I recently had one of the most magical experiences I have had with an animal, two animals in this case. 

I was away in Norfolk staying with a friend, hoping to catch the last of the bank holiday sunshine. I managed to catch a few rays on day one, before the heavy rain kicked in. On the second night we were treated to a storm, quite an impressive one actually although not so much for animals. If you own a dog you’ll know they either sleep or cry through a heavy storm. Daisy was the latter. I doubt I can convey how special this experience was through words but I will give it a try.

I had only met Billy and Daisy once before and unusually for me, there wasn’t an instant bond. I love animals, especially dogs, but these two have a very independent streak, no cuddles. They also have a very unique walk, due to a rare condition, so it came as quite a shock when Daisy came up to me, mid-storm, and gave me the puppy dog eyes. From nowhere she appeared in front of me by the sofa and stared insistently, almost begging to be lifted up onto my lap. It threw me for a minute so I asked my partner to lift her up and put her between us. It was very clear that she was distressed but it was more than that, I could feel her asking to be with me, asking for healing.

She was shaking like a leaf, I’ve never seen a dog so scared. In the end I realised I had to put my hands on her. Within five minutes of receiving healing there was a noticeable change. The shaking slowed down almost immediately and within fifteen minutes she was in a deep sleep, so much so that she was no longer phased by the roaring thunderstorm outside. It was beautiful, and didn’t go unnoticed by the others in the room, including her owner Carol who couldn’t believe what she saw. Daisy laid there for the rest of the evening blissfully relaxed until she went to bed, she had an air of calmness that stayed with her until the following day.

And then it was Billy’s turn. I’m not sure why but I was drawn to Billy whilst he lay quietly in his bed. Due to his condition I had noticed his ability to walk was suffering and I wanted to see if I could help him in some way. I’m not under the impression that his condition could be cured with a couple of Reiki sessions, but I felt that he needed healing for himself, to aid relaxation and to ease the pressure he puts on himself from frequent falls. So I put my hands on his back legs – where the problem persists – and let the energy flow.

Once again it was magical. I instantly felt a connection with Billy that was missing when we had first met. He took to the reiki so well, just like Daisy. He didn’t attempt to get up and move at all as some dogs do. Whilst he soaked up the healing energy I thought it was the perfect time to practice some animal communication. I wanted to see what he was feeling and talk to him. It can be so hard watching him struggle, steadying himself after a fall, but at least I could get him to relax and let go of his anxiety for a while.

As the heat from my hands increased, I began sending out thoughts to Billy to talk to me, which isn’t the easiest task when an animal is face to face, usually this kind of communication works best via distance, with the absence of emotion. But he did talk to me. More so, he gave me a message. I felt that what he was trying to tell me was that he felt stupid. My heart instantly melted as tears streamed down my face. I started to wonder what everyone around me would be thinking. But it was so emotional and overwhelming, I just had to continue.

My hands moved towards his front, I placed one on his head and held his paw with the other. I told him that he wasn’t stupid and that he was very loved. He looked up at me in the most endearing way, attempting to move his head but was so relaxed that he just flopped back down again

I can’t communicate how special this was, it really was one of those ‘you have to be there moments’. I started the session with the intention of helping Billy to relax and not overthink the walking, however, I ended the session just sending him love, and trying to make him feel less silly. When I finally opened my eyes I realised that the level of emotion involved with the treatment was clear, once again I had managed to shock those around me. Unsurprisingly Billy dog remained in his bed for quite some time – I did worry that he’d be so sleepy he would miss out on the nice beach walk ahead!

Working with animals is fascinating, the way they don’t question what you are doing, they just trust and receive the healing. The thing that intrigues me most about this story is how Daisy knew to come to me during the thunderstorm when she could have gone to her owners. It’s no secret that animals are more intelligent than humans, but this is the icing on the cake!

I will leave you with a few words from Carol:

“Billy has always been a skittish dog but after five minutes with Kalie he relaxed completely and remained calm for most of the day.  It was amazing to watch.”