Guardian care

Lately, I have had a big increase in the number of clients who ask for Reiki treatments as well as having their pets receive Reiki treatments.  This warms my heart because I believe one of the best things we can do for our animals is to take care of ourselves as well.  

The connections we develop with our animals is often so intense that the lines can become blurred between what our animals are picking up from us and what we are picking up from our animals.  When we become stressed or sick, our animals naturally pick up on it because they believe it is their job to help us shoulder our burdens in life.  They hold that stress in their bodies and it can make them ill.

This cycle can become even more intense when our animals are already dealing with illness.  We worry about them and can often be filled with fear over what is going on with them, trying to determine how to help them, worrying about how we'll handle it if they don't get well.  Our animals then pick up that stress from us and the vicious cycle continues.   

My clients who receive Reiki treatments usually feel more peaceful afterwards.  When they feel more peaceful, their bodies have a better chance to healing themselves.  They also often feel more peaceful about what is going on with their animals and feel better able to make decisions about the care of their animals, if their animals are sick.  If the guardian is feeling more peaceful, there is less stress for their animal to pick up, so their animal will be more peaceful as a result.

Sometimes, when I mention to clients that I give Reiki to people as well, they cringe at the idea of doing something kind for themselves.  They feel it is their job to do everything and anything they can to help their pet but the idea of doing something to help themselves feels too uncomfortable to them. 

I often think of the analogy I heard once regarding the safety instructions we receive when we are on a plane.  They tell us that if oxygen masks are needed, once they come down, you should put an oxygen mask on yourself first, then put the mask on your child.  If you don't put your own on first, you may not be in the position to help your child.  I think of this often when I am interacting with parents, whether their children are 2-legged or 4-legged . . . we can do a better job of taking care of our 'children' if we are taking care of ourselves.  

When my client's guardians ask for a Reiki treatment for themselves, it makes me smile because I know these are people who see the value in taking care of themselves as well.  I believe the healthier we are, the more we have to offer our 'children', regardless of how many legs they have.  

So, I will leave you with this thought tonight . . . What are you doing to take care of YOU?