Reiki for Dogs by Kathleen Prasad

Author:Kathleen Prasad [Prasad, Kathleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ulysses Press
Published: 2012-03-10T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

Golden Rule No. 4: Release Expectations

Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go.

–Herman Hesse

Reiki with our dogs is really about connecting from a space of compassion. It’s about wanting to help, but at the same time being open to the process (and the unknown) and trusting whatever happens–letting go of expectations and releasing our human desire to control the situation and the outcome of the treatment.

This is not always easy, especially when we are working with a dog with whom we have especially close emotional ties. It’s a lesson in what true compassion for another being is all about. It’s about surrender–surrender to the universal flow, the ebb and flow of existence that creates balance through change. When we can surrender to this reality, we can go deeper into the essence of compassion, and in so doing become more effective at facilitating and supporting the balanced space that helps us truly heal.

As I’ve mentioned previously, healing is sometimes a bit of a mystery. Sometimes, I’ll go to a treatment thinking the animal needs one thing, and something altogether different is healed. Other times, I’ll go in thinking that I am the “practitioner,” then the animal offers me a powerful gift and I find myself wondering, Hey, who’s healing whom?

In my experience, the best way to facilitate this beautiful and profound healing energy is simply to be part of the flow. As my teacher Frans Stiene says, the ideal state during a Reiki treatment is for your mind to be a blank sheet of paper. As facilitators of this process, we do not do anything except allow the energy to flow through us. In finding the courage to let go, we come back to our souls and touch the ultimate truth of why we are here in the first place–to help each other.

For some dogs, healing means a physical recovery. For others, healing means a rejuvenation in spirits and emotions before the dog passes away. Over the years I’ve worked with Reiki, I’ve learned that the process of healing is not so simple to explain. But I trust that healing does happen on one level or another–just not always the way I’d envisioned.

The healing that Reiki facilitates is often deeper than just changes that can be seen, so it helps to let go of our expectations if we are to open to these more subtle shifts in a dog’s being. We may be doing Reiki for a dog’s physical problem, yet begin to see emotional healing or amazing changes in the attitude of that dog. For example, it’s common to see the unlikeliest of animals become open to connecting with humans during and immediately after treatment. An abused dog that has completely shut down to the world may begin to wag his tail with delight at the first feeling of Reiki energy. A depressed and withdrawn dog who usually curls up motionless in the corner may begin to come forward for petting just after a treatment.

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