…….by Jodie Brenner

I noticed during one of the Reiki I classes at Synergy Animal Hospice that  the Sheriff’s department had placed a pregnant mare and two other horses on the shared property of the Animal Hospice.

We were told we could offer Reiki to the horses, but we were not allowed in the gated area, which led to their locked paddocks.  The second day of class we offered Reiki to the horses and positioned ourselves  along the back fenced area.  The wire fence was about 8 feet tall and the horses could see us and actually touch us if they came down to that part of their paddocks.  The horses seemed very curious and accepting of 5 people offering them Reiki.  We felt the pregnant mare was totally immersing herself and her unborn baby in the Reiki.

A couple of weeks later one of my students, who is also my friend and I went to the property, we went to the same area in the back of the paddocks and sat on the earth next to the fence.  We both were totally in our Reiki space and could feel the energy vibrating as all three horses were licking and chewing and doing the involuntary head bobs.  She only had her new Reiki hands for a couple of weeks and was amazed at the heat and energy she was feeling.

I was distracted when I heard a truck coming up the driveway to my left.  It was a member of the Sheriff’s department, most likely coming to feed the horses and check on them.   My friend and I looked at each other wide eyed as if  “Oh no”.  Although we had permission to be there and it was my understanding the Sheriff’s department was aware that “people may be offering Reiki to the horses” I still felt like I might have some explaining to do:).  We watched him enter the locked area and begin to throw hay into the three paddocks.  The horses did not seem to be in a hurry to eat and slowly began to move towards the now filled hay tubs.  We wondered why the man did not acknowledge us, surely he could see us.  My friend said “maybe the Reiki makes us invisible” we both quietly laughed. He walked towards us to the water pump and began to turn it on.  He was  about 20 feet from us and still did not appear to see us!  My friend said “Hello”  he looked around and then spotted us on the ground.  After his reply of “Hello” I felt I needed to add something so I said “we are with the Animal Hospice and are giving the horses Reiki”  he replied “oooh, OK,  well have a good day”  he continued with his chores and then left. 

We laughed as to wondering if he knew what Reiki was or if he thought we were just a couple of crazy women sitting on the earth looking into the horse pens and humming:)

..posted by John Sawyer

One of the many wonderful things about Reiki is its ability to heal the healer, so to speak. As we offer Reiki to others, the energy flowing through us benefits us, as well. This is one aspect of Reiki that makes it ideal for shelters and rescue organizations.

As I mentioned in my last post, when we offer Reiki to the animals in the shelters in which we volunteer, it is equally important to be mindful of the staff and volunteers who care for the animals. As anyone who has worked with animal rescues knows, it is a never-ending task. There are always more animals in need than resources available. As a result, overwhelm and burnout are very common among rescue workers. This is one reason SARA is dedicated to teaching Reiki to shelter workers.

Reiki is as much a way of living as a healing technique. The Reiki Precepts guide us to balance in our lives on many levels while the Reiki energy we offer to other beings helps to balance our physical bodies. Balance is very important for rescue workers as it is easy to lose perspective when faced with the grim circumstances that are all too common in shelter and rescue work.

SARA’s mission is to bring Reiki to animals in shelters and rescues for their highest good. An important part of that is helping the caregivers do the best job they can as they care for the animals on a daily basis. Ultimately, supporting the caregivers supports the animals, which is what SARA is all about.

As SARA defines its teaching curriculum, emphasis is placed upon techniques that shelter workers may use to help themselves stay grounded and to maintain a healthy balance physically and emotionally. Traditional Reiki teachings are the basis of this curriculum with additional resources added specifically for that purpose.

For example, meditation is a wonderful way to quiet the mind and bring it back into balance. Teaching shelter workers specific grounding meditations gives them an important and powerful tool for maintaining their equilibrium.

Teaching shelter workers to recognize signs of burnout in themselves and their co-workers is important, as well. It is easy to get so caught up in the daily details that we don’t notice the imbalance until it becomes a real problem. Even something as simple as taking 5 minutes prior to each shift to get grounded can make a huge difference!

Expectations and intentions play major roles in our daily lives. Taking a few minutes at the beginning of the day to set our intentions can make all the difference between a “good” day and a “bad” day. In the case of shelter staff, simply setting the intention to do the best they can be of significant benefit.

Finally, following up with students after their intial Reiki training is vital. It’s not enough to hold classes and leave students on their own afterward. Many will have questions and encounter situations they don’t know how to handle. Making a point of asking how they are doing with their Reiki practice and being open and available for questions and just listening to their experiences will help them become better practitioners more quickly.

…………….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? 

..posted by John Sawyer

One of the things that we as animal Reiki practitioners sometimes forget is that the people who care for the animals in the shelters in which we practice sometimes need Reiki as much or more than the animals do. Having been in animal rescue in one form or another for about 15 years now, I’ve seen many rescue people burn out from the overwhelming nature of the task. The same syndrome occurs in shelter staff and volunteers.

This was brought home to me recently when one of the people I’d trained in Reiki at AID had a very difficult time with the passing of one of her charges. The dog crashed suddenly and was rushed to the vet, where she went into cardiac arrest and was unable to be revived. A necropsy showed massive internal problems so she would not have lived long even if she had been revived.

One thing that made her transition so difficult for my student was that no one had seen it coming despite the dog’s age and a recent trip to the vet for another incident. More importantly for her, my student told me that during the 36 hours or so that she cared for the dog during this crisis, she “forgot Reiki.” It dawned on her after the dog made her transition that she’d simply forgotten to offer her Reiki. This combined with the shock of the dog’s unexpected passing really knocked her for a loop.

We had a conversation about the incident and her distress over it during which I silently offered her Reiki. I asked her why she thought it had upset her to that degree and she replied “Maybe I could have done more.”

I knew the answer before she spoke, but wanted her to come to that realization on her own. I told her that she didn’t need to worry about turning Reiki on and off, that she being Level 2 now is Reiki and flowing Reiki all the time. Had the dog wanted more Reiki, it would have been drawn from her to the degree where she would have noticed it.

I explained that we have all been through that sort of “maybe I could have done more” or “I could have done it better or differently” remorse. It’s the nature of healers to want to see those with whom they share their healing to heal on a physical level. What we need to remember is that we can only offer healing. It’s up to the recipient to do with it what is for their highest good.

One of the many beautiful things about Reiki is that it heals on levels other than the physical. Most of us don’t have the ability to see the healing take place on those non-physical levels, so we simply have to trust Reiki and know that what we have offered has been used for the highest good. In the same way, we honor the recipient’s free will to remain physically focused or not.

I think all of us when we first began learning and practicing Reiki wanted to be able to cause healing to happen. Especially those of us raised in Western culture where medicine is believed to cause healing. It’s a major paradigm shift to go from the notion of “zapping” beings with Reiki to make them better to offering Reiki and allowing them to do with it what they wish.

It’s especially difficult for practitioners like my student who had a good deal of success early on with their Reiki, “success” being defined as having outcomes that matched her expectations. To paraphrase an old adage, one doesn’t learn from success, it’s failure that carries the real lessons. This outcome (the dog made her transition) was perceived as a failure by my student, even though it was not by any means a failure on her part.

It’s easy to see how she could fall into a negative spiral from thinking this way. I simply reminded her of what we’d discussed in her Reiki 2 class about how the animals are sentient beings in control of their own lives and we don’t get a vote as to whether they choose to heal on a physical level or not.

I also gave her what I call the “Mantra of the Rescuer”:

All you can do is all you can do, and all you can do is enough.

I don’t know who first said that. I read it long ago and it has been a touchstone in my life when I’ve felt overwhelmed by seemingly insurmountable obstacles in my path. It fits well with the Reiki philosophy, in my view, and is completely appropriate for shelter or rescue personnel as they deal with the never-ending stream of animals needing their help.

………….. 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.

In December I  went to visit my good friend in Montana that recently moved her horse sanctuary to a 1,200 acre ranch.  I was excited for our visit and especially excited to meet Roxanne.  Roxanne,  a four month old filly arrived a week before my visit.  She came to the sanctuary from a neglectful situation and her mother had already weaned her, as she was not able to feed and care for her.

During my stay the temperatures dropped to 25-40 below zero for 5 days.  A small corral was constructed inside one of the barns for Roxanne.  Her adopted Aunt Madison, a retired broodmare that found a home at the sanctuary last year was in the corral outside the barn.  They could still be close to each other and nuzzle through the panel that replaced the door.

One of the many things I wanted to do during my visit was to offer Reiki to Roxanne.  Roxanne was very shy and stayed her distance when I was in the corral helping with the chores.  She would look at me out of the corner of one eye.  We felt Roxanne would benefit from a Reiki session.  I did not have all of my “winter gear”, but I was determined to sit with Roxanne.  My friend gave me a horse blanket to wrap myself in stating it would be warmer than any human blanket she could give me.

It was a cloudless blue sky, beautiful, sunny and 25 below zero day.  It was my last day at the ranch.  I walked out to the barn, turned a bucket upside down, wrapped myself in the horse blanket and sat about six inches from the corral panel.  The sun warmed my back as it shone in the opening of the barn.  Roxanne stayed in the far corner quietly looking at me and most likely wondering what the heck I was doing.  A human in a horse blanket sitting on a bucket outside of her new home.

I created my Reiki space and set my intentions to offer her Reiki and for her to take the amount of Reiki that was appropriate for her.  As with the SARA technique, I allowed Roxanne to participate in her own healing and I remained outside of her corral.  Allowing her the freedom to move around and feel safe in her space.  I began to feel the Reiki flowing through my hands, I could hear Roxanne moving around.  I opened my eyes to see her place her tiny hips and tail a few inches from the panel in front of me.  As she swayed in a gentle motion back and forth.  She let out a baby sigh and began to eat the hay in front of me.  I felt a wave of happiness and excitement that she was willing to come to my side of the corral and showed signs of receiving the Reiki.

The time with her was very magical and peaceful.  She ate for about 20 minutes and then stood in the middle of the corral doing the “involuntary head bob” and letting out deep sighs.  A couple of times she came over and placed her head in front of me and our faces almost touched.  I could feel her warm breath on my face.  As I gazed into those soulful eyes I resisted the urge to reach out and touch the baby soft tiny nuzzle.  I really wanted to climb in there and just hug her, but I did not.  This was about her needs and not my desires.  She had to learn how to trust humans and in the process trust life.  In her four short months on this planet she had already experienced much saddness, betrayal and loss.  I was offering her healing and allowing her to take the Reiki energy to heal herself.

I looked at my cell phone to check the time and realized almost an hour had gone past.  I quietly told Roxanne I was preparing to end the Reiki.  I heard a soft, quiet voice say “not yet”, I could feel my eyes full of tears and a wave of tingles through my body.  I stayed.    I could no longer feel my toes, but surprisingly enough they were the only body part that was cold.  I continued to offer her Reiki and hoped some of the heat I was generating would travel to my toes.

Shortly after the hour I could feel the Reiki flow subside and I knew Roxanne had received all she needed for now.  She looked at me and began to yawn many times and then she stuck out her cute pink tongue and was stretching it in all directions.  I laughed at the antics and the faces she was making.  I knew she was releasing so much.  I asked her what she was releasing and heard “pent up emotions”.  I was happy to see her finally relax enough to release all she was holding in her little body.

I looked up to see Madison standing in the sun with her head against the barn sleeping  next to the opening.  It was such a peaceful moment.  I did not want to leave.  I thanked Roxanne, Aunt Madison and Reiki for allowing us to unite in this incredible space.

I shared the information about Roxanne sticking out her tongue with my friend.  She felt this information made sense with what she had noticed of Roxanne in the few days she had been there.  Before we left the ranch we stopped by to check on the horses.  Roxanne and Madison were standing in the sun half asleep.  We could see the soft nature in their eyes and bodies in total relaxation.  They were enjoying the warmth from the sun, the bond they created with each other and a knowing they are in a safe, nuturing space.

…posted by John Sawyer

It’s been quite a year for me at AID. I’ve met and worked with many animals and learned from all of them. Animals are such wonderful teachers!

I wrote about Allie previously. Unfortunately, Allie made her transition several weeks ago. Her condition had worsened to the point where she was harming herself despite the best efforts to keep her safe. There was no joy in Allie’s life aside from the time she spent sleeping in the arms of myself or another volunteer. During our last session together I got the strong sense that she had had enough of the struggles and was ready to return her focus to the non-physical.

Allie’s transition was more difficult for me than usual. We as practitioners know that Reiki heals on all levels and always hope for a physical healing as well. At least in my case, I think the more “hopeless” the case is, the more hope I have that a “miracle” will result. Sometimes we get those miracles, and often we don’t. In all cases, though, there are lessons to be learned.

In Allie’s case, the most obvious lesson was to release my emotional attachment to her healing. I looked forward to spending an hour or so carrying a slumbering Allie around the shelter. I felt, or at least hoped, that our Reiki sessions were helping her to maintain status quo, if not make visible progress, but that was not the case, at least not on a physical level. I’ve come to the realization that the contrast between her Reiki naps and the rest of her life became so great that she could no longer abide the latter.

When we sleep, we are connected to our Source. I’ve noticed that older animals sleep a lot more and a lot more heavily which indicates that they are preparing to make the transition to non-physical. While they are sleeping, they are exploring the non-physical and coming to terms with their transition. I’m sure this same process took place with Allie and that she finally decided she had fulfilled the purpose of this chapter in her eternal life.

Honey was another Pomeranian I met briefly. I had seen her while working with Allie in the kennel wing one day. She was a beautiful buff color with bright eyes and a lovely energy about her. During one of my recent visits to AID, I heard that they had found Honey unconscious and rushed her to the vet.

Two days later I was visiting AID again and learned that Honey’s blood sugar had dropped too low as a result of her diabetes, but that she recovered quickly at the vet and was back at the shelter. They suggested I offer her Reiki and I spent about 20 minutes carrying her around the shelter while she soaked up Reiki. She appeared bright and perky and none the worse for her earlier ordeal.

As it turned out, that was the only session I was to have with Honey. She had a setback shortly thereafter and was taken back to the vet where she went into cardiac arrest. The vet staff was unable to revive her. A necropsy revealed a number of problems with her internal organs.

The fact that she was able to function so well given the internal mess she was is yet another testament to the ability of our animals to focus on the moment. Someone once said to me that animals compensate until they can’t any more which explains why they often seem fine, then crash suddenly. Basically, animals “press on regardless” as long as they are able, a lesson many humans should take to heart!

There were many bright spots this year, as well. I’ve written about Button, the little Jack Russell terrier pup who recovered from her broken back. I recently met Larry, a “senior” boxer and a delightful gentleman who was rescued off the street a few months ago. Larry and I have only had one short session thus far, but I’m sure there will be more.

Finally, to show that I haven’t neglected the feline contingent at AID, I spent time this year with many in the cat wing including Spook and Eli, the two paralyzed cats who occupy adjoining playpens and keep watch over the comings and goings in the cat wing. Their current project is the supervising of two guinea pigs across the hall from them.

Bogie, Silky, Jet, Robert, Chloe, Geraldo and several other cats live together in a room just off the infirmary. Bogie took about 6 months to decide I was a friend. He now accepts Reiki and petting for short periods of time when I come to visit. His favorite activity is laying in his basket by the window soaking up the sun.

The Cat of the Year is GT, a grey tabby kitten I found near a farm while on my way to the vet with two of my dogs one evening not long ago. I saw her cross the road in front of my car and it was apparent that she was having difficulty. She lay down on the grass off the side of the road and was still there when we returned from the vet an hour or more later. I took the dogs home, got the smallest carrier we had, and went back to see if she was still there. She was, so I picked her up and put her in the carrier. I called the vet and took her there.

Ten days later, she was declared healthy although she has some neurological problems probably a result of panleukopenia, a condition not unusual in feral cats. Her eyes had been pasted shut when I found her, but had cleared up as a result of medication. The vet believed her to be blind, but we have since determined that she can see, at least to some degree.

GT appeared to be about four months old, but had her adult teeth so was at least 6-7 months old. No doubt the lack of regular meals contributed to her tiny size.

AID agreed to take her in and she has been there several weeks now. She’s grown noticeably, plays energetically with her toys and has endeared herself to everyone. She has at least two people interested in adopting her so she will find a forever home soon.

Reiki has played a great part in all of the above stories and many more. Many more stories end happily than otherwise, in physical terms, because Reiki is an integral part of AID and the care of their animals. A number of the staff and volunteers have at least Reiki 1 and we will certainly add to that contingent in the coming year.

2009 was a busy year for SARA. As Kathleen said in her blog, it was a year of change, new projects, new members and much growth! 

SARA started off the year on wobbly legs and spent most of the year like all new businesses – trying to reach goals, find balance and maintain quality.  As the year ends, I feel I can safely say we have achieved all three.  And when I say “we ” I mean we as in me, Kathleen and each of you.  We would not be where we are today without the hard work and devotion each one of you has given to SARA.  

As 2009 closes today, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all the help, guidance and encouragement we received from our members, friends, experts, animal lovers and of course, the animals themselves.   So many of you willing gave your time and expertise to help SARA not only become a professional non-profit but to be one of the first (if not the first!) organizations to create structured Reiki programs for shelters, rescues and sanctuaries here in the U.S. and abroad.   A big thank you to all who have helped us end 2009 on a successful note. 

A word of gratitude and special thank yous are sent to our SARA shelter organizations and all other shelters and rescues who have opened their doors to the healing power of Reiki.  With your help, more and more animals are receiving the benefits of Reiki daily.  

Each of you has shined your inner light on SARA and as we connect with others, our light grows brighter.  Thanks to you, SARA is starting 2010 with a very bright future!

With love and gratitude,

Leah D’Ambrosio

SARA Vice President

Dear SARA Members and Friends,

Thank you for a wonderful year of 2009, offering Reiki to shelter and sanctuary animals around the world! This has been a year of growth, change, new projects, new animal organization members, and the sharing of many wonderful shelter and sanctuary Reiki stories! Some dear friends gave me the wonderful book, Animal Blessings, by June Cotner, for Christmas. I’d like to share with all of you a quote from this book that I feel echoes the heart experiences we often encounter in our Reiki offerings for homeless animals:

I Will Always Remember

I will always remember the olive-eyed tabby who taught me that not all relationships are meant to last a lifetime. Sometimes just an hour is enough to touch your heart.  –Barbara L. Diamond

May the memories of the Reiki relationships that you create with the many amazing animals you meet uphold your heart and spirit as you forge ahead in this courageous work. And a Happy New Year to everyone!

With Animal Reiki Blessings,

Kathleen Prasad

SARA President

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.