RIP Ernest: A Quiet, Sweet, Loving Soul and Beautiful Teacher

Ernest was a beautiful little white cat (with a bit of grey marking on his head) who arrived at BARC Shelter some months ago.  He had been living at a gas station, and the situation there had not been good.

But whatever abuse or hard times he may have endured from his life there and/or on the street or elsewhere, he had such a gentle, sweet, affectionate and trusting disposition.  It never ceases to amaze me how many animals can be so kind and forgiving, even if their previous experience was incredibly harsh.

Though according to the vets Ernest was not an old cat, he had the vibe of a sweet older gentleman, so polite and gentle.  He was adopted fairly quickly, but was soon returned as he was peeing all over the house and it was found that he had very serious underlying problems that had not been detected at the shelter since he had been peeing in the box and acting ok at that time.  It turned out that he had a malformed kidney, possibly due to eating antifreeze while he was living at the gas station.  He had other issues as well, most likely connected with the kidney problem.
We were all really concerned when he returned to the shelter.  He was very pulled in, and really did not look well at all.  He was not moving much and kept his beautiful light blue eyes closed most of the time.  We did not know if he would even live a few more days.

BARC began to give him intensive treatment of fluids and medication, and of course he received a huge amount of love from all the volunteers and staff.  Anyone who had contact with him was moved by his sweet and gentle spirit.  I began to give him regular Reiki treatments, which he really responded to, laying into my hands.  I could feel a lot of heat particularly in his lower body, where the chakra relating to the kidneys is.  I would imagine him filled with white, healing light.

Over the past few months since he returned to the shelter he had a comeback, gaining some weight, eating well, and enjoying the affection and attention which was showered on him.
When he had first returned to the shelter, I would often find him hunkered down in his litter box.  But during the course of our session, he would come out of the litter box and make his way to the front of the cage.

After some time, he began to come right to the front of the cage, his eyes open and looking at me.  He would give me head butts (sometimes keeping his head there for a bit and we just felt the connection) and lay right into my hands and arms for Reiki.  There was such a wistfulness, such a sweetness and a sadness and a joy all mixed into one that I felt in our sessions.  I could feel him connecting to the light.  I could feel us enveloped with and becoming one with the light and the energy.  I could feel us becoming one with the love that filled that light and energy.  Time truly suspends in those beautiful moments.

I think, because he had shown so much improvement for a while, we were surprised when suddenly last week he began to look and feel ill again.  I was hoping that maybe this was a temporary setback, but sadly, the dear kitty took a turn for the worse and the shelter people and vets determined that it was the kindest thing to let him go. Strange coincidence, I had come upon a photo of me with him and put it as my profile photo on facebook a few days earlier - perhaps I knew on a deeper level that this was coming.

I was so sad not to be able to say goodbye to him in person, but grateful that I had had one last session with him before he went. I am so sad that he was not able to be on the earth longer, but am so grateful I had the chance to know him and to have such special moments with him.

And of course I still can connect with him now.  Right now I am telling him how much he is loved, what a special creature he is, and how sorry I am that he had to go so soon.  I am telling him that he touched so many lives with his sweet soul.  And that he will always be in my heart, surrounded with love and light, such a sweet little angel.  And I am thanking him for reminding me to slow down and enjoy the moment, to feel the light and the love around us, to have gratitude for all of this.

Thank you dear Ernest, and thank you, dear BARC people, for all the love and care that you showed this special being.  xoxoxoxox

Balance and Change in a Multi-Cat Household: Peanut, Rocky and Mushroom

Above:  Peanut
Most cats find changes in the household difficult, so it often will take some strategizing, and sometimes approaching from a few different directions to help deal with the stresses of a new situation.  TTouch., Reiki and Bach Flower remedies can often be of great help in creating a more harmonious atmosphere.
Dominque called me because one of her cats, Peanut, is very stressed.  In the past months, a new cat and a new human baby have come into the household, so that is quite a lot of change.  The new kitty is a playful little youngster (about 4-5 months old) named Rocky.  Peanut had been attacking Rocky often, sometimes quite aggressively.  Peanut pretty much ignores the baby, but I'm sure there are many changes in the routine, etc. of the household as a result of the baby's presence that Peanut is feeling. 
Peanut has also had an ongoing issue that has gone on for years with peeing and sometimes pooping outside of the box.  Dominque has had Peanut checked out regularly by the vet and it has been determined that there is not a medical issue causing this.  The vet had recently prescribed Prozac and when I first met with the gang, she said that so far the Prozac didn't seem to be having any effect on Peanut.
There is a third cat in the household, Mushroom. who has been in the household for some time (Peanut was the first, then Mushroom, then Rocky).  Mushroom and Peanut do tussle sometimes, but Dominique was not so worried about these fights, as they did not seem so serious or scary.
Dominique has been doing her best to try to help, and had tried a variety of things to try to calm the atmosphere and help the situation before she calle me, but nothing was working as well as she would like it to.  She was especially concerned about the ongoing attacks on Rocky by Peanut.  They had been keeping Rocky separate from Peanut for quite a while but were finding it harder and harder to do.  They do keep an eye on the cats so they can separate them if they start to fight.
I spent the first appointment doing TTouches with Peanut and showing Dominique how to do the TTouches so she would be able to do them as well.  Peanut was very receptive to the TTouches and Dominique picked them up very well.   Usually Reiki is flowing through my TTouches but sometimes I will stop the TTouches to just let the Reiki flow on its own, as I did during part of this appointment, and I felt that Peanut was able to reach an even deeper level of calm while doing this.  Peanut is a very intense cat, and as I felt the Reiki flowing, I felt her letting go in a very deep way, as though she had been holding some of this tension for quite a while.  It was lovely to see her stretch out and really relax.
We also tried the Thundershirt with Peanut.  I don't suggest the Thundershirt for every cat, as some cats are so stressed by having the shirt put on that it is not worth it.  Cats are not used to having clothing put on their bodies.  But Peanut was very cooperative, and was calmed by the Thundershirt.  She did temporarily seem to lose control of her back legs, probably because this was such a new feeling for her.  It is good to get the cat moving by offering treats, etc, so it doesn't feel frozen when the Thundershirt is on, especially for the first time.  And it is also good to introduce the shirt in steps, if possible - first you can offer a treat to the cat on the shirt, then drape it over the back of the cat, then wrap it part way around them, then all the way around.  Dominique decided to keep the Thundershirt and continue to use it with Peanut.
For subsequent sessions, we decided to focus on Reiki, and Dominique could work with Peanut and the gang with TTouches on her own.  I suggested that she and her husband simultaneously work on two cats at a time, especially Peanut and Rocky.  I also made Bach Flower Remedies for all three cats, to help to encourage more harmony in the dynamics between the three cats.

After the first Reiki appointment, Dominique said things were getting better, Peanut was fighting with Rocky less, peeing somewhat less too.  But the peeing has been going on for a very long time, so I would expect a long-time pattern of behavior to take longer to subside. 
In addition to what we were already doing, I explained to Dominique the importance of positive visualization.  When our pets get into an unwanted pattern of behavior, we most often keep picturing that behavior, instead of the preferred behavior.  In this case, some positive images could be seeing Peanut and Rocky playing or sleeping near each other peacefully, or Peanut peeing in the litter box .
During the second Reiki session, I began to send Reiki to Peanut when she was on the floor, then Dominique brought Peanut up on the couch.  Peanut then began to really settle into the Reiki.  At one point Dominique left the room with the baby.  I was not sure how Peanut would react to this, but she continued to settle even further into the Reiki energy, stretching out on her side.  She fell asleep, then turned over on other side, placing body in my hands.  Initially she had been hesitant for me to have my hands directly on her, as the energy can be very intense, but once she began to relax, she was completely comfortable with my hands resting on her body lightly.  Peanut is a very intense cat, so it was so sweet to see her really let go.  Almost exactly an hour later, Peanut just stood up and very gracefully walked away, as if to say she was done with the session. 

 









Above:  Rocky
While I was offering Reiki to Peanut, I didn't see what was going on behind my back.  After Peanut got up, I realized that Rocky was asleep on the other side of me, and Mushroom was also napping.

 









Above:  Mushroom
At some point while I was working with Peanut, Mushroom had started to meow to ask to go out in the back yard, but then had quieted down as the Reiki session continued.  And it was lovely to see that Rocky was sleeping peacefully in such close proximity to Peanut.
The following week, Dominique said that things were getting better in general.  Peanut was being nicer to Rocky. She said she was no longer afraid was that Peanut was going to hurt Rocky, and that Rocky wasn't terrified of Peanut any more.  I was so glad to hear this, as this was a substantial positive shift in a short time.  What she said to me also helped confirm to me that the Bach Flower remedies were most likely helping the shift in this dynamic, as I had taken into consideration Rocky's fear of Peanut as well as Peanut's reactive behavior towards Rocky when making the remedies (and, of course, Mushroom's issues as well when making her remedy). 
There was a time while I was working with the cats in this session when Peanut briefly went after Rocky, but this time Rocky had started it, swatting at Peanut’s switching tail.
During this session, Peanut settled into hands-on reiki for about 25 minutes.  Then she got up to wander around a bit.  Then she settled into the Reiki just for a short bit, then would walk away, then settle for a bit more, then walk away.  This time Dominique had left the room but, unlike the other time, I think Peanut may have been wondering what she was up to in the other room. I thought perhaps she needed a break, and needed to feel that I wasn't forcing the energy on her, so I decided at that point to let her wander where she chose to go and work with Rocky for a while.  Peanut went downstairs, and Rocky settled right into the Reiki and curled up for a nap.  Suddenly I noticed Peanut had come back into the room, so I just started sending her Reiki from where I was.  Cats are very sensitive, so it is often most beneficial to start sending the Reiki energy from a distance. 
After a while, Peanut began to settle several feet from where I was sitting.  As I continued to send her Reiki, always telling her she could take as much or as little as she wanted, she settled down more and more, stretched out and laid her head down.  By  the time I finished the session, again all three cats and the human baby were all relaxed and very quiet.
Reiki can really affect the whole atmosphere, even when you are focusing on sending it to one being.  And that is always a good thing!!  And it is very important to remember to be patient and sensitive to what an animal is ready to do, as that can so often change from moment to moment or session to session.
All in all, I think wonderful progress is being made in the household so thank you Peanut, Dominique and the rest of the gang for your love, trust and cooperation in the adventure of trying new things.  I look forward to seeing you soon.

Luigi Teaches me about TTouch with a Hairbrush

Recently I was in San Francisco, visiting my mother and sister and, of course, my sister's wonderful cats, Zoe and Luigi (pictured above). Luigi reminded me once again of how individual cats are as to their tastes! It turns out that one of the textures he really responds to is that of a large hairbrush (made for humans), the type with a rubber base and plastic bristles, as shown here. Many cats prefer something less intense, but he is a big, strong, cat. You can see a youtube clip of this here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iZ3VFf5R_A.

I began to brush him with it and then began to do circles with it, going down his back, which was very relaxing for him. I also found that brushing forward to back with the brush on his head was extremely relaxing for him. Please keep in mind that the TTouches I was doing were still using a light pressure, just enough pressure to move the skin around in a circle and a quarter. I didn't push into him with the brush.
As you can tell from these pictures, he was clear in his communiication that this is extremely relaxing for him! xo

Animal: R.I.P.

Sadly, we had to say farewell to two of the cats at BARC shelter in this past week, Animal and Adele. The shelter did everything they could to help these cats, giving them wonderful veterinary care as well as so much loving care from the BARC staff and volunteers. But their diminishing quality of life had come to the point where the kindest thing to do was to let them go. As each one of these cats was so special, I am doing a separate blog post for each.


Animal was a very shy but sweet little tortie cat who arrived last October, along with a number of other cats, after her owner had passed away. She was blind in one eye (and I'm not sure how well she saw with the other eye), had ongoing digestive issues (which they later thought was probably irritable bowel disease) and was very timid. The shelter gave her medication and special diet, and, though she was very shy, she got much care and attention from staff and volunteers.
Soon after she arrived at the shelter, a couple of the volunteers and I gave her and a few of her housemates a bath. This felt to me like the beginning of a real bond with her, as we washed and gently dried her.
I worked with her consistently, using the quietest of quiet energy, offering her both TTouch and Reiki, and little by little she grew to trust me and to recognize and respond to my touch. Sometimes she would initially start to run away, probably as her vision was not good, but once she felt my hands she would settle right down, literally settle herself in my hands. I felt her absorb and settle into Reiki with me, and then I would do gentle TTouches on her, and she would rub her face against my hand. She was so sweet and because of her coloration and petiteness, to me she looked like an adorable little bear. For a time she rallied, her coat becoming more smooth, and she gained some weight and would sometimes even get playful.

I found that the zigzag TTouch was especially comfortable for her, she would start rubbing against my hand and against her cage as I did this. She also found TTouches and strokes with the jelly scrubber to be soothing. And she grew to recognize the Reiki energy right away, and would settle right into it. I felt such a strong bond with this gentle little creature.

Then, they put her together in a cage with another kitty from her original household, Camilla (pictured below). These two grew closer the longer they were together. Camilla is also a petite little cat but of a quite different personality -- very outgoing and always ready to sit on someone's lap. I am quite bonded with her as well. Camilla was in tough condition when she arrived at the shelter but seems to be doing great now.



As Animal's health began to decline in the past weeks, Camilla showed Animal such kindness. When I opened their cage to offer Reiki to Animal, instead of Camilla wanting to sit on my lap at the same time (which was actually ok, I had one hand on her and one on Animal, sending Reiki to both), she cuddled in right next to Animal as I did the Reiki treatment. Camilla would snuggle up to Animal more and more as time passed. It felt like she knew exactly what was going on, and wanted to offer her comfort.
So when I went to the shelter last Thursday, I knew I could not be there on Friday and also knew it was quite possible that both Animal and Adele could be euthanized soon. So I said goodbye to both of them.

The goodbye with Animal was so sweet. She settled in to receive Reiki from me with my hands just a little off her. She had gotten increasingly frail, so it was more comfortable for her to receive the energy in a bit less intense way.

Camilla nestled in my arms and right next to Animal, like all three of us were part of the light and energy. I kept telling Animal it was ok to let go, that she was going to be with the angels, that she would be reunited with her owner, that she would be free. I told her she was very loved and she was very safe. I told would miss her so much, but that she could contact me any time (from the spirit world).

I felt some of her energy starting to go out and up, as though she was already beginning to transition. I felt very sad to be saying goodbye to her, but knew that it was the kindest thing for her to be let go.
Thank you Animal, for teaching me so much with your gentle, sweet spirit. and thank you to all the BARC staff, volunteers and veterinary folks for all your care for her and the rest of the animals at BARC.

Doris, R.I.P.

Doris (full name Doris Kiss Me Lips) was a sweet, gentle senior kitty whose guardian, Mari, adopted her at 10 years old and had her for 3 years. Doris had diabetes when Mari adopted her, then just recently was diagnosed with lymphosarcoma. Mari was giving her insulin, a very good diet and supplements and lots of love - doing all she could to help Doris to be comfortable in her last days. There are four other cats in the household who are so sweet and were very respectful to this gentle lady. I had the honor of doing Reiki treatments and TTouch with Doris over the past couple of months.

Doris was really a fighter - a very strong spirit inside a small, delicate body - but unfortunately she took a turn for the worse, so today I went with Mari to offer Reiki to her and say farewell.

I do think that Reiki can be of benefit during an animal's transition, for both the animal and for their person or people. It can help to promote calm in this stressful time. TTouch can also be of benefit in calming the energy of the animal and the person.


I met Mari at her apartment. Mari's other cats seemed to know that a change was about to happen. I did Reiki from a distance with Doris in the apartment for a short while, she did seem calmed by it. Then we took her in a carrier to the vet.

While we were in the cab, Mari was gently talking to Doris and petting her through the bars of the carrier, and I was sending Doris Reiki from outside the carrier. We continued this while we were in the waiting room, which, like most vet's waiting rooms, was pretty hectic with comings and goings and barks and meows. I kept visualizing a bubble of Reiki and light around us. Mari was petting Doris, talking softly to her, and doing some TTouches on her as well, while I continued sending Reiki energy to her, asking that she only take as much or little as she wanted to take. I expanded the Reiki flow to include Mari as well, as this is a very stressful situation, to say the least. Whether the animal has been sick for a long time or a short time, it is always so hard to say goodbye. As we did this, Doris stretched out and relaxed, stretching her front paw out to Mari.

Once Doris was on the vet table, Mari spoke to her softly, petted and TTouched her, looking right into her soulful eyes. I also did some TTouches, continuing the Reiki flow. This all seemed to be very soothing to her, and she stretched out. It felt like the energy was smoothing out. We continued as the injections were administered, and Doris went to sleep, then began to transition. She seemed so peaceful. I told her (silently, in my mind) several times during this process how loved she was. We both spoke softly to her and kissed her as she passed away.

Even after Doris had passed, as we stayed there for a few minutes longer, I felt I needed to continue the energy flow for a bit, as though somehow the energy was going with her as she transitioned. It still felt like the energy was pulling out of my hands towards her body. I know this is tough territory to talk about, and no one really knows what happens afterward, so I am just trying to put into words what I was feeling.

Mari, thanks so much for giving Doris so much love and care, such a loving home, and such a wonderful life with you. I send so much sympathy to you. Hugs go out too to the rest of your cats, who will be experiencing this transition as well. And Doris, you really touched my heart. I will always remember your elegant, gentle, sweet spirit. Love and thanks to you all....

Reiki with Jinx, August 10: More Confident, Calm and Mobile

Today when I went to work with Jinx, I noticed that he was a lot more alert and in the moment, and was also moving around more and seemed to be walking better. Though his back legs are still unsteady, he seems to use the legs more fully and to have more confidence in general. He was also jumping a little and going from one level to another in a way that he hasn't been for the past few weeks. It was such a pleasure to see him able to move around like this, and to see him seeming to be in better spirits as well.
I think there has been a combination of factors which have been helping Jinx: giving him the mental and physical space he needs to rest and be quiet, the medication the vet has prescribed, and Jordyn thinks TTouch and Reiki have been beneficial to him as well in this process, helping to aid in his balance, stability, calm and confidence. Not to mention all the love this sweet cat is getting! I have showed Jordyn some TTouches which I think will help Jinx with relaxation and connection of his front and back ends, including his legs, and she has also been doing some energy healing with Jinx in between our sessions.


Today I started in the same way as I have been the past few sessions, sitting a short distance away, and eventually I got closer and closer. A long portion of the session was spent with my hands about six inches away, which seems to be a good distance for him, since it is not overly intense. After this, I was also able to spend a long time with my left hand directly over his pelvis. This area is also where the sacral chakra is located. He was also at different portions of the session very responsive to me having my hands over his heart chakra and crown chakra.


Today I was reminded of a visualization I did in one or two of our previous sessions. When Jordyn said to me today that Jinx seems to feel more confident, I remembered that in previous sessions I had visualized a layer of protective light around him, to help him feel safe and comfortable.

In the picture below, you will get a more full image of what was going on by the end of our session. Jordyn helps to take care of a baby, and during the end of our session he was brought in and fell asleep on the bed right next to where I was. In the lower right hand corner, you see the back end of Buddy, one of Jordyn's dogs, who also decided to relax nearby. Reiki energy usually feels like it calms the entire space, including the beings who may happen to be hanging out there. Often at the shelter, several animals may gather around near me and rest while I am offering Reiki to one of the cats who is in a cage.

At any rate, you can see it was quite a relaxed scene there this afternoon. Jinx really enjoyed being in the box to absorb the Reiki, where he could have some private space to rest. Thanks one and all, and look forward to seeing you soon, and hoping for Jinx's continued improvement of his condition.

Reiki and TTouch with Doris: Session 4

Doris is a gentle, sweet senior kitty who has diabetes and lymphosarcoma. I have been doing Reiki and some TTouch with her to help her to be as comfortable and balanced as she can be, given the situation. I have also showed Mari a lot of TTouches, which she has been doing with Doris, and she said that Doris really seems to love the TTouches and is very calmed by them.

Today when I went to work with Doris again, Mari said that Doris was feeling better after an adjustment on the insulin dosage, so that is great. She was sitting in the window, which seems to be one of her favorite spots, and she looked comfortable. I started out sitting on the bed, offering her Reiki from a foot or two away, as I have noticed that Doris generally is most receptive to Reiki from a short distance away. As always, I told her to take as much or as little Reiki as she felt was beneficial to her. I also remembered something that Margrit Coates (a wonderful healer with whom I have studied hands-on energy healing for animals), said about adjusting the volume of energy which is coming out, and I felt myself keeping that concept in my mind, as I didn't want to overwhelm Doris with too much energy coming at her, as she is so sensitive. It was a subtle thing, just a gentle influence of the way I was thinking about the energy flow.

Today I felt Doris really settle into the energy, staying in the window for the whole session, whereas in the previous sessions, she had needed to take breaks, then start again. I felt the energy coming out of my hand in soft waves, almost like a gentle breeze. I noticed that, as before, I often felt the energy drawn towards her abdomen area. This makes sense, as her digestive system has been under duress with her condition. I also felt the energy drawn at times towards some of the other chakras.

As I continued to send the energy, Doris became more and more relaxed, nodding off for a while. I did gradually move my hands closer to see what was most comfortable for her. At one point I felt she was letting me know that it was more comfortable a little bit away, as she got up, rearranged herself, then after I backed off (still continuing to send energy), she settled back down and laid her head down on her paws, looking at me.

As I started to feel the session was winding down, I did some TTouches around her forehead area, still sending Reiki at the same time, and thanked her. Shortly after this, she got up and went to eat from her bowl.

Speaking of food bowl.... Mari's other four cats often come near me, one at a time, while I am doing Reiki with Doris. Today they took turns sitting in the window to the right of the one where Doris sits, and they seemed to be taking in the relaxed Reiki energy as well. Mari sent me this photo of a "smile" they left in their food bowl after the Reiki session.

Thanks and love to you all, and look forward to seeing you soon...

Reiki with Jinx: Getting Closer

Last week I had a second Reiki session with Jinx, a beautiful grey and white cat whose guardian is my dear friend Jordyn Thiessen (http://dancingminddesign.com/).

Jinx has started to lose mobility in his back legs, which the vet believes is due to a disk problem or tumor. Last time I offered him Reiki from a short distance away, as he is a very sensitive cat. He was extremely receptive to this.

This time I started out in a similar way. He was relaxing on the bed, so I very quietly sat near him and started to offer him Reiki from a short distance away. When animals are accepting the Reiki, you can feel the connection and acceptance, and I felt this from him quite quiickly this time, as though he recognized the energy from last time.
As the session went on, he shifted his position until my hands were where he wanted them to be. It turned out he wanted one of my hands to be on his hip area (where the leg trouble is possibly emanating from) and the other around his shoulder, which is near the heart chakra area. heart chakra area.

I was hands-on with him by this point.

As he took in the energy, he stretched out more and more til he was totally stretched on his side, sleeping, with a very gentle smile on his face. It was such a pleasure to see him feeling so peaceful, particularly as he is an animal who can be on the restless side, and most often doesn't tolerate a lot of contact.

Thank you Jinx (and Jordyn), sending more peaceful thoughts your way and look forward to seeing you soon.

Connecting With Krishna, Day 12: Balancing Play and Relaxation

I was happy to be able to tell Krishna today that his people are coming back tomorrow. I can tell he misses them, and he's probably starting to feel the energy of them getting ready to come back soon. Today when I arrived, he started rubbing his head on their shoes!


Each day I am trying to balance the energy work and the playtime with him, so he can feel the different types of connection that are possible, and I am trying to really stay in the moment and not push him too hard, to really listen to what he is ready for. I do feel him more comfortable and getting closer each day with me, though of course I know that it is all somewhat complicated by the factor of him missing his people who he loves so much.



Today, he became intrigued with the little sparkly ball pictured here, and as it is very light, I discovered he likes to play catch with it, so we did that for a while. I'd throw it to him, and he'd either catch it and throw it back or just hit it back to me.



I also played with him using the flashlight and again, while I held the light still, he calmed and was comfortable with me doing some TTouches with the paintbrush and a bit with my hand, mostly on his head. I just do a few TTouches at a time with him, the "less is more" approach which most often works best with cats who tend to be fearful. Again, at certain points he came right up to me and sniffed me. I so wanted to touch him at those moments but just stayed very still, so as not to startle him.


OK Krishna, one more meeting tomorrow and your people will be back! xo

Connecting with Krishna, Day 11: More Contact

Hi folks, I have been cat-sitting for Krishna while his human mom and dad have been away on their honeymoon. He usually will not allow anyone other than them touch him, and often bit the legs or feet of previous cat sitters. I can tell that he misses his people a lot, but am pleased that he has felt comfortable connecting with me through Reiki, TTouch, and play, particularly when it comes to his new favorite game, chasing the light from the flashlight. Ever since I started using this with him, if I set it on the floor near me, he will come up to it, touch it with his nose and yesterday he pushed it towards me til it was touching my hands.



Today, again we played with the flashlight, and got in some Reiki energy work. I also discovered something new with him. If I shone the light on the floor and held it still, Krishna was pretty mesmerized in watching it, and in this state he was receptive to being stroked and TTouched with a paintbrush. After a while, I was also able to sneak my hand down the paintbrush and do some TTouches and strokes on his head and even on his back today.

Then, intermittently I would move the light and he would play with it, then I'd hold it still and he would settle again.

At one point he actually came right up to me, sniffing my hand, then my arms, and my hair, which was a complete surprise. He surprised himself I think! After he sniffed my arm, he let out a little hiss and meow, then backed away for a minute, then settled down again.

Thank you Krishna, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Reiki and TTouch with Jinx: A Circle of Connection

Jinx is a very handsome, dear cat belonging to my good friend Jordyn Thiessen. I ran into her yesterday and she asked me to come and work with him, as he is losing mobility in his hind legs, most likely due to either a tumor or disc damage. Above is a photo of me working with him a couple of years ago, and below you will see pix of me during our session today.

We took him into a neighbor's apartment to work, so it would be more quiet without the two other dogs and cat. Jinx decided after a few TTouches that he wanted to go under the bed, so I spoke with Jordyn and continued sending Jinx Reiki energy from where I was sitting. I felt quite a strong flow of energy coming from my hands.

At one point he came out for a few more TTouches, then went back underneath the bed. All the while I was continuing to let Reiki flow, and the atmostphere was becoming quite calm. Jordyn is familiar with a lot of the TTouches, and I explained to her how she can do some connected TTouches going down each side of Jinx's spine, and some zigzag TTouches going from the front of his body and front legs, wrapping around his body and then going down his hind legs. This will help to activate the neural pathways and help body awareness and connection from front to back. I later shared with her that it will also be helpful to do some raccoon TTouches (with the tip of the finger) down his legs and all around his feet and paw pads, if he is comfortable with that.

Then we had one of those beautiful surprises that truly touch my heart.

Jinx came back out and sat on a chair near me, and he settled in and laid down.

I began to send him Reiki with one of my hands around his pelvis area, about 8 inches away, and the other hand was in front of his front paws, again about 6-8 inches away from his body.

Then he extended one of his front paws and touched my hand, and kept his paw there, so I was feeling a circuit of connection with him. He stayed there for quite a while. I was feeling energy coming to me from his paw, and I was feeling energy coming out of both of my hands: energy going to his paw from my left hand and energy going to his body around his pelvic area from my right hand. His eyes got sleepy and he seemed very calm and serene.

Another surprise, Jordyn was able to stand up, leave the room and retrieve her camera to catch the moment. I thought that he would probably move when she moved, but he didn't move a muscle!

I always tell the animals that they can take as much or as little of the energy that they want and need. So, when he had enough, he very calmly got up and walked away.

Thank you so much Jinx! I feel honored for you to feel comfortable enough to connect with me in this way, and look forward to seeing you again soon.

Connecting with Krishna - Day 5, Engaging in Play

Krishna's human mom and dad were back for a day, and then went off on their honeymoon. So I went back to cat sit for Krishna today, and for the next week while they are away. I wasn't sure how he would react to me today, but he really was quite sweet. After I came in, he started rubbing himself against things, and rolling around on his back. As soon as I enter the door, I start sending him Reiki energy, and he appears to feel it and calm down.

After I fed him, gave him water, changed his litter etc I sat down with him in the living room. He seemed in a rather playful mood so I thought it would be fun to try engaging him in some play. He has a little squeaky mouse he likes, so I threw it toward him. He caught it and threw it back to me, so we continued for a while in a game of catch. So sweet! then I did some Reiki with him, and again was able to touch him with my hands briefly on his head. At one point he got comfortable and stretched his paw out to me, touching my hand.

I was getting ready to leave and took my phone out to take a couple of pictures. Suddenly he sat up and ran towards me, with big eyes. I was sitting on the floor with my legs bent, feet on the floor so there was a space under my legs, which he ran through.

I realized that my phone, when the camera function is turned on, was making a little spot of light that appeared on the floor, so Krishna was attracted by that and started to chase it. So we played chase for a bit, then I gave him one of his "actual" toys so hopefully he wouldn't be too frustrated at not being able to catch the light :)

Each time I see him, I feel like he gets more comfortable with me, but I still keep reminding myself to just take it slow and easy with him. He reminds me too sometimes! At one point I got closer to his paw than he wanted so he batted me with it, but with no claws out :)

Look forward to seeing you tomorrow, little guy!

Connecting with Krishna, days 3 and 4: Feeling Safer, Getting Closer

Krishna is a very shy cat who I have had as a TTouch/Reiki client and I am getting to know him better in the process of cat sitting for him. I am offering him Reiki and a little TTouch during this time as well. Especially the Reiki energy is very relaxing for him, and helps him to almost immediately be in a more relaxed space so that he feels more comfortable being in closer proximity to me. He is generally a cat who does not like to be touched or even approached by anyone other than his human mom and dad. Now when he sees me enter, he comes into the kitchen area, lays down and stretches his body out, paw stretching towards me.

Here you see him sitting on the edge of the tub. He loves to drink water out of the tub faucet if you let a thin stream of water drip there, very cute! So, after I feed him and let him drink his water this special way, I sat down on the floor with him in the living room. He was sitting in a box that he loves (see below), and was relaxing as the sun came in the window. I felt Reiki energy flowing quite strongly from my hands. I also did a little TTouch on his head using a paintbrush, doing circles and strokes under his chin and on the top of his head and forehead.

Then I started to say a mantra taught to me by my friend and wonderful healer Karen. She had actually taught it in the context of a class, and is meant to put yourself at ease when you are feeling nervous -- "I am very loved, and I am very safe". I have been using this but substituting the "I" with "you" for some animals I have been working with, and it is very calming. So I began to say this to him, very slowly and very softly, over and over. Little by little, he crept over to me, and touched his nose to my hand. Then, instead of walking back away as he had done before, he sat down with his face just a couple of inches away from my hand. It felt like such a huge breakthrough and moment of real trust from him.

I took a deep breath and very slowly and quietly did a few circles and strokes with my hand on the top of Krishna's head and on his forehead. He settled into the TTouches, staying where he was. I didn't want to push the issue, so just did this for a few seconds, then backed off. He looked very comfortable. I continued to send him Reiki from where I was, and felt him to be very peaceful.


Today after his food and water, for some reason he went under the bed to rest. I wanted to see if he might respond to a treat and, to my surprise, he came out from under the bed and practically put his nose in my hand when I brought out the treats that he liked. I gave him a second treat, then he came out again into the living room area.

He wasn't in the mood to be TTouched with the paintbrush, so I put that to the side and offered him Reiki from maybe a couple of feet away. After a while I was able to move closer to him and, eventually, touch him briefly on the top of the head directly with my hand.

After that, his eyes met with mine in a way that felt like we had a direct heart-to-heart connection. For some of you, this may sound a little out there, but when this happens, I literally feel it in my heart. It is a very intense, beautiful connection, as though you have a very fleeting direct connection with their inner being.

I always thank the animals after being with them. I feel it is a privilege to be given permission to connect with them in this very deep way. So much of it is truly being in the moment with them.

I know he looks a little wistful in the picture below. He seems to have such a deep, wise soul.

Thank you so much, Krishna. I look foward to seeing you soon, and seeing what will happen next.

Connecting with Krishna: Day 2

On my second day of cat-sitting for Krishna, he was comfortable with me quite soon after I entered. First there was one big MEOW, but then I sent him some Reiki and he sat down, looking relaxed, then stretched out, stretching his paw right towards me. This was a great start.


After I fed him, I went into the bathroom and pulled aside the curtain in the bathtub to turn on the water for him to drink, and he came in on cue and jumped in the bathtub. Unfortunately he scared himself as he knocked over a couple of bottles of shampoo during his jump, so he jumped back out. But after I left the bathroom I saw him go back in to drink the water that was dripping down, as he likes to do.

Then he settled in the living room for some Reiki from a short distance. I sat on the floor with him. He settled more quickly this time, and then went up to one of his very cozy spots, on a blanket on the couch. I moved gradually, a couple of feet at a time, closer to him, til I was about a foot away from a couch. He first stared at me with big wide eyes, as you see in the top picture, but then got quite comfortable, in the position you see below, with more relaxed eyes.


During the course of our session, I told him how many times it would get dark before his people came back, which is a great thing to do, as they do pick up the information on some level, and it is good to reassure them that their people are going to come back to them.


When I got up to put his dry food out before I left, he looked at me as though he was wondering where I was going? I told him that I would be there tomorrow, and every day til his people get back, to feed him, play with him, , etc, telling him in a very calm, quiet voice. The tone of your voice makes so much difference as well. love ya, Krishna!

Connecting with Krishna, Day 1

From time to time I do cat-sitting for my TTouch/Reiki clients, especially in situations where the animal may be afraid of strangers. I was asked to take care of Krishna while his human parents were on their wedding and honeymoon. In the past, he would usually bite the feet of the people who took care of him.

I taken care of him for a day a couple of weeks before that, and it had gone well - I calmed my energy before I entered the apartment, and did Reiki with him to create a calm space.




Today, I did the same thing. I was a bit nervous before I went, so I made sure to calm my own energy before I opened the door. I had a couple of hisses and a meow while I was there, but after a few minutes I felt him start to calm and the space feel calmer. I kept feeling Reiki energy coming out of my hands and out of my pores as I gave him his food, scooped the litter box etc.


He enjoys drinking from the bathtub faucet so I turned on the light in the bathroom and got a thin stream of water going in the bathtub, which is what he enjoys. Then I went and sat off to the side, continuing to send him Reiki. After a few minutes, he went in there on his own to drink the water. I left him alone to do this, then went out in the living room and sat on the floor.


He came out in the living room and sat in a box which he likes, and the sun was coming through the window, making a nice warm patch on the floor. I continued sending him Reiki, and felt him being at ease, grooming himself, etc.


Then he really surprised me - he got up, slowly walked up to me and started sniffing my hand and my arm. I didn't want to startle him so stayed very still. then he went back to the sun patch, stretching and rolling in the sun.


Thank you Krishna, for trusting me, I feel it an honor to connect with you in this way and look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

TTouch and Reiki at BARC Shelter: Update on Quinn

Hi folks, happy July 4th!

Quinn is a big grey and white cat with a big personality at BARC shelter. As with many if not most shelter cats, I feel must have gone through some serious trauma before arriving at the shelter. He seems to have some feral-ness in him, and seems to want attention but to be afraid of it at the same time, and seems to be very ultra-sensitive. He sticks his paw out of the cage to say hello, but then if you open his cage to try to touch him, he seems to be overwhelmed by a hand coming into his cage. He will sometimes swat, and, though he has never used his claws along with the swat with me, the swat is a bit unnerving because it is fast, and he also vocalizes along with the swat.

I have been working with him using a paintbrush, but thought it was time to try another texture, as he initially responded to the paintbrush but then seemed to be irritated by it. I also felt that I needed to approach him from the side of his cage instead of from the front.

So the next took I decided to try is a long feather. I did little strokes and circular touches around his head and face, working in a few strokes down the body. He immediately found these soothing, as you can see by his expression below.


I am touching him with the flat part of the feather, not the end of the feather, and using just enough pressure to move the skin around in a clockwise circle and a quarter. It is a very light touch. I stop to give him breaks frequently, and do not do too long of a session, to avoid him becoming overstimulated (which he will tell you about with a MEOW). Every once in a while I can sneak my hand in there for a few touches. I am standing to the side of his cage and putting the feather through the bars in the cage.

Using the feather with him felt like a real breakthrough, as though he was able to really settle with these touches in a way that was not possible before.

Saturday I felt another level of this breakthrough with him, as I had made him a Bach Flower remedy (a custom blend which I made of several of the essences which suit his personality and emotional state). I am trained and certified in Bach Flower essences, so I often incorporate these into the work I am doing with the animals. As I put a few drops of it into his water bowl, he started licking the dropper as though this was something he was craving or knew he needed (I washed the dropper before putting back in the bottle, which is only for him). I noticed an almost immediate shift in him -- subtle, but definitely there, as others noticed it as well. The irritatedness which I often sense in him looked like it was easing.

As I worked with him with the feather, he grew so sleepy and relaxed, it was lovely to see. I was able to work with him for a longer time than usual, and felt the relaxation to be deeper than I had seen before in him.

Much love to you Quinn, thanks for all you are teaching me on my journey, and I look forward to seeing you soon.