As Kathleen will be teaching Equine Reiki and Shinpiden this September at Remus, it was nice to see it from a public perception. I took my 20 year old son, who was a bit reluctant as he was not sure what to expect. The sun was   Continue reading...]]> Remus has an open day on the first Sunday of each month from May to September. Last year every single one was cancelled due to the heavy rain in the UK. The Open Days offer vital funding, as people pay to visit and can also sponsor anyone of the beautiful animals there. In years gone by I have offered Reiki treatments to people on these days, as a way to raise money for Remus. I attended an Open Day a couple of weeks ago and decided that instead of selling my Reiki Therapy, I would spend my money and see what other people experienced.

As Kathleen will be teaching Equine Reiki and Shinpiden this September at Remus, it was nice to see it from a public perception. I took my 20 year old son, who was a bit reluctant as he was not sure what to expect. The sun was shining very brightly as we drove up through the Remus fields. We parked the car and paid at the entrance. It was absolutely packed with people, children and dogs. My spirits were raised immediately by the upbeat atmosphere, a band was playing, stalls were scattered around selling bric a brac, Remus memorabilia and so much more. I steered my son over to where the food area was, we purchased homemade vegetarian sandwiches and a mugs of hot tea. Being impressed with my will power, I refrained from eating the yummy homemade cake. Dogs on leads with their owners passed us by, as we sat chatting about where we were going to go next. My son had been at University for the last six months, so getting time together on our own was better than any tonic a Dr could prescribe.

I have offered Reiki to the animals many times at Remus and I have always been humbled by each animal and the experience. It has been a privilege, as they have been my teachers, allowing me to grow into the Animal Reiki Practitioner I am today. They have been patient with me and at times have given me lots to think about. Remus has built a path way around the whole of the Sanctuary, so that every animal can be seen. Walking with Michael my son, I watched with amazement as the horses came right up to the fences. They allowed strangers to stroke them, they encouraged children, who I could see, were intimidated by their size, to move closer. There was such a gentleness and openness towards strangers who they had never met before. Watching the horses, I was so proud of them, as I knew that many of them had been treated so badly by the human race in the past; opening up their hearts to people they had never met before, showing forgiveness, brought tears to my eyes. If they can forgive and move forward, then so could I. The Reiki precepts show us how we should live our lives on a daily basis, we are taught not to anger, to worry, to be compassionate, to be humble and to be honest in our work. Being able to stand and watch and just ‘be’ allowed me to understand that animals are living these precepts every single day, yet I had never been able to see it before. Michael loved being so close to the horses and it was a joy to watch him stroking Dolly and the mutual enjoyment they got from sharing each other’s company.

The Remus animals are amazing teachers and I am continually learning, they are always very gentle and nudge me in the right direction with enormous patience (I have needed a lot of lessons lol) Kathleen will be teaching at Remus from the 5 – 8 of September 2013. The Remus Animals are always looking for new students to teach and LOVE meeting new people. They cannot wait to meet Kathleen again, so they can show her all of the new improvements at Remus; new training room, paddocks, laminitic field, new fencing and again SO MUCH MORE.

Dolly teaches Michael the lesson ‘forgiveness’

I had been volunteering Reiki at a wildlife refuge, for almost two years when Beth, the founder, came up to me and said, “I was at the shelter and one of the people said he was trying to use more natural and holistic ways of calming the dogs down and I told him about you and Reiki. Give him a call”. So I did. Mike had two particular dogs in mind to work with; Serafina, a very sweet, incredibly shy lab mix, and Frosty, a Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua mix, who would   Continue reading...]]> I wasn’t looking for a dog. I was quite happy and content with seven unique cats. (Yes, you could say I live in a cathouse). I certainly didn’t anticipate a little dog to come into my life, teaching me to look at my Reiki practice and The Precepts in ever new ways. But let me back up a bit.

I had been volunteering Reiki at a wildlife refuge, for almost two years when Beth, the founder, came up to me and said, “I was at the shelter and one of the people said he was trying to use more natural and holistic ways of calming the dogs down and I told him about you and Reiki. Give him a call”. So I did.
Mike had two particular dogs in mind to work with; Serafina, a very sweet, incredibly shy lab mix, and Frosty, a Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua mix, who would nip at people and would circle her kennel endlessly.

After working with Serafina for two visits, she was less shy and was adopted by a nice family. Frosty, who had been in shelter/foster environments for almost two years, was still there. I was warned when I went to work with her” “Don’t pet her, even if she jumps in your lap, she’ll bite”. Volunteers were afraid of her. At one point, one person mentioned that someone recommended having all of her teeth pulled so she would be more adoptable. As it was, she could not be in a home with children or other dogs. For a couple of sessions I worked with her right outside of her kennel. Then we moved into a room, away from the barking and distractions of all the other dogs. She would circle the room and then settle in my lap, sigh and fall asleep. She would put her head under my hand and stay very still.

As the weeks went by, I offered Reiki to all the animals and watched as many were adopted. I wasn’t tempted to adopt any of them because, 1) the shelter was very careful about who adopted, so I knew they would be okay and 2) it is a No-Kill shelter, so there not a deadline, so to speak. Still, it is hard on animals to be a shelter, no matter how kind the people are.

Frosty started to be more affectionate to me and I started to have a nagging thought to maybe adopt her. (I’d have to make sure my landlord wouldn’t mind, that she and the cats would get along, etc.). Then Frosty went into a foster home. I asked how it was going and it sounded like he was going to adopt her. He had one cat and a bird and I thought it would be great for Frosty. And I didn’t have to disrupt my calm little life.

Then, after a month in the foster home, I came to the shelter and Frosty was back in the kennel. For personal reasons, her foster dad was unable to keep her. She looked heartbroken. I was heartbroken for her.

I kept working with her and learned that she didn’t just bite or snap out of the blue, she gave very clear warnings, if you were paying attention. I began to think about adoption becoming a reality.

I checked with my landlord (he said okay) and we had several home visits to see how Frosty would be with the cats and vice versa. So far, so good.
I adopted Frosty at the end of November.

So this 5-7 year old dog, who had been a stray, then in a kill shelter, rescued to a no-kill shelter and had been in two foster homes, with back and knee problems, was now my dog. I had not had a dog before.

Thank God for The Precepts! For Today Only is the only way to live when everyone is learning to adjust to changes in household! I learned that I have to get up a bit earlier so that Frosty can have her morning walk and take care of bathroom issues. (I recently saw a cartoon with a dog talking about its person saying: “She seems nice enough, but when we go on a walk, she steals my poop!”) The cats learned they had a new housemate, and tried to graciously welcome her. Sometimes Frosty was equally gracious, sometimes, not so much. A couple of times she chased a cat into another room and then I’d hear a hiss, followed by a yelp and Frosty running back with a scratch across her nose. Another time, Frosty was trotting thru the house, leash trailing behind her, when she came to an abrupt stop. I investigated and there were seven cats all sitting on her leash. Frosty doesn’t hold a grudge, doesn’t plot to get those evil kitties. In fact, she will sometimes give them a big, sloppy kiss. And I will often find them all curled up on the bed together.

Frosty, with all of her past pain, lives each day without worrying or fear. There is only today. What happened a month ago is over. How she ended up in the streets doesn’t matter. And there is not the slightest sign that she is concerned about the next minute, let alone the next day. She savors each moment, with a look of “Isn’t this the most amazing day ever– don’t you see it”?! She is a very happy dog; she will come in after a walk and roll around on the floor in sheer joy!

One day, coming home from a walk in the neighborhood, I heard a low growl and looked up to see a very big dog loose, with no owner to be seen. The dog looked at Frosty and charged. I got Frosty up onto my trash can, opened my door and got her inside while holding off the big dog. (The dog was not the least bit interested in me, I was in no danger, Frosty was). The dog took off and I went inside to a concerned Frosty. I sat down and started crying from the stress, and Frosty came over and started licking my face and sat in my lap. She showed me such compassion and simply was present with me and let me be, as she simply was herself, fully present to me and fully present with me.

Frosty shows me The Precepts in being fully present in the moment. I realized I was more rigid than I had thought, attached to a particular way of doing things (or to sleeping an extra hour). She teaches me to let go, to breathe, to dive into the now. I look at the snow falling in a different way; I always thought it was beautiful, but to see Frosty dive into the snow and tunnel her way out makes me laugh out loud. There is newness in everything when you see with fresh eyes. The Precepts tell us that, that’s why “For Today Only” is so important, it is the only time, the only moment, so it is ever new. Frosty lives this, without pretense, in an utterly free way; no worries about if it is correct or if she is correct. She simply is; no worries, no apologies, no angst. And I am learning and feeling lighter and freer as I continue to learn from Frosty, Reiki Dog and Teacher.

Kris Azzarello – Shelter Animal Reiki Association Teacher

It seems like almost every day I am getting these emails from people I know who are working tirelessly to stop the massive removal of these magnificent animals from their homelands. Wild horses have roamed our countryside for hundreds of year. Yet now, under the direction of the government, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is staging nationwide roundups of wild horses so they can turn over the land to cattle ranchers. While I have never witnessed a roundup live, friends of mine have. I have seen harrowing pictures and video and heard tragic stories. Once   Continue reading...]]> I am writing this on what, according to the ASPCA, is National Horse Protection Day. Which is somewhat ironic, because I woke up this morning to read yet another story about more of wild horses being rounded up and removed from their homes. The pictures were heartbreaking. The eyewitness accounts even more so.

It seems like almost every day I am getting these emails from people I know who are working tirelessly to stop the massive removal of these magnificent animals from their homelands. Wild horses have roamed our countryside for hundreds of year. Yet now, under the direction of the government, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is staging nationwide roundups of wild horses so they can turn over the land to cattle ranchers. While I have never witnessed a roundup live, friends of mine have. I have seen harrowing pictures and video and heard tragic stories. Once they are captured, the lucky horses are saved by rescue groups and sent to sanctuaries. They will never again roam free, but they are safe. The unlucky ones are sent to feedlots where they are held in small pens indefinitely or possibly shipped to slaughter.

In my opinion, this is unacceptable and must be stopped. And as Reiki practitioners, I believe we can do something about it.

After I read the most recent roundup story this morning, I sat down to do my morning Reiki session and decided to send Reiki to the horses who had been captured and their family members who were left behind. As I started to connect to them, I felt their pain. I felt their terror and fear. It broke my heart. I started to cry and tears continued to run down my face as I continued to send them love and what comfort I could. I could not tell them “You are loved, you are safe…” because I don’t know if they are safe. I could only tell them that I sent them love, I saw them, I recognized them, I wanted to help them, and I appreciated them for the magnificent beings that they are. As I did this, I felt their energy shift. I felt the love being returned to me. After all they had been through, THEY were sending love and comfort to me. It was wonderful and beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time.

And it made me more determined than ever to do all I can to help them.

I have been thinking for some time about starting healing circles, where Reiki practitioners and other energy workers can get together to work as a group on particular animal issues – one issue at a time. I’m putting this in motion now, and I intend to start with the wild horses.

I know many SARA members volunteer at horse sanctuaries. I know whenever I do Reiki with any horse, it is a healing experience for me. They heal me as well as teach me. They help open and heal my heart. They are incredibly loving, healing and giving. And they need our help.

Kathleen and Leah always tell us that when you work on one animal, you can have an impact on all animals and how they are treated. Imagine the impact we could have if we all focused a little bit of our time and energy to help the horses.

I think it would be wonderful if SARA members could include the wild horses in our Reiki sessions. I am going to do this as often as I can. We can include those horses who have been captured, those who were left behind, and those who remain at risk of being captured. We can send Reiki to the entire situation and hold the vision of a day when our horses are left alone and allowed to run free, as they should be.

(A friend of mine, another SARA member, is working on getting a list of dates of future scheduled roundups. We could send Reiki at that particular time and place also. If anyone is interested in that information, or any other information about what is happening with the wild horses, please feel free to contact me directly at info@heartsandpawsanimalhealing.com.)

I hope we can all consider joining forces and sending some of our Reiki love and energy to the wild horses. I know it will help. I know we can make a difference. And I know, regardless of what happens, the horses will feel it and it will help them. And, as never fails when working with animals, we ourselves will get healing in the process.

Cathy O’Brien

Charlie, a handsome white cat with bright jade eyes, came into my family’s life last summer. His owner, an aged German lady named Millicent, refused to be taken to the hospital by the town ambulance service unless she was given assurance that her cat would be taken care of. The managers of the service, Lisa and Jerry, both animal lovers, agreed to take care of the kitty and went to the house to feed him daily. But neither of them could take another animal into their homes. Looking for a solution, Lisa turned to my partner Carol, a part-time medic, for ideas. The upshot was that Carol and I agreed to foster the cat and adopt him if Millicent didn’t return home.. We dubbed him Charlie, got him a collar   Continue reading...]]> Can or should animals receive reiju, the spiritual blessing ritual? Let me recount what happened recently and then you decide.

Charlie, a handsome white cat with bright jade eyes, came into my family’s life last summer. His owner, an aged German lady named Millicent, refused to be taken to the hospital by the town ambulance service unless she was given assurance that her cat would be taken care of. The managers of the service, Lisa and Jerry, both animal lovers, agreed to take care of the kitty and went to the house to feed him daily. But neither of them could take another animal into their homes. Looking for a solution, Lisa turned to my partner Carol, a part-time medic, for ideas. The upshot was that Carol and I agreed to foster the cat and adopt him if Millicent didn’t return home.. We dubbed him Charlie, got him a collar and tag, and welcomed him into our home. He immediately took over and proved to be a people lover, if not a lover of our other cats. Several weeks later, Charlie had a forever home with us.

The little guy wanted to be a part of our daily routine, inquisitively following us about and climbing up on everything. Part of my routine as a Reiki and Animal Reiki teacher is to practice Reiju regularly, usually to an empty dining room chair. Usually I imagine someone sitting there. That is, a human sitting there. While I regularly offer Reiki to my critters, I hadn’t given any thought to whether animals could or should receive Reiju. One morning as I faced an empty chair and began the ritual, Charlie jumped up and sat there attentively. It seemed to me that he wanted whatever I was offering. So I went ahead and completed the ritual.

While I think the ritual itself is for us and that animals don’t regard that aspect quite the way we do, I believe they can benefit from receiving such a blessing, just as they can benefit from a Reiki treatment. Charlie seemed to enjoy it. Possibly he passed the word to the other cats, because soon afterwards Becky my supersized tiger jumped up on the chair as I prepared to offer Reiju.

Have any of your readers offered Reiju to a pet or thought of doing so? I’d like to hear the experiences and opinions of others.

Diane Anderson
Shelter Animal Reiki Association Teacher

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   Continue reading...]]> 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

It was a normal Saturday afternoon at Remus Horse Sanctuary. Myself and one of my reiki students Tracey had been busy offering Reiki to the animals that had needed reiki that day. As usual I was armed with my healing list from Sue and the afternoon was bright. We had already experienced some beautiful reiki lessons from Sophie the horse, the Shetland ponies in the barn, the herd in the field and now we were on our way to the sheep in the shed.

We stood outside and offered reiki to the sheep, there is nothing   Continue reading...]]> This is a blog that has been waiting for me to write  but life and all that it had thrown in  my path. Has meant that finding the time and the space, to recall this event with the dignity it deserved. Has taken almost 5 months. The experience I had with Esther, was so special.

It was a normal Saturday afternoon at Remus Horse Sanctuary. Myself and one of my reiki students Tracey had been busy offering Reiki to the animals that had needed reiki that day. As usual I was armed with my healing list from Sue and the afternoon was bright. We had already experienced some beautiful reiki lessons from Sophie the horse, the Shetland ponies in the barn, the herd in the field and now we were on our way to the sheep in the shed.

We stood outside and offered reiki to the sheep, there is nothing more amazing, than to watch sheep receive reiki. The first thing you will notice is, the ‘sheep effect’ ooh, ohh, I am scared, not sure!  What is going on? I kind of like it but ohh, ohh, I don’t now what to do… That is until one brave sheep, steps forward and says ‘ OK guys this is great’. Then you will see them line up one by one for their reiki session, then  they merrily trot off  chilled and spaced out.

On that Saturday though, something very special happened. As we stood outside and offered reiki, the sheep parted in the middle leaving a pathway. Right at the back of the shed were these little eyes, just starring back at us. As we stood mesmerized by this little, sheep who gradually moved slowly, slowly up to where we were standing. Both of us knew, that something very special was happening. Bit by bit she edged towards us until Esther stood in front of us. She stood there receiving reiki for about 10-15 minutes,  then the sheep closed the pathway,  Esther again blended back into the flock and everything seemed to go back to normal.  Myself and Tracey were amazed by the experience. We nodded quietly to each other, both thinking ‘what just happened’?

I had put this to the back of  my mind until the next time I was at Remus, which was the next Saturday. This happened to be when I had a reiki share and there were about 8 other reiki practitioners there. Half way through the share, Sue called me to one side and said that a vet was on his way and would be at Remus any second. Could I go and offer reiki to one of the sheep, who was very poorly and was being put to sleep. Of course, I could I said, as I had done on many occasions before,  offering reiki  to other animals at Remus in their last moments.

As I entered the stable, I recognized the sheep immediately as being Esther, I was shocked,  it knocked me off my feet. I quickly composed myself  and stayed with her for an hour and while the vet put her to sleep, it was very, very peaceful. Afterwards, I shared my story from last week, with two of the Remus staff, who were with me. They looked at me and said, No way! that could not be possible, as Esther was absolutely petrified of people and would NEVER EVER make her way forward to stand in front of two strangers!!

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   Continue reading...]]> In 2012, I twice had the honor of sharing Reiki with a sweet 10 year old Shetland pony named Pete. Through a beautiful two-way connection each time, Pete gave me a gift; he taught me the power of the “circle of healing” through Reiki.

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.

I offered Reiki to Pete in the pasture he shares with the two mini horses. At first, Pete was very shy and guarded around me. As I created the Reiki space and invited him to join me, he moved away from me towards the edge of the bubble, his tail swishing. But, Pete stayed; as we shared this beautiful space of Reiki energy, I could feel Pete become more and more relaxed and mellow. At one point he did move away for a minute, but he soon came back and stood next to me. His head dropped, he began chewing and his eyes closed. Then, he gently leaned his body against mine. Pete was totally relaxed and part of the energy; he was no longer concerned about what was happening around him. There was just a beautiful energetic connection between us, which we shared for a few minutes.

As I was talking with Diane after the treatment, Pete came over to stand by me and to nuzzle his face against me. Diane commented, “He really likes you!” A couple days later, Diane reported that she was playing with Pete in the arena with all of the horse toys. For the first time, Pete was not scared and thoroughly enjoyed himself. I was honored to have this opportunity to connect with Pete and assist him on his journey to overcome the fears of his past.

But the story does not end here……

About six months later, Alan and I were asked by a friend to come to the same barn to offer her horse a Raindrop treatment. On that particular day, I was not in a good state of mind; I was stressed and overwhelmed; I was definitely not following the five precepts. I even forgot to bring my barn boots and didn’t have shoes appropriate for the barn. I told myself that I should have stayed home. Our friend suggested that she would bring her horse outside for the treatment since it was a nice day; I asked Alan to apply the Raindrop treatment since I was not prepared. We happened to be right next to the pasture that Pete shares with the mini horses.

When Pete saw me, he quickly came over to the fence, looking very intently at me. I didn’t go over to him right away, but he stayed there grazing. After a few minutes, I realized that Pete was calling me to come over to him, so I approached the fence to say “hi”. As I stood there with him rubbing his nose and muzzle, I felt this warm energy surrounding me; I felt my demeanor shift; I felt the stress melt away; I felt calmer; and I felt this strong connection with Pete. We stood there sharing the Reiki space for about 10-15 minutes. It was so peaceful!

Pete gave me a beautiful gift that sunny fall day, a gift that definitely was not expected. Pete created a Reiki connection with me, he offered me that space of balance and harmony that I so needed. He helped me to feel better and happy that I did not stay at home (and happy that I forgot my boots!).

Reiki really is a gift, a two-way gift. When we truly connect with animals and open our hearts, we have the opportunity to experience the “circle of healing”, either in the same treatment or over multiple treatments. We not only help the animals through Reiki, but they in turn help us. I want to thank Pete for trusting me, for connecting with me and for giving me this beautiful gift.

Ann Noyce, Animal Reiki Teacher

Dear Bill,

Again I want to thank you for an amazing day at Popcorn Zoo and especially for asking that we be allowed to go into the enclosures to see Princess the camel and the mountain lions!

I know you tried to be with us as much as possible, but I wanted you to get the “inside” story according to me!!

Some highlights:

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   Continue reading...]]> The following is a letter from one of the attendees at a recent Animal Reiki class conducted by Bill Stevens. Bill had posted earlier about the first visit to the Popcorn Zoo. This is an account of a return visit by the same two people.

Dear Bill,

Again I want to thank you for an amazing day at Popcorn Zoo and especially for asking that we be allowed to go into the enclosures to see Princess the camel and the mountain lions!

I know you tried to be with us as much as possible, but I wanted you to get the “inside” story according to me!!

Some highlights:

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;

The parrot in the cage at the office seemed sad, but he did not repeat his story about how someone “took” his wing, so he must have understood the last time we talked to him and explained to him that he was in an accident and it was injured and had to be removed;

There were 3 amazing highlights to our visit:

M and I were standing next to the indoor bird cages and she was giving Reiki to the small female white bird.  She said she was not doing well and was taking in a lot of Reiki.  One of the birds in that area was loudly squawking  and we were telling him to be more quiet and that he was going to be ok.  I walked around to the other side of the cages and one of the birds said “hello” – that was a shock because none of them were talking “out loud” before..then I walked around to see the squawking bird and he stopped and also said “hello” to me.  Then I walked around to check on M and the sick bird and she was feeling much better and doing a little dance and also said “hello”.  I was shocked!  M said they talk when I am around.

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!

There was a sad moment when we were in the kennel and a very sweet looking younger yellow lab with cuts on his face was trying to tell M that a door hit him in the face, but she told me he was actually hit in the face with the door by his owner..  It broke my heart that he did not even know that his owner caused his pain, but I guess that is better for his heart in the long run.  I hope someone takes him home soon…

So again, thank you for allowing us to go with you and your animal Reiki class.  It was a privilege and an honor to be there.

Love,  K