I’m so grateful to be a member of SARA, to have found Kathleen, Leah, and SARA. I started with Reiki 18 – 20 years ago. I learned whatever was taught, usually Western style, but something just didn’t ring true with me. I would try, and I wouldn’t get it. Each time I would try to walk away, Reiki would tap me on the shoulder again to let me know something was going to happen.
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animal reiki dogs
SARA Changed the Way I Approached and Taught Reiki
I was a Reiki practitioner for over 15 years before I heard about Kathleen and her work with animals. It was in Virgina for a level three training that I heard about Kathleen. I followed up by contacting Kathleen and doing two conference call courses with her, and then completed a level three training in Brighthaven, which was a great experience. Kathleen really transformed my life, and the way I approached and taught Reiki. It was a really beautiful gift for me and re-energized my whole practice of Reiki.
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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
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
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!
The Butterfly Who Said Yes
During the time I was taking an Animal Reiki Correspondence Course with Kathleen one of the options for a homework assignment was to work on an insect. Since most of my time is spent working with dogs, cats, and birds I set my intention to work with a butterfly. Not only did I want to work with a butterfly I wanted to work with a beautiful, large, yellow butterfly.
So for two days I set my intention and it seemed as if butterflies were appearing all around me, yet not one of them was yellow nor would any of them come close to me. On the evening of the second day as I was relaxing on my back patio with my three dogs to my delight an exquisite large yellow butterfly appeared in the distance and began to come closer to me.
I communicated to the butterfly that I would like to offer her a Reiki treatment if she would like for me to and she only needed to take what she was comfortable with or none at all. The butterfly started circling around my body and flying within arms distance and finally came to rest on the patio floor about 3 feet from me. I took this as a yes that she indeed wanted Reiki. So I kept my distance and proceeded.
She stayed in that position for 20 minutes only moving to inch closer to me, eventually ending up about a foot from me. One of my dogs, Tony, became very curious and he came and sat down by my side. I asked him if would also like to send her Reiki and he began to also give the butterfly Reiki. This was such a wonderful experience to be in that moment of giving Reiki to the butterfly with my dog working at my side. I knew, in essence, they were actually teaching me. I felt very honored to be in their presence.
It was such a beautiful circle of unconditional love that I knew I was really the one receiving healing on such a higher level. Our time together came to an end when children in the neighborhood began to play and frolic outside arousing the attention of my dogs. The butterfly took to flight, but not before flying around me and actually brushing the side of my face with her wing. I knew she was thanking me and I was overwhelmed with such joy and gratitude for being allowed to experience this. She then flew to a branch on a tree and remained there for the next twenty minutes without moving. I felt certain she was resting after her Reiki session.
I thanked her for allowing me the gift of giving her Reiki and I also thanked my dog, Tony, for all his work. It was so amazing to be able to work with a butterfly and to also work with my dog at my side. The both were showing me and guiding me to go even deeper in my work. I was truly blessed by this time of healing.
Felecia Calaman Childress
Creating The Healing Space
It seems that Animals in Distress has a never-ending supply of teachers to show up and give me my lessons. Every animal I work with has something to teach me. Sometimes it takes me a while to get the idea, but that’s never the fault of the teacher. It just means I wasn’t paying attention!
My latest “mentor” is a senior black Chow dog named Tulip. She arrived at AID a few weeks ago badly matted with some physical injuries that needed tending to. She is now sporting a lion cut, but her coat is growing out and will soon be back to its full glory.
Tulip is very shy around people she doesn’t know. That would be me. When I first met her, we decided I would take her for a walk. Tulip went outside with me, but made it clear she was not going for a walk with just anybody! She did her best to get around behind me and stay there while eyeing me suspiciously.
We went back inside and she reluctantly stayed with me as far away as the leash would allow her. I knew she would not like being closed in the introduction room with me, so we stayed in the hospitality area near the front desk. She was quite happy to see Lori and other kennel staff as they came by, but kept her distance from me. After a short while, I turned her back over to Lori.
I know not to take it personally when an animal reacts this way at first. They are not sure what I’m all about and given the history some of them have, it’s not surprising that they’d be leery of anyone new. Typically, it takes a few sessions in cases like this for the animal to decide I’m harmless and possibly even beneficial!
We had a couple sessions that went pretty much the same way until last week. I realized that I was trying to get Tulip to accept Reiki, which is exactly the opposite of what I should be doing. It’s all about creating a healing space and inviting the animal in, as opposed to continually offering Reiki like a treat they don’t want to accept.
Last week I sat in the hospitality area with Tulip and simply focused on creating a healing space, a Reiki bubble, if you will. My attention was on Reiki flowing into the bubble instead of on Tulip and what she was or was not doing.
Tulip stopped trying to be elsewhere and sat down at the end of the leash. Over the next 15 minutes or so I got a half dozen hearty yawns out of her, which was a clear indication that she was relaxing and accepting Reiki. She even lay down once or twice for a minute or two.
Lesson learned! Going forward, I will create the space and let Tulip decide what she wants to do with it.
Another Lesson in “Trust” from Reiki
I recently had the opportunity to give a SARA presentation to a local humane society animal shelter. We tried for several weeks to coordinate my schedule with the schedules of the Executive Director and her right hand person. I met both of them a couple of months prior to our meeting and I also attended their volunteer orientation. We were happy to finally set a date to discuss Reiki and the SARA program.
The presentation lasted about an hour and they both were very excited about Reiki and the benefits it could bring to the animals and the shelter. Since neither of them had experienced Reiki for themselves I offered to give them each a mini Reiki session. It lasted about 10 minutes each and both commented on how relaxed and peaceful they felt. I could feel the positive flow of our meeting.
Prior to the meeting we talked about offering Reiki to some of the dogs. They decided it would be best to bring one of the dogs into the very big conference/training room that we were in. The wanted to try it with the dog out of his element. The assistant went to get the “dog that had some issues” and the ED was called out by one of the staff momentarily.
This is when my mind started on a wild race with all of the “what ifs”- the control- the preconceived ideas of what it should look like-I thought we would be in the kennel with the dog- I feel pressure to perform-and on and on. WHOA–slow down cowgirl as I pull myself back in. It is amazing to me, given the opportunity how many scenarios my mind can create in a matter of seconds! As I sat in this big conference room alone, I gave myself Reiki, I sent Reiki into the room-which already felt wonderful from the Reiki I gave the humans just minutes ago.
The assistant brought in a male Pit Bull mix breed that destroys everything and anything he finds. He is anxious, a bit nervous and not quite ready for adoption. The ED is sitting at the table across from me and the assistant is on the floor at one end of the room. I have already explained to them the way we offer Reiki with SARA. The dog is free to roam in the room and I allow him to come in and out of the Reiki space I am creating and take the amount of Reiki he needs.
I make my self comfortable in the chair as I close my eyes and began to offer him Reiki. I can feel immediately the Reiki flowing from my hands and know he is accepting it. However, he is pacing around the room, sniffing every chair (about 20 of them), every corner and nook. He is breathing heavy. He comes over to me for about 30 seconds and places his head on my lap and paces off. Eventually, he makes his way over to the assistant and plops beside her.
Again, my mind wants to go on it’s tangent of how this should look and what he should be doing. What are the humans thinking? Do they think I am crazy sitting here with my eyes closed and my open hands resting on my lap, appearing to be doing nothing. I come back to focus on the Reiki, by silently saying the dog’s name or chanting a Reiki symbol. I trust the Reiki is happening (I can feel it, so I know that it is) and allow it. He continues to lay, roll and play beside the assistant. There is a sense of peacefulness in the room.
Just as the animals take the Reiki in the ebb and flow, so does my mind. In the 15 minutes I was with the dog I would “worry” and then come back and allow. In the end I received much validation from the humans on the incredible difference they saw in the dog. As they put it, “they never saw him so relaxed and at peace”. They thought it was amazing. I too found it to be amazing, because I was concerned of how he appeared to be anxious. I had never seen the dog before to know his typical behavior that was now apparently transformed.
We plan to introduce Reiki in the shelter in the near future, as they have made many changes and want to slowly introduce another change. My lesson from the dog is to just “TRUST”the Reiki. I am grateful for all the animals that continue to guide me and help me to just allow rather than do!