I think  that when you speak to any Reiki Practitioner who has worked with animals, they can always tell you about an animal who has helped them on their Reiki path. I feel blessed to write this months blog  as it’s about my beloved dog Megan.  She was my Reiki teacher and taught me so  many things. Sadly I had to have  Megan put  to sleep three weeks ago, it was such a shock as she had been just diagnosed with a tumour which was inoperable.

Megan came to my home at an early age, from someone who did not want her. At that time I was not into Reiki so unfortunately she could not benefit from the wonderful energy. It was when she was around five years of age that I found Reiki and was attuned to level I.  As clear as if it was yesterday I remember her showing me how much Reiki she would like. I remember returning from my level I Reiki and how she would not leave my side, I knew she could sense this new energy and was keen to be part of it. I offered her healing and she loved it, but when I offered her healing the day after she refused it and did so until my Reiki Level II. Again she followed me around the house waiting and looking for healing which again I was delighted to offer. Over the years Megan always refused Reiki except when ever I had been attuned to a new Reiki level. I always respected her wishes even though I would get disheartened by her refusals. (I was so keen at that time, finding it hard to understand why an animal would refuse this wonderful energy but she taught me so much about how important it is for an  animal to choose and wish to be part of a Reiki healing. Forcing Reiki because you think it is for the animals good is not the right way to approach Reiki)

I wrote in my last blog about how whilst doing attunements Megan refused to leave the room and just seemed to soak up all of the beautiful energy. Looking back, I feel perhaps I should have taken more note of this, as it was a rare thing for Megan to do. She was always so definite about what or what she did not want. I have to say that I do feel guilty as I did not see the signs and notice a change in her behaviour. When I look back now and think about it I can see a definite change in her demeanour. She would not leave my side, which I thought at the time was because she enjoyed having me at home. Her last nine weeks were spent with me as I had just had an operation. She loved having me at home and was the happiest I had seen her. I saw no signs of her tumour, my sister who had come over from Ireland in fact to help me convalesce had said how well she looked and it was the best she had seen her looking in a long time. A week before she had to be put to sleep  she started to go off her food and seemed unstable on her feet. I took her to the vet and the feedback from the vet’s still remains a shock to me, my beautiful dog was very ill and would need to be put to sleep. From that diagnosis she went down hill almost immediately, it’s almost as if she hung on until the last day of my sick leave. Being a Holistic Animal Practitioner I felt so guilty and lavished her with Reiki, Bach Flowers and Aromatherapy oils, hoping against all odds that there would be a miracle.  How could I have missed the signs of her tumour? I spend so much of my time offering Reiki to other animals  going the extra mile to help them, not being there for my own dog has been tough to come to terms with.

Megan was put to sleep on the 21st of  June, I stayed with her and gave her Reiki for 30 minutes, being there for her was so important. She trusted me so much and lay quietly as the vet had instructed. It was so emotional but I tried to remain strong as not wanting to worry her. As she breathed I watched each breath, each one more laboured. The Reiki was really helping her as I felt the energy was very strong, I believe I helped her to come to terms with her death, as she took her last breath I felt her spirit leave her body. That was such an amazing feeling as I knew her soul was somewhere beautiful.

My family were devastated, especially my younger son, he refused to believe that she was dead. I phoned the vet to see if I could take him to see her body. They were lovely about it and let him spend some time with her, it is so important to have closure for both humans and animals. I also brought Tara my other dog to see her, she sniffed her a few times and I knew in that moment that she had acknowledged the death of Megan. Dogs grieve and certainly Tara has been, she has been open to Reiki every day and it is only now that she seems ready to move on.

Megan taught me so much about Reiki, she taught me to respect each animal and to treat each one as an individual. Reiki is a gift and animals are  here to teach us. If only we can listen, we will be amazed by what we will learn.

Tara and me

The start of this Summer had not been how I had expected, in April I had to have a major operation which took the wind out of my sails. For the first few weeks I was bed ridden which was something that I found very difficult to cope with. It was during this time that I was  able  to reflect on my own Reiki Practice. I decided to use my time in a positive way, I had all of the time in the world to read Reiki books and to do self healing. I started with The Reiki Sourcebook which I have to say is a good place to start for any Reiki beginner. I learnt so much more about Mikao Usui and the type of person he was, who he met and how his Reiki journey began. The Reiki Sourcebook chronological history of Reiki was fascinating and demystifying of so many misconceptions about Reiki. It explained beautifully how Reiki in the West was very different from the way Mikao first taught Reiki at the beginning of the centuary.

I have had a lot of time to reflect on the Five Precepts too and to think how I was living my life and how important it was to live ‘for today only; ‘ living in this very moment in time I  started not worrying about yesterday or tomorrow. I was able to get through my days where the precepts became no longer targets to be reached but became absorbed into each of my actions, their influence on my thoughts becoming automatic. I made sure I had a copy of them, which I could meditate on and I also placed copies around my home so I could focus on them on a regular basis. The precept which I found hardest to meditate on was ‘for today only, I will not worry’ as I was worried about taking time off from my job. By living in this very moment in time I was able to let any memories or worries of work be a fleeting thought and let the worry float over me.

Having had my big operation, this was the perfect opportunity for  my self healing to be a big part of my life. To self heal I feel, is taking responsibility for everything that happens at all levels to my body, mind and heart. To self heal is my inborn ability which  should be an important part of any daily Reiki Practice. Each day since my operation I have spent half an hour daily giving myself a self treatment. It has also been a time when I have been able to look at what I eat, drink and how I live my life. I have enjoyed being reflective and having the time to spend being kind to  myself has been wonderful. I have also been lucky to receive Reiki which has been sent to me from other Reiki Practitioner.

My sister came to visit me too, which was lovely as she lives in Ireland and we usually only get to meet once a year. We had a lovely time and enjoyed lots of laughs and hugs. I used our time together to practice attunements. The energy created was beautiful. What I found most interesting was that my older dog Megan, who does not usually like reiki would not leave the room when I was practising my attunements. She infact sat under the chair soaking up as much energy as possible, my other dog Tara loves  Reiki and is definitely a Reiki sponge.

The weeks have flown by and I am due to go back to work soon, although having an operation had been a set back. Having the time at home with my dogs and family has been so precious to me. I feel so lucky to have been able to go back to the basics with  my Reiki and feel so much better for it. I went to Remus last week where I was able to offer Reiki to people at their open day to raise money for the animals. It was the final jigsaw in my Reiki Practice where I was able to get out and meet people and the animals and to feel part of the world around me. Reiki is an amazing gift which I am truly grateful for.

…………….………… By Caroline Thomas

I am writing this blog from my sick bed. Unfortunately I have had to have an operation recently so I am feeling a little sorry for myself. I have had lots of lovely Reiki sent to me, which has really helped me to feel better and inspired me to write this blog as best I can. Whilst in hospital I received some beautiful texts from Sue at Remus, they really showed that she cared about my well being. I started to think about the relationship and bond I have formed with Sue over the last three years. It has been a wonderful adventure which has only got better since Remus and myself became members of SARA, my professional relationship has grown enormously.

A relationship can be termed as a association or connection, I definitely feel connected to all those at Remus. It has been a journey of respect and honesty in every sense. It is so important to have a good relationship with the staff at the Sanctuary you volunteer at, making sure there is no tension or misunderstanding; good communication is the key to a successful relationship.  Sue had not heard of Reiki when I first met her, I explained to her that it was a ‘spiritual energy’ which when an animal is sick or stressed can bring about healing. I think she  found  the concept of energy work very difficult to understand and I think she thought me a bit wacky.

Sue told me of past experiences she had had with holistic Practitioners and how controlling they had been at the Sanctuary, telling her what she could and could not do. Their ego’s too big to get through the stable door, this had put Sue off holistic Practitioners for a long time. I had agreed with Sue that I could commit 3-4 hours each week, Sunday being the best day for me.  Sue noticed changes in the animals that I worked with, so bit by bit I earned her respect. Each week we always meet together in her office and discuss the animals who need Reiki. During these meetings we would often talk about things that have  happened in our own lives, things happening in my family and my very boring job.  Sometimes the stories would be funny and we would both laugh but as is the purpose of a Sanctuary they would often be sad as they would be  about animals that have been mistreated. I am always in awe of the passion and love Sue has for animals who are in need.  I  love going to offer Reiki to the beautiful animals but also feel blessed to be part of the team, Sue is so knowledgeable and interesting, I always appreciate the time Sue has for me.

My relationship with the Staff at Remus has grown too, from the early days of me sitting in the middle of a field, the staff wondered what I could be doing, it was completely new to them. Creating a calm space in a busy Sanctuary can be sometimes difficult, filling of water buckets, movement of horses, cleaning of stables can and have distracted me in the past. I have noticed the staff now are very careful not to make any noise when I am working with an animal. I have never asked them to be quiet, yet some how over time they just knew. I feel respect is such an important part of this relationship.

On the upside, the relationship  I have with Remus has helped the start of my Reiki bussiness. I will be running SARA workshops from Remus soon where I will donate 50% of my profits back to them. It benefits both of us as I am helping the Sanctuary and also helping to get SARA on the map. Giving my time and skills for free, has come round in full circle as now I will be earning money!

……………….. By Caroline Thomas

The biggest conversation topic in England is the most definitely the weather, in one day there  can be sunshine, rain and snow. So in order to be prepared, I often carry different types of clothing, to suit any type of weather that may occur. It was a cold Sunday morning, as I looked outside all I could see was the rain and wind lashing against the trees. This was certainly a day where I needed to be in touch with nature.  As I drove to Remus, the roads were flooded and dangerous. I did consider turning back, as I was worried that my car would get stuck and I would have to call my husband to rescue me. As I carefully made my way along the road I could not help but notice the height of the river Wid, this river runs beside the road leading to Remus. Driving along the narrow track, the Remus fields were flooded, I could see that all of the horses were being kept in. The fields were empty, puddles of water filled the grassy area where the horses would usually be.

Arriving at my destination I could see all of the staff and volunteers all seeing to the needs of the animals. The rain was still pouring, the wind was still blowing yet everybody were busy with their tasks. I met with Sue to see which animals were in need of Reiki. Sue explained that Remus had been cut off a couple of times during the week. When the river flooded it caused numerous difficulties in the running of the Sanctuary, the biggest problem being that the vets were unable to access the Sanctuary.  It is at times like this when Reiki can support the staff and care givers,  they give so much to the animals, making it easy for them to become burnt out.  I have suggested this to Sue before, but she is just so very busy, it would be so benificial, but her attention today was firmly on the running of her Sanctuary.

First on my list  was a horse called Pippa, she is a horse I have been working with for about three months. She was first brought to my attention when she attacked another horse called Apollo, she broke Appollo’s leg. She has been very aggressive to both the staff and the other horses at the Sanctuary. (She had been put into stud by her previous owner and had been raped by numerous stallions) I have been offering her Reiki each week; as I stood outside her stable the rain continued to pour. I set the  intention that the Reiki flow for whatever healing Pippa would be open to at that very moment. If anything, or nothing at all that would be fine. This setting of intention is a form of asking permission. As the rain dripped from my nose, Pippa closed her eyes and started to yawn, she took in the Reiki energy that she needed. It was only when she moved to the back of the stable indicating that she had taken enough energy that I realised how wet I was. Almost at this exact moment, Sue called me to quickly move my car to the church at the top of the road as the river Wid had started to over flow. As  I drove I could see the river almost touching  the road. Once at the church, I was asked if I wanted to go back or make my way home. Of course I decided to go back to Remus to carry on offering Reiki to the other animals.

I went about my work and offered Reiki to the sheep, Marigold and Star, each animal taking only the energy that they needed. Marigold lay down, the sheep came and went and Star stood indicating with her head that she wanted hands on Reiki. As I stood in the main stable block, I started to offer Reiki to Apollo, the beautiful grey mare who had been kicked by Pippa. There was a lot of noise in the main buildings as all  of the stables were being mucked out, however this did not put me off. Asking Apollo for permission and letting the energy flow, I felt a real connection. In this deep meditive state I felt a tap on my shoulder, I was asked to leave immediately as the river had  over flowed onto the road and to phone Sue when I got to the church, only the staff were to stay. The only escape route was through the fields at the back of Remus, I was shown the path and asked to make my way through the muddy fields, using only a hawthorn hedge as my guide. I have to say it felt like an adventure,  I am rubbish at map reading, so felt scared and a bit silly that I would not be able to find my way back to the church. How embarassing would that be? I did manage to find the church but forgot to phone Sue; which I was correctly told off for, I had been so wet and so relieved to find my car that I had forgotten all about the phone call.

I think this blog shows that every Reiki experience is different especially when volunteering at a Rescue Centre. My Reiki had got interupted but I continued in the best spirit I know. I was wet I was cold, but knew that the Reiki would be for the highest good of the animals. Sue has told me that there has been a definite change in Pippa, she is a lot calmer and less aggressive with the staff and other horses, who knows she may one day be able to be re united with Apollo.

…………….By Caroline Thomas

The hardest thing about volunteering at a Rescue Centre, is to see  the new animals who come in; having been rescued from the worst situations imaginable.  Sue at Remus is amazing,  saving these animals, giving them a forever home, where they can feel safe and loved.  Recently at Remus four beautiful ponies were rescued, each one having experienced a terrible past.  Of these four, the pony who captured my heart was Bracken, a beautiful dun mare whose body was ravaged by starvation and neglect.  She was so emaciated, having being rescued from a field with hardly any food, water or shelter.  All of the other ponies were in a similar situation,  it is so sad, that these amazing animals had suffered so much.

The first part of my journey, was when Sue e-mailed photographs of the ponies to me. This was  so I could concentrate on sending them Reiki, after seeing the photographs of the ponies, I felt very drawn to making a crystal grid out of Rose Quartz. When making a crystal grid it is important to cleanse the crystals first, then lovingly place them around the photograph in a symmetrical order, imagining each crystal connecting to eachother giving off a healing energy. Rose Quartz is the crystal used to heal a broken heart. Offering distant Reiki to Bracken was a very rewarding way of connecting to her,  as I  work in the week and I am only able to get to Remus at the weekends.

The first time I saw Bracken, I was shocked and upset by how emaciated and weak she looked.  As is best practice at Remus, Bracken was in a quarantine stable. She was with Abbey, a young horse who had been rescued at the same time.  Both horses had a large stack of hay each, I watched them for a while, waiting for them to finish eating. It quickly became apparent that these horses were never going to stop; both had their heads down just focusing on eating as much hay as possible. For them it could be their last meal, or so they  must have thought. These horses had been almost starved to death before being rescued by Remus.  I decided to stay quietly in the back ground and allow the reiki to flow. The thing about animal Reiki is that not all Reiki sessions go as you think they should. It’s important to have faith that Reiki will go to wherever it is needed;  always being for the greater good.

It was very sad to hear a couple of days later that Bracken had taken a turn for the worse and had and lost around 30kg in weight. This is a lot to lose, considering she was so emaciated to start with. It is often the case that animals survive in the most difficult of circumstances, only for their bodies to shut down when they feel safe and warm. Over the next week Bracken became weaker, sometimes falling over in her stable. To make sure she did not hurt herself she was never left alone, Bracken was cared for by a rota of volunteers and staff, each having their own special way of making her feel safe and cared for.

I have a healing group at Remus that meets once every two months using the SARA principles. On 6th of February 2010, I was lucky to be able to offer Reiki to Bracken with another wonderful Reiki Practitioner. Sue had asked us to spend as much time as possible with Bracken as she had now stopped eating. On entering the stable, I felt a pang of sadness for this beautiful pony, she looked very weak, having had a difficult night the previous evening falling in her stable. She had hurt her eye and her walking was very unstable. Myself and the other Reiki Practitioner offered her Reiki for over an hour, during which time she started to eat, becoming more interested in her surroundings. As other animals at Remus also needed Reiki we continued to offer it to them, coming Back to see Bracken later. Bracken was a pony whose spirit wanted to live, but her body was letting her down.

On arriving at Remus the next day, Bracken looked even weaker. I offered her Reiki, usually I would stand back and let the energy flow but I could see that she needed her weight supported. She was very tired, her eyes closed as she received the energy. I asked my Angel guides for a miracle, I just could not understand  why this beautiful pony was getting weaker and weaker and  could possibly die. She was safe, and was very loved by everyone at Remus having the best care possible. Surely this was enough?

Life is not always as you hope. I received a text from Sue later that evening saying; ” I am so sorry to tell you, but Bracken has been put to sleep tonight, eating carrots, apples and biscuits. She was with our vet and ten other people”.  I would like to say, that I knew it would be my last Reiki session with her and that I had known that she was  ready to die. I didn’t sense any of that I am afraid. From this wonderful pony, I learnt s0 much about dignity and forgiveness. This gentle, knowing pony had opened up her heart to all at Remus.  Left to starve in a field for much of her life, at Remus  it was clear to see that she loved human company and was able to trust them once more.

When the post mortem results came back it showed that every organ inside was dying and that her intestines were shrivelled up – she stood no chance, her past had caught up with her. How can mankind treat animals like this and get away with it? 

………….. By Caroline Thomas

Piggie

If you read any of my blogs, all of my Reiki experiences come from this Sanctuary. Remus is the first international Sanctuary of SARA and embodies everything a SARA Shelter should be. In truth I do not know where to start when writing my blog about Remus. I suppose I just want as many people to know about a Sanctuary that lives and breathes the true meaning of being a Haven for those animals who have been mistreated by humans. I like to think that it was the ‘Universe’ that brought Remus to me, fate seemed to play a big part in my relationship with all that is ‘Remus’ and how it has moulded me into the person that I am today.

My journey started 3 years ago when I had just completed my Animal Bach Flower Course. I was keen to offer my skills to any Rescue Centre who would have me, I had a skill and wanted to offer it for free, to me that made total sense. In truth I was shocked with how many Rescue Centres turned me down. By chance I was referred to Remus, A Sanctuary which was only 15 minutes away from where I lived, that was the day I felt I met my destiny.

The youngest and oldest

I remember driving through the beautiful countryside to a place called Buttsbury. A beautiful medeval church lay nestled on the hill. Remus is situated just below this in 40 acres, in the stunning Essex County.

I was introduced to Sue Burton,(The Sanctuary was formed in 1983 following the plight of REMUS , a horse who was starved for up to four months in a field, having been stolen by a horse dealer.Then he was left tied to a lamp-post outside the yard that he had been previously stolen from.) Sue put me at complete ease straight away. I waffled on about how the remedies could help her animals, I was so nervous but I could see straight away that Sue’s whole concern was that of her animals. As my confidence grew I decided to throw into the conversation the gift that is ‘Reiki’, what would she make of that? Sue had not really heard of Reiki, but I felt she would give it a go if it could benefit her animals.

Remus provides life time care for animals who have been victims of ‘cruelty’, both physical and mental. The animals are never euthanized and are treated with kindness and respect. The Sanctuary specializes in the older animal, going to great lengths to understand the needs of the older animal, such as diet, nursing care and disease management.  As eye sight, poor footing and the health of the animal deteriorates Remus is there to pick up the pieces.

Oliver in the Snow

And so my love affair with Remus began, it has been a journey of total respect for Sue and her staff. I am always aware of how busy Remus is and how precious Sue’s time is. When offering Reiki at a Sanctuary it is very important to fit into the daily running and rules of the Sanctuary. I pride myself and like to think I am invisible, when offering Reiki, I am very aware not to get in way. There is definitely no room for ego’s.  Each week I  meet Sue in her office, where she would discuss with me all the animals that needed Reiki, giving me detailed information about their health and what had happened to them lin the last week. Armed with this information, I have a deeper understanding of how each individual animal I am going to work with feels. Deciding who to treat first is up to me, I assess how best I can fit into the animals routine, making sure I avoid meal times and medical care. When an animal is relaxed, they are more accepting of Reiki. As some of the animals have poor eye sight, I always speak to them to let them know that I am there, so as not to startle them. In my quiet space I offer Reiki. It’s here that I have to be honest, animals certainly choose Reiki or just say no! I have often been in that Reiki space, feeling  everything was as it should be, only for the animal to look at me and say no not today thank you. When the animal accepts the Reiki and you feel a deep connection and see the sighing and sleepy eyes I feel it is magical, it can be at the times you least expect. When the healing is finished I always record it on the SARA treatment cards with how the animal reacted to their Reiki treatment. It allows me to re-visit the animal the next week, with all the details of the previous week. The record cards are invaluable, as they show how the healing path of the animal develops, keeping a record of any subtle changes in the animals behavior, as each week passes it is very easy to forget how each treatment went.

Harmony

In summary offering Reiki at a Sanctuary is full of so many rewards. I have formed friendships with the staff and earned their respect. I am able to help and offer Reiki to the animals who need it, gaining their trust. In essence Remus is a haven for animals, the Garden of Eden for  for horses, goats, cats, pigs, sheep and cows. Remus always searches for what  is ‘best’ for each animal and treats each one as an individual. I feel so proud of all that is Remus, knowing that it is everything a Sanctuary should be. SARA has added an extra dimension to the holistic care where all the animals come first.

Offering Reiki to a sheep.

……….. By Caroline Thomas

I woke up to rain falling against my window, the wind was blowing and it was a very cold day. Wrapping up warm I drove to Remus. It is so important to wear warm clothes when treating animals outside. It is easy to become cold very quickly focusing on how you feel rather than the Reiki. The road on my approach was flooded where the river had burst its banks. As I drove I couldn’t help wondering which animals I was going to be lucky enough to work with. There are so many wonderful animals at Remus including horses, goats, sheep, cats and pigs.

As I walked with Sue, she pointed out the new stableing that had been built and the new fencing that had been put up, benefiting the animals at the Sanctuary. Remus had started to look amazing in every way. Holistic therapies are welcomed, especially Reiki.  I have been able to offer Reiki to the animals at the Sanctuary or Sue will send me a text asking me to send Reiki to an animal or situation. This means Reiki can help even when I am not there.

As I chatted to Sue about the week just gone, I asked if any animals were in need of Reiki, it became clear that three of the sheep were feeling quite poorly, suffering from chronic arthritris. Their names were Guinness, Mum Sheep and Peep, all three of them were quite old and frail. As sheep are deemed to be farm animals and part of the food chain, they don’t often reach old age as they are not financially viable. Remus had given a home to these sheep, thereby helping them to arrive at old age with dignity. People think sheep are all the same and cannot think for themselves. I can assure you that they are all individuals with big or small characters. It is such a misconception that a herd of sheep are all the same.

I have offered Reiki to the sheep many times before, they are very clear about accepting it or not.  Entering the sheeps shed, I was met by gazing eyes. Around twenty sheep watched as I walked through the middle of them. The sheep I would be working with today lay in a circle in the middle of the sheep shed. I am not sure if they knew I was going to be offering Reiki, or whether this was sheep behaviour to huddle together when not well. Sheep are prey animals, so laying down is quite a vulnerable position to be in. Closing my eyes I quietly asked for their permission to offer Reiki. My intuition came back with a resounding yes, these three sheep were definately in need of Reiki.  I centered myself and offered healing support to the animals, allowing them to take what ever energy they needed. It was amazing to see how many other sheep entered this healing circle, only choosing to stay for a short time or for longer depending on their needs. Guinness, Peep and Mum Sheep, lay peacefully in the energy whilst it ebbed and flowed. At one point Mum Sheep lay her head gently on the floor sighing as she lay. The Reiki session went on for about 40 minutes. Naturally each sheep got up one by one and moved away from the energy. It is important to remember that it is the animal who is in charge of their healing and not to force the Reiki onto the animal even though you have best intentions. Observing the animals body language and behaviour are also a key part of having a successful Reiki session.

Each time I have attended Remus, I have continued to offer Reiki to the above sheep. Hopefully the Reiki will support the individual healing of each sheep. I have observed that whilst offering Reiki the other sheep have become more inquisitive of the energy and are quite happy to bask in the Reiki. They seem less fearful of my presence in their company and more accepting of the lovely Reiki energy.

…….. By Caroline Thomas

This is my first ever ‘blog’, first ever Workshop.Being part of SARA has truly changed my life! As I write this blog, I am still on a high from the wonderful day and adventure we all had.

It was the 31st of October, on a cool Autum day, that I arrived at Remus Horse Sanctuary full of excitement and fear. Today was the day, that I was going to run a SARA level 1 Workshop with, my lovely friend Brenda Oakley-Carter. Both of us being SARA teachers, we are very lucky to live quite close to each other.  I often feel that the ‘Universe’ brought us together!

The SARA experience started a few weeks before, when I was busy printing out the Manual, reading and absorbing all of the wonderful teachings that it held. Some of the information it contained was completely new to me and it required me to think about my own Reiki journey and path. As I read the Manual, everything made complete sense. I was amazed to see techniques I had never seen before. To be honest, it felt completly right, everything just fell into place.  I knew we would have no problems teaching the SARA way.

The students arrived at the beautiful Remus Horse Sanctuary, ready to begin on their own Reiki journeys. ( In a future blog, I will write more about the wonderful Sanctuary called Remus, I feel  so blessed to be able to offer Reiki there and to be a part of their team). Six students attended this Workshop, One being the founder of Remus, three volunteers and two people from the public. All with different back grounds.  We spent the morning learning about Reiki, coupled with attunements and techniques.  It was amazing to see how everyone embraced the new energy and were so keen to learn more. The energy at the workshop was beautiful.  In the afternoon we spent time working with the animals. As a group we left the class and went to offer Reiki to the donkeys. We set our intentions for the animals highest good and allowed the energy to flow. The donkeys moved around in between us before settling. Marigold who is a very old donkey and suffers with laminitis, finds it very difficult to walk. She found a space amongst us and lay down in the middle of the group.  It was easy to see that she was taking in the energy, at one point, she gently laid her head on the floor and gave out one large sigh. The students were amazed to see the effects that Reiki had on the animals. We moved on to a group of four stables, containing three horses on their own and a stable which contained two very young donkeys and a miniture horse, it had only been a couple of months before that they had been rescued from terrible cirumstances.  At this point we broke off into smaller groups  and offerred Reiki as before. What was so amazing was that each stable containing an animal had a different reaction to the energy. One horse carried on eating, showing no interest.  The miniture horse called Stix stood quietly as one of the students offered Reiki, and another horse called  Malibu just couldn’t get enough Reiki and stood with his eyes half closed competely in a Reiki trance. Each reaction helped the students to see that it truly was the choice of the animal to accept Reiki or to decide not to.

My biggest lesson from this Workshop was that it taught me to believe in myself and to have faith. The animals were the teachers, showing each student the true meaning of Reiki.