Animals Are Their Own Pharmacists

When we watch animals foraging for food in nature, we now have to ask, are they visiting the grocery store or are they visiting the pharmacy? — Ecologist Mark Hunter

Animals “vaccinate” themselves and their offspring as well. House Sparrows and Finches: They add high-nicotine cigarette butts to their nests to reduce mite infestations.

Wood Ants: They use an antimicrobial resin from conifer trees in their nests, which protects their colony from the growth of microbes.

Monarch Butterflies: When infected with parasites, they lay their eggs on anti-parasitic milkweed in order to protect their offspring from infection.

Now, have a little chuckle:

SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I’m a very good girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. I’ll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me…. Call (404) 875-6420 and ask for Annie, I’ll be waiting…..
 
Over 150 men found themselves talking to the Atlanta Humane Society.

Source:  http://www.unknowncountry.com/whitleys-space#ixzz2xQZzbl4u

http://www.unknowncountry.com/whitleys-space

PowerPoint for Shelters and Rescue Groups – Introduction to Reiki for Animals

Click on “Slideshow,” and then click on “From the beginning.”

Reiki for Animals

No Words Needed

Click on the link below to take a look at this beautiful photographic essay about the relationship between two lives.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/9698490/Photo-series-of-the-bond-between-a-grandmother-and-her-odd-eyed-white-cat.html?frame=2407644

In Memory Of Sirius, Only Police Dog Killed In 9/11 Attacks September 11, 2013

The Siirus Dog Run. Photo Credit: bpcdogs.org

Leanne Hall (SEPTEMBER 11TH) NEW YORK — Today is the anniversary of that fateful day of terror. Not all first responder victims were of the two-legged kind. Read how the only police dog killed in the attacks did his job that day, and how he was rightfully honored along with the other fallen heroes. Rest in peace, Sirius. — Global Animal

Follow the link for the full article and photos: http://www.globalanimal.org/2013/09/11/in-memory-of-sirius-only-police-dog-killed-in-911-attacks/51066/

Buyer Beware! Cat’s Meow Cat Toy

W A R N I N G ! Buyer Beware. Don’t order this cat toy from this company. W A R N I N G ! Buyer Beware. Don’t order this cat toy from this company. https://www.getcatsmeow.com

This is an as-seen-on-TV product, advertised for $19.99 plus shipping and handling. I ordered it tonight, and before the order was complete (I wasn’t directed to a shopping cart or final order screen that itemizes the order), I received an email: TOTAL — $74.65! WTF! The phone number is a Monday through Friday and there is no real customer service contact. I called my bank to cancel payment, but the order had not shown up yet. When I reviewed my email bill, I noticed that I had given them an incorrect card expiration date, which might be my saving grace. Anyway, calling the bank in the morning. Don’t bother with this company/product.

If You Love Animals

Check out my new Facebook Community Page: All Creatures Large and Small: Animal Reiki. Here’s the link:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/All-Creatures-Large-and-Small-Animal-Reiki/431667110252226?ref=hl.

“Like” it if you like it.

U.S. Government Reports on Our Pet Expenditures

YesBiscuit!

On the subject of how much money we spend on our pets, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently published “‘Tails’ from the Consumer Expenditure Survey” on its website and the Hartford Courant breaks down the information:

The average amount each household spent on pets in 2011 was $502.

Households tended to spend 1 percent of income, no matter how much or how little they earned.

The release tracked spending from 2007 to 2011, and it didn’t show any trends of households trading down to cheaper food brands during the recession, or surrendering dogs due to foreclosure.

Additional tidbits from the government:

In 2011, households spent more on their pets annually than they spent on alcohol ($456), residential landline phone bills ($381), or men and boys clothing ($404).

Average household spending on pet food alone was $183 in 2011. This was more than the amount spent on candy ($87)…

View original post 220 more words

Animal Reiki Code of Ethics

The code of ethics was developed by Kathleen Kathleen Prasad, Founder of Animal Reiki Source.

Guiding Principles:

• I believe the animals are equal partners in the healing process.
• I honor the animals as being not only my clients, but also my teachers in the journey of healing.
• I understand that all animals have physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects, to which Reiki can bring profound healing responses.
• I believe that bringing Reiki to the human/animal relationship is transformational to the human view of the animal kingdom.
• I dedicate myself to the virtues of humility, integrity, compassion and gratitude in my Reiki practice.

In working on myself, I follow these practices:

• I incorporate the Five Reiki Precepts [(1) Today only, (2) Do not anger, (3) Do not worry. (4) With thankfulness Work diligently. (5) Be kind to others. — Translated by Reiki master Hyakuten Inamoto]  into my daily life and Reiki practice.
• I commit myself to a daily practice of self-healing and spiritual development so that I can be a clear and strong channel for healing energy.
• I nurture a belief in the sacred nature of all beings, and in the value and depth of animalkind as our partners on this planet.
• I listen to the wisdom of my heart, remembering that we are all One.

In working in the community, I hold the following goals:

• I model the values of partnership, compassion, humility, gentleness and gratitude in my life and with the animals, teaching by example.
• I work to create professional alliances and cooperative relationships with other Reiki practitioners/teachers, animal health-care providers and animal welfare organizations in my community.
• I strive to educate my community in its understanding of the benefits of Reiki for animals.
• I continually educate myself to maintain and enhance my professional competence so that I uphold the integrity of the profession.
• I consider myself an ally to the veterinary and animal health community. I work to support their efforts in achieving animal wellness and balance. I honor other disciplines and their practitioners.

In working with the human companions of the animals, I will:

• Share information before the treatment about my healing philosophy, the Reiki healing system and what to expect in a typical treatment, as well as possible outcomes, including the possibility of healing reactions.
• Provide a clear policy ahead of time regarding fees, length of treatment and cancellation policy, as well as “postponement” policy, should the animal not want the treatment that day.
• Never diagnose. I will always refer clients to a licensed veterinarian when appropriate.
• Honor the privacy of the animals and their human companions.
• Share intuition received during Reiki treatments, with compassion and humility, for the purpose of supporting their understanding of the healing process.
• Respect the human companion’s right to choose the animal’s healing journey, selecting the methods, both holistic and/or conventional that he or she deems most appropriate, with the support and advice of a trusted veterinarian.

In working with the animals, I follow these guidelines:

• I work in partnership with the animal.
• I always ask permission of the animal before beginning, and respect his or her decision to accept or refuse any treatment. I listen intuitively and observe the animal’s body language in determining the response.
• I allow each animal to choose how to receive his or her treatment; thus each treatment could be a combination of hands-on, short distance and/or distant healing, depending on the animal’s preference.
• I let go of my expectations about how the treatment should progress and/or how the animal should behave during the treatment, and simply trust Reiki.
• I accept the results of the treatment without judgment and with gratitude toward Reiki and the animal’s openness and participation in the process.

Copyright © 2007, Animal Reiki Source

Golden Retrievers on the ground in Moore, Oklahoma

Beautiful dogs…beautiful mission.

The Intention to Hold the Healing Space

Namaste Bookshop near Union Square

Have you ever wanted to cancel an appointment and stay home? Or continue your nap? Or just veg out? That’s what I wanted to do yesterday, but I’d already made a financial commitment to attend an Introduction to Animal Reiki event at Namaste Bookshop in Manhattan, so I ripped myself from my brief not-so-power nap and got myself there. Now I know that I would have kicked myself if I’d missed it because I learned some important differences in offering Reiki to people and Reiki to animals.

Liz Wassell, a SARA (Shelter Animal Reiki Association) Teacher who traveled from upstate New York, has studied with Kathleen Prasad, the association’s co-founder. Liz  introduced animal Reiki to our group, which included a black lab mix therapy dog, whose name, by the way, is Sara. Liz volunteers at the Ulster County SPCA and Animal Farm Foundation, both in the Hudson Valley in upstate New York and is also a founding member of her local community Reiki group.

Liz Wassell

My cat, Pushkin, was the first recipient of animal Reiki after I received my attunement about a month ago, and from the beginning, it was hands-on, all the way, up close and personal for him. Reiki for humans consists of a series of lightly-placed hand positions on different parts of a clothed body; Reiki for our animal friends, however, not so much. It’s better for them from several feet away, especially in a shelter setting or wherever an animal is shy or too traumatized for touch. That distance allows the animal to approach the practitioner, allows the animal to accept or reject it, allows the animal to call the shots. Sometimes the animal will place parts of his body in the practitioner’s hands to show where Reiki is needed. It was good to find out that treatment is not dependent on physical contact.

She led us through a breathing and visualization meditation that allowed us to create and hold a healing space for the animal, a Reiki healing space that can encompass an entire room. It’s all about intention, focus and meditation. The animals lead the way, taking only as much Reiki as they need. As practitioners, we are offering — not giving — which means that ego has little or no place. No need to perform. No need to put on a show. No need, even to be attached to an outcome.

Our intention for being with the animals is threefold: to connect with them, to learn from them, and—as partners—to work together in healing and in ceremony to co-create a new way of being. — http://reikishamanic.com/2013/03/animals-as-healers-and-teachers-at-harmony-farm/

I look forward to experiencing animals as teachers and healers.

By the way, I have a newly-created Facebook Page: All Creatures Large And Small: Animal Reiki. Stop by and “Like” it, if you will, by clicking the widget on the right.

Kathleen Prasad’s book