I hope today finds you safe and well. Despite the stress and anxiety out in the world due to the Pandemic, I’m making a conscious effort every day to count my blessings. As we enter our 2nd week of “shelter in place” I’m enjoying the fact that I have more time with my family at home than usual and am cooking and baking up quite a myriad of vegan goodies! I’ve also found myself spending a lot of time in quiet contemplation about life, our purpose and what’s really important. I’ve been thinking a lot about how I can best support my tribe during these difficult times. I’ve come up with a few suggestions this week that I hope will help each of you to stay more balanced, grounded and peaceful as we take one day at a time.
1) Stay connected even though you’re staying at home.
Stay mindful of the Reiki precept, be kind to others. Call, text, FaceTime and google chat your friends and family often. Call or email your neighbors who may be elderly or in a high-risk group and offer to pick up groceries and supplies for them.
Set up Animal Reiki online healing circles, shares, and support groups for your clients and students. This is a time to reach out to your tribe and an opportunity to be a light of positivity and grounding for others.
If you usually volunteer at a local shelter or sanctuary, even though you might not be able to go in person, you can set up a daily or weekly distant Animal Reiki schedule to continued support for the animals and their caregivers from far away. If you can, let the staff know the time of day you are sharing Reiki so they can choose to take a quiet moment for themselves at that time if possible.
[bctt tweet=”Set aside a special time for your animals. Just being with our animals, connecting with them without a busy agenda, is one of the most healing things we can do for ourselves and for them!” username=”ARS_animalreiki”]
Set aside a special time for your animals. Just being with our animals, connecting with them without a busy agenda, is one of the most healing things we can do for ourselves and for them!
2) Practice your Animal Reiki meditation at least once a day to help manage stress and anxiety.
Here are some guided Animal Reiki meditations to help you:
I created this meditation last week to help us embody the Reiki precept, “for today only, do not worry.” Lion reminds us that we have the power to create our world. When we face our fears with the ferocity of lion, we can move beyond them into a space of strength and grounding. We can be a rock of stability for others in uncertain times. This is a true gift we can share with others! This special meditation comes from my book, The Let Animals Lead® 21-Day Meditation Challenge.
I created this special, peaceful meditation this week while walking in the pasture with my horse Kodiak. Remember, we can practice our Animal Reiki meditations while sitting, standing or walking, so be creative when thinking of times and places to meditate with and for your animals!
Meditating outdoors and in nature when you can (be sure to keep a safe distance from others you may meet along the way) can be a great “pick me up” for your mood. I’ve written a special blog, “How to Transform Every Dog Walk Into a Meditation” to help you create a space of gratitude even when you’re walking your dog. I’ve found that the more I meditate on gratitude the less worry can creep in. Our animals can help remind us that life is meditation and meditation is life. It’s always possible to stop, breathe and bring mindfulness and compassion to this present moment.
**Midnight tip: Having trouble sleeping? This is a great time to do your practice! You don’t even have to get out of bed to do your hands-on healing self-practice, silently recite the Reiki precepts as a healing mantra, or do your hara breathing to create a peaceful Reiki space that expands to embrace you, those around you, and even the whole world. Spending time on our practice can help our minds and hearts relax so that we can fall back asleep!
3) Practice positive thinking.
If you’re reading or watching the news right now about the pandemic on a constant basis, it can be too much to take in and can cause feelings of anxiety and overwhelm.
Make sure to balance out the bad news with good news. Realize that everything you watch and read is food for your mind. Make sure you’re feeding your mind a healthy diet: limit your news so that you’re keeping yourself informed, but not overdoing it on your pandemic news “portions.”
Spend most of your time online reading and watching positive stories of courage, hope, healing. Use your online time to serve others in your community, for example by joining a distant healing group and sharing Animal Reiki there or by sharing love, light, kindness and positive comments to your friends and community who need support.
Stay mindful of the Reiki precept, be grateful. Write down three to five things you are grateful for at the end of each day before you go to bed. Revisit your list when you feel stressed during the day.
Create affirmations to help you transform your negative thoughts into positive ones. I’ve written some articles on this topic that might be helpful for you:
One of the most difficult parts about navigating the current situation is the uncertainty about it all. I’m spending time each and every day dedicating my meditation practice to creating an “All is Well” space of peace and comfort, and I invite each of you to step into that space with me whenever you need to. By being there for each other, we’ll get through this. Stay safe and be well dear Ones!
I’d love to know how your Animal Reiki practice is supporting you through all of this, let me know! Want more support? Be sure to check out my many books on Animal Reiki: https://animalreikisource.com/reiki-store/kathleens-books/
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