Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.-Thich Nhat Hanh Each lifelong relationship between and animal and his person is a unique heart-to-heart dance: elegant, graceful and flowing. To be able to be present with…

Hmmm, chocolate and Reiki for animals…related? I say yes! I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Switzerland this past May. As I ate my way through every chocolatier in the Lake Geneva district, you may have thought wow all she wants to do is eat chocolate. Well, yes perhaps that…

I remember so clearly that day, Mother’s Day 2011: the day that we adopted our dog Mystic from her foster home, at the tender age of just six weeks. Her pregnant mother had been rescued last minute from euthanasia at a shelter somewhere in Utah. Mystic’s mother and her nine…

We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals… In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not…

Last year I spent time at a Reiki retreat at the beautiful Sequoia Retreat Center in northern California. Part of our days were spent in the conference room with floor to ceiling windows looking out over the beautiful redwood trees, but every day we also spent some time doing Reiki…

Keep your heart clear And transparent, And you will Never be bound. A single disturbed thought Creates ten thousand distractions. ―Ryokan Relaxation, patience and positivity: these three qualities are key in developing a state of mind to which animals are receptive. Animals are very sensitive to our mental and emotional…

I had the great pleasure of travelling from my native California to the beautiful U.K. this past September, to teach several Reiki classes at Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary in Essex. Remus is located on 40 beautiful pastoral acres and is home to about 200 farm animals—horses, cows, goats, sheep and…

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor. This quote by Thich Nhat Hanh is a great reminder of the power of meditation, especially when I am with my horse and he is not feeling well. It sounds so simple, and yet in…

When I was little, one of my favorite picture books told the story of Urashima Taro… This is an old Shinto story that tells of a kingdom of serpent people under the sea, where the Dragon King, Ryu-wo, ruled in a spectacular palace of crystal and coral. He was said…