In recent months, it seems like almost all my human Reiki sessions have included a visit from someone on the other side with a very important message for the person receiving the treatment. Each time, the theme of the messages has been been around forgiveness . . . people in spirit asking for forgiveness for their transgressions while on earth, offering apologies for the things they did, etc. I sense deeply that they know what is needed to move us into a better, happier place and time after time, my clients tearfully tell me the message they received was exactly what they needed to hear in order to heal. I am so grateful that I am able to deliver these messages.
I have had the growing sense that forgiveness is what is needed right now to assist humanity in moving through the turmoil that we are currently slogging through on earth. When we forgive, we free ourselves to vibrate at a higher rate and attract more peace and more levity into our lives. Forgiveness also enables us to feel more compassion for ourselves and for the journey we have been on. It is truly one of the most wonderful things we can do for ourselves. I suspect, it is also one of the greatest things we can do to shift things on a global scale as well.
When I saw that Louise Hay's newsletter this week focused on the subject of forgiveness, I wasn't surprised. It seems that it is an important message for all of us right now. I am sharing what Louise wrote on forgiveness below for those of you who are not on her mailing list.
Wishing everyone the happiest of holidays and hoping you will give yourself the gift of forgiveness this holiday season.
Dear Friend,
Not only does forgiveness open us up to self-love, it rids our minds of past pain and judgements of others. When we blame others, we are giving them power over our thoughts. If you give yourself permission to forgive, you are released of your sorrows. It’s a great step toward pure happiness. When we’re stuck in a state of always having to be right, we are never truly happy. You put yourself in a prison of self-righteous resentment. Remember, forgiveness is not acceptance. We are not accepting their behavior as OK, we are just releasing ourselves from the negative energy they exude. People act out based on their experiences and knowledge. Don’t let their pain control your thoughts too. The act of forgiveness comes from within your own mind.
Let’s let our ill-will toward people go as we close out this year. You always have a choice. You can stay in a world of bitterness or you can let go and live a fulfilling, blissful life. Other people’s behavior may have you feeling irritated or uncomfortable, but they are not making you hold on to those negative feelings. You have the freedom to let go by taking responsibility of your own feelings. Free yourself from pain. Let go of those judgements and release yourself from the burdens and limitations these judgements set for you. Letting go can not only help you, but create love within the other person as well. Forgiveness is a gift to yourself and the Universe.
All of our thoughts and feelings are created within our minds. When we learn to forgive ourselves and others, we set ourselves free. We find inner peace and ultimate happiness. When you refuse to forgive, you hold on to the past; you’re not able to live in the endearing present moments. Remember, your future is created when you are in the present. You do not deserve to feel pain and suffering. Once you are willing to forgive, the Universe will take care of the rest. The energy you put out there is what’s returned. Forgive yourself, love yourself, and forgive others. Move forward from bitterness. Put yourself in a space of love and joy. Put yourself around people who fill your heart with love and joy. You are free my dear ones.
Let’s affirm together: “I move beyond forgiveness to understanding, and I have compassion for all.”
All is well.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Treat Yourself As Well
Over the years, I have been asked to relay a heartwarming message from my animal clients to their guardians and each time I pass the message along, I am touched by it's beauty. That message is: Please take as good of care of yourself as you have always taken care of me.
Often this message is relayed close to the animals transition, as one of their parting words of wisdom but I don't think we have to wait until our animals are ready to leave us to start embracing these wise words.
Most people don't even realize they are taking better care of their animals than they are of themselves. We can be driven by love to focus on their needs and yet not look at ourselves through those same loving eyes. We prioritize their needs above ours because "they need us" yet the truth is, we need us just as much.
I remember one client years ago who was searching for help for her dog's anxiety. She was seeking all sorts of alternative treatment options, determined to bring her dog some peace when in reality, she had anxiety issues herself that may have even been worse than her dog's anxiety. Once we had brought some peace to her dog, I asked her gently if she thought some of the same things she was doing for her dog might help her as well. She stared at me for a few minutes as she tried to process what I was saying . . . then as she picked up her dog to hug him, she slowly nodded her head and said, "I guess I could give it a try."
I had another client who mentioned that she was having dizzy spells and mental confusion because she often forgot to eat. I asked her if she ever forgot to feed her dogs and she looked almost offended and said, "No, of course not!" I smiled and said, "Aren't you just as important?" She laughed and said maybe she'd make herself something to eat each time she prepared food for her dogs.
Time and again, I have seen clients go out of their way to meet the emotional and physical needs of their animals, while ignoring those same needs in themselves, so it doesn't surprise me when animals ask me to pass along this important message to their guardians.
Is there anything you are doing for your animal that you could be doing for yourself? Are you making sure they get exercise every day but neglecting your own exercise needs? Are you setting boundaries for them, i.e. not letting them be around other dogs that may play too rough, yet allowing people in your life that don't treat you very well? There's a chance your life could be even sweeter if you gave yourself the same level of care that you give your pet. Something to think about . . .
Often this message is relayed close to the animals transition, as one of their parting words of wisdom but I don't think we have to wait until our animals are ready to leave us to start embracing these wise words.
Most people don't even realize they are taking better care of their animals than they are of themselves. We can be driven by love to focus on their needs and yet not look at ourselves through those same loving eyes. We prioritize their needs above ours because "they need us" yet the truth is, we need us just as much.
I remember one client years ago who was searching for help for her dog's anxiety. She was seeking all sorts of alternative treatment options, determined to bring her dog some peace when in reality, she had anxiety issues herself that may have even been worse than her dog's anxiety. Once we had brought some peace to her dog, I asked her gently if she thought some of the same things she was doing for her dog might help her as well. She stared at me for a few minutes as she tried to process what I was saying . . . then as she picked up her dog to hug him, she slowly nodded her head and said, "I guess I could give it a try."
I had another client who mentioned that she was having dizzy spells and mental confusion because she often forgot to eat. I asked her if she ever forgot to feed her dogs and she looked almost offended and said, "No, of course not!" I smiled and said, "Aren't you just as important?" She laughed and said maybe she'd make herself something to eat each time she prepared food for her dogs.
Time and again, I have seen clients go out of their way to meet the emotional and physical needs of their animals, while ignoring those same needs in themselves, so it doesn't surprise me when animals ask me to pass along this important message to their guardians.
Is there anything you are doing for your animal that you could be doing for yourself? Are you making sure they get exercise every day but neglecting your own exercise needs? Are you setting boundaries for them, i.e. not letting them be around other dogs that may play too rough, yet allowing people in your life that don't treat you very well? There's a chance your life could be even sweeter if you gave yourself the same level of care that you give your pet. Something to think about . . .
Friday, November 20, 2015
A Flight Delay
This touched me deeply, so I am sharing this from berlin-artparasite's page . . . what a world it would be if we could turn a frustrating inconvenience (a flight delay) into an opportunity to create a sense of community. I hope you all enjoy Naomi's story as much as I did.
After learning my flight was detained 4 hours, I heard the announcement: If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic, please come to the gate immediately.
Well—one pauses these days. Gate 4-A was my own gate. I went there.
An older woman in full traditional Palestinian dress, just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing loudly.
Help, said the flight service person. Talk to her. What is her problem? We told her the flight was going to be four hours late and she did this.
I put my arm around her and spoke to her haltingly.
Shu dow-a, shu- biduck habibti, stani stani schway, min fadlick, sho bit se-wee?
The minute she heard any words she knew—however poorly used—
she stopped crying.
She thought our flight had been canceled entirely.
She needed to be in El Paso for some major medical treatment the
following day. I said no, no, we’re fine, you’ll get there, just late,
Who is picking you up? Let’s call him and tell him.
We called her son and I spoke with him in English.
I told him I would stay with his mother till we got on the plane and would ride next to her—Southwest.
She talked to him. Then we called her other sons just for the fun of it.
Then we called my dad and he and she spoke for a while in Arabic and found out of course they had ten shared friends.
Then I thought just for the heck of it why not call some Palestinian
poets I know and let them chat with her. This all took up about 2 hours.
She was laughing a lot by then. Telling about her life. Answering
Questions.
She had pulled a sack of homemade mamool cookies—little powdered sugar crumbly mounds stuffed with dates and nuts—out of her bag—and was offering them to all the women at the gate.
To my amazement, not a single woman declined one. It was like a
sacrament. The traveler from Argentina, the traveler from California,
the lovely woman from Laredo—we were all covered with the same
powdered sugar. And smiling. There are no better cookies.
And then the airline broke out the free beverages from huge coolers—non-alcoholic—and the two little girls for our flight, one African
American, one Mexican American—ran around serving us all apple juice and lemonade and they were covered with powdered sugar too.
And I noticed my new best friend—by now we were holding hands—
had a potted plant poking out of her bag, some medicinal thing,
With green furry leaves. Such an old country traveling tradition. Always carry a plant. Always stay rooted to somewhere.
And I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and thought,
this is the world I want to live in. The shared world.
Not a single person in this gate—once the crying of confusion stopped—has seemed apprehensive about any other person.
They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women too.
This can still happen anywhere.
Not everything is lost.
- Naomi Shihab Nye
Photo by Manon Clavelier
After learning my flight was detained 4 hours, I heard the announcement: If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic, please come to the gate immediately.
Well—one pauses these days. Gate 4-A was my own gate. I went there.
An older woman in full traditional Palestinian dress, just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing loudly.
Help, said the flight service person. Talk to her. What is her problem? We told her the flight was going to be four hours late and she did this.
I put my arm around her and spoke to her haltingly.
Shu dow-a, shu- biduck habibti, stani stani schway, min fadlick, sho bit se-wee?
The minute she heard any words she knew—however poorly used—
she stopped crying.
She thought our flight had been canceled entirely.
She needed to be in El Paso for some major medical treatment the
following day. I said no, no, we’re fine, you’ll get there, just late,
Who is picking you up? Let’s call him and tell him.
We called her son and I spoke with him in English.
I told him I would stay with his mother till we got on the plane and would ride next to her—Southwest.
She talked to him. Then we called her other sons just for the fun of it.
Then we called my dad and he and she spoke for a while in Arabic and found out of course they had ten shared friends.
Then I thought just for the heck of it why not call some Palestinian
poets I know and let them chat with her. This all took up about 2 hours.
She was laughing a lot by then. Telling about her life. Answering
Questions.
She had pulled a sack of homemade mamool cookies—little powdered sugar crumbly mounds stuffed with dates and nuts—out of her bag—and was offering them to all the women at the gate.
To my amazement, not a single woman declined one. It was like a
sacrament. The traveler from Argentina, the traveler from California,
the lovely woman from Laredo—we were all covered with the same
powdered sugar. And smiling. There are no better cookies.
And then the airline broke out the free beverages from huge coolers—non-alcoholic—and the two little girls for our flight, one African
American, one Mexican American—ran around serving us all apple juice and lemonade and they were covered with powdered sugar too.
And I noticed my new best friend—by now we were holding hands—
had a potted plant poking out of her bag, some medicinal thing,
With green furry leaves. Such an old country traveling tradition. Always carry a plant. Always stay rooted to somewhere.
And I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and thought,
this is the world I want to live in. The shared world.
Not a single person in this gate—once the crying of confusion stopped—has seemed apprehensive about any other person.
They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women too.
This can still happen anywhere.
Not everything is lost.
- Naomi Shihab Nye
Photo by Manon Clavelier
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Energy Shifts
How have you been feeling so far this month? Have you felt a little off and you aren't sure why? When we think of things that affect our energy, we often think of people or situations that may throw us off balance or cause our moods to shift. Sometimes however, the reason for these energy shifts are caused by something outside our normal areas of focus.
Emmanual Daugher shared some information recently about what is going on energetically on the planet this month and I thought I'd share it in the hopes that it will help shed some light on things you may have been experiencing yourself.
Emmanual Daugher shared some information recently about what is going on energetically on the planet this month and I thought I'd share it in the hopes that it will help shed some light on things you may have been experiencing yourself.
Are you noticing how intense the energy is right now?
The Sun is active again, and has emitted powerful M CLASS Solar Flares. These flares entered Earth's atmosphere, and they have been felt for the past few days.
Are you finding that your thoughts are all over the place? Do you feel a bit more emotional and tired than usual? Are you snapping a bit more quickly at those around you? These are just results of what happens when so much solar energy enters our energy field until we integrate with it all.
In addition to the flares, Jupiter and Mars are the closest they have been to our planet, and that is also contributing to the intensity happening right now.
As mentioned earlier, you may have noticed that your emotions are all over the place. In one moment you're probably feeling in your zone, and joyful, while in other moments you're feeling frustrated, disconnected and upset. If you are finding yourself more on the frustrated spectrum, it's the minds way of protecting itself from the energetic shifts taking place.
The mind has a tendency to fear change, and so it will try to convince you and itself in every way possible that to remain safe, it must go into the energy of fear, lack, judgement and worry. If the mind remains in this space for a while, it then begins to generate dramatic behavior, that have it projecting blame, anger, and frustration on to others in our experience.
These pattern often leaves someone feeling drained and exhausted, so if you're experiencing this now, know that you're probably at the tail end of allowing the mind to continue to be in its highly emotional and reactive state. Soon, when you begin feeling settled and neutral, you can work with energies like gratitude and compassion to reconnect you with your joyful self again.
Some things you can also do to help you glide through this intense period are:
Take a peaceful walk in nature.
Sit under a tree, while placing your feet in the grass/soil.
Listen to music that makes you feel good.
Dance
Sing.
Write/Journal your feelings and thoughts.
Sit by a river, lake or the ocean.
Meditation.
Performing random acts of kindness in your community.
Take a dead sea salt bath with calming lavender essential oils.
Laugh!
Be mindful of your words, acts and how you're treating people.
Take time to pause throughout your day, and take a few dozen deep breaths.
Express gratitude.
Work with a holistic or energy healing practitioner.
Receive a therapeutic massage.
Make sure you are well hydrated.
Sit under a tree, while placing your feet in the grass/soil.
Listen to music that makes you feel good.
Dance
Sing.
Write/Journal your feelings and thoughts.
Sit by a river, lake or the ocean.
Meditation.
Performing random acts of kindness in your community.
Take a dead sea salt bath with calming lavender essential oils.
Laugh!
Be mindful of your words, acts and how you're treating people.
Take time to pause throughout your day, and take a few dozen deep breaths.
Express gratitude.
Work with a holistic or energy healing practitioner.
Receive a therapeutic massage.
Make sure you are well hydrated.
Above all, remember that you are never alone. and that We are all in this together.
If you know anyone who may benefit from reading this post, please pass it on.
Love always,
Emmanuel
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
E.D.I.N.A. Medicine and the Ascension Process
With the changes that are happening vibrationally on the planet right now, I have felt inspired to expand my tool kit in order to utilize the energies and assistance that are now becoming available to us. I have been studying a new form of energy healing, the method is called E.D.I.N.A. energy medicine. It is used as an overlay to Reiki, so think of it as "super-charged" Reiki. It works not only with the physical body but also with the auric field and can provide a smoother transition during the ascension process.
If you aren't sure what the ascension process is, there is a plethora of information on the internet that is easy to access. There are also many sources of information about the symptoms of ascension. (When you look at the list, you may be shocked to see how many of the symptoms you have).
If you're interested in learning a little more about E.D.I.N.A., here's a link to some information:
http://www.lightworkersworld.com/2010/03/edina-energy-medicine-from-the-stars/
This is a tremendous time for humanity, as we have been given the opportunity to transform our planet by transforming our consciousness. The shifts and changes that have been occurring on an energetic / vibrational level are supporting us through this process of ascension and we have the opportunity to create a world that we may have never dreamed possible. No one knows exactly how quickly it will occur but there are things we can do to speed up the process.
We can be more loving and more kind, we can forgive ourselves and others and we can look for ways to be in service to others. It seems like a simple list and yet, these things can often be a challenge for us. If you are looking for a role model on how to be more loving, kind and forgiving, you need not look any further than your own pet. I think they have been modeling this behavior all along, hoping that we'll notice and begin to do it ourselves.
Even if you aren't sure you believe in the ascension process, you might find that life is a little sweeter if you focus on being kind, loving, forgiving and looking for ways to be in service of others.
If you aren't sure what the ascension process is, there is a plethora of information on the internet that is easy to access. There are also many sources of information about the symptoms of ascension. (When you look at the list, you may be shocked to see how many of the symptoms you have).
If you're interested in learning a little more about E.D.I.N.A., here's a link to some information:
http://www.lightworkersworld.com/2010/03/edina-energy-medicine-from-the-stars/
This is a tremendous time for humanity, as we have been given the opportunity to transform our planet by transforming our consciousness. The shifts and changes that have been occurring on an energetic / vibrational level are supporting us through this process of ascension and we have the opportunity to create a world that we may have never dreamed possible. No one knows exactly how quickly it will occur but there are things we can do to speed up the process.
We can be more loving and more kind, we can forgive ourselves and others and we can look for ways to be in service to others. It seems like a simple list and yet, these things can often be a challenge for us. If you are looking for a role model on how to be more loving, kind and forgiving, you need not look any further than your own pet. I think they have been modeling this behavior all along, hoping that we'll notice and begin to do it ourselves.
Even if you aren't sure you believe in the ascension process, you might find that life is a little sweeter if you focus on being kind, loving, forgiving and looking for ways to be in service of others.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Leo's Miracle
Last month I received a call from an old client of mine asking if I could come and do a healing and communication session with her dog Leo. I had worked with Leo about 7 years ago, when we did Reiki treatments to assist his body in healing from surgery. Now unfortunately, Leo's mom suspected his time here was coming to an end and she wanted to schedule a session to find out what she could do to help Leo be as comfortable as possible during this last phase of his life.
We schedule something for the following week, but a few days later, Leo's mom called and said he had taken a turn for the worse and she was afraid he wouldn't make it through the night. He had stopped eating, he was too weak to stand up and when he went to the bathroom, there was a lot of blood in his stool. I rushed over there that afternoon to do what I could to help.
When I arrived, Leo was laying under a tree in the yard. It was so wonderful to see him again and I was touched that he was able to lift his head to greet me. When I put my hands on him, I could feel how badly he felt. His whole abdomen hurt and he was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. He told me that he didn't think he could get better and thought we needed to prepare for the end. He had some important messages for his mom, which I could tell were things she really needed to hear. His other request was that they focus on how wonderful his life was and not on the sadness of his transition. As I continued to do Reiki on him, I got to enjoy hearing stories of Leo's life and could feel his happiness as his former escapades were recounted, especially the time he ate twelve freshly grilled hamburgers off the platter while the family was momentarily distracted.
When I leaned down to kiss him goodbye, my eyes welled with tears. Even though I knew he would be just fine on the other side, there is still some sadness knowing you won't see them again in the physical world. I told his mom to keep me posted, as Leo wanted to pass on his own without assistance and she was fine with that, as long as he wasn't in distress.
Over the course of the next week, each update from Leo's mom was curiously positive. She sent text messages such as "Leo's doing a lot better today" or "Leo was interested in eating this morning" . . . each time she sent an update, it sounded like Leo wasn't going to transition after all.
After a few weeks, Leo seemed to be back to his old self, eating, drinking, exploring the yard and there was no more blood in his stools. The only issue he was having was some weakness in his back leg so his mom asked me to come over and do another Reiki treatment on him.
When I arrived, this time Leo greeted me at the door, tail wagging. The first thing he said to me was "Can you believe how good I'm doing?" It was nothing short of a miracle given the condition he was in when I had last seen him. His mom and I talked about how wild it was that all the signs we had seen a few weeks before that he was close to transitioning were all gone now. Leo told me he was just as surprised as we were that he was able to improve.
This time when I was getting ready to leave, Leo walked me outside. When I reminded him that he should drink a lot of water after a Reiki treatment, he laid down next to his bowl and lapped up a lot of water.
I know we can never predict what the energy will be able to do, that we must trust that it will always do what is in the highest good for the person or the animal. I have always said that I go into each Reiki treatment hoping for a miracle and this time, I got to witness one. :-) It looks like Leo still has some important work to do here.
We schedule something for the following week, but a few days later, Leo's mom called and said he had taken a turn for the worse and she was afraid he wouldn't make it through the night. He had stopped eating, he was too weak to stand up and when he went to the bathroom, there was a lot of blood in his stool. I rushed over there that afternoon to do what I could to help.
When I arrived, Leo was laying under a tree in the yard. It was so wonderful to see him again and I was touched that he was able to lift his head to greet me. When I put my hands on him, I could feel how badly he felt. His whole abdomen hurt and he was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. He told me that he didn't think he could get better and thought we needed to prepare for the end. He had some important messages for his mom, which I could tell were things she really needed to hear. His other request was that they focus on how wonderful his life was and not on the sadness of his transition. As I continued to do Reiki on him, I got to enjoy hearing stories of Leo's life and could feel his happiness as his former escapades were recounted, especially the time he ate twelve freshly grilled hamburgers off the platter while the family was momentarily distracted.
When I leaned down to kiss him goodbye, my eyes welled with tears. Even though I knew he would be just fine on the other side, there is still some sadness knowing you won't see them again in the physical world. I told his mom to keep me posted, as Leo wanted to pass on his own without assistance and she was fine with that, as long as he wasn't in distress.
Over the course of the next week, each update from Leo's mom was curiously positive. She sent text messages such as "Leo's doing a lot better today" or "Leo was interested in eating this morning" . . . each time she sent an update, it sounded like Leo wasn't going to transition after all.
After a few weeks, Leo seemed to be back to his old self, eating, drinking, exploring the yard and there was no more blood in his stools. The only issue he was having was some weakness in his back leg so his mom asked me to come over and do another Reiki treatment on him.
When I arrived, this time Leo greeted me at the door, tail wagging. The first thing he said to me was "Can you believe how good I'm doing?" It was nothing short of a miracle given the condition he was in when I had last seen him. His mom and I talked about how wild it was that all the signs we had seen a few weeks before that he was close to transitioning were all gone now. Leo told me he was just as surprised as we were that he was able to improve.
This time when I was getting ready to leave, Leo walked me outside. When I reminded him that he should drink a lot of water after a Reiki treatment, he laid down next to his bowl and lapped up a lot of water.
I know we can never predict what the energy will be able to do, that we must trust that it will always do what is in the highest good for the person or the animal. I have always said that I go into each Reiki treatment hoping for a miracle and this time, I got to witness one. :-) It looks like Leo still has some important work to do here.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Not As Clear As I Thought
Even though I pride myself on being able to communicate well with animals, occasionally I find that my communication isn't quite as clear as I think it is. In the hopes of helping others communicate more clearly with their pets, I thought I'd share the humorous example I faced of this a few weeks ago.
Since Kino came to live with me, he always gets very excited when I am getting ready to leave the house. It's a nice change from Lucky who looked so sad each time I was getting ready to leave that my heart would feel heavy in my chest, but still Kino's approach has come with its own set of challenges.
As soon as Kino realizes I am going to leave the house, he begins following me around the house, but not at a safe distance. He's right on my heels. What thrills him about my departure is that each time I leave the house, he gets a kong stuffed with wet dog foot, treats and peanut butter and based on his level of excitement, I'm quite sure it is the highlight of his day. I can almost hear him chanting, "I'm going to get a kong, I'm going to get kong, I can't wait til she leaves because I'm going to get a kong!"
Since Kino is right under my feet the whole time I am trying to get dressed and out the door, my stress level starts to go up. I find that the closer I get to my departure time, the more frazzled I am. As I walk back and forth between the bathroom and my dresser . . . to put on make up, to pick out jewelry, to brush my teeth, to put clothes on . . . he's right there behind me and I am constantly tripping over him. If I walk into the closet to grab a shirt, I trip over him as I am trying to walk back out of the closet because he's right on my heels, wondering when he's going to get his kong. Consequently, I often show up at my destination not completely put together . . . I'm missing earrings or a watch or I realize I never put lipstick on or I forgot my water bottle.
Recently, I was recounting this "routine" of ours to a friend of mine, laughing about how unrelaxed I feel by the time I get into the car and he asked if I had talked to Kino about it. I stopped to think about it, as I was sure I had although I couldn't remember exactly what I had said. Soon I found myself shaking my head as I recalled that what I was saying to him was, "Kino, back up!" and "Kino, you're not helping me." Clearly, these statements were not helping Kino understand what it was that I needed.
When I got home that night, I had a chat with Kino. I explained to him how anxious I get when he is right on my heels and asked him if he could give me some space when I am getting ready to go out. I suggested that maybe he could stay outside the bedroom while I am getting ready and told him that I thought we'd both feel better if I was less stressed when I was getting ready.
The next day when I got out of the shower and was attempting to get dressed, there was Kino, right behind me as I stepped back from the bathroom counter. I said, "Kino, I need you to give me some space." Much to my surprise, he walked over to the bedroom door and sat down. The whole time I was getting ready, he sat at the doorway of my bedroom watching me closely but not getting in my way. I couldn't believe how easy it was . . . and I hated to think about how long we have struggled through the "getting ready routine" when the solution was so simple.
Yet rather than dwell on the past, I decided to focus on the present . . . because I had finally articulated my needs clearly, my sweet boy was giving me the space I needed to get ready. I thanked him for helping me and promised him that he would still get his kong. :-) I'm happy to report that Kino is now routinely "giving me my space" when I am getting ready to go out, although he does need a periodic reminder.
Are there any times where you feel your animals are just not "hearing" you? Maybe like me, you've fallen into the trap of thinking you had been more clear in your communication than you actually were. Our animals really do listen to us . . . the catch is that it's up to us to make sure we're being as clear as possible.
Since Kino came to live with me, he always gets very excited when I am getting ready to leave the house. It's a nice change from Lucky who looked so sad each time I was getting ready to leave that my heart would feel heavy in my chest, but still Kino's approach has come with its own set of challenges.
As soon as Kino realizes I am going to leave the house, he begins following me around the house, but not at a safe distance. He's right on my heels. What thrills him about my departure is that each time I leave the house, he gets a kong stuffed with wet dog foot, treats and peanut butter and based on his level of excitement, I'm quite sure it is the highlight of his day. I can almost hear him chanting, "I'm going to get a kong, I'm going to get kong, I can't wait til she leaves because I'm going to get a kong!"
Since Kino is right under my feet the whole time I am trying to get dressed and out the door, my stress level starts to go up. I find that the closer I get to my departure time, the more frazzled I am. As I walk back and forth between the bathroom and my dresser . . . to put on make up, to pick out jewelry, to brush my teeth, to put clothes on . . . he's right there behind me and I am constantly tripping over him. If I walk into the closet to grab a shirt, I trip over him as I am trying to walk back out of the closet because he's right on my heels, wondering when he's going to get his kong. Consequently, I often show up at my destination not completely put together . . . I'm missing earrings or a watch or I realize I never put lipstick on or I forgot my water bottle.
Recently, I was recounting this "routine" of ours to a friend of mine, laughing about how unrelaxed I feel by the time I get into the car and he asked if I had talked to Kino about it. I stopped to think about it, as I was sure I had although I couldn't remember exactly what I had said. Soon I found myself shaking my head as I recalled that what I was saying to him was, "Kino, back up!" and "Kino, you're not helping me." Clearly, these statements were not helping Kino understand what it was that I needed.
When I got home that night, I had a chat with Kino. I explained to him how anxious I get when he is right on my heels and asked him if he could give me some space when I am getting ready to go out. I suggested that maybe he could stay outside the bedroom while I am getting ready and told him that I thought we'd both feel better if I was less stressed when I was getting ready.
The next day when I got out of the shower and was attempting to get dressed, there was Kino, right behind me as I stepped back from the bathroom counter. I said, "Kino, I need you to give me some space." Much to my surprise, he walked over to the bedroom door and sat down. The whole time I was getting ready, he sat at the doorway of my bedroom watching me closely but not getting in my way. I couldn't believe how easy it was . . . and I hated to think about how long we have struggled through the "getting ready routine" when the solution was so simple. Yet rather than dwell on the past, I decided to focus on the present . . . because I had finally articulated my needs clearly, my sweet boy was giving me the space I needed to get ready. I thanked him for helping me and promised him that he would still get his kong. :-) I'm happy to report that Kino is now routinely "giving me my space" when I am getting ready to go out, although he does need a periodic reminder.
Are there any times where you feel your animals are just not "hearing" you? Maybe like me, you've fallen into the trap of thinking you had been more clear in your communication than you actually were. Our animals really do listen to us . . . the catch is that it's up to us to make sure we're being as clear as possible.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Animals Assisting Their Guardians
About six months ago, I had a communication session with one of my animal clients Mae. During the session, she mentioned to me that her mom had been very serious lately so she had been doing things to try to make her mom laugh. Unfortunately, either her mom didn't notice or she would be irritated with Mae's antics, rather than seeing the humor in it. She asked me if I could talk to her mom about it.
Of course, I was more than happy to pass the message along. Mae's mom was tickled to hear that her girl had been trying to lighten her up a bit and she promised that she would make an effort to pay more attention to Mae's attempts at humor.
In the last six months, I have received several emails from Mae's mom telling me about the things Mae has done to make her laugh. These emails make me smile from the top of my head to the tips of my toes because I can tell what a positive impact it has had on Mae's mom. Her mood has been lighter, she laughs more often and in general just feeling happier. Even on the morning when she had made her bed and Mae stuck back into the bedroom and knocked all the pillows off the bed . . . she admitted that in the past she might have been irritated but that morning she just sat down on the bed and laughed, giving Mae a huge hug and thanking her for humorous antics.
I had a session with Mae today and when I asked her if she had any messages for her mom, she said she was very grateful that her mom was now noticing when she was doing things to make her laugh. She said in the past, it wasn't quite as much fun to do funny things, because her mom didn't always notice but now that her mom has been noticing, it has inspired her to do it even more often. She asked me to thank her mom for noticing. I could tell it makes Mae feel good to know that she is helping her mom enjoy life more.
Our animals are attempting to help us all the time. I have written about some of the more serious things they have done to assist their guardians, helping them learn and grow or helping them through illnesses by taking on some of the issues but it's nice to know they also help us sometimes by providing comic relief.
Are your pets trying to do things to make YOU laugh? I'd love to hear if they are.
Of course, I was more than happy to pass the message along. Mae's mom was tickled to hear that her girl had been trying to lighten her up a bit and she promised that she would make an effort to pay more attention to Mae's attempts at humor.
In the last six months, I have received several emails from Mae's mom telling me about the things Mae has done to make her laugh. These emails make me smile from the top of my head to the tips of my toes because I can tell what a positive impact it has had on Mae's mom. Her mood has been lighter, she laughs more often and in general just feeling happier. Even on the morning when she had made her bed and Mae stuck back into the bedroom and knocked all the pillows off the bed . . . she admitted that in the past she might have been irritated but that morning she just sat down on the bed and laughed, giving Mae a huge hug and thanking her for humorous antics.
I had a session with Mae today and when I asked her if she had any messages for her mom, she said she was very grateful that her mom was now noticing when she was doing things to make her laugh. She said in the past, it wasn't quite as much fun to do funny things, because her mom didn't always notice but now that her mom has been noticing, it has inspired her to do it even more often. She asked me to thank her mom for noticing. I could tell it makes Mae feel good to know that she is helping her mom enjoy life more.
Our animals are attempting to help us all the time. I have written about some of the more serious things they have done to assist their guardians, helping them learn and grow or helping them through illnesses by taking on some of the issues but it's nice to know they also help us sometimes by providing comic relief.
Are your pets trying to do things to make YOU laugh? I'd love to hear if they are.
Monday, August 3, 2015
Managing in the Heat
Where I live in California, we've had a record number of heat wave days this summer and I have been challenged to keep Kino cool enough. It's not just the fact that he's a long coat, he has an intolerance for heat and overheats very easily. He also has a fear of water and refuses to even get his paws wet.
My last shepherd had malignant hyperthermia (which means they can't cool themselves off no matter how hard they pant), so I'm pretty used to the routine . . . ice water, ice cubes, fans on in whatever room he's in, etc. Somehow, it hasn't seemed to be enough with Kino and regardless of what I do, he still pants and seemed miserable in the heat.
Fortunately for Kino, a friend of mine gave me a cooling scarf that is commonly used by athletes to keep themselves from overheating. She bought one for herself because the AC wasn't working in her office building and she picked one up for me too. I knew right away that it would be better used on Kino, but would HE be open to the idea?
Going into the kitchen, I followed the instructions (wet it, ring it out, snap it a few times). While it was clear Kino didn't love the "snap it" step, I asked him if I could put the scarf on him and he started wagging his tail and happily let me tie it around his neck. I'm not sure if he knew it was going to cool him off or if he just thought he'd look more handsome with a scarf around his neck . . . I was just glad that he didn't mind wearing it.
I noticed a change immediately. Within two minutes, Kino's tongue was no longer hanging out of his mouth and he was more animated, wanting to play again. The next day he was chasing balls and he pooped out before we even got half way through the bucket, which is not like him at all. I got the scarf and put it on him . . . and immediately he was ready to start chasing balls again.
We've gotten in the habit of putting it on after exercise, during exercise, (although, if he's chasing tennis balls, it won't stay on for long and I have to put it back on him a few times) and before bed if it's a warm night.
All I have to say is, "Should we put your scarf on?" and he will run straight to the kitchen wagging his tail all the while. I'm so relieved we have another way to keep Kino cool and comfortable.
If you have a dog who has trouble in the heat, I highly recommend one of these scarves. Hopefully your dogs will enjoy wearing them as much as Kino does!
My last shepherd had malignant hyperthermia (which means they can't cool themselves off no matter how hard they pant), so I'm pretty used to the routine . . . ice water, ice cubes, fans on in whatever room he's in, etc. Somehow, it hasn't seemed to be enough with Kino and regardless of what I do, he still pants and seemed miserable in the heat.
Fortunately for Kino, a friend of mine gave me a cooling scarf that is commonly used by athletes to keep themselves from overheating. She bought one for herself because the AC wasn't working in her office building and she picked one up for me too. I knew right away that it would be better used on Kino, but would HE be open to the idea? 
Going into the kitchen, I followed the instructions (wet it, ring it out, snap it a few times). While it was clear Kino didn't love the "snap it" step, I asked him if I could put the scarf on him and he started wagging his tail and happily let me tie it around his neck. I'm not sure if he knew it was going to cool him off or if he just thought he'd look more handsome with a scarf around his neck . . . I was just glad that he didn't mind wearing it.I noticed a change immediately. Within two minutes, Kino's tongue was no longer hanging out of his mouth and he was more animated, wanting to play again. The next day he was chasing balls and he pooped out before we even got half way through the bucket, which is not like him at all. I got the scarf and put it on him . . . and immediately he was ready to start chasing balls again.
We've gotten in the habit of putting it on after exercise, during exercise, (although, if he's chasing tennis balls, it won't stay on for long and I have to put it back on him a few times) and before bed if it's a warm night.All I have to say is, "Should we put your scarf on?" and he will run straight to the kitchen wagging his tail all the while. I'm so relieved we have another way to keep Kino cool and comfortable.
If you have a dog who has trouble in the heat, I highly recommend one of these scarves. Hopefully your dogs will enjoy wearing them as much as Kino does!
Monday, July 20, 2015
The Bonds of Love
I recently came across this amazing video about a dog named Denali and his guardian Ben. (It is narrated by Denali). Many of us have experienced deep bonds with our pets so we already know how intense and beautiful our relationships with animals can be . . . and yet somehow this takes it to a whole new level.
This video is able to paint that picture in such a breathtaking way . . . you'll smile, you'll cry, you'll be in awe and you'll want to wrap your arms around your own animal and express gratitude for the way they are able to touch our souls.
There is one quote from the video that makes me smile every time I listen to it (and yes, I'll confess, I have watched it quite a few times because it touches me so deeply). Denali says, "There is a smart scientist guy that thought people could learn a lot from dogs. He said that when someone you love walks through the door, and even if it happens five times a day, you should go totally insane with joy."
And I wonder how things would shift in our world if we all did just that . . .
I hope you enjoy this video as much as I do!
Denali video
This video is able to paint that picture in such a breathtaking way . . . you'll smile, you'll cry, you'll be in awe and you'll want to wrap your arms around your own animal and express gratitude for the way they are able to touch our souls.
There is one quote from the video that makes me smile every time I listen to it (and yes, I'll confess, I have watched it quite a few times because it touches me so deeply). Denali says, "There is a smart scientist guy that thought people could learn a lot from dogs. He said that when someone you love walks through the door, and even if it happens five times a day, you should go totally insane with joy."
And I wonder how things would shift in our world if we all did just that . . .
I hope you enjoy this video as much as I do!
Denali video
Monday, July 6, 2015
Fireworks and Fleas
I made the unfortunate discovery this year that Kino is afraid of fireworks. Not necessarily the big professional firework displays because we can barely hear them from our house, but the fireworks that people were setting off in our neighborhood. Honestly, I think they must have been setting off a lot of M-80's because the booms were so loud, you could hear them over the TV, the fans and all the other "pleasant noises" we had going on inside the house and occasionally it felt like the windows were rattling along with the noise.By 9pm, Kino's anxiety level was so high, he was making me anxious. He kept trying to sit in my lap and I knew it was only going to get worse, so I decided to put him in the car and just drive until it was all over. It was something I did with Lucky and it had always worked well, so off we went . . . driving up and down the freeway and a few expressways, enjoying some nice music in the car until it was safe to go home.
Curious to know what other people do on the 4th of July if their pets are afraid of the noise. I would love to hear if you are willing to share.
The other thing we've been dealing with lately are fleas. I had been noticing that on the days Kino got his flea treatment, he seemed a bit punky . . . low energy, increased grass eating, etc. Thinking that maybe it was a sign that his body wasn't too happy with the chemicals in the medication, I decided to try some natural remedies and see if we could battle the fleas that way.
I started with giving him garlic oil capsules with his meals. For a few months, that seemed to keep the fleas away but then they came back. After doing some more research, I found another option . . . putting diluted lavender essential oil on a bandana to tie around his neck. (the website I found said you could use lavender or cedar oil and I had lavender so we started with that). So far that, plus the garlic capsules, seem to be keeping the fleas at bay.
I'd really like to keep using natural remedies. Have any of you tried natural remedies that worked well?
If you have any suggestions for either dealing with fireworks or getting rid of fleas . . . I'd love to hear them!
Happy 4th to you all - I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far!
Monday, June 22, 2015
Preparing animals for change
Many of my animal appointments in recent weeks have been focused on helping prepare them for upcoming changes, whether it is a foster dog going to a new home or a family moving to a new house. I am always happy to assist with these types of communication sessions because I know how much easier it is on animals when we set their expectations and help them mentally prepare for how things are going to be different.
The animals always appreciate knowing how things are going to change and often times, they have very sweet requests, like the dog who was moving from a house with two other dogs to a new house where she would be the only dog. Her mom wanted to make sure she understood and that she would be OK not having the other dogs to play with while she was at work. This sweet little girl asked if her mom could buy her a stuffed dog that she could hang out with, so that she wouldn't be lonely.
With one of the foster dogs, we needed to explain that his new family didn't want to have a dog sleeping in the bedroom with them, as he had been at his foster home and asked him if he would be alright with the different sleeping arrangements. His question was "But will it mean they don't love me as much as my current mom if I am not sleeping in the bedroom with them?" I assured him that it was no indication of how much they cared about him and reminded him of how excited they were to have finally found the perfect dog for their family. That seemed to calm his concerns and he said he would be OK with the new sleeping arrangement.
Helping them understand how things are going to be different - from the lay out of the house, to the sounds they may hear in their new neighborhood, to how their daily routines may take shape - all help them make their transition go more smoothly.
Over the last few weeks, I have had the pleasure of receiving updates from all of these clients and it warms my heart to hear how smoothly all these transitions have gone. The animals are adjusting quickly to their new surroundings and new circumstances and there hasn't been any problems at all. It reaffirms my belief that the more we can do to manage an animals expectations about upcoming changes, the easier it is on everyone.
And as a bonus, my client whose foster dog was initially concerned about not sleeping in the bedroom with his new parents emailed me the other day to tell me that the adopters were so touched when they heard about his concern, they decided to change their rule of "no dogs in the bedroom at night" and their new boy is now happily sleeping in the bedroom with them.
The animals always appreciate knowing how things are going to change and often times, they have very sweet requests, like the dog who was moving from a house with two other dogs to a new house where she would be the only dog. Her mom wanted to make sure she understood and that she would be OK not having the other dogs to play with while she was at work. This sweet little girl asked if her mom could buy her a stuffed dog that she could hang out with, so that she wouldn't be lonely.
With one of the foster dogs, we needed to explain that his new family didn't want to have a dog sleeping in the bedroom with them, as he had been at his foster home and asked him if he would be alright with the different sleeping arrangements. His question was "But will it mean they don't love me as much as my current mom if I am not sleeping in the bedroom with them?" I assured him that it was no indication of how much they cared about him and reminded him of how excited they were to have finally found the perfect dog for their family. That seemed to calm his concerns and he said he would be OK with the new sleeping arrangement.
Helping them understand how things are going to be different - from the lay out of the house, to the sounds they may hear in their new neighborhood, to how their daily routines may take shape - all help them make their transition go more smoothly.
Over the last few weeks, I have had the pleasure of receiving updates from all of these clients and it warms my heart to hear how smoothly all these transitions have gone. The animals are adjusting quickly to their new surroundings and new circumstances and there hasn't been any problems at all. It reaffirms my belief that the more we can do to manage an animals expectations about upcoming changes, the easier it is on everyone.
And as a bonus, my client whose foster dog was initially concerned about not sleeping in the bedroom with his new parents emailed me the other day to tell me that the adopters were so touched when they heard about his concern, they decided to change their rule of "no dogs in the bedroom at night" and their new boy is now happily sleeping in the bedroom with them.
Friday, June 5, 2015
Communication Challenges
Even though I am confident in my abilities as an animal communicator, I am tickled by the instances when Kino doesn't seem to understand what I am telling him. Many of our miscommunications lately have occurred around people visiting the house. Since nothing makes Kino happier than having company, I don't know if it's his sheer excitement of someone coming over that makes him less able to understand me or if it's something else entirely. All I know is that when these moments occur, it's hard not to be entertained by them.
I have learned that Kino doesn't understand what the word "later" means. Several times I have made the mistake of telling him that someone is going to come over later, thinking that it would be helpful to set his expectations for that day. The first time I did it, I said, "Today we're going to do this and that, run this errands and then after that, Joe is going to come over." He dropped his toy and immediately ran to the window. I said, "No, Kino, he's coming over later" which only made him stare out the window more intently. No matter how many times I told him that Joe was coming over "LATER" he wouldn't budge from the front window.
There are times when even though I haven't said anything, Kino thinks we might be having a visitor and he will excitedly run to the front window and start looking for the mystery person to arrive. I have learned that if I say, "Kino, no one is coming over" he gets even more wound up and I finally came to the conclusion that he must think we have a friend named "No one." Each time I say, "No one is coming" or "No one is visiting us today" the frenzied excitement at the front window escalates.
Another one of our communication pitfalls happens because Kino can't seem to distinguish between an in person visit and a phone call. I discovered this error on my part when I said, "We're going to take a break from playing because I need to call Karin." He immediately ran to the front window to look for her. No matter how many times I showed him my cell phone and said, "No, I am going to CALL her" it didn't make a difference. He continued to sit at the front window looking for her car.
I'm not sure if this is an indication that I need to invite people over more often or if Kino just needs a little more time to learn that we don't actually know anyone named "No one." If nothing else, it provides some comic relief at our house and since I always welcome opportunities to smile, I can't really complain too much about this particular set of miscommunications we've been having.
I have learned that Kino doesn't understand what the word "later" means. Several times I have made the mistake of telling him that someone is going to come over later, thinking that it would be helpful to set his expectations for that day. The first time I did it, I said, "Today we're going to do this and that, run this errands and then after that, Joe is going to come over." He dropped his toy and immediately ran to the window. I said, "No, Kino, he's coming over later" which only made him stare out the window more intently. No matter how many times I told him that Joe was coming over "LATER" he wouldn't budge from the front window.There are times when even though I haven't said anything, Kino thinks we might be having a visitor and he will excitedly run to the front window and start looking for the mystery person to arrive. I have learned that if I say, "Kino, no one is coming over" he gets even more wound up and I finally came to the conclusion that he must think we have a friend named "No one." Each time I say, "No one is coming" or "No one is visiting us today" the frenzied excitement at the front window escalates.
Another one of our communication pitfalls happens because Kino can't seem to distinguish between an in person visit and a phone call. I discovered this error on my part when I said, "We're going to take a break from playing because I need to call Karin." He immediately ran to the front window to look for her. No matter how many times I showed him my cell phone and said, "No, I am going to CALL her" it didn't make a difference. He continued to sit at the front window looking for her car.I'm not sure if this is an indication that I need to invite people over more often or if Kino just needs a little more time to learn that we don't actually know anyone named "No one." If nothing else, it provides some comic relief at our house and since I always welcome opportunities to smile, I can't really complain too much about this particular set of miscommunications we've been having.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Kino and Reiki
For those of you who read my blog regularly, you know that my relationship with my dog Kino has come with some challenges, and that during the time I was still fostering him, I even asked the rescue group to find another foster home for him because he had bitten me several times and I didn't know how to deal with his aggressiveness.
Fortunately, he has made great strides since then but in some ways Kino was still acting like a feral cat. He doesn't liked to be touched, unless it is his idea, so basic grooming (baths, brushing, nail trimming, flea treatments, etc) were still high drama activities. No matter how sweetly he kisses my face when I wake up in the morning, if I attempt to do any type of grooming, it quickly dissolves into barking, wild flinging of rope toys, growling and an overuse of teeth.
At the beginning of the year, I decided to try giving him daily Reiki treatments to see if that would help. Of course, the treatments had to be "distance treatments" from across the room, given his sensitivity to being touched, but I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a try and see what happened.
I'm happy to report that four and half months into this experiment, I have seen a dramatic change in Kino's behavior. I had to trim the hair around his ears the other day and the whole activity took less than 5 minutes and didn't involve a single tooth. :-) His last bath, while he didn't necessarily enjoy it, did NOT involve him growling at me, baring his teeth or attempting to bite me, which was a huge and pleasant change from previous baths. Putting flea treatment on him, which used to take about 35 minutes because he wouldn't sit still and had to run around the house barking in between each small application of medicine, took only 3 minutes last month, all in one sitting.
I have been amazed by how much the energy has helped calm him down. It is as if it took the edge off and he no longer believes that I am out to do him harm whenever I touch him.
Just the other day, I experienced yet another pleasant surprise . . . a saw a cat walking across the fence and I immediately braced myself for what I knew was coming . . . . a bark/howl/wail combination that was about to emanate from Kino's throat. It is so loud and so unsettling it sounds as if someone is ripping one of Kino's limbs off. I cannot adequately describe how horrid this sound is, but he's been making it for a year and a half now, whenever anything is on the fence (cat, squirrel, rat, opossum, bird, etc) and it has always unnerved me.
Yet this time instead Kino only let out a small little whimper before running towards the fence to chase the cat away. I was shocked that he didn't let out that overblown sound and I was also overjoyed! I have a feeling my neighbors will appreciate this quieter method of yard protection as much as I will.
When I began this experiment, I didn't know what to expect and I have to say, I am astounded by all the positive changes I have seen in Kino. To think that I can now groom him without all that drama - it truly feels like a gift. And after all these years, I love that I can still be surprised by what healing energy can do and how much it can assist us and our animals.
Fortunately, he has made great strides since then but in some ways Kino was still acting like a feral cat. He doesn't liked to be touched, unless it is his idea, so basic grooming (baths, brushing, nail trimming, flea treatments, etc) were still high drama activities. No matter how sweetly he kisses my face when I wake up in the morning, if I attempt to do any type of grooming, it quickly dissolves into barking, wild flinging of rope toys, growling and an overuse of teeth.
At the beginning of the year, I decided to try giving him daily Reiki treatments to see if that would help. Of course, the treatments had to be "distance treatments" from across the room, given his sensitivity to being touched, but I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a try and see what happened.
I'm happy to report that four and half months into this experiment, I have seen a dramatic change in Kino's behavior. I had to trim the hair around his ears the other day and the whole activity took less than 5 minutes and didn't involve a single tooth. :-) His last bath, while he didn't necessarily enjoy it, did NOT involve him growling at me, baring his teeth or attempting to bite me, which was a huge and pleasant change from previous baths. Putting flea treatment on him, which used to take about 35 minutes because he wouldn't sit still and had to run around the house barking in between each small application of medicine, took only 3 minutes last month, all in one sitting. I have been amazed by how much the energy has helped calm him down. It is as if it took the edge off and he no longer believes that I am out to do him harm whenever I touch him.
Just the other day, I experienced yet another pleasant surprise . . . a saw a cat walking across the fence and I immediately braced myself for what I knew was coming . . . . a bark/howl/wail combination that was about to emanate from Kino's throat. It is so loud and so unsettling it sounds as if someone is ripping one of Kino's limbs off. I cannot adequately describe how horrid this sound is, but he's been making it for a year and a half now, whenever anything is on the fence (cat, squirrel, rat, opossum, bird, etc) and it has always unnerved me.
Yet this time instead Kino only let out a small little whimper before running towards the fence to chase the cat away. I was shocked that he didn't let out that overblown sound and I was also overjoyed! I have a feeling my neighbors will appreciate this quieter method of yard protection as much as I will.
When I began this experiment, I didn't know what to expect and I have to say, I am astounded by all the positive changes I have seen in Kino. To think that I can now groom him without all that drama - it truly feels like a gift. And after all these years, I love that I can still be surprised by what healing energy can do and how much it can assist us and our animals.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Lending a helping hand
A client of mine recently shared an experience she had and I was so touched by how the story ended, I just had to share.
She was on her way to a shopping center, in the hopes of unwinding from a stressful couple of days. She was on a frontage road that has a lot of traffic, but no houses, shops or gas stations near by, when all of the sudden her car died. Fortunately, she was able to coast over to the side of the road and mostly out of the way of passing cars but when she looked in her purse for her cell phone to call for help, she realized she had left her phone at home.
A recent knee injury prevented her from walking a few miles to the closest gas station, so she sat there, trying to figure out what to do, all the while hoping that one of the passing cars may stop to help her. For over twenty minutes, she sat there while car after car drove past but not a single person stopped to see if she needed help. She even noticed that people seemed to avoid having eye contact, as if they didn't want to be bothered and thought it would be easier to pretend they didn't see her.
She was beginning to feel really discouraged when a homeless man walked up to her and asked her if she needed any help. He has seen her on the side of the road from a little ways down the road and wanted to make sure she was OK. When she explained that she didn't have a phone and thus couldn't call AAA for assistance, he said that one of his friends had a cell phone and offered to go find him. She couldn't believe how generous he was being but she welcomed the help.
The man walked far out into a nearby field until he found his friend and returned with both his friend and the phone. When she called AAA she was told it could be an hour, or possibly two hours before anyone could get there. It looked like this was going to be a long day.
After returning the phone to the one man, they asked if she knew what was wrong with her car. She told them that either it was out of gas or out of oil, so the men offered to check her oil and sure enough, that's what she was out of. If she could just get some oil in her car, she'd be able to drive home.
The homeless gentleman with the phone mentioned that he also had a bike and she offered to pay him if he'd ride his bike to the gas station down the road to buy oil. Not only did he agree to do this for her but when he returned, he found some paper to make a funnel and even put the oil in her car for her.
They waited to make sure her car was in running order, then the one man let her use his phone again to cancel the AAA tow truck. She gave them both some more money as an expression of her gratitude and instead of proceeding to the shopping center, she decided to go home.
The experience had put her in a different frame of mind . . . no longer feeling the need to de-stress by wandering around some stores, instead she felt deep gratitude that these men went out of their way to help her the way they did. She said she was still shocked that all the people who drove by in their fancy cars didn't give her the time of day, but that the two homeless men were the ones who reached out to her.
Her story shined a spotlight on the fact that no matter how little you may have, it is still possible to help someone else.
She was on her way to a shopping center, in the hopes of unwinding from a stressful couple of days. She was on a frontage road that has a lot of traffic, but no houses, shops or gas stations near by, when all of the sudden her car died. Fortunately, she was able to coast over to the side of the road and mostly out of the way of passing cars but when she looked in her purse for her cell phone to call for help, she realized she had left her phone at home.
A recent knee injury prevented her from walking a few miles to the closest gas station, so she sat there, trying to figure out what to do, all the while hoping that one of the passing cars may stop to help her. For over twenty minutes, she sat there while car after car drove past but not a single person stopped to see if she needed help. She even noticed that people seemed to avoid having eye contact, as if they didn't want to be bothered and thought it would be easier to pretend they didn't see her.
She was beginning to feel really discouraged when a homeless man walked up to her and asked her if she needed any help. He has seen her on the side of the road from a little ways down the road and wanted to make sure she was OK. When she explained that she didn't have a phone and thus couldn't call AAA for assistance, he said that one of his friends had a cell phone and offered to go find him. She couldn't believe how generous he was being but she welcomed the help.
The man walked far out into a nearby field until he found his friend and returned with both his friend and the phone. When she called AAA she was told it could be an hour, or possibly two hours before anyone could get there. It looked like this was going to be a long day.
After returning the phone to the one man, they asked if she knew what was wrong with her car. She told them that either it was out of gas or out of oil, so the men offered to check her oil and sure enough, that's what she was out of. If she could just get some oil in her car, she'd be able to drive home.
The homeless gentleman with the phone mentioned that he also had a bike and she offered to pay him if he'd ride his bike to the gas station down the road to buy oil. Not only did he agree to do this for her but when he returned, he found some paper to make a funnel and even put the oil in her car for her.
They waited to make sure her car was in running order, then the one man let her use his phone again to cancel the AAA tow truck. She gave them both some more money as an expression of her gratitude and instead of proceeding to the shopping center, she decided to go home.
The experience had put her in a different frame of mind . . . no longer feeling the need to de-stress by wandering around some stores, instead she felt deep gratitude that these men went out of their way to help her the way they did. She said she was still shocked that all the people who drove by in their fancy cars didn't give her the time of day, but that the two homeless men were the ones who reached out to her.
Her story shined a spotlight on the fact that no matter how little you may have, it is still possible to help someone else.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Putting the Pieces Together
When I am working with an animal, I get information in many different ways--physical sensations in my body, pictures and images, words and phrases. There is often some interpretation required to understand how everything I am picking up fits together. When I am asked to help "solve a puzzle" the animal's guardian is often the key ingredient to making sense of what I pick up.
I recently had an experience that showed how all of these pieces work together. I was asked to do a session with an older pit bull who was crying all day long. For months, the only time he stopped crying was when he fell asleep and his guardian was very concerned. She wanted to know if I could help them figure out what was making him so unhappy.
When I first put my hands on me, my stomach began to hurt. It felt inflamed and irritated but I couldn't get a sense of why, so I asked this sweet boy if he could tell me why his tummy hurt so much. He showed me the sensation I feel when an animal is struggling with allergies. I explained this to his guardian but after reviewing what he eats and how long he's been eating his particular food and treats, we couldn't figure out what he could be allergic to. My stomach still really hurt, which told me that we hadn't identified what was going on yet. (Once I "name" or "identify" what is going on, the sensation will go away, so when the sensation lingers, it indicates to me that we haven't figured it out yet).
As I continued to give him Reiki in the hopes it would help soothe his tummy, his guardian and I moved on to the other questions she had about his health. While we were covering those other topics, his guardian asked me if he mentioned his skin, as he has some pretty severe skin allergies. I was telling her that his itchy skin didn't bother him at all in comparison to how bad his stomach hurt when all of the sudden I could see a major light bulb going off in her head. She explained that she had been spraying something on his skin to stop him from itching but that he was constantly licking it off. She asked if that could be the cause of his stomach pain and offered to grab the bottle of this spray. I took one whiff of it and knew it was definitely the cause - not just because of the smell of it but because of the way my stomach hurt just talking about it.
His guardian and I sat there, putting the pieces together. She realized that his constant crying started about the same time she started putting this particular spray in his skin. I realized that when I asked him why his tummy hurt and he gave me the "allergy sensation," I interpreted it as food allergies because it was something he was ingesting but he was trying to show me it was connected to his skin allergies.
She said she'd never use that spray again and we also talked about some things she could do to help soothe his stomach. We were both so relieved to put all the pieces together and figure out what we could do to help her sweet boy feel better. Animals do the best they can to communicate with us and as I was reminded last weekend, partnering with the guardian is the best way to ensure I am interpreting the messages correctly.
I recently had an experience that showed how all of these pieces work together. I was asked to do a session with an older pit bull who was crying all day long. For months, the only time he stopped crying was when he fell asleep and his guardian was very concerned. She wanted to know if I could help them figure out what was making him so unhappy.
When I first put my hands on me, my stomach began to hurt. It felt inflamed and irritated but I couldn't get a sense of why, so I asked this sweet boy if he could tell me why his tummy hurt so much. He showed me the sensation I feel when an animal is struggling with allergies. I explained this to his guardian but after reviewing what he eats and how long he's been eating his particular food and treats, we couldn't figure out what he could be allergic to. My stomach still really hurt, which told me that we hadn't identified what was going on yet. (Once I "name" or "identify" what is going on, the sensation will go away, so when the sensation lingers, it indicates to me that we haven't figured it out yet).
As I continued to give him Reiki in the hopes it would help soothe his tummy, his guardian and I moved on to the other questions she had about his health. While we were covering those other topics, his guardian asked me if he mentioned his skin, as he has some pretty severe skin allergies. I was telling her that his itchy skin didn't bother him at all in comparison to how bad his stomach hurt when all of the sudden I could see a major light bulb going off in her head. She explained that she had been spraying something on his skin to stop him from itching but that he was constantly licking it off. She asked if that could be the cause of his stomach pain and offered to grab the bottle of this spray. I took one whiff of it and knew it was definitely the cause - not just because of the smell of it but because of the way my stomach hurt just talking about it.
His guardian and I sat there, putting the pieces together. She realized that his constant crying started about the same time she started putting this particular spray in his skin. I realized that when I asked him why his tummy hurt and he gave me the "allergy sensation," I interpreted it as food allergies because it was something he was ingesting but he was trying to show me it was connected to his skin allergies.
She said she'd never use that spray again and we also talked about some things she could do to help soothe his stomach. We were both so relieved to put all the pieces together and figure out what we could do to help her sweet boy feel better. Animals do the best they can to communicate with us and as I was reminded last weekend, partnering with the guardian is the best way to ensure I am interpreting the messages correctly.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Dogs, Butterflies and Reiki
I spent most of last spring "tutoring" Kino on yard etiquette - repeating over and over again "The butterflies are our friends" and "We don't eat the butterflies" - because my darling boy couldn't stop himself from trying to devour our lovely visitors each day.
Fortunately, by the time summer rolled around, Kino finally understood and for the rest of the summer and all through the fall, we peacefully co-existed with our daily butterfly visitors.
So, you can imagine my disappointment when the butterflies reemerged a few weeks ago and I found Kino chasing after them. Once again I was reminding him again and again to leave the butterflies alone.
Last weekend, we were out in the yard and Kino gave in to his instinct to go after one of our beautiful visitors but amazingly, before biting down on the butterfly, he suddenly remembered that he wasn't supposed to and he backed away from the butterfly and then looked at me as if he deserved a treat for remembering. :-)
Unfortunately, he had already slobbered all over the poor thing and because his wing was bent, the butterfly wasn't able to fly away. Sitting down on the ground with the butterfly, I began to give him Reiki in the hopes that he could recover from his German shepherd encounter.
After about 10 minutes of Reiki, the butterfly climbed up on my hand. He stayed there for a while and then he decided to walk up my arm, and eventually made it up to my shoulder. He sat on my shoulder for another 10-15 minutes, which was fine with me, as it was much safer for him to be up there where Kino couldn't reach him.
Eventually he tried to fly off my shoulder but he didn't make it very far and ended up on the ground. Putting my hand down next to him, I offered him some more Reiki and once again he climbed up on my hand. When I looked at the clock and realized I had to leave soon for an appointment, I placed him in one of the flower pots in the yard so he would be safe.
When I got home, I was delighted to find that he was gone and since Kino was tucked away safely in the house while I was away, I know the only way the butterfly could have left was on his own. It was a really cool experience to give Reiki to a butterfly - and while I feel blessed to have had the opportunity, I don't want to have to do it again, so Kino's refresher course will have to continue. :-)
Fortunately, by the time summer rolled around, Kino finally understood and for the rest of the summer and all through the fall, we peacefully co-existed with our daily butterfly visitors.
So, you can imagine my disappointment when the butterflies reemerged a few weeks ago and I found Kino chasing after them. Once again I was reminding him again and again to leave the butterflies alone.
Last weekend, we were out in the yard and Kino gave in to his instinct to go after one of our beautiful visitors but amazingly, before biting down on the butterfly, he suddenly remembered that he wasn't supposed to and he backed away from the butterfly and then looked at me as if he deserved a treat for remembering. :-)
Unfortunately, he had already slobbered all over the poor thing and because his wing was bent, the butterfly wasn't able to fly away. Sitting down on the ground with the butterfly, I began to give him Reiki in the hopes that he could recover from his German shepherd encounter. After about 10 minutes of Reiki, the butterfly climbed up on my hand. He stayed there for a while and then he decided to walk up my arm, and eventually made it up to my shoulder. He sat on my shoulder for another 10-15 minutes, which was fine with me, as it was much safer for him to be up there where Kino couldn't reach him.
Eventually he tried to fly off my shoulder but he didn't make it very far and ended up on the ground. Putting my hand down next to him, I offered him some more Reiki and once again he climbed up on my hand. When I looked at the clock and realized I had to leave soon for an appointment, I placed him in one of the flower pots in the yard so he would be safe.
When I got home, I was delighted to find that he was gone and since Kino was tucked away safely in the house while I was away, I know the only way the butterfly could have left was on his own. It was a really cool experience to give Reiki to a butterfly - and while I feel blessed to have had the opportunity, I don't want to have to do it again, so Kino's refresher course will have to continue. :-)
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Reiki and Seals
Last week, I decided to treat myself to an afternoon stroll on the beach. It's one of the best ways for me to recharge my batteries and as luck would have it, it was about 70 degrees that day - perfect weather for walking along the ocean.
Shortly after I started out, I came across a young seal who obviously wasn't feeling well as he could barely hold himself up. I sat down on the sand a little ways away from him and began sending him Reiki. I wasn't sure what else to do and I hoped it would help him feel better.
A lady wandered over to me and inquired about the seal, wondering what we could do to help him. She asked if I thought we should call the Marine Mammal Center to get their help. I asked her if she was familiar with energy healing and she said, "Yes, I am a Reiki master" I smiled knowing I wouldn't have to explain what I was doing, and told her I was sending him Reiki. She said, "What a wonderful idea, I can tell he is soaking it up." We decided it would still be a good idea to call the Marine Mammal Center.
About twenty minutes into his Reiki treatment, my new Reiki master friend, Christy, was attempting to take a picture of him so the Marine Mammal folks would know where he was and all of the sudden he sat up, looked around and then jumped in the water and began to swim. We were both so happy - hoping the energy had assisted him. Since she was still on the phone with the Marine Mammal folks, she let them know that we didn't need them after all.
We said goodbye and I continued on my walk. I hadn't made it very far . . . long enough to find a couple pieces of sea glass but not long enough to get more than ten yards down the beach . . . when I noticed two other gals we had met earlier trying to flag me down. As I got closer to them, I saw our little seal friend, back up on the beach.
I ran back to Christy and asked her to call the Marine Mammal center again. Then, for the next few hours, Christy and I stood on guard, one of us on either side of our little seal, protecting him from dogs, runners and walkers, and sending him additional Reiki. After several hours, I had to go. It broke my heart to leave without knowing if he was going to be ok but I couldn't wait any longer for the Marine Mammal folks to show up. I met a nice gal as I was about to leave and asked her if she would be willing to keep watch over him and keep dogs away and she said she would. Interestingly, her name was Christy also.
After saying goodbye to my two new friends named Christy, I headed back down the beach. It made me sad to leave, but I held out hope that the energy assisted him. If nothing else, I felt honored to be able to connect with him that way, even if it only resulted in giving him a little peace and comfort.
Shortly after I started out, I came across a young seal who obviously wasn't feeling well as he could barely hold himself up. I sat down on the sand a little ways away from him and began sending him Reiki. I wasn't sure what else to do and I hoped it would help him feel better.A lady wandered over to me and inquired about the seal, wondering what we could do to help him. She asked if I thought we should call the Marine Mammal Center to get their help. I asked her if she was familiar with energy healing and she said, "Yes, I am a Reiki master" I smiled knowing I wouldn't have to explain what I was doing, and told her I was sending him Reiki. She said, "What a wonderful idea, I can tell he is soaking it up." We decided it would still be a good idea to call the Marine Mammal Center.
About twenty minutes into his Reiki treatment, my new Reiki master friend, Christy, was attempting to take a picture of him so the Marine Mammal folks would know where he was and all of the sudden he sat up, looked around and then jumped in the water and began to swim. We were both so happy - hoping the energy had assisted him. Since she was still on the phone with the Marine Mammal folks, she let them know that we didn't need them after all.We said goodbye and I continued on my walk. I hadn't made it very far . . . long enough to find a couple pieces of sea glass but not long enough to get more than ten yards down the beach . . . when I noticed two other gals we had met earlier trying to flag me down. As I got closer to them, I saw our little seal friend, back up on the beach.
I ran back to Christy and asked her to call the Marine Mammal center again. Then, for the next few hours, Christy and I stood on guard, one of us on either side of our little seal, protecting him from dogs, runners and walkers, and sending him additional Reiki. After several hours, I had to go. It broke my heart to leave without knowing if he was going to be ok but I couldn't wait any longer for the Marine Mammal folks to show up. I met a nice gal as I was about to leave and asked her if she would be willing to keep watch over him and keep dogs away and she said she would. Interestingly, her name was Christy also.
After saying goodbye to my two new friends named Christy, I headed back down the beach. It made me sad to leave, but I held out hope that the energy assisted him. If nothing else, I felt honored to be able to connect with him that way, even if it only resulted in giving him a little peace and comfort.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Reiki and Shingles
A few weeks ago, I noticed a strange rash on my right hip. While it didn't itch, the skin did feel a bit tender. I wasn't sure what it was. The next day, I noticed the rash wasn't just on my hip anymore, it had moved around to the front of my thigh and around to my back and the bumps looked a little more like blisters. By that night, I started to feel stabbing pain in every area where the rash was and that was when I knew for sure that I had shingles.
I was not happy with that realization. I had shingles before, about nineteen years ago and I remember that it was a miserable experience. Even though I went to the doctor right away and got the anti-viral medication, as well as medication for pain, I was still out of commission for weeks.
The nerve pain is awful. If you've never had shingles before, it feels like you are being stung over and over and over again by a wasp. Honestly, it is a horrible experience and one I wasn't looking forward to going through again.
I knew I wasn't going to see a doctor this time because my beliefs about western medicine have changed quite a bit in the last nineteen years. I decided that this time, I would treat it with Reiki (ok, I also broke down and took some advil those first few nights so that I could get some sleep, so I am not totally against taking some sort of medicine) but I wanted to try a different approach this time.
I gave myself Reiki treatments every day. I wasn't sure exactly what it would do or how it would help, but I was wiling to give it a try and see what happened.
Much to my delight, seven days later, the pain was completely gone, the blisters had dried up and were forming scabs. As I type this, eleven days after the initial onset, all evidence of my bout with shingles is almost gone.
Last time I went through it, it was several weeks before I could handle clothes touching my skin and several more weeks after that before the blisters healed. I was excited to see how much the Reiki helped and incredibly grateful that the whole ordeal was over so quickly. It has inspired me even more than before to rely on Reiki to assist with medical issues when they arise.
I was not happy with that realization. I had shingles before, about nineteen years ago and I remember that it was a miserable experience. Even though I went to the doctor right away and got the anti-viral medication, as well as medication for pain, I was still out of commission for weeks.
The nerve pain is awful. If you've never had shingles before, it feels like you are being stung over and over and over again by a wasp. Honestly, it is a horrible experience and one I wasn't looking forward to going through again.
I knew I wasn't going to see a doctor this time because my beliefs about western medicine have changed quite a bit in the last nineteen years. I decided that this time, I would treat it with Reiki (ok, I also broke down and took some advil those first few nights so that I could get some sleep, so I am not totally against taking some sort of medicine) but I wanted to try a different approach this time.
I gave myself Reiki treatments every day. I wasn't sure exactly what it would do or how it would help, but I was wiling to give it a try and see what happened.
Much to my delight, seven days later, the pain was completely gone, the blisters had dried up and were forming scabs. As I type this, eleven days after the initial onset, all evidence of my bout with shingles is almost gone.
Last time I went through it, it was several weeks before I could handle clothes touching my skin and several more weeks after that before the blisters healed. I was excited to see how much the Reiki helped and incredibly grateful that the whole ordeal was over so quickly. It has inspired me even more than before to rely on Reiki to assist with medical issues when they arise.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
A Higher Purpose
I am on a community email list of animal lovers - where people post questions about vets and trainers, send out notices of lost pets and found pets, etc. In recent months, several people have posted asking for help and advice for rehoming a pet and I have been surprised and disappointed at the reaction they have received. These folks have been bashed for wanting to find a new home for an animal, pressured into finding a way to keep their animal, accused of not being loving guardians, etc.
It makes me sad that even though people are animal advocates, they don't fully understand that animals have a higher purpose. Animals come into our lives to be our teachers - that they have a special purpose to fulfill, to assist us in learning and growing as human beings. Sometimes their work is done in a short period of time and they can then move on and help someone else. I can think of countless examples of how a "re-homed" animal made a remarkable difference in the lives of their new family.
I think about all the wonderful animals I have had over the years . . . from my childhood dog, Clancy to my current dog Kino. If Clancy or Kino's families had been shamed into keeping them, I would have never experienced the joy or the lessons that I received from both of them. I believe they were both meant to be in my life . . . and even though they didn't start their lives out with me, they left an imprint on me during the time they were with me. (and I have a feeling Kino's imprint is going to be pretty big by the time we reach the end of our journey)
Just a week or so ago, a had a session with a client and her foster dog Spanky. Originally she was going to keep him but she had come to the difficult decision that she needed to find another home for him - primarily because he was fighting with and hurting her other dog. She wanted me to explain to Spanky what was going on so he wasn't confused about what was happening. She wanted him to know he was still very loved and that she wanted to find a home for him where he could be the only dog.
Spanky told me he was OK with finding another home because he knew there was someone else he was supposed to help. He said while he would always love his foster mom, he also knew he had a purpose to fulfill in another humans life.
Just recently I wrote about a little darling named Corgi who had to be re-homed because of the health issues of a family member . . . and in her new home, she helped give a recently retired man a sense of purpose and a renewed interest in life. If Corgi's mom hadn't re-homed her, Corgi wouldn't have been able to help that man so much.
I am writing this in the hopes that we can begin to trust that everything happens for a reason. Maybe we can put our judgement down and have a little more compassion for folks who are forced to re-home a pet. It is not an easy decision to come to. Maybe there is a higher purpose at work and where the animal ends up is exactly where they are meant to be.
It makes me sad that even though people are animal advocates, they don't fully understand that animals have a higher purpose. Animals come into our lives to be our teachers - that they have a special purpose to fulfill, to assist us in learning and growing as human beings. Sometimes their work is done in a short period of time and they can then move on and help someone else. I can think of countless examples of how a "re-homed" animal made a remarkable difference in the lives of their new family.
I think about all the wonderful animals I have had over the years . . . from my childhood dog, Clancy to my current dog Kino. If Clancy or Kino's families had been shamed into keeping them, I would have never experienced the joy or the lessons that I received from both of them. I believe they were both meant to be in my life . . . and even though they didn't start their lives out with me, they left an imprint on me during the time they were with me. (and I have a feeling Kino's imprint is going to be pretty big by the time we reach the end of our journey)Just a week or so ago, a had a session with a client and her foster dog Spanky. Originally she was going to keep him but she had come to the difficult decision that she needed to find another home for him - primarily because he was fighting with and hurting her other dog. She wanted me to explain to Spanky what was going on so he wasn't confused about what was happening. She wanted him to know he was still very loved and that she wanted to find a home for him where he could be the only dog.
Spanky told me he was OK with finding another home because he knew there was someone else he was supposed to help. He said while he would always love his foster mom, he also knew he had a purpose to fulfill in another humans life.
Just recently I wrote about a little darling named Corgi who had to be re-homed because of the health issues of a family member . . . and in her new home, she helped give a recently retired man a sense of purpose and a renewed interest in life. If Corgi's mom hadn't re-homed her, Corgi wouldn't have been able to help that man so much.
I am writing this in the hopes that we can begin to trust that everything happens for a reason. Maybe we can put our judgement down and have a little more compassion for folks who are forced to re-home a pet. It is not an easy decision to come to. Maybe there is a higher purpose at work and where the animal ends up is exactly where they are meant to be.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Trust Your Intuition
One of the things I love about the work I do is the opportunity I have to help guardians begin to trust their own intuition. I remember early on telling a client what I was picking up from her dog and seeing her eyes light up when she told me that was what she thought her animal was feeling as well. On the drive home that day, I recall thinking that an important part of my work might be helping guardians learn to trust their own intuition and over the years, that is how is had unfolded.
It always makes me smile when a client says "That's what I thought was going on" or "That's what I thought he was feeling." Confirming what my human clients are sensing about their animals is a big part of what I do. I love being able to help guardians begin to trust their own "knowing" so they don't have to rely on someone like me.
Just this past week, I spoke with a client whose dog was getting close to making her transition. She had a list of questions she wanted me to ask her dog and for every single answer I got from her dog, she said "That's what I thought." When I pointed out to her that she already knew everything I was picking up from her dog, she said "Yes, but I wasn't trusting it . . . now because you have validated all these things, I think I will start trusting what I am sensing."
It's not that I am trying to work myself out of a job, I just enjoy having the opportunity to help people tap into their own gifts. I believe we are all intuitive - it's just a matter of learning to listen to what our inner guidance is telling us and quieting the voice in our heads that make us second guess ourselves.
We may call it a hunch or a gut feeling, or it may be a thought that pops into our mind. The more we can trust what comes into our minds, the more confidence we can develop in the guidance we are receiving. And the more we listen . . . the stronger our intuition can become.
Are you listening to your guidance? Are you trusting your knowing? Or are you second guessing yourself? Maybe it's time to ask the "second-guesser" to take a break and see what happens when you trust what you are sensing with your animals.
It always makes me smile when a client says "That's what I thought was going on" or "That's what I thought he was feeling." Confirming what my human clients are sensing about their animals is a big part of what I do. I love being able to help guardians begin to trust their own "knowing" so they don't have to rely on someone like me.
Just this past week, I spoke with a client whose dog was getting close to making her transition. She had a list of questions she wanted me to ask her dog and for every single answer I got from her dog, she said "That's what I thought." When I pointed out to her that she already knew everything I was picking up from her dog, she said "Yes, but I wasn't trusting it . . . now because you have validated all these things, I think I will start trusting what I am sensing."
It's not that I am trying to work myself out of a job, I just enjoy having the opportunity to help people tap into their own gifts. I believe we are all intuitive - it's just a matter of learning to listen to what our inner guidance is telling us and quieting the voice in our heads that make us second guess ourselves.
We may call it a hunch or a gut feeling, or it may be a thought that pops into our mind. The more we can trust what comes into our minds, the more confidence we can develop in the guidance we are receiving. And the more we listen . . . the stronger our intuition can become.
Are you listening to your guidance? Are you trusting your knowing? Or are you second guessing yourself? Maybe it's time to ask the "second-guesser" to take a break and see what happens when you trust what you are sensing with your animals.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Reactions to Pain
I know that each animal is unique and that it is highly unlikely that the new animal you adopt will be anything like your previous animal when it comes to their personality. I know this - and yet I still find myself surprised at sometime of the differences between Kino and my previous shepherd, Lucky.
For instance, Lucky was not very affectionate and did not give kisses while Kino will give me 20-30 kisses a day, whether I want them or not. :-) Lucky was rather independent and was happy to hang out in another room when I was home. Kino on the other hand is glued to my side from the moment I get out of bed in the morning. I have accepted the fact that if I am going to do the crossword puzzle or respond to emails, I will be doing it with his head in my lap.
Their reaction is pain is also the complete opposite, but not in the way you might expect.
When something hurt Lucky, whether it was a bee that stung her or she bonked her head on the table, she would immediately run to me to "make it better." And fortunately for both of us, my instinct is to comfort and nurture, so I felt competent to help her when she was hurt.
When Kino gets hurt, he gets mad! Initially I hear a yelp, i.e. if he runs into something or steps on something that hurts his paw, but then he begins growling and hopping around, usually grabbing a rope toy and flinging it about with such force that I fear he is going to make holes in the walls or knock himself out. Even more interesting is that he will not let me touch him. In the beginning, if I tried to help him, he would attempt to bite me. Fortunately, he doesn't turn on me anymore but still if I try to touch him or ask him to show me what hurts, the frenetic rope swinging lasts even longer. It is a real challenge for me to sit back and do nothing when he has hurt himself since it is the opposite of my natural instinct.
I find his reaction so curious and I also believe that everything has a purpose. Maybe I am meant to teach Kino that it is safe to let people help him when he is hurt. Maybe he is meant to teach me that it's OK to back off and let people work things out themselves. Who knows, maybe it's both. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds.
For instance, Lucky was not very affectionate and did not give kisses while Kino will give me 20-30 kisses a day, whether I want them or not. :-) Lucky was rather independent and was happy to hang out in another room when I was home. Kino on the other hand is glued to my side from the moment I get out of bed in the morning. I have accepted the fact that if I am going to do the crossword puzzle or respond to emails, I will be doing it with his head in my lap.
Their reaction is pain is also the complete opposite, but not in the way you might expect.
When something hurt Lucky, whether it was a bee that stung her or she bonked her head on the table, she would immediately run to me to "make it better." And fortunately for both of us, my instinct is to comfort and nurture, so I felt competent to help her when she was hurt.
When Kino gets hurt, he gets mad! Initially I hear a yelp, i.e. if he runs into something or steps on something that hurts his paw, but then he begins growling and hopping around, usually grabbing a rope toy and flinging it about with such force that I fear he is going to make holes in the walls or knock himself out. Even more interesting is that he will not let me touch him. In the beginning, if I tried to help him, he would attempt to bite me. Fortunately, he doesn't turn on me anymore but still if I try to touch him or ask him to show me what hurts, the frenetic rope swinging lasts even longer. It is a real challenge for me to sit back and do nothing when he has hurt himself since it is the opposite of my natural instinct.I find his reaction so curious and I also believe that everything has a purpose. Maybe I am meant to teach Kino that it is safe to let people help him when he is hurt. Maybe he is meant to teach me that it's OK to back off and let people work things out themselves. Who knows, maybe it's both. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds.
Friday, January 9, 2015
Animals With a Purpose
A couple years ago, I wrote about a special dog named Corgi who had captured my heart. She had been severely abused in her previous homes but was making wonderful progress with her new mom.
Over the holidays, I had the pleasure of getting an update on Corgi. At first, the update didn't sound very positive. Corgi's mom had been forced to find her a new home, at least temporarily, because a family member was battling a terminal illness. Her heart was heavy over the decision because she had bonded so much with Corgi and didn't want her to feel like she wasn't wanted.
One of her best friends and her husband agreed to take Corgi in . . . and in this new home, something wonderful happened. Corgi, who had still not fully gotten over her fear of men quickly developed a bonded with the husband. Now she doesn't seem to fear men at all anymore.
And another wonderful thing happened . . . the husband, who had recently retired after 40 years in the medical field and had been struggling with how to fill his days now that he was no longer working suddenly had something very important to do. :-) He and Corgi have been going on about four walks a day and they have grown quite attached to one another.
I often talk about how animals come into our lives for a reason, that they have a purpose to fulfill and Corgi's update reminded me that their purpose may be greater than just us. While the circumstances of Corgi having to go to a new home were very sad, the outcome had been incredibly positive. She is helping her new dad find his purpose and she had been able to learn to trust men again. The beautiful thing about this is that while the friends were just trying to help Corgi's mom, it is clear that they received a wonderful gift in return.
Only time will tell where Corgi's journey will take her next . . . if she is able to live with her mom again in the future, or she ends up staying with the couple who is caring for her now, I trust that she will end up wherever she is meant to . . . wherever she can continue to fulfill her purpose.
Over the holidays, I had the pleasure of getting an update on Corgi. At first, the update didn't sound very positive. Corgi's mom had been forced to find her a new home, at least temporarily, because a family member was battling a terminal illness. Her heart was heavy over the decision because she had bonded so much with Corgi and didn't want her to feel like she wasn't wanted.One of her best friends and her husband agreed to take Corgi in . . . and in this new home, something wonderful happened. Corgi, who had still not fully gotten over her fear of men quickly developed a bonded with the husband. Now she doesn't seem to fear men at all anymore.
And another wonderful thing happened . . . the husband, who had recently retired after 40 years in the medical field and had been struggling with how to fill his days now that he was no longer working suddenly had something very important to do. :-) He and Corgi have been going on about four walks a day and they have grown quite attached to one another.
I often talk about how animals come into our lives for a reason, that they have a purpose to fulfill and Corgi's update reminded me that their purpose may be greater than just us. While the circumstances of Corgi having to go to a new home were very sad, the outcome had been incredibly positive. She is helping her new dad find his purpose and she had been able to learn to trust men again. The beautiful thing about this is that while the friends were just trying to help Corgi's mom, it is clear that they received a wonderful gift in return.
Only time will tell where Corgi's journey will take her next . . . if she is able to live with her mom again in the future, or she ends up staying with the couple who is caring for her now, I trust that she will end up wherever she is meant to . . . wherever she can continue to fulfill her purpose.
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