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!

Kay Robinson

Shayne

Shayne is a horse at Remus Horse Sanctuary and he happens to be the oldest horse  in the world. He is 52 years of age and still looks amazing for his many years here on this earth. Shayne became a bit of a celebrity a few months ago, as all of the tabloid papers in the UK wanted to write about him, they descended on Remus in droves and happily photographed him as he trotted proudly around the field. This did put Remus on the map and was a huge sensation but unfortunately it did not mean more donations for the Sanctuary, instead more people phoning up to re-home their elderly horses.

Remus through diet, dental care, blacksmiths, veterinary and holistic care are able to care for many of their horses expertly, who are in their 30′s, 40′s and of course Shayne who is in his 50′s. They strive to give their animals the best possible environment to thrive in. Age is just a number and not a death sentence, each animal is looked after on their own merits and not tossed aside because they have become too expensive to keep.

I would like to say that Shayne was on my weekly reiki healing list and that I had been working with him for the last 4 years, unfortunately for me this was not the case as he has had such good health. For all of the time I have been at Remus he has not needed any Reiki. The first time, I offered reiki to Shayne he was in his stable, he was very dismissive and made it clear that he was not going to be part of this connection.  At 52 this was his first experience of reiki and I can only suspect that he needed to check it out, have a think about it and to process it. The next time I offered him Reik, he was in a small field on his own.  As I entered the field I could see that he was was very suspicious of me,  seeing his uncertainty I stood at the edge and offered the Reiki into the field. I stood quietly and watched him move slowly towards me, he was still unsure but with more confidence he entered into the reiki space. I kept my head low and did not make eye contact with him as he found this threatening. He edged his way up to me and slowly moved his head into my hands. Gently and with much stillness I held his head as he drifted into the reiki zone. After a while he realised his vulnerability and quickly moved away to the end of the field. With each reiki session I have had with him he has become more trusting of me. He now watches me with much interest and picks up on the reiki connection straight away.

Shayne has seen many things during his long life and as far as we are aware has always had good owners. He is a lovely old boy, who still has his good looks. Reiki I feel has given him the space and time to totally relax and and let go. He definitely seems more chilled and I am sure he looks forward to our weekly reiki sessions. I always respect his wishes and give him his space, we acknowledge each other from a distance which I know he wants. I say “hi” and “bye” and in between this, is a shared love of reiki.

Me with my SARA students

I am very proud to be a SARA teacher in the UK and work very closely with Remus Horse Sanctuary in Essex. I have a wonderful relationship with Sue Burton who is the founder of Remus, together we are aiming for Remus to be a SARA Reiki Centre of excellence. It has been journey of two people having a mutual respect of one another and also a love of animals.

Teaching the SARA Reiki manual to students is truly wonderful, the manual is amazing and the teachings follow traditional Japanese Reiki techniques  as sourced by Frans and Bronwen Steine of the International House of Reiki. The manual is beautifully written and is the first Japanese Animal Reiki manual of it’s kind here in the UK. My students love the manual and there are lots of Animal Reiki articles too to help them in their Reiki practice. Being a SARA student means working on yourself with daily Japanese meditations, the precepts, hands on healing and a Reiju ( a spiritual blessing) which is what makes the whole SARA experience so special.

I meet with my students every two months at Remus Horse Sanctuary, where we talk about the precepts, we are working on at the moment ‘For today only I will not anger’ and Earth KI. We  practice the Japanese Meditations for about half an hour and then I offer the students a Reiju if they would like one. It is a time for us all to discuss how we are getting on in our Reiki Practice and to air any worries or concerns. Reiki is not a race and it is important for us all to support each other and for me to be available to support my students in anyway I can. Kathleen and Leah are my teachers, if I can not answer a question from a student, I speak to my teachers,  so I am often Skyping Leah, she is very patient with me.

Spending the afternoon with my students fills me with such pride, each one of them has grown in to a wonderful Animal Reiki Healer who has a love of animals and a lack of ego. Later in the afternoon is spent offering Reiki to the Remus animals, we go out  into the fields and offer Reiki out to the animals instead of sending it to an animal. All of the animals at Remus have a choice. It is so wonderful to watch them come upto a SARA student and to place their body in the exact place that they want their hands on healing.

Twice monthly I meet with six of my students at Remus and we get to work with the animals in a more indepth manor. We practice our Japanese Meditations and Reiki precepts. I meet with Sue and we discuss which animals that we will be working with and what has happened to them during the past couple of weeks. Sue gives me a treatment card with the Species, name of the animal and age. This includes any problems they have had. As  SARA teacher and students we then record the Reiki treatment onto the treatment card. Keeping records is important for a SARA Sanctuary as it means we can see any changes in the animal’s behaviour. The treatment card is also returned to Sue, so she can keep it updated with information on a regular basis.

I teach SARA classes at Remus too and donate 50% of my workshop fee back to them. This means that I am generating an income for Remus and that I am also establishing a functional SARA educational programme.

Being a SARA teacher in the UK has meant a commitment to both my Students and to Remus but I love it. I get to watch people blossom and to grow in confidence and I also get to see animals move forward with their health. My aim is for my SARA students to be the best Animal Reiki Practitioners they can be and to spread the word about SARA and Remus. Please check out my classes, as a SARA Reiki experience at Remus is a lot of fun.

My relationship to Bootsie has also been especially close ever since we first made eye contact while I was mall walking almost fourteen years ago. There she was in the pet shop window, an adorable 8-week-old tuxedo kitten, playing with half a dozen or so other kittens. When I stopped to look at the kittens, she stopped playing to gaze at me and I gazed back. We bonded in that moment, like Super Glue.

Bootsie enjoys snuggling up next to my head at night and curling up on my lap during the day. When I need to be away home for several days, she develops separation anxiety. She is very much a one-person cat, although she been developing more trust in my Partner.

So when Bootsie suddenly became quite ill a week ago and had to be admitted to the animal hospital with a fever of unknown origin, I was upset and realized how frightening this experience must be for her. I regularly offer Reiki to my cats, dogs, and chicken flock. Now I turned to Reiki to complement her medical treatment. I didn’t know how it would help, only trusted that it would. At first.

When the fever broke the second day, her recovery looked promising. But Bootsie continued to refuse to eat or drink, even when I tried bringing her home for the weekend. She became dehydrated and lethargic, leading to emergency readmission Monday morning. Now my trust in Reiki was put to the test. I was becoming the proverbial basket case, worried sick about Bootsie.

Just as the team of veterinarians was doing a “differential diagnosis” to rule out some conditions and consider others, I realized I needed to take a look at my Reiki practice, how I was making myself sick and what I could do about it.

First, I realized that I had my own agenda: Reiki SHOULD cure her illness and according to my time table. I wasn’t trusting the intelligence of Reiki to work where it was most needed. Second, my worry was incapacitating me and wasn’t helping Bootsie. How wise Usui Mikao was to make “Do not worry” one of the Reiki precepts, and I saw and felt the fear that was at the root of my worry. Fear that I would lose Bootsie. In fact, I was acting as if I had already lost her, a superb example of how fear is an illusion.

With these insights, I was able to let go of my baggage and offer more effective Reiki. The veterinarians and staff at the animal hospital have been receptive to letting me visit Bootsie in a treatment room during the office lunch hour, offer her Reiki, feed her by hand, and reassure her with my presence.

Gradually Bootsie is showing progress. Today they are going to try her on a small insulin because of elevated blood sugar. This morning I did a distance treatment. This afternoon I’ll visit, offer Reiki, feed and love her.

My lovely little tuxedo cat may be home in a couple days. Meanwhile, I trust she is getting excellent medical care. And I trust Reiki as a beneficial complementary treatment that works in often mysterious ways. Thank you, Bootsie, for being such an excellent Reiki teacher. I have learned some valuable lessons in becoming a better Reiki practitioner.

Diane Anderson

I love twilight! No, not the movie…that time of day when the sun meets the moon and everything is bathed in muted colors. It often feels to be a very mystical time of day and so is my favorite time for walking on the mountain. Secretive wildlife is often found at this time a day and I am always on the lookout. I have had the good fortune to see a den of fox kits, pileated woodpeckers, owls, grouse, baby porcupines and of course, deer. Currently, we have three deer roaming the mountain. I’m thrilled to see they made it through hunting season and they look nice and healthy for the upcoming winter.

One thing I like to practice as I walk is what I call, “Leading with the Hara”. As I begin my walk I set my intention to be open to everything. I begin Joshin Kokyu Ho breathing, imagining Reiki flowing from my hara, expanding into the environment around me. Many times on my walks I feel that I am not alone and that many little eyes are watching my every step. Leading with the hara keeps me mindful of the life around me. It also sends the message, “I come in peace.”

Deer are skittish creatures, and as such, often scare me as often as I do them. This happened the other day as I strolled up the lane on my evening walk. I heard them before I saw them, crashing through the woods, big white tails flashing me as they ran off. I saw two of them. I immediately stopped to focus on them, offering Reiki to make amends for startling them. As I stood there quietly expanding the energy I heard a noise to my left. I turned very slowly and saw the third deer walking toward me. She stopped and looked at me for a few seconds, then turned and ran off into the woods! I believe she was curious about the Reiki. It was the most thrilling experience!

We never know what we are going to encounter in our daily activities. Why not lead with the hara in the woods or at the grocery store?

Kelly McDermott-Burns

She finds humour in the stresses of humans and believes, If only you would meditate more!

I would like to share with you this amazing picture that captured Logan my animal companion in one of her many meditation states.  Yes, Logan meditates.  It is true, she almost makes it look effortless, propped up on the bow of the boat her eyes are closed and there is a stillness in her.  Questions within me start to arise when I studied this photo. What is it that she mediates about? Is there something I can learn from her?

I am blessed with the gift of an Animal teacher that whispers the words “you are loved” in my ear as we walked this path together. 

At the time I wasn’t even aware that I had been meditating. You see Logan and I use to spend our spring and summers planting tree’s all over Alberta and British Columbia. Basically I was given boxes of seedlings (small trees) and was in charge of planting an area that had recently been logged. After you planted 10,000 trees the job becomes a little monotonous, muscle memory kicks in and your mind is free to wonder. And my mind did wonder!  At one point I started to realise my mind was wondering a little too much and it was affecting the quality of the tree’s I had planted. So I started to focus more in the present moment and I would count in my head the steps I was taking before I planted a tree. 1..(step) 2 (step) 3 ( tree) 1..2…3 tree, 1…2..3..tree, 1 …2..3..tree.  Looking back now I realise this was a form of mediation. Nine hours a day sometimes 6 months out of the year the tree’s would go in the ground.. 1..2..3..tree, 1…2…3..tree… Gradually I connected to a place of expanded awareness where I was still counting, still focused in the present moment but also able to expand my awareness in a much wider scale.

Logan whispers

“I was there with you as you counted 1..2..3.. tree, 1..2..3..tree. I heard every step you took, I felt the focus and the expanded awareness and our connection to it all.  It was like home for me and I continue to wait in that space for you to rejoin me.  When you  notice  me sucking that special teddy bear and pushing my paws forward, I am counting ….1..2..3..( paw) 1…2…3..paw..  I am holding that expanded space. Remember? Meditate with me today and everyday”

Mediation is one of the 5 elements in the system of Reiki. Would you like to connect on a deeper level with your Animal companion? How about learning a few wonderful mediations that you and your animal can share together?

Sign up for an Animal Reiki workshop well supporting your local Shelter for more information on classes near you visit. www.shelteranimalreikiassociation.org

Kristy McGale
Animal Reiki Practitioner Teacher
www.theleadingleash.ca
780-533-5020

If you’ve been to a farm recently chances are you have encountered a fly. In my work with Joy, a young Morgan horse, I certainly did! I observed Joy in the pasture swishing her tail and stomping her hooves to shake them off. I saw myself: impatient with the fly, irritated by the never ending buzz in my ear, swatting at it, just trying to get a little peace. I could insert many different words for “fly”, of course.

Actually, I began thinking about the fly factor one day while sitting outside with Abe, a little terrier, new to Rutland County Humane Society. As I was holding the Reiki space for Abe I was being dive bombed by a fly. Abe didn’t seem to notice, but I was getting more and more irritated as the fly buzzed around my head. I found it difficult to concentrate and to refrain from swatting at the intruder.

Something I stress when teaching a class is the importance of focus. When we are focused, the energy flows freely and we are completely present for our client, be it person or animal. We become the energy and move with it. Irritation and constant movement (i.e. swatting) disturbs the session and creates a less than ideal situation. We are not honoring the animal when we are distracted.

When I was with Abe I began using the precepts to bring myself back into the space…

• Do not anger-the fly is simply being a fly.
• Do not worry-the fly won’t hurt you.
• Be humble-honoring all creatures includes the fly.
• Be compassionate to yourself and others-use this opportunity to deepen your focus, include the fly in the session and remember: the fly is just being a fly.

Approaching the situation with the precepts freed me to allow the fly into the space. Following that with Joshin Kokyu Ho breathing calmed me and removed my irritation. Abe was provided with a much better treatment.

Coming next: At One With The Mosquito.

Just kidding. That’s impossible.

Kelly McDermott-Burns
SARA Teacher

From my first visit to Horse Rescue Australia I really got to understand what it means to just ‘be’ Reiki rather than ‘do’ or ‘send’ Reiki, thanks to some expert guidance from my four legged teachers.

A lot of the horses at HRA have been rescued from years of abandonment, others from abusive situations, while others are young and perfectly healthy but there because of unfortunate circumstances and waiting on a new forever home.

But no matter what their reason is for being there, all the horses provide instant feedback when it comes to Reiki and each has their own way of letting me know what they want – or don’t want, as well as where, when, how and if, and for how long! With so many variables it’s been a very effective way of learning to ‘just be’ and ‘to allow’ and ‘not to expect’.

Its been several weeks since my first visit and I have come to know that each visit will be completely different from the last with no guarantee that whoever was open to receiving Reiki last week will want it this week. Except Sandy…

Sandy is a pretty little buckskin mare approximately 24 years old who came to Horse Rescue in 2000 when she was rescued with some of her friends from a herd of 22 ponies running wild in a 10-acre paddock. At the time Sandy had a very young foal at foot and another still suckling from her. She had probably spent her life before HRA having babies. Sandy was so scared of people HRA carers couldn’t go near her without her trembling like a mouse. She is very smart, and very good at not being caught!

Sandy is still very scared of people, so much so that her first encounter with Reiki was experienced from behind the safety of the herd while I sat on a tree stump at a respectable distance, during which time the rest of the herd relaxed and went through the usual range of peaceful activities horses go through when they’re enjoying Reiki. Every now and then I’d open my eyes and take a peek at the resting horses, a yawn here, a stretch there, the occasional position change somewhere else – and there would be Honey and Sandy; on full alert positioned safely behind the others, their necks stretched tall like a pair of giraffes and keeping a close eye on me, just waiting for me to move an eyelid, which of course would have been their cue to high tail it to the other end of the property!

But I didn’t, and they didn’t, and when the rest of the herd gently broke off and started to graze some 40 minutes later, Honey and Sandy simply moved off with the herd without the calamity I’m sure they expected.

Over the weeks I’ve been visiting the horses I‘m getting to know all their little quirks and personality traits, and how they like or don’t like to receive Reiki, how sometimes they’ll stand for 30 minutes, other times not at all, sometimes they like hands on and sometimes they prefer Reiki from a distance. But the one who has been the biggest surprise has been Sandy. Of all the horses, she will always accept some Reiki during my visits, preferring to receive her treatments from a distance when we are out in the main paddock.

There is a large flat rock under a shady gumtree, which is perfect for me to sit on while I offer Reiki so that has become my regular spot in the main paddock. Usually when I begin, the Shetlands immediately make their way over for some hands on treatments, or to rest their noses on me while I offer Reiki, sometimes they lay down close by and move off when they are done. Mostly the horses will take turns to receive the energy, some from a distance, some hands on, and other times I’ll have a flock of pigeons resting in the grass all around me, but no matter who else may or may not come for treatments, Sandy never misses. She has her favourite spot where she stands a little way off in her own space to enjoy anywhere from 30 – 60 minutes of energy at a time and when she is finished, she will give me a little look of thanks and break off to graze.

Last week I went into the main paddock and found the herd a little distance away from my rock, but before I could make my way over the Shetlands had spotted me and mobbed me for some hands on treatments, which appeared to annoy Sandy. I could tell she was really keen for some energy but the close proximity of the other horses really seemed to have her rattled that day. However, after the ponies had received their treatments and moseyed off and the others had also received varying amounts of Reiki, I caught Sandy’s attention and moved away from the herd so she could follow me if she chose. She did so I sat cross-legged in the grass about 10 feet away from her with my eyes closed, hands resting on my knees with palms upturned, and began to offer some Reiki. I knew that she really wanted to connect, and that if I gave her a chance she just might.

After several minutes I opened my eyes just a tiny bit and could see her creeping over to me as quiet as a church mouse. A few minutes later I opened my eyes again just a tiny bit and could see that she’d crept a little bit closer, her neck was stretched as far as she could possibly stretch it in my direction, and her eyes were as wide as saucers. I could see she was terrified so I closed my eyes again and just allowed the Reiki to flow. Then ever so lightly I felt her soft warm muzzle gently touch my right palm, then a few moments later the same warm sensation on my left palm as she investigated my other hand. It was an emotional moment. I remained still and allowed her to retreat at her own pace, as I knew she would. After a few moments I peeked again to see her standing several feet away, just enjoying the energy. We stayed like this for perhaps 30 minutes without the interference from the rest of the herd, and when she was finished, Sandy gave me that little look of gratitude, and moved off to graze and I left the herd in peace.

Julie Abrahams

Imagine standing next to a horse, and immediately being led to place your body into a Mountain Pose. Meeting Joe Black for the first time, this is what I did with my right hand placed on my heart and my left hand placed above his shoulder. During this Mountain Pose, the word “Yogi” came to mind.

Joe Black is a beautiful nine year old black Percheron who was rescued by Changing Leads Equine Rescue, just days before I came to offer him Animal Reiki. His presence commands respect, even though he’s 600 pounds underweight.

After I had introduced myself, I sat a short distance from him because he was still eating his alfalfa cubes; I wanted to give him space. After thirty minutes of offering Animal Reiki, my heart did a little leap when this gentle giant walked over to sniff my hands. Afterwards he slowly pivoted and walked a couple of slow laps around his hard turnout.

Soon I heard telepathically “Do yoga” from him. Aside from being surprised, I thought to myself that would be really weird to be doing yoga in a horse’s turnout, as well as there were several people around the place that could possibly be watching. I telepathically told him, “uh…no….not going there.” He replied gently, “Ok. That’s fine.”

I caught myself thinking curiously ….what does this being know about yoga? Forgetting about my surroundings, I jumped up asking telepathically “Ok, I’m game! What pose?”. He flashed me pictures of one doing the Sun Salutation. I telepathically said, “uh…we’re on gravel…can we compromise?” He then flashed the beginning sequence of a Sun Salutation: Mountain Pose, Upward Salute, Standing Forward Bend, Standing Half Forward Bend, and back to Mountain Pose. I happily replied “I can do that!”

As I was doing the poses, he came and stood near me, breathing in the Reiki. I literally felt his breath on me throughout the first round.

After the first round, he wanted Reiki focused on his heart space with my left hand for several minutes. Again, I followed his request.

When he had enough, he slowly walked off into a corner and went into a “Reiki nap”. His body completely relaxed by lowering his head, closing his eyes, licking his lips, and snoring from time to time.

Anytime that I took a rest, he would wake up, turn his head to me while licking his lips all the while saying “Continue.”

After about thirty minutes from doing these poses, I heard him say “Now twist”. Again, he flashed me a picture of what the pose was and I obliged.

He continued to lick his lips as he stood with his eyes closed. After two minutes of twisting, he said “Warrior”. When I stepped into the Warrior pose, he opened his eyes and turned his head to look at me. As we stood looking into each other’s eyes for several minutes, time stood still as we experienced a transcendent release from our lives. He thanked me and told me he was finished. After I had thanked him and Reiki, I wondered to myself….who helped whom?

On further note, I discussed with my yoga teacher later that evening to find the deeper meanings behind the poses. Mountain Pose is bringing awareness of one’s aliveness. The beginning of a Sun Salutation which leads to the Upward Salute is opening oneself to the divine energy to flow within. Standing Forward Bend is bowing down to Mother Earth’s energy, and then Standing Half Forward Bend is to open one’s heart space to receive this energy. The twisting pose further opens up the heart space (heart chakra). Warrior represents strength, which leads back to my question….who helped whom?

Camille Pukay
Animal Reiki Divine, LLC
SARA Teacher

I was very lucky to meet Frans Stiene and to be taught my Shinpiden level by him. Being introduced to his books by

Frans Stiene and me

Kathleen a few years ago, I found his and his wife’s whole understanding of Reiki to be a breath of fresh air. I arrived in the Cotswolds in early October of this year (2011). I had travelled across England by train, bus and then taxi. The venue for this Shinpiden workshop was in the middle of no where, making it very difficult for the taxi driver to find, eventually after asking someone in Winchcomb village I landed at my destination. I was staying at the Stable Cottages, Ireley grounds which were located next to the main house which was a beautiful Cotswold house.

I unpacked my things, and sat outside in the beautiful sunshine waiting for more people to arrive, as I ventured over to the main house, I was met by Frans. Having only ever seen him on a book or on his internet site, I was very nervous as to me I had never met someone famous before. He straight away put me at ease and was so very down to earth and grounded and had such a positive energy about him.

The first day I learnt about meditation, I realised that if I wanted to find what is hidden inside myself then I would need to use the meditation techniques to find out what is within me. I have always found meditation difficult as I am easily distracted. Frans helped me to think about the aim of meditation and to understand what meditation is. By not getting attatched to my thoughts and realising that there is no good or bad meditation was really refreshing. Direct experience is so important to understand what Reiki is all about. Frans made meditation really easy for me to understand in such a way that I would be able to practice it on a daily basis.

Being taught by Frans on the Shinpiden level was the most life changing experience I have ever had. For me he blew Reiki apart, he stripped away all of the layers and what was left was Reiki at it’s purest level. It was all about ‘being Reiki’ by being the precepts. It is about working on yourself and never being satisfied as you can always go deeper. Reiki is a life long practice and healing is just one element of it. The purpose of this blog for me, is how much this experience has changed me and my view of Reiki and how much this experience has helped me to be the best possible SARA teacher I can be. By me teaching my SARA students with the same enthusiasm and passion that Frans has and ‘perfect practice makes perfect’. SARA students in the UK will make such a difference to the animals that they work with too.

This deepened understanding of Reiki and my commitment to daily practice can only benefit the beautiful animals I work with at Remus. For  me that is what it is all about. If I can be a better Reiki Animal Practitioner and be in that Reiki space with the animals I work with and let go of ego and judgement I am definitely on the right path. Thank you Frans for showing me the way<3