Reiki at BARC Shelter: Adele: RIP

Adele was a gentle, sweet lady - one of the most unassuming beings I have met. Her owners had moved away, and she arrived at BARC many months ago at 15 years old and with a number of health challenges: hyperthyroidism, kidney problems, and possibly a tumor. She was kept in as good condition as possible with medication, hydration, monitoring of her food intake, etc. She was well-taken care of by BARC staff, vets and vet staff, and BARC volunteers. She was much-loved by everyone and I would often arrive at the shelter to see her on someone's lap.

She touched my heart so deeply, this beautiful, graceful soul who was so grateful for every bit of attention she got. Sometimes she would show her gratitude in such sweet, gentle ways: extending a paw, sometimes putting both paws up on my chest, and occasionally she would do a little "circus cat" move where she would put both paws together and move them up and down.

She went through phases where she seemed to feel better and phases where her energy seemed low. She was very responsive to Reiki - for a long time, she would come right out on my lap and I would do hands-on Reiki with her. She would stretch out and really relax into it. Later on, when she wasn't feeling so well, she would stay in her cage, and I would hold my hands slightly off her and I would feel her connect with the Reiki energy and become very comfortable. Nearly always, afterwards she would want to eat, which was great, because it was hard for her to keep her appetite up. I would always mix different treats with her food to help to get her to eat.

I always looked forward to spending time with her, though at times I would become conscious that, though she had her better days and worse days, she did seem to be on a gradual downward slide, as her physical issues were taking their toll. Through it all, though, she maintained such a sweet, gentle spirit, as though to say to me, "hey, it's ok, don't worry about me." Above you see her giving me a kiss, after a Reiki session.

Right about the same time it became apparent that Animal's condition was deteriorating, it was apparent that Adele was reaching the time for her gentle exit. So, the same Thursday when I said goodbye to Animal, I also said goodbye to Adele.
I spent time with her twice while I was there, for a longer while when I first arrived, and a shorter time right before I left. She seemed to want to remain in her cage, as her energy was very low. So I reached in and offered her Reiki from just a short distance off her body. I felt such calm in her.

I told her it was ok to leave her body. I thanked her for teaching me so much, and thanked her for her gentle sweet spirit. I wanted her to know that she was not and would not be alone. I told her she would be surrounded by angels and light. I told her how loved she was.

Thanks to all the BARC people (staff, volunteers, veterinary folks, etc.) for all you did for her and for all you do for the animals every day.

I will miss you greatly Adele, and think of you often. A gentle hug to you, sweet lady.

Reiki with Jinx: August 28

I went to do Reiki with my friend Jordyn Thiessen's (http://dancingminddesign.com) cat Jinx today - last night was when Hurricane Irene came through, definitely not with as much force as was expected, that's for sure! but storms can have an effect on the animals, big or small. Jinx has been having mobility problems - his back legs don't seem to have much sensation in them, so he can't use them quite properly (either a disk problem or tumor).

Jinx actually seemed to be in relaxed condition when I got there, he was resting in a crate that he enjoys. I sat outside the crate and began to offer him Reiki from a short distance away, maybe 6-8 inches. Initially, the front part of his body was nearest my hands, but he soon shifted his position so that my hands were sending the energy to his back legs and lower back, which is something he has done before. Sometimes animals prefer to have you send the energy to a part of the body other than the one having the most trouble, as it can be too sensitive there, but Jinx regularly has usually shown me by shifting his position that he wants me to send the energy right there. He really stretched out and relaxed, taking a little Reiki nap.

One of Jordyn's dogs, Petey, who can often be very active and "in your face" for attention, calmly fell asleep right behind me as I did this :)

After a time, he shifted again, so that one hand was sending energy towards his abdomen and the other, more towards his head and towards where the heart chakra is on the front part of the body. His eyes relaxed and he got very cozy there for a time.

He shifted position a couple of more times, and I had thought he was done but then for a few minutes I felt more energy coming out of my hands towards his heart chakra again, so I stayed there briefly and his eyes relaxed.

After we were done, he got up and walked slowly towards the apartment door. One of the activities he really enjoys is walking out in the hallway, and I was happy to see that he wanted to do this, - that even though he walks rather gingerly, he still is motivated to do the things he enjoys.

Reiki with Jinx: August 23

I have been doing ongoing Reiki treatments with my friend Jordyn Thiessen's (http://dancingminddesign.com/) cat Jinx, as he has been having trouble walking and using his hind legs, due to either a disc problem or tumor. In general, though of course it is apparent that this issue is troubling to him, he seems to generally be more alert and more engaged in the activities he enjoys, and can get around, though he is wobbly. I have showed Jordyn a number of the TTouches so that she is able to do them with him as well.

Today Jordyn took a number of photos (thanks Jordyn!) and so the photos pretty much show the story of what happened today during the Reiki session.

As I usually do with Jinx (and with most animals, unless it is clear that they are comfortable with hands-on Reiki), I started out a short distance away from him, offering gentle Reiki energy. He had his back end closest to me, which was interesting, as this is the area which is giving him trouble. As time passed, he eased more and more into the energy, so I got a bit closer, keeping one hand still facing his back end, and the other slightly over the area of his heart chakra.

Gradually he turned around and faced me, and I continued to move gradually closer, as he seemed more comfortable.

He has very big, soulful eyes, and it is very intense sometimes when our eyes connect with each other!

At one point, as he often does, he extended one of his front paws out to me, to make that connection for a while. And as we continued, he contined to relax and stretch out.

much love to you Jinx, look forward to seeing you soon!

Reiki with Jinx: August 19

I have been doing Reiki treatments with my friend Jordyn Thiessen's (http://dancingminddesign.com) cat Jinx for the past few weeks. He has been having trouble using his back legs, either due to a tumor or disc problem.
When I went today, I saw that he is still having trouble getting around and it is clear that something is not right with him but generally he does seem to be more engaged than he was a few weeks ago. He's managing to get around and to do some of his usual routines, which is good.
One thing that is really sweet is that he and one of Jordyn's dogs, Buddy, are hanging out together a lot. Today while I was doing Reiki with Jinx, Buddy was always nearby, as you see in the picture below.
Today Jinx mostly preferred the energy to come to him from a distance. I could feel him relax into it, particularly in one position when he was resting in a sun patch. I felt the energy coming out of my hands extremely strongly and it seemed to be going to his abdomen area. Often during this session, he positioned himself so that my hands were directing the energy to his lower back and legs, where he is having trouble feeling sensation.
Today after the session, Jordyn commented on how his coat even looked better, which is something I have noticed with Jinx and sometimes with other animals after a session. I am wondering if this is because the skin relaxes?? In any event, it is interesting! much love, Jinx, and see you soon!

Staying in the Moment with Krishna: And Getting Ready for a Move

Krishna is a lovely cat who is very comfortable with his people, Rebecca and Tim, but extremely fearful of most other people. I have worked with him very slowly and gradually he has come to trust me more and more, though I still have to always give him time to warm up to me.

Rebecca asked me to come for a session with him, as they are getting ready to move to a new apartment. This is a change that can be stressful, especially for animals who are fearful. I made a bach flower remedy for Rebecca to give him, and made a spritzer bottle of Rescue remedy (10 drops of Rescue Remedy, the rest water) which she can spray in his carrier, and around in the new apartment, to help him feel more at ease there.

I was very happy to see Krishna, who I hadn't seen in a while. Rebecca said that he does seem to be less stressed now when people come over - and it makes a difference too that she has told them not to try to pet him, as he needs a lot of time to get accustomed to a person - it is a real accomplishment just to sit calmly in near proximity to him. Then the next step would be to gently touch him with a tool. Another approach would be to gently engage him in play with something like a flashlight, which doesn't require you be in very close proximity, but is another way to connect with him.

I tried a few TTouches using the paintbrush, but decided it would be most beneficial for this session to do Reiki with him to help him really relax. I started sending him energy from a couple of feet away, and got closer and closer. He grew sleepy quite soon, and went to lie down in one of his favorite cozy places, on a quilt on the couch (as pictured above), and he laid down and went to sleep. Animals will often nap while they are receiving a Reiki treatment, and this generally means they are really accepting and taking in the energy, which I truly felt today. Slowly I moved closer and closer to him, til my hands were just inches away. I felt waves of heat coming out of my hands, and felt him absorbing the energy, as though my hands were being pulled towards him.

This went on for a very long time. I was very close to complete contact, but still kept my hands just an inch or so away, afraid to startle him. I felt the energy going to several different chakras during this period of time, but especially to the heart chakra. I felt a lot of heat in that area, and felt something really let go in him. I saw him do a very deep sigh a couple of times, which is always such a pleasure to see animals do - like they are realllllly letting go.

All of a sudden Krishna woke up and was staring at me. I had wanted to get up so I was sitting on the couch so my face would not be so close to him but hadn't wanted to move too much as I didn't want to startle him. At any rate, I think he was surprised at how close I was to him. He told me that it was too much with a hiss and he sort of jumped at my arm, but didn't leave a mark of any kind. I really think it was just too much for the moment and he needed to tell me to give him some space.

I moved away for a bit, then very quietly sat on the couch a couple of feet away from him. Rebecca told me she often sits on the couch next to him to pet him, so this seemed like a good place for me to be. I slowly began to send energy to him again, trying to keep the stream of energy less intense than it had been. He began to get sleepy again, and rolled on his side. Sometimes he opened one eye and sometimes he closed both of them. I did a few TTouches on his forehead area with the paintbrush. As Rebecca noticed, he ALMOST really let go there when I did it, he seemed like he was just not quite ready to do that. I backed off and finished up the Reiki session.

I slowly moved away from him and as I spoke with Rebecca for a short while, I was happy to see that he was in a very relaxed mode, as though he could easily drift off into another nap.

Krishna teaches so much to me every time about how important it is to really listen to what the animal is ready to do, and to truly stay in the moment with him.

Sending you best wishes for a smooth move, and look forward to seeing you sometime soon in the new place!! xoxox

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.

Reiki with Jinx, August 16, Gentle Connection

Today I went again to work with my friend Jordyn Thiessen's (http://dancingminddesign.com/) cat. He has been losing mobility in his hind legs, and the vet thinks it is either a disk problem or a tumor. I have been doing Reiki treatments with him, which he has been very receptive to. I have showed Jordyn how to do some TTouches, and she is also doing some Reiki with him. She is also giving him a homeopathic remedy from the vet.


When I saw Jinx today, he came out into the hall when I first arrived, which is something he loves to do, so that is a good sign. It is not easy for him to get around but he is a trooper. It was good to see him engaged enough to want to try to move around as best he can. After a bit, he settled on the bed and I was sitting very near him.

I started out doing Reiki with him from a short distance away, so as not to overwhelm him by doing hands-on right away. He had just had his homeopathic remedy, which helps him to be very relaxed. Initially he was facing me. I had my left hand near the front of his body on the right side and the right hand was a few inches from his body, maybe 2/3 of the way down near the sp chakra but off to the side. I saw him start to stretch out, and he draped his paw over my wrist. I think every time I've been there, he has wanted to make a connection using his paw. Later in the session he actually stretched his front leg and paw out, so that his whole front leg and part of his body were draped over my arm, his head very close to mine. This was so sweet, I could really feel him relax into it. We remained in this position for quite a long time, with much of his body draped over my arm.


When he had enough of receiving Reiki from this position, he got up, turned his body completely around and stretched out again, so that my hands were close to his back legs, hips and lower back. It felt clear that he wanted me to send the energy to that area. This was interesting, as sometimes it is too intense for the animal to receive directly in the area which is an issue.

So I did continue sending him Reiki from that position, so it was directed at the legs, lower back and hips, but I kept my hands a few inches away, so the energy would not be too overwhelming. I tried at a couple of points to see if hands-on would be comfortable for him, but it was clear that he was more comfortable with the gentler feel of my hands being further away.


As we continued, I told him he was very loved and very safe, several times, and I saw him really let go as he heard these words.


After quite a while, he adjusted himself til he was in another position, this time sort of sideways to me. It felt like we were reaching the end of the session, so I did did a little more energy work in this position, and then finished up the session. It was such a pleasure to see him so relaxed and peaceful. Thanks so much Jinx, look forward to seeing you soon, xoxo

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 with Jinx, Closer and Closer

My friend Jordyn Thiessen's (http://dancingminddesign..com) cat Jinx has been having some trouble using his back legs, either due to a disk problem or a spinal tumor, so I have been working with him, mostly with Reiki, and have been doing some TTouches with him. Jordyn has also been doing some energy work with him, as well as some TTouches which I have shown her.
When I entered Jordyn's apartment for my session with Jinx on Wednesday, at first he was eating. So I just very gently sat down a couple of feet away and began sending him Reiki energy. After he finished eating I did a few Touches with him as he was turning around and starting to settle. Then I backed off a bit til he sat down comfortably. Still wanting to keep a gentle approach (especially as he is quite sensitive) I started out doing Reiki from about a foot away, then got gradually closer.


As he had done before, at ont point he put his paw on my hand to make a connection. I felt him more sensitive today, and his back twitched if I got too close. Ao I stayed a short distance away for a while. Eventually, he began to settle more and was comfortable with hands-on Reiki. I had my hands over his heart chakra area for a while (on the back a bit below the neck), stayed there for a while, then put my other hand over the solar plexus chakra (more towards the middle of the back). He really settled into the energy, his eyes closing, his body stretching out and he went to sleep. After a long while, he got up and moved a bit, so I wanted to see if at that point he would be more comfortable with my hands about a foot away from where he was. I felt him continuing to absorb the energy from that position, so I continued with him there.

For those unfamiliar with chakras, they are energy centers in the body. Just to sum up, the solar plexus chakra relates to the digestive system, nervious system, metabolism and emotions, and is a center of personal power and will. The heart chakra relates to divine and unconditional love, as well as circulatory and respiratory system, etc. You can find a lot more info on the chakras in books and online. Sometimes I am guided to chakras by my intuition, other times, I will work with specific chakras which relate to an issue the animal is having.

Out of curiosity, at one point I touched one of his front paws with my finger and he wanted me to stay there, moving his paw around my finger a bit like he was holding it. It is interesting, since he is having trouble walking, that he would want to make the connection there. When we finished, I felt he was SO relaxed, I felt him really let go. I feel he is very much craving peace and quiet as much as possible now.

The session I just described was on Wednesday. Sunday I went again to work with Jinx. Jordyn had put a crate with a towel draped over it on her bed, so that Jinx can have some privacy when he wants it, as there are two dogs and another cat in the house. I had suggested after our last session that having the option of a closed space to go into may be a good idea.

Today he was actually laying on top of the crate. He likes to be up high so he can see everything. there were towels on top of the crate, so this was a cozy place for him to lie. He was very comfortable, as he had just been given a homeopathic remedy which seems to help him to be extremely relaxed. Today, I approached him gently, as it seemed that he may be receptive to hands-on Reiki from the start. I started out with my hands a short distance away, and after a bit we settled into a position that seemed to be very comfortable for him. My left hand was just barely touching his pelvis area and the other hand was either under or behind his head. I felt a lot of heat and strong energy particularly passing to his pelvis area. His head was very relaxed in my hand, and at times he put one of his front paws to rest on my arm. He seems to enjoy making a connection with me this way. He was very sleepy and stretched out on his side.
After a long while there, we shifted position and I had one hand again on his pelvis and the other just off to the side of his abdomen area. After a bit, it became clear that at this point he preferred me to have my hands a short distance away. Once I moved my hands just about 6 inches away, he really stretched out and closed his eyes, very cozy. This time, his tail was close to my right arm. Initially it was twitching a bit, but then he made a connection with me with his tail in the same way he has done with his paw, just resting it on my arm, and I could feel his energy coming to me through it.
At the end of the session, I thanked Reiki and thanked him, and he looked so peaceful. As often happens, Jordyn's other animals had gotten into a rather sleepy mode as well :)

Thanks to you all, and I look forward to seeing you soon!! xo

TTouch Update: Mr. Prince Looking Calm and Confident

Yesterday I was walking in the East Village, and I happened to see a person with two little maltese dogs. This made me think of my TTouch client Mr. Prince, who I worked with some time ago. He was a very very shy guy, but TTouches, a Thundershirt and a bach flower remedy were helpful for him, and I showed his person Mary how to do some TTouches with him.

Well, it was just one block later when suddenly who did I see but Mary walking down the block with Mr. Prince and his two doggie "sisters"!

It was great to see them all, and I was so happy to see that Mr. Prince looked very calm and confident, not an easy accomplishment for a shy dog on the streets of New York. Mary told me that during thunderstorms, she doesn't need to use the Thundershirt with him any more. He must have gotten accustomed to the calmer feeling that the Thundershirt was helping him with during these times. This was so wonderful to hear.


Another interesting story Mary told me was that they had been visiting with an elderly woman (101 years old!), who was a bit nervous and disoriented after having traveled quite a ways. Mary said that Mr. Prince was a bit nervous too since he was in an unfamiliar place. The woman instinctively began very gently stroking Mr. Prince's ears. In TTouch, gently stroking the ears is something do because there are many acupressure points in the ears, and the ear strokes can be SO calming. In no time, both the woman and the dog had calmed down :)

Great to see you all! And thanks Mary for continuing to work with Mr. Prince, it has made such a lovely difference with him.

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 and TTouch with Doris: Session 3

Today I went again to do Reiki and some Tellington TTouch with Mari's kitty Doris, who has diabetes and was recently diagnosed with lymphosarcoma. She recently had a rough night with diarrhea but is hanging in there. Though she is very delicate, she is a tough little gal!

When I entered the apartment, she was settled on the window sill (yes, a screen is on the window!), which was very pleasant, with the warm sunshine and a cool breeze coming in. She looked content. I felt I shouldn't push doing hands-on Reiki with her, as that seemed to be too intense for her in the past two sessions, so I started out a short distance away.

It is particularly important with senior cats and cats in delicate condition to be sensitive to really be in the moment and be sensitive to what they are receptive to. Often hands-on Reiki is too intense for them, so it's good to start from a distance.

After a bit, she got up to eat, drink and go to the litter box, so I just sat on the floor, continuing to send her energy, and when she settled back in the window I sat next to the window again, sending her Reiki from a couple of feet away. I could feel strong waves of energy going to her, and particularly felt the energy pulled to her abdomen area. As she has had trouble with diarrhea lately, this makes a lot of sense. Around the abdomen area is the solar plexus chakra, which has to do with digestion, among other things. She started to settle in the window, laying down, looking at me, maybe wondering what this strange energy was all about?

After a long while there, she went to eat again, then got back in the window. I did some TTouches around her head area, where she is very receptive to the TTouches. Mari has been doing TTouches with her in between our sessions, which is great, and she said Doris is very receptive to them, particularly around the head area, but that the mouth area is a little more touchy, as she has to give one of her supplements directly in her mouth. I showed Mari how to do the TTouches on the outside of the mouth doing the circles with the back of a finger or even a fingernail, so that the touch is less intense. Back surfaces of the fingers or hand are less intense. For example, Mari said Doris is receptive to the Llama TTouches on her back (circular TTouches with the back of the fingers). I showed Mari also the Chimp and Baby Chimp TTouches, which use the back of the fingers as well.

I also found that Doris was receptive to hair slides around her head area, as these are very gentle touches. Mari said that Doris usually eats after she does the TTouches with her, which is great, especially as she has been rather picky about eating. Please feel free to browse my youtube channel, http://youtube.com/sarahsuricat for demos of a lot of these TTouches.

As we wound our session up, I thanked Doris and said goodbye to her. Doris was looking right at me - Mari said she seemed to be wondering why I was going, that she wanted some more!

I'm looking at Doris' picture as I write this - she is such a lovely, gentle soul. Sending Reiki, light and positive thoughts to you Doris. xo

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.