Connecting with Krishna: Closer and Closer...

Krishna is a beautiful black cat who is generally very fearful of people other than his human caretakers. That fear can manifest itself in hissing, swatting behavior.  But I have found that if I approach him from a very quiet place in myself, he is able to be calmed by my energy. His human mom Rebecca had tried a new cat sitter, and Krishna had been scared and then scared her, stalking and cornering her, etc.  Rebecca was afraid that Krishna may have had a setback from that experience. 

So when I met with them, I wanted to be extra-careful not to startle Krishna, and to do my best to really be in the moment with him.  On my way to the appointment, I began sending Reiki energy to him.

When I walked in, he came right up to me to sniff me, which was great.  I stayed very still and did not try to touch him, just let him sniff me and walk away.

Then I started doing some TTouches with a very soft paintbrush that I have used before with him that he has responded to very well.  It is like a makeup brush, but with a longer handle.  Then, to give us more space, I tied the brush to a wooden dowel. 

For some reason, he usually reacts to this brush as though it were catnip, rubbing his face against it and rolling around, which he did this time.  In the process of doing the rolling around, he came very close to me.  If he started to stare at my eyes, I would avert my gaze, so we wouldn't get into a locked staring contest.  I was watching his body language very closely.

After a bit, he settled with his body sideways to me, quite close to where I was. I had started letting Reiki flow from my hands as soon as I came in the apartment, but at this point I concentrated more on the flow of the energy, and kept doing deep breathing to help the flow and to keep myself (and him).

Eventually Krishna got into in his cat bed (pictured above), which is a safe place for him. Shy cats will often have certain places where they feel especially safe receiving contact, and for him at this moment it is the cat bed.  Still kneeling sideways to him, I slowly inched toward where he was. I was sending continuous Reiki and I felt a lot of energy flowing. My hands were very warm. 

And after inching towards him in a kneeling position, I ended up kneeling right next to his bed.  Slowly I began doing little circles with the paintbrush on his head near his ears and on his forehead. He relaxed more and more. 

Little by little worked my hand down the brush to do some chimp TTouches (circular TTouches using the back of the fingers) and strokes on his head.  In the photo below, I am gently stroking the back of his head with the back of the upper part of my fingers.  The back surfaces of the hand and fingers are less intense-feeling as there is less heat and energy there, and so that can be less threatening for a frightened animal.  After doing the TTouches and strokes for a few moments, I would pause to observe his body language, then start again if it felt right to continue.  He continued to get more and more relaxed, laying his head down to go to sleep.  Again, I kept checking in on my own breathing and relaxation so that I stayed relaxed as well.  We continued like this - I was very much in the moment, so it felt like we were there a long time, but it could have been about ten minutes - I'm not sure!! 

This is the second session with him where I have been able to have extended direct contact with him, which feels like a great honor, as he is generally only receptive to being touched by his two human guardians.  It was lovely to feel him become more and more relaxed as I worked with him. 

When it felt right, I gently ended the session and thanked him, and told him I looked forward to seeing him soon :).

Once again, Krishna reminded me to let go of whatever expectations I may have, and to truly be in the moment with him.  It is during these special moments that the most beautiful breakthroughs are able to happen.

Connecting with Krishna: Making Contact

Yesterday I went to work with Krishna.  He is a beautiful, very smart cat who I have been working with off and on for quite a while.  He is fearful of people other than his guardians Rebecca and Tim, but over time my connection with him has gotten closer and closer.  I have worked with him with a combination of Reiki, TTouch, and Bach Flower remedies, and have also found that interacting with him through play is another non-threatening way to connect with him. 
I hadn't seen him in a couple of months.  When I entered the apartment, he was in another room at first but Rebecca coaxed him out.  I lowered myself into a squatting type of position.  He slowly came up to me to sniff me.  I stayed very still, and if he tried to engage me in a stare, I softened my eyes and turned away a bit, so he wouldn't feel that I'm a threat.  He settled a short distance from me.
First I did some TTouches, just very gentle little circles and strokes, just a couple at a time, using a very soft paintbrush, similar to a long-handled makeup brush, that he had responded to well in the past few sessions.
Again, as he has before, he rolled around as though he had just had some catnip.  I have seen one or two other cats do this when they rub their face on the soft brush.  I'm not sure whether it is something about the smell, the texture, or what, but it seems to be comforting.  While he was rolling around, he seemed very unconcerned that he was within inches of me.  At a couple of points he stopped, his eyes getting very big and looking at me - and again, I softened my eyes and turned away so as not to lock into a stare.  This generally helps to avert him getting scared and meowing or swatting.
At that point, I began to offer him Reiki energy (of course, telling him silently that he need only take as much or as little energy as he would like) .  I was about a foot away, sitting on the floor.  As the energy began to flow, I felt him begin to pull it in, very strongly, as though he were pulling it into his body.  He relaxed, laying down with one of his rear legs stretched out, eventually laying his head down and going to sleep for a while.
After a long while, he got up, went to his bed, and curled up there.  I began to offer him Reiki again, and he was very calm, resting with his head down and his eyes closed.  I moved closer to him slowly and quietly. and began to do circular TTouches and strokes all around his head with the soft paintbrush.  He completely settled into the TTouches.
Just having this much contact with him really was a lot, but after a bit, I decided to nudge a bit further in a very gentle way, to see what could happen.  Little by little I moved my pinky finger next to where the brush was touching his skin, incorporating it into the TTouches, giving breaks every so often to allow him to process the work, and to observe what his reaction was. 
He continued to be completely at ease, just as at ease as he was with the brush.  Then, little by little, I began to TTouch him directly with my hand without the paintbrush at all. 
He remained completely relaxed, still with his head down, completely relaxing into it.  I had to continue to check in on myself too, to make sure I continued to be relaxed.  This is the most direct contact I have had with Krishna.  We felt completely in synch with each other.  I would pause every so often and take my hands off him, to see what his reaction was, and then start again.  It is really important to give breaks to the animal, and to give yourself a chance to feel what's happening and decide whether to stop or continue.  When I felt it was enough, I slowly moved my hands away and gently moved away from him.  At that point, he lifted his head up and looked at me, but not with a frozen, frightened stare - with a much softer, more relaxed look.
I was reminded once again that it is so important to let go of our expectations when we are working with an animal - to simply be in the moment with the animal ... and it is in that moment of connection that the most amazing things can happen...
Thank you Krishna - and I look forward to seeing you again this weekend :)

Connecting with Krishna, Closer and Closer

When I am working with animals, I always try to be sensitive to what they are comfortable with, and work from there.  There are times when it is good to give a little nudge so that they can try something new, but it is good to first find what makes them feel safe and at ease, rather than having a pre-conceived notion of what you would like to have happen.  What happened today may seem rather subtle to the reader, but for this cat I believe it was a huge step.

Today I went to work with Krishna, a stunning black kitty who is generally fearful of those other than his human caretakers, particularly his human "mommy" Rebecca.  However, over the time I have worked with him, we have developed a lovely connection.  He is still very shy though, so I have to be very sensitive to what he is comfortable with at any given moment.
I hadn't seen him in a while, and, as I always try to do, I began sending him Reiki energy as I was on my way there, feeling the connection with him and picturing him responding in a positive way. 
When I arrived, he came right up to me.  I slowly went down on a knee to be closer to his level, and he put his nose right on my hand.  The least movement can startle him, so I stayed very still, speaking to him in a very calm, soft voice, telling him I had missed him so much and was so happy to see him. This was the boldest greeting that I have ever received from him.  I feel so especially honored when such a shy kitty feels comfortable enough to let down their guard to connect with me.
Since our last appointment, Rebecca and Krishna had a session with my friend and colleague, Eileen Garfinkel (http://dreamsofamelia.com), who is a fantastic animal communicator.  One of the things Eileen had picked up from Krishna was that he would like Rebecca to let go of what her expectations of him were.  And it had seemed that often I have been able to achieve a closer connection with Krishna when she is not present - possibly he felt some pressure from her or maybe just was more interested in connecting with her than with me.  So we decided it would be beneficial for her to leave the apartment for at least half the session.
After she left, I sat down a few feet away from Krishna, sending him Reiki all the while.  I brought out a very soft paintbrush that he had responded to in the past, and, as he had done previously, he immediately sniffed it and then began rolling around, rubbing himself against it.  I was not even holding on to the handle of the brush, just letting him experience the brush.  In doing this, he was practically touching me, and suddenly he got scared and and hissed and swatted me and ran way from me for a minute. 
But it was just a moment for him of being scared.  He didn't run in the bedroom to hide, which is where he will go if he is very afraid.  Instead he remained in the living room, and got in his cat bed, which feels like a safe place.  I went and sat on the couch near where he was, and continued to send him Reiki energy.  I could see him start to relax, his eyes getting a bit droopy.  After a while, I sat down on the floor near him and got a bit closer.  He relaxed more and more, came out of the bed and began getting closer.  When I put out the soft brush again, he rubbed against it and rolled on his back, very comfortable and looking right at me.  So sweet!  I resisted the temptation to try to hold the other end of the brush and touch him, I just wanted him to be cozy being near me.  After this, he laid down near me and, as I continued to send Reiki, he started to lay down and put his head down.
Just a few moments after this, Rebecca returned and sat on the floor near where we were.  Krishna wanted to interact with her, so they did for a little bit, then she stopped and he came over near where I was again.  I was continually sending Reiki during this time, so again, he began to get comfortable.  I did try touching him with a couple of different paintbrushes, but I could see by his reaction that the best thing to do for this session was to continue with the Reiki energy and see what could happen.  I tried to very much keep in mind what Eileen had said about allowing Krishna to be who he was and not push him too much.  He got more and more calm and ended up laying down just inches away from me, actually facing away from me.

This felt like wonderful progress - first of all, it was amazing how close he was to me and had his guard completely down.  Also, when he is nervous, he faces me direectly and stares with huge open eyes at me, so the fact that he was comfortable facing away from me was interesting as well.  We stayed this way for quite a while, and I continued to send Reiki to him, imagining the energy relaxing him, filling him with light, releasing any worries from the past or present.  I could feel him pulling the energy from my hands. 

Sometimes when we can really let go of our expectations are when these breakthrough moments are truly able to happen.
After I ended our Reiki session and slowly stood up, Krishna was looking at me, but not with a wide-eyed fearful look - much more of a centered, grounded, relaxed presence.  It was lovely to see him feeling so at ease.
Thank you so much Krishna - you teach me every time I work with you.  Look forward to seeing you soon...

Connecting with Krishna, February 2012: Day 4

I've been cat sitting for Krishna, who is quite a shy guy, but I feel we get a little closer every time I see him. Today was the last day cat sitting for him.

When I entered the apartment, he was sitting on the windowsill, looking out the window. He surprised me so much when he looked at me, then jumped off the windowsill and came running right up to me. He actually seemed to want to play first, and then eat, so we played our game where he chases the light from the flashlight around on the living room rug.

After that, he ate some, and I told him his people would be back later in the day.

We then played some more, and he then settled quite close to where I was sitting.


I took out the soft brush which I used yesterday - a soft paintbrush that looks like a makeup brush with a long handle - and this time instead of directly touching him with it, I let him come to the brush, and he rubbed his nose against it, then rolled on the ground rubbing his face against the brush.

He was OK being stroked under the chin with the brush, but what made him most comfortable was if I just put the brush on the ground and let him rub his face against the brush.

Doing this helped him to be extremely comfortable being right next to where I was sitting. Below you see him looking up at me as though to say, "I can't believe I'm right next to you!" During the whole time, I was sending him Reiki energy - he is so receptive to it, it helps him to feel very at ease. Sometimes with him I am completely silent, and other times I speak to him in a soft voice, telling him he is very loved and very safe.

Even though it is hard for him when his people are away, and he still gets frightened once in a while, I feel that we got closer to each other over the past few days, and it feels like a big step for him to be able to be just hanging out right next to where I am without being afraid. I think the combination of interactive play and the very quiet TTouch and Reiki work is a good combination for him. Hope to see you soon, little guy! xo

Connecting with Krishna, Feb. 2012: Day 3: The Comfort of a Soft Brush

Today was my third day cat sitting for Krishna, who is fearful of people other than his guardians, Rebecca and Tim, so when they are away, it is especially hard for him. We have been doing well though, and I have found that a combination of play and relaxation techniques have helped me to feel a stronger connection with Krishna. One of the most important things for me is to respect his space and what is is ready and comfortable to do. It is OK to nudge those boundaries a bit in order to move to the next level, but a very gentle nudge.

Today when I entered the apartment, he was irritated at first, greeting me with a loud meow and hiss. I'm sure he is missing his people, and he was also hungry. As in the past he has pounced on other cat sitters' feet, my approach when this happens is to stand very still sending Reiki, as he gets in a bit of a stalking mode and is more apt to pounce if I move at that point.

As I continued to send the energy he calmed down, actually pretty quickly, and laid down to wait for me to fix his food.

He ate a little, then looked at me as though he was ready to play. So for a while we played his favorite game to play with me, which is chasing the light from the flashlight as I move it around. He can really get going!!

After he was done, he ate a little more and was in a more relaxed mode.

Then I took out a very soft paintbrush - it looks like a makeup brush but with a longer handle, which works well with him as it is good to have more distance, at least in the beginning. He was very curious about the brush, sniffing it a lot and began to rub himself against it a bit. Perhaps it was something about the texture of the brush, but at this point he got very cozy and he began to roll around and rub himself all over rug. I have seen this reaction sometimes with shelter cats who are initially very frozen but there is something about the paintbrush (or other tool that I use with them) that helps them to feel a LOT more at ease, and they begin to roll around on their back and stretch out etc.

I stroked Krishna a bit under his chin with the brush, and then a little on the side of his face, but I found he was more comfortable if I put the brush on the floor and he rubbed himself against it. At one point he was on his back and touched his nose right to my hand. I just stayed still, not wanting to startle him. At that point he was stretched out right next to me.

I feel so honored when a very shy cat lets his guard down that and is able to trust me enough to be so close to me.

I felt such a strong connection to Krishna today - I think the brush helped us to make a wonderful breakthrough.

Shortly before I left I was speaking to a friend on the phone and, instead of going back into the bedroom for some private time, as he often does when he has had enough socialization with me, he actually followed me back into the living room, sitting near me and blinking! xo