I have recently begun volunteering at Pima Animal Control with the intention of doing Reiki on dogs and possibly cats; part of the requirement is to first take a Basic Dog handling class and then volunteer walking the dogs.
Today was Session #2; I had been thrilled with my experience during my first day last week especially when I went thru the whole process successfully (no dog got away from me and one even requested Reiki) without a mentor! Today when I was choosing my last day to walk, I signed up for Ludwig, a 7 .o who probably was pretty anxious to get out of the kennel by 9:30 or so to finally relieve himself. When I first saw him, I just didn’t get the warm and fuzzy feeling…with eye secretions and a plastic head collar/protector…and an unsure attitude of me being his walker. Well, just like we can’t judge a book by the cover…or a dog by his looks…Ludwig turned out to be quite a sweetie; after a reasonably short walk due to the heat, he laid down on the floor back in the shelter pod…and was breathing a bit heavy. Then he raised his leg and asked for Reiki for quite some time to help him to feel more rebalanced; I even got a thank you kiss after finally getting him back into his crate.
So….remember that even if a client you are working with appears different than yourself in some manner/appearance, life style, etc., as long as you feel safe, let Reiki be the connection that brings together humanity, peace
and healing.
