Lessons in Listening: A Mare, A Foal, and A Wild Yearling

I'm always excited to be able to adapt Reiki to the situation, as well as the temperament and needs of the animal. When I listen to the animals, they tell me all I need to know.

I was called to Luv Shack Horse Rescue to work with a mare, Whisper, and a seven-day-old foal, Jersey Girl, that were found wandering in the desert and rescued. How long the Whisper had been on her own is not known, nor if she delivered Jersey Girl before or after she was turned loose. Whisper was underweight, her hooves had grown so long they had started to curl, and she had an eye infection. Jersey Girl had a low red blood cell count.

Both were wild-eyed and fearful. I started working outside their stall (two stalls opened up to create one large stall) and quickly felt an invitation to come in. Whisper was watchful and her eyes were large and wary. Jersey Girl ran behind her. I simply stood at a distance and started the Reiki flowing.

Within minutes, Jersey Girl was nuzzling me and nibbling on my clothes. Whisper kept a watchful eye but began to calm. A couple of times she stood between me and the foal, eventually relaxing enough to allow Jersey Girl close to me without too much concern. The whole time I simply filled the stall with love, safety and peace. Jersey became my shadow for the rest of the treatment. She allowed me to work on her in short spurts. Whisper allowed work from a distance at first, and eventually came over and leaned into my hands., soaking it all in.

Several volunteers tried to get close to the Jersey Girl (she's so cute no one could resist), but Whisper wouldn't allow it. Those watching were amazed that I stood among them, with the baby nuzzling me and following me around. It truly was a testament to the wonder of Reiki.

I also recently offered Reiki to wild yearling horse who came to Dreamchaser Horse Rescue from Fallon Feedlot in Nevada. He was very wild and distrustful. In fact, the number sticker he got either at the feedlot or the auction was still on his rump. No one could get near enough to remove it. He's was in a turnout, about the size of a round pen, with another horse; we hope the other horse will help calm him down.

As is common with work at rescues there were several volunteers around and enough activity that he was wary of it all. So I simply stood at the far end of the turnout and began my session. He was fidgety and anxious, and didn't seem to trust what was going on. Of course, I let him know my intentions and that he was free to choose how much, if any, Reiki he wanted. I also surrounded us with love, safety and peace. He seemed to take a bit of energy here and there, but was more curious than anything. A couple of times he walked near me (within a foot or two), but didn't stay close for too long. After about 10 minutes, I received the message he was done.

Every animal and circumstance is different. Even the same animal may change preference from treatment to treatment. Listening to them and watching their body language will help you determine their preference for a treatment. Reiki is adaptable to any situation.

The Lesson of One

Last week at the Animal Reiki Share I host at Dreamchaser Horse Rescue we had a unique experience. Something we had not experienced before.

Its common when we go to the rescue to have several animals that need attention, as well as those that each individual is drawn to work with. That day wasn’t any different as the Ranch Manager suggested several that may need some Reiki. We split up to make sure each of them received attention.

As I approached Yogi, an off track Thoroughbred with crooked front legs and arthritis, I asked as I normally do to connect with him and offer Reiki. Before I realized it I connected with an energy much larger than Yogi. It felt to be the energy of the entire herd. Again, I sought to make an individual connection with Yogi and again found myself within the energy of the herd.

While in that connection there was an overall feeling of contentment and that all was okay within the herd and that they didn’t require any special attention. Rather that attention was to be given to Susan Thompson, founder of Dreamchaser.

As I experienced this I “logically” thought that it must be my concern for Susan, who had knee replacement surgery one week prior, that was creeping into my Reiki with the animals. I tried several times, even approaching different horses, with the same results. Upon sharing my experience with the others we realized that each of us was experiencing something similar.

Even though the horses had not seen Susan since her surgery they were aware that she was the one that needed healing that day. And of course….special attention she received!

It was a humbling experience, as well as a good reminder that we are all One. It is possible to know, feel, or be affected by something that happens to another….regardless of whether what happens is good or bad. And how appropriate that it was a herd of horses, who live as One whether in the wild or domestically, that reminded us of this.

From Crash Landing to Flying High

While intently working at my computer the other morning I heard a big thud against the sliding glass door in the other room and then heard Maddie (our Shepherd mix) get all excited about something. Knowing what this all meant I quickly ran outside to keep her away from the bird I was afraid was lying on the ground. Sure enough there the poor thing laid in shock unable to move.

After getting Maddie in the house, much to her disliking, I went back to see what I could do for my poor bewildered feathered friend. He was stunned and unable to move, but appeared to be okay. I quietly approached him, instantly feeling the familiar movement of Reiki starting to flow.

I gently picked him up quietly sat for a while loosely holding him in my hands. My instinct was to cup my hands around him and protect him. However my intuition told me that cupping my hands around him while doing Reiki was too intense for his precarious state. So I held my hands open to give him a safe place to rest knowing that the Energy would flow to the area(s) most in need.

As his limp body lay in my hands I found my mind and emotions catching up to what had happened. I felt that all too familiar lump in my throat and tears come to my eyes. When it comes to the welfare of animals my emotions often lay close to the surface. Knowing that obsessing on these feelings was not conducive to the healing this bird needed I grounded myself with the stable nurturing energies of the earth and opened myself to the love and healing energy of the heavens. (A variation of the Earth/Sky meditation I learned from Kathleen Prasad). Simple, yet very effective.

It was only a few moments before we were in the beautiful Reiki space where the outside world melts away and you seemingly become one. As I continued to watch the bird for whatever signs he would display I noticed his eyes become more alert and open. When we had started the session you could tell he was fighting to do this. We stayed in this place together for a several minutes, and as the bird became more alert he began to slowly move his head and I could feel his little feet stirring in my hands, start to get their strength back.

Knowing I had a client coming soon I looked for a place I could put him where he could safely recuperate. I found such a spot in a bird feeder in the front yard. He would be safely out of Maddie's space and the feeder offered a large stable floor and a roof for protection from the sun. As I went to put him on the feeder his little feet grabbed tightly onto my finger, not wanting to let go. I energized the feeder with Reiki Energy and gently set him on it.

For the next few hours I checked on him and continued to do distance Reiki from inside the house. I could see he was starting to move even more and seemed to be getting his strength back. Several hours later I went to check on him and he was gone. It was a wonderful thing to see the bird feeder empty. :)

I'm grateful to have Reiki as one of my "go to" First Aid tools. In this instance it was only thing I knew to do, as I know nothing about birds. It's comforting to know that I always have Reiki to offer in any situation and that I don't have to know everything to help someone (human or animal) heal. Situations like this also remind me how grateful I am for the quick grounding and connecting meditation tool I have to use. This works for me when I feel my attention, thoughts, or emotions are not supportive of the healing work I'm doing. I'd highly recommend that everyone find such a tool they can rely on that is quick and effective for them to use.

Farewell to Bravo

The first time you meet Bravo you can't help but be in awe of his majestic physical presence. A handsome paint that towers above you. As you get to know him you quickly recognize the power, wisdom and depth of his soul. Bravo was the alpha horse in the Luv Shack herd, and the best four-legged friend of Luv Shack's founder Joey Ogburn.

I met Bravo the first time I volunteered Reiki at Luv Shack. He was accustomed to new volunteers coming into his herd pretty regularly. However, each was checked out either from a distance or an up close inspection. I received the later. A full sniffing from head to toe, particularly my hands. It wasn't long before I felt the weight of his majestic head resting in my hands. The connection was deep and the energy exchange was wonderful.

Over the coming months Bravo and I shared everything from complete respect for each other’s space to full hands on Reiki. With the wisdom of a leader there were times he knew when others in his herd needed attention, and there were times when he did. Regardless, I was often greeted by the gate or he would stop by for a few moments while I was roaming amongst the herd.

One of the most memorable experiences I had with Bravo occurred somewhere around four weeks ago. I think he watched me from the moment I stepped out of my car until I entered the paddock where the herd was. He watched from a distance as I worked with several of the other horses. Then he decided it was his turn and approached me. The herd stepped back to create a path for him and I couldn't help but picture the scene of royal subjects making way for the king. It just made me grin. When he reached me I gently talked to him as his head found its way to my hands and I rubbed his face, neck and body. It was common for most of our Reiki time to be spent around his eyes and head and today wasn't any different. We spent a while in the energetic healing space of Reiki before the energy flow subsided.

I moved on and worked with several others in the herd. Bravo followed me as I moved from horse to horse, but was keeping enough distance between us so that the horse I was working with was not threatened by his presence. Then he began to follow me much closer and everyone else backed away. It turned into a game. I would turn my back and walk around the paddock and he followed close behind within a foot or so. There were times I could feel his breath on my neck. He matched me step for step. When I sped up, so did he. When I slowed he did too. If I made a quick turn to the right or left, he never lost a step and fell in right behind. I lost count of how many times we circled the paddock. All the while I was laughing and seeing if I could shake him. I never did. I'm not sure which one of us was enjoying it more.

The last time I stopped he came right up behind me and put his nose on my back. I could feel the warmth and moisture of his breath through my shirt. It was clear he wanted more Reiki. And so we entered into the rhythm and flow of another Reiki treatment. This time when we finished he released a big "Reiki" sigh and I knew we had accomplished what he needed. Rather than following me out he simply stood with his head lowered adrift in the afterglow of the treatment. It was a peaceful sight.

Last Friday morning, in a freak accident, Bravo severed his Achilles tendon. I was just heading to my morning shower when the thought crossed my mind that I should check my phone. When I did there was a missed call from Joey and a text that read "Please come ASAP". I quickly dialed her up and was greeted by tears and a struggle to find words. I simply told her I was on my way. Not knowing which horse it was my heart sank as I approached the turnout at a neighbors and saw people gathered around Bravo and blood on his right hind leg. I could see that Joey was in no position to talk about what had happened so I simply began Reiki flowing to not only Bravo, but all those gathered that morning. When the vet had him prepared for the trip to the hospital he was loaded on the trailer. I walked up to the window of the trailer and continued Reiki as they finished closing the trailer and gathered those who were going to the hospital. Bravo and I shared some incredible final moments, and I had the feeling that this was his last ride. However, I held out hope because you just never know. Later that afternoon I learned that the damage was beyond repair and Joey made one of the hardest decisions of her life - to let him go.

Bravo taught me many things. One of those being to step back and see the larger picture. How each individual affects the whole, as we are all actually One. Something very evident in a herd of horses if you stand back and observe. He also showed by example that there is a big difference between being a leader and being a martyr. There were times when others needed attention and times when he did. And he honored that. Bravo also knew when it was time to have fun and when it was time to be serious and stand your ground. He was compassionate, wise, and someone everyone looked up to - equine or human.

Godspeed Bravo as you begin your new journey!

Grace, Gratitude, & Peace

This morning as I was reflecting on the many things I have to be thankful for, my thoughts drifted to three amazing teachers I recently had the pleasure to learn from. What I learned from them will be with me forever.

I met these beautiful teachers on a dark, cool Arizona night. There is no way I would have ever been prepared for what I saw or experienced that night, or the days that followed. Alex, Daisy and Velvet had survived months of neglect. The kind of neglect and abuse that if they were human would have had the whole city in an uproar and the people who did it to them in jail immediately. However this evening all of them were safe and secure at Luv Shack Horse Rescue, under the vigilant care and love of Joey Ogburn . These were three of the six that had been rescued that day, and were the three in the most critical condition. Actually, they were beyond critical. The text message that called me to this scene had read, "I'm exhausted and have two skeletons that appear to be horses and a third that is trying to die. Can you come over?"

Each of these amazing horses has a story of their own. And on this evening their individual stories became part of a larger story. A story filled with unconditional love, acceptance, peace, calm, gratitude, and stillness. You see, over the coming days Alex, Velvet, and Daisy would each make the decision to leave and transition beyond this life. And in doing so share a lot of wisdom and love with those of us eager to make what time they had left the best it could be.










You knew that what they had endured the past several months was very unpleasant to say the least. And because each of their physical conditions had deteriorated so badly pain and discomfort was part of their day-to-day life. Yet, unbelievably, they did not harbor any anger, hatred or fear. They were filled with love, gratitude, peace, and calm.

I'd never worked with animals in such condition and was not sure what to expect. Unbelievably I encountered love, gratitude, peace and calm where I thought there might be anger, hatred or fear. Over the years I have experienced the amazing ability of animals to move beyond fear, abuse and neglect, and was amazed they were not holding any of these energies within them. Nor, did they want to go that place of feeling those negative energies. Rather, they wanted to live in the moment. The moments where they were surrounded with the care and unconditional love that fills a soul on all levels - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

While I had the incredible opportunity to connect and work with them through Reiki on many different levels, some of the most amazing moments to me were the grace, peace and calmness that each experienced and shared with their caretakers. They soaked in every bit of love and attention that was offered. Enjoyed the hugs, brushing, and soothing hands running across their heads, necks and backs. And each gently stood and soaked up our human tears when the emotions were overwhelming. And never once did you feel sorrow or sadness expressed by them, simply because they didn't feel it.

Each decided on her own time when she was ready to go. Alex left quickest, leaving the following morning. Joey said you could see the smile on her face and feel the gratitude in her heart as she closed her eyes for the last time. Velvet's body couldn't keep up with her spirit. She left the next day with grace, diginity, and a quiet stillness that all was well. Daisy hung on the longest and at one point we all thought she would pull through. Three days after her rescue the effects of her neglect were more than her body could bear and she was ready to go. Again there was that familiar feeling of peace, calm and gratitude as she laid down for the last time.

These three beautiful horses taught me lessons I couldn't have learned anywhere else or from anyone else. There was not time or space in their lives for anger, hate or fear. They put that behind them the moment the stepped off the trailer at the rescue. They had no need to keep reliving the past or carry the energy of abuse and neglect with them. Nor did they have a desire to put that energy on to anyone else. Each freely gave as much love to others as was given them. There was not judgment placed on "humans" as a whole due to what they had experienced. They were open to experiencing each person as an individual. And death was simply the next step to take. No fear, regret, or resistance.

I often think of them and continue to learn from them. There is much more that we shared over the days we had together, and I'm grateful to be able to share some of these things with you today.

Being Flexible

Raph is a 28 year old flea bitten gelding who is a favorite at Luv Shack Horse Rescue. He even likes to kiss! He has melanoma and has more good days than not. However, there are times he needs a little help.

I've worked on and off with Raph over the months. He is particular about receiving Reiki and openly communicates his desires. Sometimes we work together and other days we don't. A while ago, during my regular Reiki day at the ranch, he was having a down day and I was asked to work with him. He was standoffish so I made the rounds of the others and waited until last to see Raph. When it was his turn he made it known he wasn't interested. So I thanked him and moved off. I hadn't taken 10 steps when I felt a nudge from behind. I turned around to see Raph softly looking at me. He requested that I connect with him later for a distance treatment. Which I gladly did! It was a great session.

Last Monday was again one of my regular Reiki volunteer days and Raph had been taken out of the herd and was in "sick bay". He was not feeling good and having a difficult time pooping. And yes, I do realize this is the second poop post in a row. :) We had a nice long session and about half way through the session the tummy noises started up with a fury and lots of food and energy were moving around. I asked him if he would poop and he replied with a little impatience "Yes, but it takes time". I couldn't help but smile and love him for his direct way! We continued working and just as things were wrapping up he had a normal bowel movement - the first in a while. I couldn't have been happier!

Early the next morning, around 4:30 a.m., I was gently but firmly brought out of my sleep by Raph. He wanted another distance session. As soon as I connected I felt his discomfort. We worked for awhile and by the end of the session I could feel the fluid movement of his energy from head to tail. Much more natural flowing and free than yesterday. Amazing!

Later that morning I send Joey a text to let her know about our morning session and check on Raph. She said he was doing much better and going back out with the herd. Great news!

A couple days later I was at Luv Shack and standing with my back towards the herd. It was lunch time and everyone was focused on their pile of hay. I was talking with several people and one of them said "Look who's coming up to the gate." I turned and there was Raph quickly walking up to the gate to say "Hi". This was not a normal behavior for Raph and we knew he was coming to see me.

To me there is nothing more rewarding! It's in moments like these that my heart over flows with love and appreciation for Reiki and the animals I have the opportunity to meet and work with.

I learn something from each animal. Raph has taught me to be flexible. Some days we work together in a hands-on session, other days it will be a distance session, and there are times we won't work together at all. It is all about the animal and working with them for their highest and best good.

Diesel Quickly Responds

Diesel is a very large, handsome Great Dane. He had a rough start to life, but has found a safe and happy home where he is now thriving. However, that was not always the case. Due to a health condition and life threatening side effects of the medication he was on his human companion Karen was just about out of options and facing a tough decision. The only procedure left they hadn't tried was a blood transfusion, which unfortunately due to the cost was not an option. He was going down hill fast. He was not eating, drinking, or pooping and hadn't for days.

You could tell when talking to Karen her heart was broken and she felt helpless. I asked her if she would like me to do a Reiki session with Diesel, to which she answered "Yes!"

That afternoon I knocked on Karen's door and heard a deep throaty bark in reply. Having Great Danes myself I couldn't help but smile, realizing how intimidating it sounded from the this of the door. Karen and Diesel greeted me and Diesel and I settled into a Reiki session.

It took a little bit for Diesel to relax into the treatment. When he finally did he rolled over on his side and you could see the tension drift out of his body. It was a deep and focused session, and I mostly worked hands-off until the very end. There was much to feel energetically with areas that were slow and stagnant, and areas that needed to be built up. It never ceases to amaze me how open animals are to Reiki and how easily they accept the energy. An hour flew by before I felt the energy begin to subside. I finished by lightly brushing his legs from the shoulder/hip to the pads of his paws. When I got up to leave Diesel stayed in his deep Reiki sleep.

I shared with Karen and her husband information about the session and some things to watch for over the coming days. And asked her to call me if she saw any changes or had questions. I hadn't been home more than 20 minutes when the phone rang and it was Karen. When she had gone back into the house Diesel got up, stretched, drank water, ate some food, and went outside and pooped. Not once, but several times. That was great news!

A little over a week later I received another call from Karen. Diesel had again stopped eating, drinking, and pooping. Could I please come back? Her husband was a bit skeptical about all this Reiki stuff, and figured it was merely a coincidence that Diesel improved within minutes of his session. However, Karen believed.

This time Karen stayed in the room with us during the session. Reiki can't be the most exciting thing to watch, but I find that the comfort and support of the animal's person greatly adds to the session. This time Diesel quickly relaxed into the session and it proceeded much like the first one. I could feel the energy working at very deep levels, strengthening and building those areas that were depleted. The flow of his physical energy was compromised, but didn't seem as severe as the first session. And he quickly responded to the Reiki.

Karen reported a few day later that again after the session was complete and I left, Diesel headed for the water bowl. This time it wasn't just a good drink, it was a huge drink! He ate a some food and then headed outside to poop. And he has been going strong since. The latest blood work shows he is healthy!

As far as Karen's husband...the weekend following the second treatment they went camping and he openly shared with friends and family the incredible results he saw from Reiki.