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Shelter Animal Reiki Association

Shelter Animal Reiki Association

Healing Animals with Meditation

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Animal Reiki Horses

Making Adjustments For Buddha

May 6, 2011

BuddhaWhile he waited for me as I worked on another horse with Animal Reiki, Dealer became very restless, by repeatedly pacing in his stall, snickering, and kicking his door. As an animal communicator, I let him know that he could accept Reiki as well, even though I was focusing on another horse; but he just wanted out! I suggested for his person to walk him around the property while I worked on her first horse.

When I was ready to focus on Dealer, I asked his person how he was doing. She replied “antsy”. So we went to the indoor arena so he could have more room to walk around if he chose to do so. I felt Reiki flowing very slightly as I stood a short distance from him. Shortly after I began, I was drawn to walk up to him and lightly touch his right flank near his hipbone. He flinched as he shared that that particular touch triggered a memory that he was angry about. I acknowledged his sharing, and continued to offer Reiki from a short distance.

Instead of him calming down with the Reiki, he was becoming boisterous, which was an unusual behavior from Dealer. Because he was still interested in Reiki, I suggested to his person that we needed to change his environment; so the three of us went outside, and only then did he instantly calm down. During this time of him grazing the grass, he became fully opened and relaxed as he accepted Reiki. By his own choice, he released the physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual component of this memory of young boys throwing sharp pointy triangular-shaped rocks at him. He also shared that he wanted to be called “Buddha” by everyone, not just his person.

Several days later, his person reported he seemed much more content with himself, as well as enjoying his new name, Buddha!

Camille Pukay

Oh, Momma! Seriously?

January 2, 2011

MommaOne of the sweetest horses on the face of this earth is Momma, a fourteen year old Registered Thoroughbred. She was rescued from California in Oct 2009 by Kansas City, Missouri’s Changing Leads Equine Rescue which in turn rehabilitates horses for adoption.

She will often be very specific where she wants my hands on her to accept Animal Reiki. This particular day she backed into me to have my hands placed on her left hind end. Because I have worked with her multiple times, I’ve come to know that when she places her left hind end at a diagonal toward my hands, she wants me to rub my hands from her tailbone down to her knees following her muscle line. I always make sure this is exactly what she wants before I proceed.

Within a couple of minutes of rubbing her back leg while offering Animal Reiki, I “heard” Momma say “Now, chant HSZSN” (Reiki Symbol #3). This totally startled me because the more I work with Momma; the more our telepathic communication opens up between the two of us which delights both of us!

C: What? (She has never requested this before.)

M: Chant HSZSN while doing that.

C: Okay. (I started chanting silently.)

M: Out loud, please.

C: Oh, Momma….seriously? Out loud? What if someone walks in?

She turned and looked at me as she said “No worries. Just do it.” I swear she winked which made me think “Okay, she wants me to chant out loud but she’s winking too?”

After I softly chuckled at my thoughts, I began chanting HSZSN out loud while rubbing her backend. Within seconds, her head dropped inches to the ground and she fell into a deep Reiki nap. During this thirty minute session, in five minute intervals, she would wake up, take three steps forward, take a couple of deep breaths and back into me to start the process all over again.

Eventually a person did walk in, but I focused on Momma, knowing to trust the process of what she wanted. After thirty minutes, Momma turned around to face me, nuzzled my hands with her nose as she looked into my eyes to show me her appreciation. The lady that walked in smiled at me as she said, “I thought the radio was on, but it was you!”

I replied “It’s what Momma wanted me to do.”

“Cool”, said the lady.

Momma was right… “No worries…just do it!”

Camille Pukay
Animal Reiki Divine, LLC
SARA Teacher

Reiki Heals a Sore Hoof

December 8, 2010

The day started out as any other with me grooming my paint horse Kodiak. I grabbed his right hind hoof to clean it out and suddenly noticed a really big pointed rock stuck between his shoe and his hoof. “Uh oh,” I thought to myself. This didn’t look good.

Kodiak RunningSure enough, by the next day Kodiak was head-bobbing lame. Really, really sore. My trainer palpated his hoof with her hoof tester, and sure enough, he was extremely painful in the area where the rock had been stuck as well as the whole bulb and back part of his hoof. He officially had a stone bruise. Having worked with many horses over the years I knew what that meant—weeks or perhaps months of soreness—in other words, a long road to healing.

As I soaked his hoof in warm water and epsom salts I stood several feet away and offered him Reiki. After a few minutes he relaxed his hind leg, turned to look at me, and cocked his foot so that I could see the bottom of the hoof where he was so sore. Clearly he was asking for hands-on Reiki directly on the sole of his foot. So I pulled up a stool and sat down, with the fingertips of my left hand on the bottom of his hoof and my other hand resting on his fetlock.

Over the space of about ten minutes, I could slowly feel the Reiki energy and the connection between us deepen. I could feel his pain radiating up my fingers and forearm and into my elbow. Then all the sudden, my hand felt as if it “became” part of his hoof, “merging” so to speak with it so that there seemed to be no separation between us. Over the course of another ten minutes or so I could feel our connection to each other’s whole being, not just my hand and his foot. Suddenly, I felt it heal. I can’t describe it other to say that I just knew it happened at that instant.

I stood up, said, “Good job Kodi,” and as I led him back to his pasture I hoped for the best. I knew that these kinds of injuries are long to heal, and although I had thought I felt the healing happen, I wondered if perhaps it was wishful thinking on my part.

The next morning my trainer came out first thing in the morning to check on Kodiak. Amazingly, he was not lame at all! She even used her hoof tester to check for any remnant of soreness, but there was no sensitivity, no pain at all. In fact, he was clearly ready to go and do something fun, so she rode him. He was 110% perfect, spirited and sound! As my trainer was relating this to me, she was in total amazement. She said she has NEVER seen a stone bruise heal that quickly: never!

Thank you Reiki! For me, this is a lesson in hope, in letting go of our expectations and in allowing our animals to show us the way. With Reiki, truly anything is possible!

 

By SARA President Kathleen Prasad

A Valuable Reiki Lesson From A Horse Named Joe

November 1, 2010

Momma, a 14 year old Thoroughbred, is usually my first stop to offer Animal Reiki on my weekly visit to Changing Leads Equine Rescue. She’s usually waiting for me, but for today she declined. I was surprised and slightly disappointed, but I honored her wishes.

I walked to the other side of the barn to a different pasture to see if Joe, a 21 year old Paint/Pinto, and/or Visa, an Arabian, would like some Animal Reiki. As I was walking towards the pasture, I noticed Joe was waiting for me close to the gate. As I approached, he lifted up his right forelock to show me that the flies were bothering him. I went to apply fly spray on him, and proceeded to offer him Animal Reiki with his permission.

Within minutes, he sighed deeply and went into a Reiki nap as I stood five feet from him. Visa decided to join us ten minutes later by placing herself shoulder to shoulder with Joe, standing in the opposite direction. Throughout the next 30 minutes, Joe was completely oblivious to Visa’s constant motion of getting the flies off of her, even though she was just inches from him. I found myself becoming worried and frustrated that she may wake him up from his Reiki nap from her constant stomping, shaking, and swishing of her tail to get the flies off. I knew that she was accepting Reiki, too, because her eyes were closed and she licked her lips from time to time.

As the minutes went by, I found myself wanting to be like Joe, a calm presence to other’s irritations. I began to silently chant the Reiki symbols to myself to help stay in the Reiki space. My worries and frustration shifted into amazement and calmness. Tears streamed down my face as I realized that I can be like Joe.

His lesson to me was to take care of my own irritations, ground myself with Reiki, then the realization of others’ irritations will be around you but to zero affect to you. When we stand in our truth of who we are, we accept others as who they are. THANK YOU JOE!

Camille Pukay
Animal Reiki Divine, LLC
Animal Reiki Teacher/Practitioner
SARA Teacher

Remembering Missy

September 18, 2010

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

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

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

Carrie Dorsey-Higdon

Faith: A Tribute To A Great Teacher

August 21, 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kay Robinson
www.RefreshingReiki.com

We’re Invisible!

March 13, 2010

…….by Jodie Brenner

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

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

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

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

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

Reiki for Roxanne

January 11, 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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