8 years have passed since I rescued my beloved dog, named Deeds, from the Tulsa Animal Shelter. Inspired by him, and the benefits of offering Reiki to shelter animals, this time I returned to teach my very first SARA Level I Reiki & Animal Reiki class.
It was the end of the second day of our class. Here I stood outside with my 7 students circled around me. This group of open and compassionate people included the Shelter Director, Veterinarian, a Vet Tech, the Adoption Coordinator, a Shelter Volunteer and 2 of my dear friends who have supported through my own Reiki journey.
The sun was setting; my student’s eyes were closed in meditation, as I was performing my 4th initiation with them. One by one, I peered into their faces. Something had changed, shifted. There was a visible peace and calm about them, about me, in the midst of the sounds of barking dogs playing outside beyond the chain link. Along with the muffled sounds of dogs barking in the shelter building, I was reminded of where I was and of so many homeless animals in need. I depended on all the Reiki breathing techniques, symbols and mantras I had learned and practiced to keep me focused and grounded. Calm and balanced, we all had created a space to allow healing to occur in this moment and we were holding it for one another. I experienced a beautiful connection with my students, despite the distractions.
Our faithful class dog, named Nolan, was resting on his bed in the center of the circle. A recent pit bull stray, brought in with a broken leg, his ribs were visible and his face was scratched. Yet, in this Reiki healing circle, I only felt his balanced state of being as he rested there among us. His blue cast was decorated by a green heart, which had lovingly been taped on by the staff. His grateful presence and loving spirit humbled me. He had soaked up all the Reiki love and healing created by our group during both days of our class. In return he was opening up our hearts for healing and supporting me as a “newbie” teacher!
Nolan was truly my co-teacher this weekend, showing the students on day 1 the peaceful effects that Reiki had on him. He took in Reiki like a sponge and showed them what a “Reiki nap” truly looks like. My teacher, Kathleen Prasad has continued to tell me, “ The animals will come to you, Karren. “ Nolan was another validation for this truth…
Now that the Reiki seeds of hope have been planted, I trust that these seeds will bloom and grow in me, the staff, volunteers at the Tulsa Animal Shelter and people of our community. As one of my students wrote to me after our class, “It only takes a spark to get a fire going!” Reiki to the Rescue!
Karren O’Sullivan
Shelter Animal Reiki Association Teacher
Pete lives at a barn near Green Bay, WI, with a wonderful family, about 10 horses and a couple of mini horses, a place where he receives a lot of love and attention. Pete’s life has not always been so idyllic. Pete came to live with Diane from a place where he was most likely abused and not well-cared for. It seems that Pete received little attention; he was kept in his stall most of the time; and his stall was rarely cleaned. These people really did not want Pete, and luckily for him, Diane was willing to give him a loving home. As a result of his past, Pete had lost trust in humans and responded very cautiously and fearfully when people came near him or tried to ride or interact with him.
Seeing Caesar the tiger strong and healthy’ still pacing, but chuffing and purring each time he reached the fence where we were standing. He seemed to rub his face against the fence to let us know how content he was. He did not mention feeling stressed about the noise of children to M at all this time;
When I went in with Carol to see Princess the Camel I was in awe of her size and a little intimidated! I have always loved camels and could not believe I was going to see one that close and with no fence! When Carol walked right up to her I was shocked because I had no idea she actually can touch her! Princess was lying down with her legs tucked under her and she still was the size of a car to me! Princess reached up her massive head and began to rub her huge head against Carol’s body while Carol rubbed her. I stood at a distance and was more than happy to just be there, but when Carol said I could come up to Princess and actually touch her I thought it was too good to be true! To actually have contact with such a huge, beautiful creature was humbling..that she would actually allow a stranger to touch her. I wondered if she remembered our animal communication session the last time I saw her! I told M that if she had stood up I would have passed out from sheer excitement of being that close to her!!!
Another highlight was when we were allowed to go into the inner cage of 2 of the mountain lions. The male (non dominant one) named Lance immediately ran up to the fence where M was kneeling down and began rubbing his face against the fence and making a lot of happy noises, He immediately began telling her how happy he was and how wonderful it was to be fed and that he is not hungry anymore, on and on..Then the dominant female Gwen came up – she had been hanging back as would be her dominant nature to check things out from a distance at first before approaching. When she came up to M she did the same face rubbing on the fence, but the male got a little possessive of his conversation he was having with M and slapped the dominant female a few times. It got a little tense and we backed away. It was amazing how the male was so happy to be able to find someone who could hear him talk that he was willing to show aggression against the dominant lion! He kept saying to M “oh, you can hear me?” and then told her how happy he was over and over.
And the 3rd treat of the day for me was Pixie the little monkey! When we saw her the last time she was shy and told us she did not like children and if we could please throw the peanuts on the top of the cage so they fall down into the cage instead of throwing them against the front of the cage, where they bounce off sometimes and fall to the ground and she can’t reach them! She was very cute and sweet when we saw her then. But this time she gave us an amazing gift! We walked up to her cage and M called her name. She came running over and really did seem to be thrilled to see us! So much so that she sat down right in front of us and began to “perform”! She would raise her eye brows up and down and with her flat top that alone was adorable!! But she added a little tongue wiggle and placed both of her arms across her chest and stood on her hind legs and did a little dance which included ducking her head and putting it to one side and made a cute little noise. This performance went on and on and it seemed the more we talked to her the more she played!
At one point I called Brother Bill and asked him to come over to see her and as soon as Pixie saw him, she stopped everything and turned into a very normal little money and walked to the back of the cage and started grooming herself. She would not make eye contact and stayed there while we walked away. Later before we left I walked up to her cage and there was a girl there who was also getting a “performance” and Pixie continued to perform when I walked up so we started talking and it turns out the girl used to work at the zoo and knows Pixie well and continues to visit her when she can. She said Pixie does her act for people she knows and trusts, so she much have remembered M and I and that was our reward!
With Cinnamon’s permission, I offered him Reiki from a short distance while he lay on the grass. He continued to cough throughout the entire fifteen minute session. The following day his person commented that he seemed to be doing better. Cinnamon asked for hands-on Reiki this time. His coughing was only intermittent throughout the fifteen minute session. He shared with me that his stomach was feeling poisoned as well as he was being poisoned. I silently acknowledged his statement. While offering Reiki for him, I noticed a strong pull of energy from my back to the Diamond T truck behind me.
As I was speaking, I noticed that both cats were lying together in the grass. I sat down a few feet from them to offer Reiki again. I could get a sense that their bodies were literally merging with Mother Earth’s energy to become one. I also felt a tremendous sense of grounding energy for myself as I sat in the Reiki space with them. It was a very humbling and powerful sensation.
You may remember Harley from his appearance in my first book Animal Reiki. When I first met Harley, in 2005, he was still up and walking around, but a bit unstable on his feet. For the last few years he has been a paraplegic. So many students would come to work with him and think, “Oh that poor pig can’t walk.” But over and over again after sitting with him for a Reiki treatment they would come back and say, “Oh this may sound a bit strange but I feel so happy after sitting with that pig. Something about him, he is just so joyful.” Yes so many people felt so happy after being with Harley. This was one of his biggest gifts to this world, I think.
I’ll never forget the day when I brought my daughter Indigo to visit Harley (she was then about 2 and ½). We went out into his pasture, and of course when he saw us he began his series of welcoming oinks and snorts. He was always so social and happy to have visitors! Indigo was just enthralled! She immediately sat down a few feet away from him and began singing. I had never heard her do this before—she just made up a long song with lovely lyrics such as, “I love you Harley,” “You are such a nice pig,” “It’s fun to sit here with you Harley.” She would sing her lyrics and then take a break—and Harley would oink back to her appreciatively, as if he too were singing to her some special pig lyrics. We sat there for over an hour together with him that day; it is such a beautiful memory, I will never forget it. To see his beautiful heart touch a child so much; what an amazing pig!
Amos is a fun and amusing Spider Monkey whose role is to provide entertainment at the sanctuary and at various shows. He shares an enclosure with another monkey named Rosie. Our exercise was to sit with the animals while doing one of the traditional Japanese meditations. So, I sat facing the enclosure with my chair at a slight angle. I invited both Amos and Rosie to join me in the space of Reiki energy. While Rosie did everything she could to disrupt what was happening, Amos expressed an intense curiosity in me and in the energy.
Before C.A.R.E., I had not yet had an opportunity to share Reiki with birds. A grouping of macaws and cockatoos were most happy to provide me with this experience. I sat next to their enclosure with my chair pointed away at a slight angle, and then invited all of them to join me in a space of Reiki energy. My intention was to clear my mind, remove all expectations and just “Be Reiki” with these lovely macaws and cockatoos for 20-30 minutes. A couple of the cockatoos came forward right away and sat on the perch nearest me for the entire time while the other cockatoos moved forward and then flew back taking turns connecting with me and the energy.
At the same time, the green macaw Zazoo was climbing up and down the fence right beside me. Each time he was at about eye level with me, he would quietly say “hello” to get my attention. As I sat there “Being Reiki” with these sweet birds, the ebb and flow of their movement in the Reiki space was so peaceful; it felt like a well-choreographed dance. Their movements were so smooth and balanced; they were in perfect harmony. As we came to the end of our time together, I realized that all of the birds had settled into their chosen spot in the dance formation. We were all “Being Reiki” together, sharing a space of harmony and tranquility.
One of our assignments was to pair up with another class member, sit with an animal and offer each other a head and shoulder Reiki treatment. My partner and I sat with Lola, a sweet North American Black Bear. As I began to offer Reiki to my partner, I invited Lola to join us in the energy. At first Lola sat back against a wood box in the middle of her enclosure checking us out and deciding if she wanted to be a part of what we were doing. Over the course of the treatment, as Lola slowly inched forward, I could feel her beginning to connect, the energy becoming warmer and warmer as the connection deepened. Lola eventually moved up closer and sat on a metal tube that was next to the fence in the corner. At some point, my partner and I traded places. As we continued, we could feel the energy becoming stronger and more intense. By the end of our time, Lola had climbed on the fence while sitting on the edge of her pool to get as close to us as possible. She was sprawled out almost as wide she could get and moving her head back and forth in delight. She had truly relaxed and let go; she was very content and at peace.
Thank you to Lola for this beautiful experience. By connecting with my classmate and me as we offered Reiki to each other, Lola helped us create a more open space of healing, of harmony, of balance that we were all sharing together. As our connection with Lola deepened so did our connection with the energy and with each other. By inviting Lola to join us in Reiki, we not only enhanced our human-human treatments, we also assisted Lola in whatever healing she needed at that moment.
I love twilight! No, not the movie…that time of day when the sun meets the moon and everything is bathed in muted colors. It often feels to be a very mystical time of day and so is my favorite time for walking on the mountain. Secretive wildlife is often found at this time a day and I am always on the lookout. I have had the good fortune to see a den of fox kits, pileated woodpeckers, owls, grouse, baby porcupines and of course, deer. Currently, we have three deer roaming the mountain. I’m thrilled to see they made it through hunting season and they look nice and healthy for the upcoming winter.
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.
My favorite places at Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) are the cat rooms. I truly enjoy watching the comings and goings, the different personalities, and the fights and love fests as boundaries are tested and friends are made. Offering Reiki in a room with many cats can be challenging with these distractions and it is important to maintain focus during a session.
While 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.
Recently, I had the honor of working with a lovely little Chihuahua named Billy. He had been brought to Rutland County Humane Society after roaming the streets for a while. The staff thought he was around 8 years old. When I met him he was lying in a little bed on the floor of the front office recovering from surgery. He had been to the vet to be neutered and he also had dental work done.
Billy immediately got in my lap. We sat quietly together with the Reiki flowing. I was touched by his big eyes and trusting heart. Billy sat happily in my lap for more than a half an hour enjoying his session. Eventually, I had to end the session as I had others waiting for Reiki. I told Billy we had to stop, thanked him and praised him for being so open. Then, gently, I lifted him and put him on the floor beside me. Before I could get up Billy backed up to me, put his hind legs on my thigh and pointed his butt up at me as if to say, “I need Reiki here too!” I chuckled at his insistence and agreed to continue Reiki for the area of his neuter surgery.
Daisy was a funny little tortoiseshell kitty. When she arrived at RCHS she was missing fur from her lower body due to a severe flea infestation. It was unclear whether Daisy’s fur would grow back.
In September 2007, my dog, Blackie, was constantly licking his left forearm, so I took a closer look and there was a three inch cut. I had a flashback that he had the exact same cut on the same arm the previous year, and we had taken him to a vet because it was infected, and they gave me an orange ointment to apply. I remember him shrieking when we put it on, and I was really reluctant to continue but the cut did heal.
Oliver is a very handsome, loving, orange tabby cat that I have known for about 9 years. He is the animal companion of one of my best friends and her family. When Oliver first joined the family there was just two human children. Now there are four and they are all boys. The two oldest boys are 12 and 14 and the youngest are 2 and 3.
I only knew Charlie a short time, but he reinforced for me an important Reiki lesson. Charlie’s lesson is that consistency is important when offering Reiki to animals (and people); multiple and frequent sessions may be needed to achieve or maintain whatever result is optimal for the animal at that time.
One 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.
Recently, after a busy period of traveling, I returned to find that Murphy our 16 year old kitty had lost a surprising amount of weight. In addition to the weight loss, he seemed lethargic. He wasn’t coming into the kitchen to beg for treats and he wasn’t interested in having his daily Reiki session. In fact, he rarely moved from his little bed in front of the woodstove. We have seen this behavior with him to a lesser degree but usually it would only last for a day and just as we would be discussing making the vet appointment he would return to his old self. This time we made the appointment and I took him in.
Buster is one of the many beautiful, amazing and hard working horses at Forward Stride, a center that offers therapeutic horseback riding for people with special needs. I volunteer there on Sundays doing turnout (aka: putting them out in their pastures), stall cleaning, and Reiki.