Reiki, TTouch and Debono Moves with Mr. Ji: Finding Peace

Mr. Ji is a dear senior dog I have been working with for some months now.  He has spinal stenosis, but he gets around really well in his dog cart, and it certainly never dampens his delightful personality.  It can give him discomfort, though, so the modalities I use can help to relieve some of that discomfort, and can give gentle suggestions to the body that help him to be in better balance.

When I started working with him today, he was restless, moving around, and it was hard for him to settle.  I did a bit of Debono moves work and a bit of TTouch with gentle hands-on, but he seemed to prefer that I work with him with hands off.  When he is in this restless mode, often it is best to share Reiki with him with hands-off first, and then see what else he may be ready to do.  If I follow his cues, I know I will find the way to help him.

His lovely person, Niseema, had put a toy in between his two front legs, which helped him to feel more at ease, but it seemed like he needed something more substantial there, so she ended up folding up a small blanket and putting it there instead, as you see in the photo.

It felt like a lot of his restless energy was in the upper part of the body, so I moved my hands slightly off his lower body.  I began to feel him start to be more grounded.

Then I began to connect with his inner light, and I silently told him that he has this light inside him all the time.  And I began to picture the light spreading through his body, and a very bright light surrounding his body as well.

All of a sudden I felt us completely connected - as though the energy from my hands, the energy running through his body like a river of light, the energy surrounding us - that we were one.  And he became very still, and so peaceful. 

But it was a stillness that was not frozen.  It was a stillness that had breath and light running through it.  Such a beautiful peacefulness and we were one with this feeling.  I felt him completely relax into it, as though he was just letting himself flow with the energy.

He was so comfortable that I decided to just leave my hands where they were for most of the rest of the session.  Towards the end, I did some gentle touches on his hind feet, barely even making contact, just to give some gentle awareness there.

When I finished the session, I tested his chakras with a pendulum and all of them were balanced.  I thanked him and thanked this work, feeling such gratitude.

Much love to Mr. Ji!!! Thank you for showing me and teaching me so much, and look forward to seeing you soon!

Riding the Ups and Downs with Mr. Ji

I have been working with Mr. Ji for some weeks now, and he has been responding so well.

Mr. Ji is a delightful senior Shitzu, a little dog with a big spirit.  He has musculoskeletal issues, apparently spinal stenosis.  He has some feeling in his back legs but they cannot support him, so Niseema (Mr. Ji's amazing person) has a customized cart for him which helps him get around very well.  He tends to twist to one side, and has a lot of tension in his upper body because it is working very hard to help the rest of his body get around.

But when I arrived at Niseema and Mr. Ji's place the week before last, he did not look good.  He was having spasms and seemed very uncomfortable.  Niseema said the trouble had started yesterday.

I sat down near him and set my intent to create as quiet and calm a space as I could for both Mr. Ji and Niseema.

As Mr. Ji was very sensitive, I kept my hands a short distance away from him for Reiki.  I started to let the energy flow, and pictured a healing bubble around us.  Niseema sat down and held Mr. Ji to help him feel more at ease as well.  If Mr. Ji cannot get comfortable on the couch, Niseema will hold him and usually he settles down.

As I continued, I slowly started to see Mr. Ji show some signs he was feeling more comfortable.

And then, Niseema began to do some slow TTouches down Mr. Ji's back.  I could see another level of relaxation begin to happen.

By the end of the session, Mr. Ji was definitely much more at ease.  And I was so happy to hear from Niseema later on that Mr. Ji seemed to have turned a corner - after the session he was more comfortable walking, and then he went to the vet for a cold laser treatment, which helped him feel even better.

This past week when I went to see him, I could see he was so much better, he had a lively energy to him and it felt like light was around him.  So beautiful to see.

This time, he was comfortable with my hands on. Which showed me he was more comfortable altogether.

Niseema held him for most of the session.  I began with Reiki with my hands around his lower back, then did some Debono Moves muscle lifts going down one side of his back, then the other.  Debono Moves is a very gentle modality, developed by Mary Debono, that is based on Feldenkrais work, as is TTouch, but I think it is even more subtle.  I did the muscle lifts extremely slowly, with the image that I was supporting his back, that he could breathe into my hands.  I felt him getting more and more comfortable as I worked.

After that, I had my hands on either side of his lower back, and had an image of him walking freely, with his legs moving comfortably.  I did not move my hands, but just imagined as I held my hands there that one hip and hind leg was moving forward, then the other - that he was walking.  As I continued working with him, sometimes my hands were on him and other times just off, as my intuition guided me.  And I kept seeing that mental image of him walking freely, without actually moving my hands on his body.  Continuing to let the Reiki flow throughout the session.

Niseema gently placed him down on the couch on his side next to me, and he settled in comfortably.  At that point I had one hand just off his chest and the other just off his lower back.  I felt the energy was traveling through his whole body.  He became so peaceful.  So lovely to see him so at ease, particularly when I thought about what the situation had been just the previous week.

Ups and downs are usually part of the territory when working with an animal with challenges such as Mr. Ji has, but fortunately Reiki and the other gentle modalities I use can often help the animal to be more comfortable and as much in balance as is possible, given the situation.  And Niseema is doing everything possible (and then some!) to help Mr. Ji to be as happy and healthy as possible.

Sending good vibes for continued comfort and health for dear Mr. Ji:)  xoxo  And thank you Niseema for giving this sweet dog so much love and care.

Sharing the Light with Mr. Ji

 

Mr. Ji is a little senior Shitzu with a big spirit.  His caretaker, Niseema, is a skilled massage therapist (for people) and is giving him amazing love and care.  I was contacted to see what I could do to help Mr. Ji's comfort level.
He has musculoskeletal issues, apparently spinal stenosis.  He has some feeling in his back legs but they cannot support him, so Niseema has a customized cart for him which helps him get around very well.  He tends to twist to one side, and has a lot of tension in his upper body because it is working very hard to help the rest of his body get around.
I have been working with him with a combination of Reiki, TTouch and Debono Moves (Feldenkrais work adapted for animals).  I keep my mind, heart and body open and he helps show me what is most comfortable for him that day.  I have shown Niseema some of the work so she has been able to do it with him as well, which is great!

Today was an especially beautiful, peaceful session.  It generally takes him a while to settle into a position which is comfortable for him, but today that seemed to happen more quickly.  One thing that Niseema told me later was that they had an animal communicator help them a few days ago, and that the session was very productive -- that he had generally seemed more at ease after that.  She had contacted the communicator to see if Mr. Ji was still present and wanting to be on the earthly plane, and the communicator had sensed that he still was very much here and wanting to be here.
Niseema put a rolled up small blanket along his side so that he could have support there.  He seemed comfortable leaning against it.  I started letting Reiki flow.  I intuitively put a hand underneath his belly, picturing him as though he were standing even though he was on his side.  I was feeling he wanted support there.  I made a very subtle lifting motion, barely perceptible, then did a long release.  Each time I released, I imagined breath and light expanding into his body.  As I did this subtle motion, I felt him become very peaceful and still and comfortable. I felt my hands become one with his body, feeling him breathe and expand into my hands.  I would do the subtle movement for a while, then stop and just imagine it.
I had my other hand gently against the top of his back, not putting pressure there but just resting there and feeling the Reiki energy flowing from both my hands.  I felt the energy flowing from my hands through his body, feeling it going all the way into his head, feet, tail.
I pictured light inside of him and surrounding him, the Reiki energy merging with his own bright light that exists inside.  The bright light that resides inside all of us, even when a being is older or not well.  It might be just a flicker, but connecting with that flicker can help the light to grow and expand.
I felt him so calm and peaceful.


Then I started to picture just the slightest movement around, as though I was lifting around the cylindrical shape of his body in one direction, and then in the other.  Again, I was mostly thinking the motion rather than actually doing it.  But I could feel the slight rhythm and expansiveness of it.  Then I would pause and let that go.
There were long stretches where I would simply let the Reiki flow with my hands still.  Just feeling the expanse of the energy through his body, the light and the energy relaxing him.  His peacefulness and the quiet and peace throughout the room.
He has a strong, big spirit and I felt that during the session.  It often happens that I feel the animal I am working with as being very big, as though I am connection with their spirit rather than the confines of their body.  I visualized him walking with ease, using all four of his feet.  Feeling grass underneath his feet and walking with ease.  Feeling his body supported and his feet on the ground. 
After about an hour, I felt the Reiki energy starting to ease off, and I gently ended the session.  Niseema said that they would both probably take a nap now:)
Thank you Niseema and Mr. Ji!  Look forward to learning and sharing with you more and more. xxoo