Thanks for being with me today!
I miss visiting my favorite animal sanctuaries and rescues around the world! Today I want to take time to honor the work of Catskill Animal Sanctuary (CAS) in upstate New York.
My first visit there was in June of 2018, and the staff wasn’t sure what to think of us: a group of 25 Animal Reiki practitioners, spending three full days at the farm among the animals.
Catskill staff is extremely protective of the animals in their care and rightly so. Most have been rescued from the most horrendous conditions of cruelty and/or abuse that you could imagine. CAS is passionate about ending the exploitation of farmed animals through social change. I love the message they share with each and every animal that comes to them: “You are safe, you are loved and you matter.”
Witnessing an Animal Reiki meditation in the chicken and duck paddock won over the staff on the 2nd day of our first visit! Our entire group was allowed to enter the space where the rescued birds lived, and it was an amazing experience 🙂 Initially timid, within a few minutes, the chickens came out of hiding, Bruce the duck snuggled onto Leslie’s (our guide) lap, and the nearby turkey, Declan, left the company of his many turkey hens in order to stand as close as possible to the fence behind me.
The peace created by our Animal Reiki meditation and the trust we felt from the animals was palpable. Many of us found ourselves smiling because seeing the animals relax and trust us filled us with joy.
Check out a beautiful moment from this special Animal Reiki meditation HERE.
As we left the paddock, the Animal Care Director, Kelly, came down from the offices, enthusiastic to speak to us! She told me that they’d been watching from the windows and were astounded by the responses from the animals. We were the biggest group they had hosted inside an enclosure, and even with smaller groups, the animals were usually very timid. The staff also noticed that animals in nearby pastures had moved to be as close to us as possible and that in fact, the entire farm became quiet and peaceful during our meditation!
“I’m not sure what you’re doing, but keep doing it!” she laughed.
I often witness these kinds of responses from the caretakers at the animal organizations where I visit and it still humbles me. To be able to teach people a way to create a safe, peaceful space for animals healing from abuse, neglect and deep trauma fills my heart and gives me so much joy.
Through the Let Animals Lead® method, we learn meditative techniques that help us calm ourselves and radiate that calm outward as an offering for animals, only if they wish to connect.
Meditation provides the foundation of our Reiki practice because it means we never force a “protocol” on animals in any way, physically or mentally.
Within the meditations, we learn ways to let go of the animal’s “story” and see more deeply to their beautiful, bright inner light that is always perfect, no matter what they’ve gone through.
Holding space for animals with this combination of openness, peace and positivity opens the doors to an interspecies connection that is often not possible, due to humans’ tendencies to dominate the spaces we inhabit.
Imagine what a different world we could create for animals if we could learn to enter into the spaces we share with them with humility, gentleness and compassion.
Learn the secrets to creating this kind of sacred connection with animals through the Let Animals Lead® method Foundation package, which includes an introduction to the 6 pillars of practice, a thorough guide to gentle and ethical treatment, and all the best tips for volunteering at your local animal shelter or sanctuary.
Stay safe, be well and may the animals light your way,
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