Shelter Animal Reiki Association

Healing Animals with Meditation

Animal Reiki

I offered Reiki to an injured black Wasp

“I offered Reiki to an injured black Wasp…”

He was here in the auto shop, in the cold and I brought him back to my place. We worked together for a few days and it seemed he was getting his strength back. His wings started working again….. but then he was just too weak from being in the shop in the cold from the weekend before.

Once I had him in my warm house, he perked back up and his wings started to flutter. He was crawling around on me and he would come to me when he saw me, exploring the kitchen and plants. My cats were so gentle with him and just sat with him, didn’t touch him.

He drank water, ate some honey. I made a video – it was just amazing to connect with him like that. He would communicate with me through visuals; I would see him when I closed my eyes.

I kept telling him how proud I am of him and I said, let me see your wings and he would flutter them. I said, yes we’re going to get this! I encouraged him and it was great. I could see and feel his enthusiasm.

But unfortunately, although the Reiki really helped him (he sat on the top of my hand with his wings folded, just relaxing) and he became a little stronger, he struggled and it just wasn’t enough.

Sunday afternoon, I sat next to him with my hand on the floor. He slowly walked over to my hand. I told him that we really worked together and it was such an honor to be able to do that with him, and that I’m sorry that we could not get him back to be able to fly. They depend on their wings SO much to survive.

Then he rested one little antenna on my finger, saying it’s alright.

I didn’t want to see him suffer, so I asked for his permission to help him end his physical life – so he would not be in pain and be free to fly again with new wings. He rested his whole head against my finger. I took that as a yes. (See photo.)

I cried so much. He had become a little companion. He slept in the same spot every night and greeted me when he first saw me in the morning. Again, so amazing to be able to connect like that.

I buried his little body in the soil of one of my favorite plants and wished him a good journey. And before I went to bed I got one more visual of his body glowing and him soaring around, flying free. He got his wings back.

By Mel Gazdik

Lessons From Skeeter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Laura Copland

Whales Without Walls

Long before I heard of Reiki, or Animal Reiki, I had a unique experience with a magnificent animal and it wasn’t until I recently took a course with Leah D’ambrosio did I realize it was a genuine Reiki experience.

A good friend of mine came to visit me in Vancouver. One of my favorite places in the city was the Vancouver Aquarium. At that time the Aquarium still had Orcas. Visiting the orcas was always a bittersweet experience for me as I found it sad to see the whales in captivity. In my opinion, the aquariums could never build an area big enough to hold such a brilliant animal, yet to see the whales up close and personal was also an experience of a lifetime.

The Vancouver aquarium had a viewing gallery where you could experience the whales in close proximity as they swam in the giant concrete tank that was their home. I suggested to my friend, who had never been to the aquarium, that we visit the whales.

It was midweek so the aquarium was not crowded and as we walked down the ramp that takes you to the viewing area for the orcas, I was mixed with excitement and sadness as I knew, as always, I would feel sentimental as I left the aquarium that day. As my girlfriend and I watched the whales swimming in the viewing area, I noticed out of the corner of my eye an indigenuous woman holding a book on the glass of the viewing tank and in front of her was an orca close to the glass and it looked as if he had his eye on her book. The woman held the opened book up against the glass for several minutes and the whale would swim a few inches above her and she would turn the page and then again hold the book up against the glass. It looked like the whale then moved back down a few inches and was in a position to eye the book.

I watched the woman for quite a while and my curiosity got the better of me, so I walked up to her and asked what she was doing. She called the whale by name, and told me that she was sharing a picture book about whales in the wild and that the whale enjoyed looking at the pictures. I remember laughing and saying to her, “I don’t believe that he is looking at the pictures in the book.” The woman then said to me, “watch closely and then tell me if you don’t believe me.”

The woman then picked a page and placed the book against the glass. This time I was standing right next to the woman and I had an up close view of the whale. As he started to come down to the book, I was astounded when I realized that his eye was indeed scanning the book and not only did he scan the page once, he scanned the page several times. The woman then looked at me and said “he will tell me when he wants the page turned.” At this point, I was speechless and even if I wanted to say something, no words could be found because I could not believe what I was witnessing.

Sure enough, when the whale finished scanning the page, he then raised up above the book and the woman said, “he has finished scanning the page and wants me to turn to another page.” She then took the book off the glass, turned the page, placed the book back on the glass and the whale came back down and his giant eye scanned the next page for several minutes. I watched this whale for what seemed like ages, with tears in my eyes, as he scanned the book. When the whale swam away, the woman showed me the book.

The book was full of beautiful pictures depicting whales in their natural habitat all through the west coast. My girlfriend was also watching, and said “oh my God I can’t believe what we’ve witnessed.” The woman then told me that she came to the aquarium every day and tried to bring different books. She said she came to keep the whales company, to sit with them, meditate and hopefully give these beautiful beings peace and comfort.

In the Reiki practitioner course with Leah, we discussed being present with an animal no matter what the conditions the animal was in. I realized that this woman that I had witnessed with the whale all those years ago, had been just that, she was a presence and a comfort for that whale and I now thoroughly believe that she made a difference to that whale in his captive state and brought him a little peace every day.

In 2019 Canada’s parliament passed legislation that banned whales, dolphins and porpoises from being bred or held in captivity. The legislation had an exception and that was that marine animals already held in captivity would remain in captivity for the rest of their natural life. Today, MarineLand in Niagara Falls, Canada has one orca and 50 belugas in their facility.

Worldwide there are over 3000 marine animals held in captivity and 56 of them are orcas. The public is now knowledgeable of the conditions in the facilities in which these animals live. Consequently, there has been a push for whale and dolphin sanctuaries; “whales without walls.” Scientists have found that it is easy to capture whales and dolphins but it is almost impossible to successfully release them back to the wild. The first sanctuary in North America will be ready in 2023, and is located in Nova Scotia, Canada. A short video about this project here: Whales without walls

By Johanne Fraser

Letting Animals Choose Lets Them Be Their Best

The massive draft horse was one of the saddest, checked-out animals I have met. He’d spent years on at least one Amish farm, was isolated and probably abused, and had given up. His new owner, the director of a nonprofit equine therapy center, wanted to find out what he needed.

The first thing I did was ask if it was OK to communicate with him. Surprised but skeptical, he agreed. The notion that he could choose anything was foreign to him.

That is the core of the Let Animals Lead® method I practice. It’s all meditation and no hands unless the animal initiates contact, or the practitioner knows the animal well enough to gauge whether that would be welcome.

One day Duke decided he’d had enough Reiki and walked back into the barn. I thanked him and moved on to a pig a few feet away.

A few minutes later, Duke stuck his big head out the barn door and looked straight at me. “Got any more of that?” I heard.

I assured him I did, but he’d have to wait until the pig and I were done. When I returned, he was waiting at the fence. I met his eyes and saw hope.

His owner, veterinarians, equine bodyworkers, clients, and I all worked to help Duke heal from the effects of his past, giving him choices whenever possible. He still struggles mightily with triggers. But he has friends in the herd. He connects with veterans who also live with PTSD. He even let kids dress him up for the Fourth of July. Being a therapy horse would have been unthinkable for Duke not so long ago.

While we can’t let our animals choose to play in traffic or opt out of a vet visit, there are many other options we can offer. We can give them a choice of toys, blankets, or litter boxes. We can hold out two different treats and see which gets gobbled up first. We can let cats come to us rather than chasing or picking them up. We can suggest a walk or ride and pay attention to the dog’s body language for a “let’s go” or a “not today.”

Choice frees us all to engage honestly, be our best selves, and create our “better than before.”

 

By Nancy Crowe

The Let Animals Lead® Method of Animal Reiki Supports Zoo Animals

While many zoos do an exemplary job constructing habitats that closely mimic their animals’ natural environments, zoo animals basically live their lives in captivity to entertain and educate humans. Are these entertainment and educational benefits worth more than the animals’ stress from living in captivity and their constant exposure to humans?

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Major Takes Charge

Meet Major. He is one of the beautiful therapy equines in a herd of six that I have the honor to offer Reiki to each week. I have been offering Reiki to animals for two decades now and each and every time I am in awe when they are able to help themselves. When they are able to ask for help, to trust, to be still and quiet to connect with the Reiki energy and me, and to let go of whatever they need to.

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The 3 Reiki Rookie Mistakes

Aren’t there all those things we learn not to do in an Animal Reiki class? Been there, done all those things I was told not to do! And weirdly in some ways, these are memorable and often entertaining lessons that I will not be forgetting any time soon.

The cats have been my toughest disciplinarians when it came to practicing Animal Reiki. I could have sworn that they have a secret book – “How to teach Reiki to Humans”. And if I dare stray again, they are there to remind me what Animal Reiki truly is about.

And of all the wayward stuff I have done, these three remain on the top of my list:

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The Let Animals Lead® Method: The Shining Essence of Animal Reiki

The Let Animals Lead® method is a transformative way to offer Reiki to non-human animals while fully manifesting interspecies respect. Because this method refrains from using touch unless the non-human animal initiates, it assists in eliminating challenging aspects of the human ego—pressures, expectations, agendas—and recognizes the perfection of the empowered animal.

We are all animals, and non-human animals do not need human “help” in the realm of energy. They elevate our energy and we learn from them. This method always supports the animal to move freely about so their physicality is never restricted. They can communicate their preferences in any way, and these preferences are always honored. They can engage with the energy or reject it completely. We listen to the animal and ask for nothing in return—the Reiki is an offering, not a requirement. The animal is in charge. As such, the Let Animals Lead® method not only epitomizes Animal Reiki in and of itself, but also inherently advances human to non-human animal relationships.

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5 Distinct Traits of Animal Reiki

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

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Our Dogs Show Us the Way When the Worst News Comes

Just before Christmas we received some bad news about Chili.

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

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Reiki Journey to Freedom

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

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Using the Let Animals Lead® Method of Animal Reiki with Cats

Reiki is a Japanese healing energy system founded by Mikao Usui in the early 20th century. It uses Ki, the natural life force energy, which flows inside us and around us to offer healing for the higher good of all. Traditionally there are 3 levels of Reiki training, and it can be used with both humans and animals. Human Reiki often focuses on hand positions and moving around the human client who is seated or lying down. This may not always be relevant when working with animals however as they don’t always want or are available for a direct connection. This is where The Let Animals Lead® Method of Animal Reiki comes in.

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The Animal Reiki Scoop from Snoop

The following story inspired me to extend my Reiki training and become an Animal Reiki practitioner. The story highlights how Kathleen Prasad’s Let Animals Lead® Method nurtures the agency and autonomy of the “neighborhood cat,” particularly in the heart of the 6th Pillar. Here’s the scoop from Snoop.

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Snow Leopard Baby Reaches Out For Reiki

Despite the rain and the chill one late April morning, my husband and I headed over to our city zoo so I could meditate with the animals for the first time using the Let Animals Lead® Method of Animal Reiki. What’s a little rain? I’m a newbie to LAL and eager to develop my skills.

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The Offer of a Paw – The Ultimate Show of Trust

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

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The Year End Gift of the Bison

As 2020 comes to an end, I have been reflecting on the good that came to me during the difficult past months. What we focus on grows stronger so I have been choosing to turn my attention to my blessings instead of what I always felt that I lacked.

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From Growls to Belly Rubs – Reiki to the Rescue

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

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

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

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Brutus Healed Me

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

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In Loving Memory of Dusty…

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

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What’s Good for the Goose

It was a warm August evening, among the last few left before the cool Canadian weather would start creeping up and swallowing the summer bliss. I was walking with my husband and our faithful dog through the fields, where we go to watch the sun set almost every night. We were noticing how the sun rests earlier every day, subtly announcing that winter is not far away.

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Kitten & Fawn; Love & Compassion

Hermione is a premature fawn left by her mother. Mulan was a sickly, newborn kitten dumped at the animal shelter. Both are being loved and rehabbed at Forevermore Farm, a peaceful, quaint little farm where I teach Reiki & Kathleen Prasad’s Let Animals Lead® method of Animal Reiki.

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Addie Scores Big – Reiki Furever

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

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