really benefited from volunteer Reiki in the centre and will make a lovely companion.
Lucy Lofting Reiki Master
The SARA Philosophy: Support Your Local Shelter, Sanctuary or Rescue
By: Char Jensen
Why giving back now is the key to your Reiki business’s future success.
Every entrepreneur knows that the early days of building a new business from the ground up are challenging, exhausting and even exhilarating. But in the wild rush to find new customers, get the word out and turn a profit, it’s easy for business owners to neglect one of the most critical strategies for success: giving back the community. Although doing so may seem to go against the conventional wisdom on your road to making sales (“How can I make money when I give things away for free?”), the reality is, it’s just smart business.
It’s a secret long known by uber-successful corporations—from American Express to Zappos.com. Companies such as these make corporate social responsibility a priority, lending a hand to the communities where their employees live and work. The move strengthens communities, sure, but also boosts their brand in the process.
You may be thinking that it’s easy for multimillion-dollar companies to give back, and that might be true. They’re not stuck in the trenches like you are, working 12-hour days just to secure the next paying client. But the reality is, giving back is not just for big companies. Small ones—especially those in the startup stage—that donate their time and services to a cause aligned with their business’s goals find it’s an invaluable way to broaden their network, raise their business’s profile and, yes, even make sales.
“Giving back is an essential part of establishing your startup’s brand,” says Rieva Lesonsky, CEO of GrowBiz Media in Costa Mesa, California, and a nationally recognized expert and speaker on entrepreneurship and small business. “Everyone prefers to do business with people they know. Showing up and taking part in local activities allows you to meet face to face, and establish actual relationships with potential and current customers. You can spend a lot of money and time on marketing and social media campaigns (and I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t invest in those), but nothing works better—or faster—than showing up and letting your community know you’re there and you care.”
Building Relationships, Building Trust
Support is at the heart of the Shelter Animal Reiki Association’s nonprofit business model: support for SARA teachers to pursue their work with their animal member organizations, and support for the animal shelters, sanctuaries and rescues dedicated to helping homeless animals. SARA is a pioneer in the field of holistic animal therapy and on the forefront of forward-thinking shelter/sanctuary/rescue wellness programs. A 501(c)3 corporation with members across the U.S. and in England, SARA has created a standardized program of animal Reiki (a Japanese system of energy healing) training and treatment programs to support the health and wellness of animals in shelters, sanctuaries and rescues as well as the caregivers at each animal organization. Through SARA’s ongoing professional development, training and evaluation program for members, SARA seeks also to promote the highest standards in animal Reiki practitioner and teacher excellence.
When you are first starting out, making yourself known at a particular shelter—that you are a trustworthy and professional business owner—is critically important. Kathleen Prasad, cofounder and president of SARA, found this to be true in the early days of her business, Animal Reiki Source, especially as she started volunteering at BrightHaven, a sanctuary for senior, disabled and special needs animals in Sonoma County, California.
“It’s really true that it’s all about relationships,” Prasad says. “When I first began, my business was struggling financially, and it was quite a risk to give so much freely. But I felt in my heart—seeing the amazing work that they do, knowing the caliber of people that Gail and Richard [owners of BrightHaven] are—that this was the right thing to do. The only way that I wanted build my business was through the integrity of a strong core of service. And so I stepped forward, not knowing how this would play out, and having no other person in whose footsteps to follow.” Today, she is able to support a viable animal Reiki business full time, and also give back to BrightHaven on a regular basis, both energetically (through Reiki) and financially.
When Joyce Leonard began Santa Cruz Reiki Works in Ben Lomond, California, she ran into a common obstacle many new Reiki businesses face. “A year ago, before SARA, I approached an organization about animal Reiki training. They turned me down,” she says. “They didn’t know me from Adam. So I became a good, reliable, consistent volunteer—and I only volunteer for a few hours a month, so it doesn’t take a lot of time. Now they are interested, and I’ve even received a referral from one of them, and the director hired me for a treatment.”
Building your Reiki business will take time, but as Kelly McDermott-Burns, founder of HeartSong Reiki and HeartSong for Animals in Stockbridge, Vermont, has found, giving back to animal organizations is time well spent. She works with the Rutland County Humane Society, the Central Vermont Humane Society and The Hooved Animal Sanctuary. “I have found service work—free clinics, speaking on Reiki—to be extremely rewarding and a great way to get your name out there. Any free services or discounts will give you exposure and give returns in the future.”
“The SARA suggestions to teach the staff for no charge and the volunteers for half price is a great idea,” says Jodie Brenner, who, as founder of Equushearts~Reiki for Animals and Humans in Bend, Oregon, works with a local animal hospice. “I have not had a problem doing this and find that everyone has been especially grateful. One of the volunteers insisted on paying the full price, as she felt she got so much from the workshop. Donating a portion to the nonprofit is well worth that to me. I have a place to teach, I am supported, and it is my offering to the community.”
Building positive relationships with local shelters and rescues has helped Janet Dobbs, founder of Animal Paradise Communication & Healing in Oak Hill, Virginia, build her business. “You can make wonderful contacts at a rescue or shelter,” she says. “Some of these people could become your best clients or students. They may refer their friends to you and spread the word about you and your work. Networking is one of the best ways to grow your business. Once the word is out, you are golden! You will have more than enough work and business and will be able to continue to give back to the animals.”
Animal Reiki is still just gaining traction in the United States and internationally. And unfortunately, it’s more difficult to grow a business when your customers don’t yet understand what you sell. But that’s why SARA’s philosophy of giving back is so empowering to the Reiki entrepreneur. Volunteering is your key to building a profitable business doing what you love: helping animals.
“For over a year, I ‘stuck to my guns’ and was reluctant to lower my prices or give away treatments or training. I felt that my prices were fair and that people needed to pay–it was a fair exchange,” says Leonard. “One day I had a huge insight. I realized that I wasn’t giving hardly any Reiki treatments and that I hadn’t taught any classes (I couldn’t fill them). It was difficult to even justify calling myself a Reiki teacher or practitioner since I was not engaged in doing either. I asked myself, ‘Do you want to do Reiki or do you want to hold out until people come and start paying?’” She wanted to do Reiki—so she reevaluated her payment structure. She started to offer some complimentary treatments, some on a sliding scale, donation-only Reiki Shares and free drop-in clinics. “Now I am giving it away, and suddenly, my phone is ringing with paying clients!” Leonard is happy to report she just taught her first class.
Evolving—As an Entrepreneur and Reiki Practitioner
Establishing alliances with local shelters, sanctuaries and rescues will benefit you in another very important way, one that you may not have considered. The volunteer experiences you have with animals and staff will teach you important Reiki lessons and help you grow as a practitioner.
“On a professional level, I have had the opportunity to work on many different animals: dogs, cats, goats, sheep, pigs, bunnies, birds, chickens, horses and hamsters,” says McDermott-Burns. “I have gained quite a bit of experience from the wonderful variety of creatures available at my shelters. Personally, I must say the most profound lesson I have learned is that the kindness of the human spirit far outweighs cruelty. On the days when I feel the burden of what some of these animals have endured, someone will come in and adopt an animal with health issues, or a crusty old dog near the end of his time on this plane–animals that seem to be unadoptable because of the special care they need. It lifts my heart to know these animals will finally have a loving home. It gives me the courage to stick it out when I just want to go home and cry.”
“My relationship with Animals In Distress has given me a great deal of experience in offering Reiki to animals and to their caretakers,” says John Sawyer of CritterReiki.com in Topton, Pennsylvania. “That experience has been valuable in working with animals and their people outside of AID. Volunteering there has shown me the power of a clear vision and purpose. I have also been blessed to learn from many animals in the time I’ve been involved there. Animals are such amazing teachers!” AID has yet to sign on as a SARA member organization, but Sawyer is working toward that goal.
Promoting Your Business Through Service
When you build relationships with local animal organizations, you gain access to valuable opportunities for promoting your business to the community at large. Your professional network will begin to widen, and you’ll get the chance to volunteer your time and expertise in numerous ways: speaking opportunities, fundraising events, trade shows, auctions and more. “Taking part in community events instantly telegraphs that you care about what’s going on in your neighborhood, and not just about making money,” says Lesonsky, who is also the bestselling author of Start Your Own Business.
As an entrepreneur, it’s vital you stay current on what’s happening and get involved every chance you get. “The most important lesson I have learned is that you have to get yourself out there in the community before you try to sell them on something,” says Leonard. “This means to volunteer in the organization. Help them out and get known. Join their online groups and forums. Participate, write in their newsletters, do high–profile volunteer work that will get you noticed by the right people. Help them out when they’re in a pinch.”
That’s what McDermott-Burns does. “When I participate in shelter fundraisers, I often get free advertising aimed at the people most likely to use my services,” she says. “I also enjoy educating people on the benefits of Reiki for themselves and their animal companions. In addition, I meet many people at shelter events who are interested in classes or sessions.”
The animal Reiki practitioners we spoke to for this article are SARA members. They follow SARA’s policy on donations and fees: free Reiki treatments at shelters, sanctuaries and rescues; free training for the staff of these organizations; teaching volunteers at these shelters for half price; and donating 20-50 percent of proceeds back to the shelter when animal Reiki classes for the general public are taught there.
Add it all up, and you are getting the word out, expanding your professional network, interacting with potential clients, honing your skills as an animal Reiki practitioner, boosting your brand and building a reputation—all for the price of time and a small portion of proceeds, both of which directly support the causes you care deeply about. As Prasad says, “When you are giving back to the animals, to people, to organizations who are lights in this world—it’s time well spent, and you are making the world a better place!”
By: Char Jensen, SARA Publicist
Someone Has to Do It By: Kelly McDermott-Burns
With every Animal Reiki class I teach there is invariably a student who wants to go into their local shelter and offer Reiki. It’s a rare and happy occurrence when they do.
Shelter work wasn’t the reason I first began on the animal Reiki path. After teacher training at Brighthaven I remember talking to Kathleen Prasad about her plans to start SARA. The idea really appealed to me and I wanted to be part of it, but I was fearful. How could I go in there and see all those animals waiting for a home? I wasn’t sure how I would handle it. Could I do it emotionally? Was it going to eat me up inside? I was especially afraid to see the results of abuse. Would I start to hate people? I have been asked these questions many times by others and I tell them the same thing Kathleen told me, “If we don’t do it, who will?” I’m a practical person, and those words clicked with me. ‘Oh, right. Someone has to do it.’ It was enough for me to put aside my fears and give it a go.
I have been volunteering Reiki at the Rutland County Humane Society, a SARA shelter, for five years now. I am fortunate to be working in a wonderful shelter with caring staff and a clean environment. The experience has been so incredibly enriching for me personally and for my work with animals in my private practice. Being able to look my fears of encountering anger, sadness and loss right in the face and to be of service to the animals regardless has taught me patience and compassion. I have learned how to find the good in many situations that seemed beyond redemption. I have grown in my understanding that I still need to grow.
My personal practice has been the most important element in this work. Without Reiki supporting me it would be incredibly difficult to walk into RCHS and not absorb some of the pain and sadness I encounter there. Reiki keeps me grounded and opens my heart to have a deeper understanding of compassion. Not just for the animals but for the people that have left them there. I am learning all the time about non-judgement, one of the hardest lessons for me in this work.
I didn’t find all this out right away, of course. I struggled in the beginning with anger and sadness. I wanted to save everyone! I was fearful that some would never make it to a good home. I checked the logs every week to see who went home and had mixed feelings when my favorites left. I wanted them to go home but I also wanted them for me. My own fear of abandonment came up over and over again. Whew!! So much to learn!
Staying diligent with my practice helped me to move through all that. I focused on being grounded through my work with Joshin Kokyu Ho and the first symbol. I maintained emotional balance through my work with the second symbol and the third symbol helped me to open my heart.
Today, there are other meditations I use to go deeper into my true nature. I continue to use the precepts to work through each difficult situation I encounter. And I always keep the basics at hand for days when I have trouble getting into the space.
This isn’t to say that some days I don’t cry over an animal’s fate. It only means that I can see a bigger picture, that I can gain some insight into living a fully compassionate life without falling apart.
Kelly McDermott-Burns
Founding SARA Teacher
Creating a Reiki Space By: Jackie Eichelberger
Recently one of our SARA members, Gay Fowler, was the subject of an article by Jackie Eichelberger, a local columnist who lives close to Gay in Texas. Jackie had visited Gay’s ranch and found the harmony between the domestic and wild animals was so unique it was worth sharing with her readers. Although the article below does not mention Reiki, when we spoke to Gail she said she uses the Hatsurei Ho meditation every morning to create the Reiki space. The story below is a beautiful testament to the power of her personal practice.
I spent the weekend down in the country at a friend’s ranch recently. My friend is one of those people that animals are drawn to. Besides having dozens of donkeys, scores of goats, fifteen horses, two dogs and one cat, there’s a mother raccoon with four babies and four possums that visit her twice a day on her upstairs balcony. Add to that the scores of hummingbirds who visit her feeders and local birds who assemble on her balcony rail for snacks during the day. She says she feels as if she’s running a restaurant whose menu consists of hay, alfalfa, cat food, dog food, sugar water and birdseed.
I was fascinated by the gentleness of this assorted menagerie. All of the donkeys, goats and horses wander up to you for a pat on the head or a scratch on the snout. I like the donkeys best because of their soulful eyes and gentle insistence on being as close to you as possible for an ear rub or a hug.
Goats, as my friend says, are Nature’s party animals. The young ones love climbing onto anything with a relatively flat surface no matter how precarious it may be. They bounce around stiff legged with playful abandon or jump from a perch with a fancy body twist in mid air…such fun to watch. They love to climb into wheelbarrows or empty feed pans for a quick nap. (Here is a cute video of the goats and donkey IMG_1371.)
The possums and raccoons come for a meal twice a day and have a dining order. Mom raccoon, Rosalita, comes first and daintily dips each morsel of cat food into the 
water dish as she eats. Cat food is her preferred dish. When she’s full, she rests in the corner while all four babes known as “the Rowdies” dig in with gusto, cat food pellets flying everywhere. Do you know why raccoons “wash” their food by dipping it in water? It’s because they have no salivary glands. Moisture aids their ability to eat and digest food.
If my friend is late in putting out the morning meal, Rosalita is often seen standing on two feet against the sliding glass door peering in searching for my friend as if to say“where’s our breakfast…you’re late.” When all her family is fed, Rosalita sometimes puts a paw against the glass door where my friend’s hand rests on the other side. That’s raccoon for “thank you” I think.
Next in the food line come the four possums…Baldy, Not-Baldy, Patches and Crash. They come one at a time and finish off the cat food in no time at all. My friend thinks that the critters are spreading the word to their friends and she will soon be overrun.
Her hummingbird feeders have turned into a regular rest haven for hummers as they make their journey from their winter grounds in Mexico and on their return trip in the fall. As many as twenty or more can be counted flying in and around the feeders several times a day jockeying for their turn to take a drink. A lot of territorial posturing goes on and skirmishes often break out among the swirling crowd of birds.
An incredible connection between the human species and the animal world goes on daily at this ranch and it’s a rare experience to be a part of it. My friend has favorites among the hoofed residents and has names for all the horses, a large number of the donkeys and many, many goats. It’s so relaxing to sit and watch all these critters going about doing the things critters do. It’s a lesson on how to coexist with Nature’s fauna and be rewarded with their gentle, trusting company.
Animal Reiki in India!
As a Reiki practitioner I just never stop learning, as an Animal Reiki practitioner the animals never stop teaching me and as a Reiki Teacher this can only be a good thing!
I was reminded of this during my recent visit to The Tree of Life for Animals (TOLFA) in Rajasthan India. TOLFA is a shelter on the front line of animal welfare and some of the animals coming in are in a very poor physical condition and it is fair to say staff see a lot of extreme cases that we just don’t have experience of in the west. So for me it would be a test of my belief in Reiki, to work with the animals and teach Reiki to members of the shelter staff – while trying not to feel overwhelmed – so some gentle reminders about the fundamentals of Reiki from the animals, were most welcome.
The Tree of Life for Animals was founded by Rachel Wright in 2005. Rachel is a British vet nurse who is dedicated to animal welfare, she was awarded the CEVA Welfare Vet Nurse of the year in 2012 is highly regarded for her work in the community where she now lives in India. Rachel and I met in 2002 while studying Essential Oil Therapy for animals and both living in London. Rachel gave me my first experience of offering Reiki to animals by inviting me to the veterinary surgery where she worked and had recently set up a programme of complementary therapies for animals, with a lovely room dedicated to this purpose within the surgery.
TOLFA – The hospital sits in a beautiful valley in the Aravalli Mountain range, between Pushkar and Ajmer in rural Rajasthan. The hospital is surrounded by beautiful countryside, still green after the monsoon, perfect for dog walking. Pushkar is one of the oldest towns in India known for the famous Bahma Temple built in the 14th century, According to legend, the origin of Pushkar dates back to the time when lord Brahma was on his way in search of a tranquil land, lotus fell from the hands of the lord into this valley and a lake sprang up on this spot which was dedicated to him. The Brahma temple located here is a popular place of pilgrimage the area has a wonderful energy attracting many tourists and travellers visiting the holy lake and taking part yoga, meditation and ayurvedic health retreats. Pushkar is also famous for its Camel Fair which TOLFA attends every year to educate the public on animal welfare.
The majority of animals coming through Tolfa’s gates are street or community dogs. Life on the street is hard and when they become ill or injured their local caregiver will contact Tolfa or ambulance staff will pick up sick and injured animals on their rounds. After treatment the animal is always returned to it’s own neighbourhood, if possible.
Tolfa runs a volunteer programme welcoming anyone with animal experience and time, willing to give a bit TLC to the animals in their care. In fact, Rachel sees what she calls Nurturing Volunteers as an essential part of care and rehabilitation that animals receive not only veterinary treatment but also love and attention, so welcomes volunteers especially those with therapies such as Reiki.
So it was as a ‘Nurturing Volunteer’ that I spent 6 weeks there in 2010 putting into practice my skills as a holistic therapist including aromatherapy, massage zoopharmacognosy and Reiki. This year 2013 sees TOLFA become a SARA shelter and I was honoured to attune some wonderful practitioners to Animal Reiki.
My First Day
Accompanying Rachel on her morning tour I soon had a list of animals that she wanted me to do some work with: some had wounds that were taking a long time to heal – perfect candidates for essential oils and nutritional supplements. Many were undergoing treatment that would mean long-term care and, as well as the stress of being confined in a kennel, the veterinary treatment although essential can be a frightening encounter and painful for dogs. Some, suffering from Mange, had already been subjected to emotional trauma while other animals were ready to pass over – TOLFA never turns an away an animal in need and many spend their last days being cared for and loved in safety.
Rachel already had in mind that Reiki could be an important part of end of life care at the shelter and that was certainly to be the theme of this visit, something I needed to work through also, having had a very difficult experience with one of my own precious dogs a number of years ago. Funny how Reiki works, isn’t it!
Remember To Listen
A little black and white dog who had been in a road traffic accident and left with paralysis of her hind legs.
Many of the permanent residents are dogs with paralysis or amputees and I would ask anyone questioning the quality of life for these dogs to just spend some time watching them play and interact with the people and other dogs at the shelter. Of course there are some health issues connected with their conditions but veterinary care is on hand 24/7 and their health is carefully monitored. I watched one little dog speed across the compound on balancing her weight on her front legs to meet her friend, who also only had two good legs, the pure joy as they played was a pleasure to watch.
Back to the little black and white dog. She was very unhappy and although receiving the medical care she needed, didn’t seem to be improving and would warn people off when approached and avoided human contact at all costs. Rachel explained she had the same type of injury as some of the other shelter dogs who coped well and felt there was no physical reason for her to be so depressed. She lived in the puppy yard a secure walled space with sheltering tree where the puppies and younger dogs can move around freely.
As soon as I went into meditation and offered her Reiki she began to move towards me, over to where I sat on a concrete platform passing by my feet then settled directly in front of me a little way off where she made direct eye contact and accepted Reiki for a while (I took the photo when I felt she had enough) but then she came towards me again and tried to climb up on to the concrete platform – at this point one of the staff members reminded me not to touch this dog as she was ‘dangerous’, kind of breaking our connection!
I felt we had made progress so that evening back at the hotel I offered Reiki again distantly and felt an instant connection. I picked up a strong feeling of ‘regret’ and she showed me how her life had changed in an instant, and she just didn’t see the point without her legs. This was really hard to hear and I was determined to help her see that she was now in a safe place where she would be taken care of and loved. We continued with a very strong connection for some time.
Next morning I started my day in the office making up remedies and essential oil blends while Rachel and the veterinary staff made their rounds, then I thought I could go and spend some extra time with the little black and white dog. But it was not to be, she had passed away while I had been in the office, my first thought was why didn’t I go straight to her?, why couldn’t I help her?
Had I really listened to what she was saying I would have realised this was her choice, we have no influence on the outcome and by holding the Reiki space help them to pass in peace and move on if that is their choice. So we sat together in a Reiki space for a while.
Remember – No Expectations, Detach From The Outcome
H9 or Harry is a beautiful soul. He has mange and infected wounds when he was brought in to TOLFA. The mange dogs have suffered twofold, the condition itself is debilitating and leaves them open to secondary disease and complications and emotionally they can be very depressed. As a result of their appearance they are unwanted by the community and often chased away from their homes. It is a common sight to see people throwing stones at such unfortunates, they become pariahs.
Harry is a severe case possessing only a few tufts of hair on his head, the colour reminding me of Prince Harry’s hence his name, I’m sure he’ll be very handsome when it all grows back!
Harry was on my Reiki list and we soon became friends, he is a lovely gentle boy always ready with a wag of his tail. Towards the end of October the weather turned unexpectedly cold at night, earlier than usual, catching everyone off guard (normally shutters are drawn and blankets dispensed to help the more vulnerable dogs cope with the cold. Rajasthan is a desert state and temperatures can drop to minus 0 in the winter months. On checking Harry one morning found him cold to the touch, we moved him out in to the sun and he was given emergency fluids and treatment. He didn’t seem to be responding and other 
signs meant that things weren’t looking so good for him, my heart sank as I prepared myself for the worst. As I sat with him I felt drawn to chant the mantra for the master symbol, the power of the vibration merging with the sounds of the dogs around us, I would be with him holding the Reiki space while he passed – Harry had other ideas, imagine my delight when he sat up looked up into my face and wagged his tail! Reiki can provide that spark that a soul needs to heal when they are just not ready to go – it is their choice we just consciously bring the energy within their reach.
He continues to improve and before I left found a lovely thick fleecy blanket in the market for his bed. He is still receiving Reiki and his Spirulina milk shakes, which from the photo you can tell he loves.
UPDATE FROM RACHEL AT TOLFA: “Today was funny…I was doing Reiki with another little mange guy in H7 but kneeling in the gallery and your man, promptly got out of his bed (which he hardly ever wants to leave) and pressed himself against the kennel gate trying to get in on the action…he was lapping it up!!”
Remember To See With Your Heart
Mouse my Little Reiki Helper!
I would feel a constant presence at my side while working – even when I was sure I had closed gates – I would turn and this little dog would be standing at my leg. I gave up trying to contain him, he could squeeze through any hole, gap, drain and he was just there – while I walked the other dogs, gave treatments, and offered Reiki. Mouse was a new addition the group of Shelter dogs who live permanently at Tolfa and Rachel explained he had come in as a suspected rabies case and had been rescued from a not so nice area of a nearby town, with an unusual canine tooth/jaw arrangement going on, he looks as though he is about to bite and this had led to him being neglected and abused.
I started to look forward to his quiet calm deep thinking presence during my day, I’m sure he was joining in with my Reiki sessions. So with a little patience and the kindness shown to him by people who could see beyond his appearance, he is settling in well at Tolfa.
UPDATE FROM JEMMA AT TOLFA: “I came in the other morning and was trying to work out who he lively, happy little dog was instigating play with Ginger and Honey… really, it took me a while to realise it was Mouse! He was jumping and leaping about without a care in the world!”
The Class
Our class was held in a lovely room in the education centre overlooking part of the shelter compound on one side and fields on the other, a beautiful healing space. We were joined in the morning by seven orphans – five newborn puppies whose mother had just been brought in to Tolfa, but had passed away while giving birth during the night, another poorly 2 week old puppy and a feisty newborn kitten.
Hard Lessons
By the end of our day all of the puppies had passed away to join their mum, a big lesson for any practitioner is that healing doesn’t always mean the restoration of physical health and can be purely spiritual, and I am so proud of my students, although sad, we all recognised what had taken place, we had helped them on their journey in peace and with love. The kitten continues to thrive.
This reminds me of another essential part of our practice, self healing, the work we do is so emotional and can be draining, we really need to include ourselves in the healing process so that we can continue to give our best. Please read Kathleen’s brilliant workshop/article on Self-Healing for Animal Caregivers.
I thank all of the wonderful people doing this difficult but rewarding job at TOLFA and all of the animals I met they made my visit very special.
Now that TOLFA is a SARA Shelter all animals passing through its gates will be offered Reiki and will be available to support the staff and caregivers.
Left to Right: Jemma Sadler, Cristal, Maria Jose Sanchez, Rachel Wright.
Written by: SARA Teacher Alison McKinnon
Gerry the Magic Dog
In January of 2013 my two sons and I adopted a beautiful little Blue Merle Sheltie named Gerry. The day we picked him up from the shelter he was so timid that he ran and hid under the desk when he saw us. It took a while, but finally we managed to coax him into the kennel with some treats. My oldest son took him to the car and he headed home with us, his new forever family.
The first night at our house was stressful for all of us. He seemed calm and relaxed in the car ride home so when we got him to the room where he would be sleeping, we opened the kennel door. Unfortunately Gerry was so terrified and stressed that he ran out and messed all over the carpet. We managed to coax him back into the kennel and gave him an hour or so of quiet time before taking him for his first walk. Gerry was so frightened that when he got out on the front step he bolted and slipped his collar. Fortunately he turned to the right when he got to the end of the driveway and thankfully ended up in our neighbor’s backyard. It took a while but we eventually managed to catch him. By the time we put him to bed that night we were wondering if we had made the right decision adopting a timid dog like Gerry, especially when we had never owned a dog in the city and we were quite inexperienced.
Fortunately things began to improve after that, we became more comfortable with Gerry and Gerry became more comfortable with us. He was still extremely timid and often cowered when you made a move towards him.
5 weeks went by and Gerry was slowly coming around, he knew the morning routine and would actually venture up the stairs on his own to await his walk. He had improved to the point that I felt it was time to switch from a harness to a collar so that I could teach him how to walk beside me versus walking in front or behind me. The night I purchased the collar I took Gerry for a walk and I was so proud of the way he minded with the new collar, he seemed proud of himself as well. It was the perfect end to a perfect day, it felt like things were finally turning around.
The next morning he came up and waited in the porch for me to get ready. I checked his new collar and noticed that it was extremely tight so I decided to loosen it a notch. When we got out on the front step something startled him and he slipped the collar, I watched him run down the street as fast as his little legs could carry him and by the time I got to the end of the block he was already halfway up the next one. I was mad at myself for switching to a collar, how could I have made the same mistake twice? I was also terrified that we may never see him again.
Gerry was spotted numerous times in the first week, both in our subdivision as well as in acreages 2 miles south of us, then suddenly he disappeared for a week. I was worried sick about him being out there all alone and I felt responsible. The 2nd week he was missing my Reiki teacher and practitioner Hazel Butterworth sent Gerry’s picture to Kristy Mcgale who specializes in Animal Reiki. Kristy connected with Gerry, she said she saw train tracks and popcorn. Asked him if he was okay. Got a yes and no answer, she said he seemed to be missing his foster family. She also sent him Reiki. Hazel suggested that I too send Gerry distance Reiki. I had taken my level 1 & 2 in the fall of 2011 and for some reason had stopped practicing daily. I decided it was time to get back to it. I had a stuffed dog that has a mane similar to Gerry so I decided to use this dog whenever I connected with Gerry and sent him distance Reiki. Hazel suggested that while he was away I should contemplate what I was learning from this experience.
I had been seriously contemplating the lessons I was learning and the one that stood out the most was “acceptance”, we were so hung up on his Gerry’s timid nature and wishing he was more friendly and cuddly. But the day he left I could feel the absence of his loving and peaceful energy and I realized in that moment just how much he brought to our household just with his presence. It seemed Gerry had an impact on everyone who met him. He had the most beautiful mane and it is shaped like a heart. He really is a miraculous, magical dog.
Hazel suggested that I surrender the outcome, he knows you are there and he is wanting to return on his terms. Letting go and surrendering the outcome was proving to be difficult indeed, especially since Gerry had been missing for almost a week, but the Reiki helped lift me up and renewed my faith. Each morning and night I would connect and send Reiki to Gerry, and during these times I could feel the energy exploding through my heart, there was definitely a connection between us.
A few days later Gerry appeared one morning sunning himself under a tree in the park just beyond our back fence. He had eaten the food we continued to leave out for him on the front porch. As soon as I went out to the backyard with his kennel he ran away to the woods behind our house. I left the kennel in the backyard with food thinking he may come back, but he didn’t return that night.
The next night he appeared in the backyard looking for food. I snuck out quietly and closed the gate, as soon as he heard me he started to pace back and forth along the fence line. I decided I would let him settle for a few minutes before I went out to catch him, but by the time I got outside he must have figured out how to jump the fence and was long gone. I started to receive messages that Gerry was not coming home until I surrendered. We tried 2 more times that week to trap him in the backyard but each time he jumped the fence. On the third night he waited until we were in bed to return and eat the food we left for him, then he vanished.
The days passed and no sign of Gerry and no calls either. It suddenly became apparent to me that we were not “getting” the lesson that Gerry was here to teach. A week after he vanished Kristy McGale stopped by with her dog Logan. She wanted to take a walk around the area where he had last been spotted to see if she could connect to Gerry. She also visited with my son Cody and I and offered some suggestions on how we could connect with Gerry. She suggested visualizing a bridge, one on which he could meet us half way. I am so grateful to her for sharing this information as I found it enabled me to connect with Gerry in a different way. My focus now became acceptance of who he is (timid or not) and suggesting that we both release our fears about this situation and meet in the middle.
Hazel and Kristy’s recommendations enabled me to surrender the fear of him never coming back and to instead focus on love and acceptance. On March 24th over a month after Gerry had run away I connected with Gerry at bedtime. I asked him if he wanted to come home and he said YES. I asked him if I had his permission to trap him, if that’s what it would take to bring him home, he said YES. I then let him know that in order for him to be found he would have to let someone see him so that they could contact us. This session moved me deeply and gave me a sense of peace that I had not felt in a very long time.
The evening of March 27th a gentleman named Ben called to say that he thinks he has our dog. He works at a Landscaping company about 28 km southwest of us. He said that this little dog started appearing about 3 days ago. The reason he had not called right away is because it took him a couple of days to find my lost dog ad on Kijiji. He said Gerry was staying in one of their storage sheds so they started to feed him. They had attempted to get near him but he would run up into the back of the property and stay there until they went home at night. They started to close all doors to the shed except one and hoped that the following morning when they came in they would manage to trap him in the shed.
I connected with Gerry that night and let him know that these people wanted to help him come home and that it was okay to trust them. The next morning Ben called to say that he was not in the shed but when they went looking around the property they found him caught in the fence. They brought him into Ben’s office and made him a comfortable little spot where he felt safe and secure. It’s hard to explain the happiness I felt inside when I saw our Gerry lying there on the floor in Ben’s office. He looked smaller than I remembered… I sat with him for a bit then put his harness and leash on and coaxed him into his kennel. I thanked them with all my heart for reuniting us with Gerry.
I must make mention that railroad tracks run very near the place where Gerry was found and the movie theaters (popcorn) are also nearby. Thanks Kristy!
It’s impossible to express in words how grateful I am to all who assisted us in bringing Gerry home. I also feel such gratitude for this little dog Gerry who sacrificed himself so that we may learn the importance of letting go of judgement and surrendering the outcome of our lives to God and the Universe. Gerry truly is a Magic Dog and we are extremely blessed that he chose us to be his forever family.
Brenda Tompkins
NOTE FROM SARA: Brenda Tompkins is not a SARA member but her story came to us from SARA Teacher Kristy McGale who thought our members might find it interesting. If you know of a story that would fit our blog, please feel free to submit it to [email protected].
Frosty, the Reiki Dog
I wasn’t looking for a dog. I was quite happy and content with seven unique cats. (Yes, you could say I live in a cathouse). I certainly didn’t anticipate a little dog to come into my life, teaching me to look at my Reiki practice and The Precepts in ever new ways. But let me back up a bit.
I had been volunteering Reiki at a wildlife refuge, for almost two years when Beth, the founder, came up to me and said, “I was at the shelter and one of the people said he was trying to use more natural and holistic ways of calming the dogs down and I told him about you and Reiki. Give him a call”. So I did.
Mike had two particular dogs in mind to work with; Serafina, a very sweet, incredibly shy lab mix, and Frosty, a Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua mix, who would nip at people and would circle her kennel endlessly.
After working with Serafina for two visits, she was less shy and was adopted by a nice family. Frosty, who had been in shelter/foster environments for almost two years, was still there. I was warned when I went to work with her” “Don’t pet her, even if she jumps in your lap, she’ll bite”. Volunteers were afraid of her. At one point, one person mentioned that someone recommended having all of her teeth pulled so she would be more adoptable. As it was, she could not be in a home with children or other dogs. For a couple of sessions I worked with her right outside of her kennel. Then we moved into a room, away from the barking and distractions of all the other dogs. She would circle the room and then settle in my lap, sigh and fall asleep. She would put her head under my hand and stay very still.
As the weeks went by, I offered Reiki to all the animals and watched as many were adopted. I wasn’t tempted to adopt any of them because, 1) the shelter was very careful about who adopted, so I knew they would be okay and 2) it is a No-Kill shelter, so there not a deadline, so to speak. Still, it is hard on animals to be a shelter, no matter how kind the people are.
Frosty started to be more affectionate to me and I started to have a nagging thought to maybe adopt her. (I’d have to make sure my landlord wouldn’t mind, that she and the cats would get along, etc.). Then Frosty went into a foster home. I asked how it was going and it sounded like he was going to adopt her. He had one cat and a bird and I thought it would be great for Frosty. And I didn’t have to disrupt my calm little life.
Then, after a month in the foster home, I came to the shelter and Frosty was back in the kennel. For personal reasons, her foster dad was unable to keep her. She looked heartbroken. I was heartbroken for her.
I kept working with her and learned that she didn’t just bite or snap out of the blue, she gave very clear warnings, if you were paying attention. I began to think about adoption becoming a reality.
I checked with my landlord (he said okay) and we had several home visits to see how Frosty would be with the cats and vice versa. So far, so good.
I adopted Frosty at the end of November.
So this 5-7 year old dog, who had been a stray, then in a kill shelter, rescued to a no-kill shelter and had been in two foster homes, with back and knee problems, was now my dog. I had not had a dog before.
Thank God for The Precepts! For Today Only is the only way to live when everyone is learning to adjust to changes in household! I learned that I have to get up a bit earlier so that Frosty can have her morning walk and take care of bathroom issues. (I recently saw a cartoon with a dog talking about its person saying: “She seems nice enough, but when we go on a walk, she steals my poop!”) The cats learned they had a new housemate, and tried to graciously welcome her. Sometimes Frosty was equally gracious, sometimes, not so much. A couple of times she chased a cat into another room and then I’d hear a hiss, followed by a yelp and Frosty running back with a scratch across her nose. Another time, Frosty was trotting thru the house, leash trailing behind her, when she came to an abrupt stop. I investigated and there were seven cats all sitting on her leash. Frosty doesn’t hold a grudge, doesn’t plot to get those evil kitties. In fact, she will sometimes give them a big, sloppy kiss. And I will often find them all curled up on the bed together.
Frosty, with all of her past pain, lives each day without worrying or fear. There is only today. What happened a month ago is over. How she ended up in the streets doesn’t matter. And there is not the slightest sign that she is concerned about the next minute, let alone the next day. She savors each moment, with a look of “Isn’t this the most amazing day ever– don’t you see it”?! She is a very happy dog; she will come in after a walk and roll around on the floor in sheer joy!
One day, coming home from a walk in the neighborhood, I heard a low growl and looked up to see a very big dog loose, with no owner to be seen. The dog looked at Frosty and charged. I got Frosty up onto my trash can, opened my door and got her inside while holding off the big dog. (The dog was not the least bit interested in me, I was in no danger, Frosty was). The dog took off and I went inside to a concerned Frosty. I sat down and started crying from the stress, and Frosty came over and started licking my face and sat in my lap. She showed me such compassion and simply was present with me and let me be, as she simply was herself, fully present to me and fully present with me.
Frosty shows me The Precepts in being fully present in the moment. I realized I was more rigid than I had thought, attached to a particular way of doing things (or to sleeping an extra hour). She teaches me to let go, to breathe, to dive into the now. I look at the snow falling in a different way; I always thought it was beautiful, but to see Frosty dive into the snow and tunnel her way out makes me laugh out loud. There is newness in everything when you see with fresh eyes. The Precepts tell us that, that’s why “For Today Only” is so important, it is the only time, the only moment, so it is ever new. Frosty lives this, without pretense, in an utterly free way; no worries about if it is correct or if she is correct. She simply is; no worries, no apologies, no angst. And I am learning and feeling lighter and freer as I continue to learn from Frosty, Reiki Dog and Teacher.
Kris Azzarello – Shelter Animal Reiki Association Teacher
Riri – A Very Different Perspective on Using Animal Reiki
A lovely, beautiful tanned coloured American Pit Bull had just been delivered to the shelter where I volunteered. She had been found wandering the streets, and the person who found her, delivered her to us. She was named Chloe and it was obvious “Chloe” had recently had pups but she was in excellent condition.
Unfortunately that week I was too busy to have a Reiki session with her but I worked with her the following week and during this Reiki session I discovered she hated the name Chloe and was, in fact, refusing all attempts at interacting with the shelter staff due to this. I picked up that her name started with the letter “R” and said this to a lovely New Zealand vet who worked at the shelter then. She renamed Chloe “Riri”, which was a New Zealand name. Riri loved her new name and began to interact with the shelter staff.
I had also picked up that Riri had been used as a breeding dog and had continually had her pups taken from her. The last litter was taken away at birth and disposed of due to the bad publicity American Pit Bulls were receiving in Australia (the breed was being illegally imported into Australia for dog fighting and also a number of children had been badly savaged by them). Riri was devastated by the loss of her puppies and had been looking for them when found and delivered to the shelter.
I continued to work with Riri and found her to be a beautiful, intelligent dog but she could not stop looking for her puppies. There was also another, horrible problem. Riri did not get on with any of the other shelter dogs, in fact, whenever Riri was walked passed the dogs, the other dogs would lunge and bark profusely at her and of course Riri would retaliate. This was not a good sign and it continued to get worse. Riri began to lose weight and would sometimes be aggressive to some shelter staff but Riri was always the perfect lady with me as well as the New Zealand vet.
After a couple of months of working with Riri, unfortunately due to her aggressiveness with other dogs/shelter staff and because of her breed, it was decided Riri had to be PTS (Put To Sleep). This decision is not taken lightly as we try very hard to rehabilitate all animals that come to us.
I was asked to assist in putting Riri to sleep and this I did readily. Riri was brought from her pen into the clinic and she behaved in such a lady-like manner. As the injection was prepared, I held Riri and told her what a beautiful girl she was and what a privilege it was to know her as I gave her Reiki one last time. Very gently she fell asleep while receiving her Reiki, which she loved, and then I “saw” a small, darkish, male puppy come to her. He was the same colour as her ears and I knew it was one of the puppies she had so longingly looked for. At last Riri was reunited with at least one of her pups, which is all she ever wanted. I knew she was finally at peace. Although Reiki was unable to rehabilitate Riri into a new home, it gave Riri the most important thing to her, her beloved puppy.
Wendy Williams
SARA Practitioner
Fun With Labs
For ten days I have been hired to be the lead dog. The other dogs in question are two big, black labs named Auggie and Oslo. They are in my care whilst their people are basking in the sunshine on the sunny beaches of Florida. In the course of our time together I am engaging in an un-scientific experiment to see what changes ten days of Reiki might bring to two goofy dogs. I have the blessing of their people with the suggestion that Auggie may be beyond help.
Being a cat person, I am observing very interesting canine behavior. They love to play fetch, for instance. Even when my cats want to play, “fetch” is not in their repertoire. Neither is “come here” for that matter. Basically, I do the fetching (food, treats and such). I also have to go to them if I want to give them attention. Dogs are just the opposite.
Anyway, I embarked on my experiment with evening sessions of Reiki and little short sessions when appropriate. One can never have too much Reiki and, in my estimation, these guys can certainly benefit. No judgment here, just observation.
On the first night I sat in a chair near their beds and set my intention. I let them know they could have as much Reiki as they would like. I told them they didn’t have to have it if they didn’t want to. Then, I began my Joshin Kokyu Ho breathing.
Oslo, the older dog, was curious right away while Auggie, the bigger dog moved farther away. As the energy flowed, Oslo came over and checked out my hands. Then, he went to his bed and rolled over, showing his belly and wagging his tail. Auggie stayed away.
Day 2
Auggie won’t let Oslo near me, though he comes over and smells my hands and abdomen. He engages Oslo in wrestling and the session ends so they can go outside before they break something.
Day 3
While I am throwing the ball (outside) endlessly for Auggie, Oslo sits at my feet. I crouch down and put my hands on his shoulders and feel the heat right away. I stay with him like that for a while, tossing the ball for Auggie. Eventually, Oslo runs off to join his buddy.
That night I sat in the chair again and Oslo was immediately asleep. Auggie kept trying to get him to play but he wasn’t having it. Auggie roamed around then came over to me. He sniffed at my hands and then began to snap at the air in front of me. He swung his big old head like a polar bear, back and forth, back and forth. Clearly he was noticing something. Then he left the room.
Day 4
A repeat of day 3.
Days 5 through 10
I begin my breathing and Auggie immediately drops to the floor and is out like a light. Finally!!
Each evening from then on both Auggie and Oslo settle down right away for their Reiki session. Auggie gets up in the middle of it to have a big dose of water, then lays right down again. They are so quiet!
When I see my friend a couple of days after his return he asks, “What did you do to my dogs???!” He tells me Auggie was perfectly calm when they came home. No jumping. Completely out of character!
Argus
My bestie, Laurie, had posted on Facebook that her friend, Greg, had been in an accident and flipped his SUV. His Husky puppy, Argus who was with him in the vehicle, had bolted out of a broken window and ran away from the scene. Greg was taken to the hospital to make sure he was okay and had no idea where Argus had gone.
When I received Laurie’s message, I assumed she was saying the accident had just happened or at least not too long before her call. Later I found that it had been hours. Since the accident supposedly happened near an intersection behind my neighborhood, Laurie was alerting me in case I happened to run across Argus on the loose while I was out and about. After hearing from her though, I felt compelled to go looking for Argus. The accident occurred on a highway that is very busy and would be extremely dangerous for any animal on the loose.
As I started driving towards that intersection, I felt like I really needed to have the point of origin where the accident happened; there were so many possible places to start looking. Laurie texted me back: “fence road.” Well, I thought she was telling me the accident was near a fenced road. So I thought maybe the airport — there is a lot of fencing around there.
I told my neighbor and fellow animal lover about the situation. She also began looking and alerting others too. As we were both driving around searching, we started to think this is like looking for a needle in a haystack…lots of potential ways he could have gone…lots of wooded areas.
Although I was out there searching and desired that he be found by someone, anyone, I really had no expectations or even hope of finding him myself. I didn’t even do all the things mentally I know to do like visualizing finding Argus, surrounding him in light or anything like that, but because my life IS my Reiki practice, the “heat” was automatically on. Something I did do once I began driving around was say aloud, “Argus, where are you?” Right after I said that, I felt a sensation across my chest – like a sensation of what it would feel like to wear a harness. I do not to this day know what that meant — if anything. I told the Universe *if* I was going to be of service and find Argus, I was going to need A LOT of help because I do not have much skill at hearing and understanding intuition and the unseen helpers /guidance. My mind takes over and I usually do the exact opposite of any intuitive hits I may get, or I don’t understand the messages at all. I really thought the only way I was going to find Argus was if he just walked out in front of me. Everyone following the story hoped he would be found of course, but it seemed like a shot in the dark. I felt that way too.
I drove out to the airport area – farther and farther from the intersection behind my neighborhood. At that point I was feeling like I would need to give up and go on to a pet sit I was scheduled to do. I proceeded to drive behind the airport and circle back around to the highway. As I got back on the highway, I saw “Fence Road!” This was nowhere near the area behind my neighborhood incidentally. I thought that would be too odd to be a coincidence and then I also saw some debris from an accident. I thought: THIS IS IT!! I found the point of origin! For some reason that seemed very important.
I got Laurie on the phone as I stopped and got out of my car. I felt the strong compulsion to yell: “Argus!!!” So I did, though I felt silly. No, nothing happened. Laurie said she felt Argus would be no where near the accident since he is a Husky and would be miles from there by then. She also felt if he was nearby he would be stuck in the woods somewhere wrapped up around a tree because he had a retractable leash on. I continued to drive around anyway. I found a dog park nearby. I stopped there twice and asked a few people about seeing Argus. I found out later that is where Greg and Argus had just come from before the accident.
I had been driving around up and down Fence Road when I saw a cemetery and thought I would drive through there before REALLY giving up. Laurie kept telling me to give up and go on pet sitting. As I was driving to the cemetery, I missed my turn and had to cross the highway to turn around and come back. My neighbor and I both ruled out looking in the direction across the highway for some reason. Fence Road ends at the highway and across from that intersection behind some woods was a driveway that led to an office building of some sort – not a public road. Argus would have had to survive crossing four fast moving lanes of highway traffic to get there. That seemed unlikely.
I decided I still needed to look in that area. Well, I couldn’t believe my eyes!! There he was in the driveway as I pulled in!!! Right in front of me! It turns out the “needle” was on TOP of the haystack after all!! He was directly across from where the accident happened but could not be seen from the highway. Argus started to shy away from my calls so I knelt down and called him over. He dropped his head, wagged his tail, and hopped in my car! I was told later that he doesn’t get in vehicles on his own. He usually has to be lifted into them. Argus must have been SO ready to go home! It was truly amazing!!! And that’s SUCH an understatement! I was SO happy and grateful not to mention completely surprised! I kept saying to the Universe: thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!!
After that, it was a little anti-climatic for a bit because I could get a hold of NO ONE to tell! Argus’ people were not my personal friends, so I didn’t have a way to contact them and didn’t know exactly where they lived. As it turned out they had left the hospital at about the time I found Argus, but their cell phones were dead, and no one could reach them to tell them their boy was found and safe. They immediately went looking for Argus upon leaving the hospital. Laurie disappeared from contact for about an hour. So here I am with the prize and no one to give him to! I finally reached Laurie and ended up taking Argus to her house until his people could be reached. It seemed as though Argus knew Laurie was the catalyst to his being found. He very warmly greeted her with lots of high fives. Really – high fives! So cute!!! Argus’ people got home after giving up the search to hear Laurie’s message on their answering machine that Argus had been found and was safe at her house getting a nice Reiki treatment. Tears of joy!!!
Though it was “me” that found Argus, I totally felt like I was merely being moved into play from unseen forces. At no time did I ever feel like this was my will, actions, or choice. It was the oddest experience of my life. I wish I could convey the exact feeling more accurately… Everyone wanted to thank me over and over, but it was me that felt like *I* needed to be the one thanking the Universe or whatever / whomever for being a part in this story. And I did – and do. THANK YOU!!!
I’ve recently had to witness a slew of hard, very hard, animal tragedies. I will not share those stories here as they would be too hard to hear for any animal lover. Being an animal lover and Reiki practitioner, when thrown into these kinds of “dark” experiences, I want the suffering to immediately come to a stop. Reiki usually does such a good job of doing just that. It’s usually very obvious that Reiki provides peace, comfort, or relief of some kind, and if they are close to passing, they go more quickly. But for these animals I could see none of that with my human eyes. It’s always possible that more goes on than any of us can see, but suffering is hard to bear witness to. These experiences left me reeling and doing A LOT of soul searching and questioning because there were so many of these tragedies – one after the other.
Getting to participate in Argus’ journey helped ME in so many healing ways. It was just what I needed for my tattered and broken heart. Contrasting and comparing the two kinds of experiences (light and dark; happy and sad) shows me that really NONE of it is up to me. Honestly, I don’t know for sure what IS really up to any of us – even our own experiences. Sometimes we’re part of the story, puzzle, or experiences of others. Sometimes maybe we are just the witness – no participation or action allowed or required, not just from the animals or ourselves, but from the Universe.
Laurie also tells me that the many people that followed the story on Facebook (with their breath held) were uplifted in many different ways. Argus being found in such a seemingly miraculous way was like an elixir for their souls too. Healing took place far and wide. Many people have told me different things that they personally have gotten out of this story. Some say it’s about never giving up hope. For some it’s about asking for guidance, or it’s about listening to intuition. Others say it’s about prayers being answered and Divine intervention. It is about all of these things. True. But for me personally it was being able to experience the light and dark, the happy and sad experiences of life realizing though we have every right to be happy or sad with those experiences, we may not have as much say in the outcomes or the process as we tend to think and hope. We have to let go of our preconceived notions of what we think ought to happen, keeping always in mind that Reiki helps bring about the highest good – whatever that may be. “Letting go” being the operative phrase.
Humans always want to know the “whys” and like to feel that we have some control over our world. These experiences tell me that it’s ALL really still a big mystery. Maybe the answers are like finding a needle in a haystack, or maybe the answers are right out in the open, right on top of the haystack, like Argus was, waiting for us when we get there. “Let go,” as Kathleen Prasad says, “even if we have to do it over and over again.” Thank you, Argus, for shining the light on all of our hearts. Animals are the best healers and teachers. This I DO know for certain!
Logan Whispers
She finds humour in the stresses of humans and believes, If only you would meditate more!
I would like to share with you this amazing picture that captured Logan my animal companion in one of her many meditation states. Yes, Logan meditates. It is true, she almost makes it look effortless, propped up on the bow of the boat her eyes are closed and there is a stillness in her. Questions within me start to arise when I studied this photo. What is it that she mediates about? Is there something I can learn from her?
At the time I wasn’t even aware that I had been meditating. You see Logan and I use to spend our spring and summers planting tree’s all over Alberta and British Columbia. Basically I was given boxes of seedlings (small trees) and was in charge of planting an area that had recently been logged. After you planted 10,000 trees the job becomes a little monotonous, muscle memory kicks in and your mind is free to wonder. And my mind did wonder! At one point I started to realise my mind was wondering a little too much and it was affecting the quality of the tree’s I had planted. So I started to focus more in the present moment and I would count in my head the steps I was taking before I planted a tree. 1..(step) 2 (step) 3 ( tree) 1..2…3 tree, 1…2..3..tree, 1 …2..3..tree. Looking back now I realise this was a form of mediation. Nine hours a day sometimes 6 months out of the year the tree’s would go in the ground.. 1..2..3..tree, 1…2…3..tree… Gradually I connected to a place of expanded awareness where I was still counting, still focused in the present moment but also able to expand my awareness in a much wider scale.
Logan whispers
“I was there with you as you counted 1..2..3.. tree, 1..2..3..tree. I heard every step you took, I felt the focus and the expanded awareness and our connection to it all. It was like home for me and I continue to wait in that space for you to rejoin me. When you notice me sucking that special teddy bear and pushing my paws forward, I am counting ….1..2..3..( paw) 1…2…3..paw.. I am holding that expanded space. Remember? Meditate with me today and everyday”
Mediation is one of the 5 elements in the system of Reiki. Would you like to connect on a deeper level with your Animal companion? How about learning a few wonderful mediations that you and your animal can share together?
Sign up for an Animal Reiki workshop well supporting your local Shelter for more information on classes near you visit. www.shelteranimalreikiassociation.org
Kristy McGale
Animal Reiki Practitioner Teacher
www.theleadingleash.ca
780-533-5020
At One With The Fly
If you’ve been to a farm recently chances are you have encountered a fly. In my work with Joy, a young Morgan horse, I certainly did! I observed Joy in the pasture swishing her tail and stomping her hooves to shake them off. I saw myself: impatient with the fly, irritated by the never ending buzz in my ear, swatting at it, just trying to get a little peace. I could insert many different words for “fly”, of course.
Actually, I began thinking about the fly factor one day while sitting outside with Abe, a little terrier, new to Rutland County Humane Society. As I was holding the Reiki space for Abe I was being dive bombed by a fly. Abe didn’t seem to notice, but I was getting more and more irritated as the fly buzzed around my head. I found it difficult to concentrate and to refrain from swatting at the intruder.
Something I stress when teaching a class is the importance of focus. When we are focused, the energy flows freely and we are completely present for our client, be it person or animal. We become the energy and move with it. Irritation and constant movement (i.e. swatting) disturbs the session and creates a less than ideal situation. We are not honoring the animal when we are distracted.
When I was with Abe I began using the precepts to bring myself back into the space…
- Do not anger-the fly is simply being a fly.
- Do not worry-the fly won’t hurt you.
- Be humble-honoring all creatures includes the fly.
- Be compassionate to yourself and others-use this opportunity to deepen your focus, include the fly in the session and remember: the fly is just being a fly.
Approaching the situation with the precepts freed me to allow the fly into the space. Following that with Joshin Kokyu Ho breathing calmed me and removed my irritation. Abe was provided with a much better treatment.
Coming next: At One With The Mosquito.
Just kidding. That’s impossible.
Kelly McDermott-Burns
SARA Teacher
Rusty The Red Healer Cross
I had been asked to reduce my work hours by one day each week and the following week I received a letter in the mail from my local RSPCA advising I had been accepted for volunteer work and could I start next week. The Universe was telling me something. My “real” work was just beginning, volunteering one day a week at the RSPCA.
My first day volunteering at the RSPCA was very busy cleaning cat and rabbit cages, offering Reiki as I went. And then Kim, the dog trainer/behaviourist person asked could I go and see the dog quarantine area to offer Reiki as there were some problem dogs. As I entered the dog quarantine, I wondered where should I start as there were so many needy animals, it was difficult to choose. So I stood in the middle, grounded myself and offered Reiki to all the dogs at the same time to see who would accept it. Within minutes, all dogs had stopped barking. The messages of “What have I done to be put here?” just flooded towards me. These poor animals were all carrying so much guilt thinking they had done something wrong to be put in prison. This is so common amongst shelter animals, even those that have been formerly mistreated.
Then there was Rusty, a four year old red healer cross who was just quivering from fright with his tail between his legs. He was extremely underweight and had a “Caution, Dangerous Dog – Do Not Enter” sign on his cage. Rusty, together with his house mate, Chloe, a three year old German Shepherd cross, had been rescued from an extremely abusive home where affection, respect and enough food were unknown. Rusty tried to look at me with his orange eyes but was too frightened. However, he did tell me he was misunderstood.
After finishing the Reiki treatment I went and saw Kim, who mentioned that Rusty was on the Put To Sleep list due to his behaviour problems. I told Kim that I received the message he was misunderstood, and as so often happens when you think a Reiki session has finished, Rusty was continuing to send me more information: he was a truly gentle dog but was very misunderstood and carried so much guilt as to why he was in prison. I conveyed this to Kim, stressing he was really gentle if given the chance and that I was not frightened of him at all. Rusty would not look at you directly, but put his head down and looked at you indirectly with his orange eyes. This was Rusty’s way of protecting himself from physical abuse.
Kim was amazed that I could “pick up” such information and agreed to give Rusty one more chance.
The next week I gave Rusty more Reiki and this time, he no longer had his Dangerous Dog sign on his cage. The RSPCA staff were amazed at the difference in Rusty as Reiki had never before been given to the shelter animals.
By my third week of volunteering, Rusty had graduated from Dog Quarantine to the normal, healthy dog section! Rusty was definitely NOT on the Put To Sleep list now! The difference in Rusty was a joy to behold. Rusty was running, barking and playing with the other dogs and had put on some weight. Rusty was up for adoption!
Unfortunately the weeks passed without anyone showing Rusty any interest in adopting him. He had grown into a beautiful, strong boy with very wide shoulders but he could look somewhat threatening to people who were not familiar with his breed. When I visited the shelter, Rusty would look at me with such a happy face and his happiness was payment enough for me, but he needed a permanent home.
Then one week Rusty was not there. I was devastated! What had happened to him? As I can only volunteer one day a week, I tried to find Kim, hoping she would know. When I asked where was Rusty, Kim had the biggest smile on her face. Rusty had been adopted! A lady who owned a mango farm in far away New South Wales, approximately 2,500km including two States and Bass Straight away (one of the roughest stretches of water in the world!) from Tasmania, Australia, had seen Rusty’s profile on the RSPCA adoption website and fallen in love with his eyes – those little, squinty, orange eyes!
She had travelled all that distance, but needed to know that Rusty was indeed the dog for her. This was a woman who needed to receive a sign that Rusty was her dog, that Rusty would choose HER, not that she chose Rusty. Apparently Rusty did choose her, he walked slowly up to this lovely woman, sniffed her, walked away again and came up to her three times before he placed himself against her legs for a cuddle. The woman was thrilled, Rusty was indeed HER dog. But, because she lived in another State of Australia and we could not physically do a property inspection, it was doubtful the adoption would go ahead. Thankfully Kim pleaded Rusty’s case and explained no other person had shown any interest in adopting Rusty and Rusty had obviously chosen this woman as his forever person, the adoption went ahead. Rusty is now running free on a mango farm in New South Wales, over 2,500km away from Hobart, Tasmania, being the true gentle dog I always knew he was.
There is also a happy ending for Rusty’s housemate, Chloe. My daughter, Tracey, and her paraplegic partner, Darren, adopted Chloe after a name change to Charli-Chloe, as my daughter has a cat called Chloe. The three of them took to one another straight away, and now Charli-Chloe, Tracey, Darren and Chloe the cat, are one very happy family. Even though Darren is in a wheelchair, not once has Charli-Chloe tried to escape from the car, as it can take Darren some time to arrange his wheelchair and get out of the car. Charli-Chloe even helps to open up the gate to let Darren in the yard. After an abusive life, Charli-Chloe knows she has a loving home and is no hurry to leave.
The RSPCA in Australia has a policy of only putting to sleep those animals that show extremely bad behavioural problems with no prospects of rehabilitation or if it is kinder to put the animal to sleep due to severe illness. Because Rusty was declared a dangerous dog and could not be rehabilitated, he was going to be placed on the Put To Sleep list. Reiki prevented this.
Wendy Williams
Reiki Master/Teacher
and RSPCA Volunteer