What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Love & Grief

What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Life is made up of opposites that balance each other: Yin and Yang; dark and the light; up and down; cold and hot; grief and love. 

As I write, I am experiencing deep grief. My grief is not just from the loss of my father, but from the deep loss of our beloved kitty Rudy, who has left a hole in our hearts and home. Please continue reading because this is not a story to make you feel sad, but one of hope, deep love and beautiful messages from Rudy.  

I hate grief! I have been here many times before, for both humans and animals that I love. Each time that I have experienced grief it has been different. No two feel alike and they can each bring up past grief. Why? Why is there grief? Who invented it? It seems so cruel. I don’t know if these questions can be answered, but I did receive something from Rudy that has been a great comfort for me. 

RUDY

Rudy is a survivor and a lover of life. A message that he gave me right after he transitioned from his physical body was “Live life. Survive!” You see Rudy is a survivor. I met him 5 years ago when he was living behind the dumpster at my father’s assisted living facility. He was starving but so filled with joy. He loved humans. Rudy said that he survived despite all the odds and look what happened. The last five years of his life were paradise. He said that if he had not survived, he would not have experienced his life with us. We never know what is just around the corner, so live and survive. 

As I sat in meditation with him in the days right after he died, my heart was broken into pieces, shattered at best. I received a message from him that I felt in my body and visualized in my minds eye. I wish I had the talent to draw and animate but hopefully you will be able to visualize the following for yourself. 

In a moment of deep sobbing I was stopped cold. Oh, thank you for that! I felt something in my heart and then Rudy showed me. Here is what I “saw”. 

 
  
Imagine your hands in prayer position or Gassho. Your united hands represent a heart (and kind of looks like an upside down heart).   

 
I brought my hands down in front of me so fingers were no longer pointing up to the heavens but out and away from my heart center. Then I was shown to open my hands from prayer position to look like an opened book. That represented my broken heart but it also represents an open heart. My heart was cracked wide open. What is inside of the heart? Love!

 


Inside the heart shell is a jewel called love. 








I “saw” a gel like substance inside both halves of the heart shell that glowed a neon blue color. That substance was love, the love we feel for the one that has died and is now in spirit. I saw my shattered heart pieces everywhere. Inside or on top of each piece was the glowing blue substance that is unconditional love. 

It was clear to me that the message is: Love is forever; grief, eventually and in its own time, will fade but Love never dies! The pieces come back together and what continues is beautiful beyond words. What continues is the love we have for the other. 

Rudy showed me that when grief and love come together, we are forever changed. When our heart is open from grief, our heart is also open to love. To feel this kind of love is to know our true selves and to know pure unconditional love. To hurt this deeply, we have loved that deeply. Grief fades but love grows and expands beyond time and space. 

That's what Love's got to do with it!

   

Reiki & Interspecies Telepathic Communication: different or the same?

Reiki & Interspecies Telepathic Communication: different or the same?

There is a long standing debate that Reiki and Animal Communication are distinctly different healing modalities. For example, when one is offering Reiki to an animal and the practitioner receives telepathic communication the practitioner is not fully focused on the Reiki session. In my experience that is not true. When one is focused and present with another, silent communication (telepathy) takes place naturally.

Reiki (pronounced Ray-key) is a Japanese word that means "spiritual energy." The Japanese word "Ki" is the same as the more familiar Chinese word "Chi" which translates to mean energy and the life force. Ki is the life force that is in every living being and thing. Reiki works on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels of the body.

This kitty shows the humans how to relax and receive healing

There are many different schools of Reiki but two main basic practices: Traditional Japanese Reiki and Modern Reiki. Modern Reiki's main focus is hands-on healing and often the practitioner believes that THEY must heal the client or that they are responsible for the client's healing.

Hannah connecting with students and points out how to BE

The System of Traditional Japanese Reiki consists of various meditations, practices and techniques. There are many goals in the practice of Reiki including self-healing and relaxation. To become one with the energy, practice quieting the mind and relaxing the physical body, connecting with earth energy and heavenly energy, and  "step into" or become the "bright light," creating a lovely space where healing can take place. There is an energy exchange that can take place as the client and the practitioner are in the "space" of healing where the practitioner offers energy and the client (both human and/or animal) can choose to accept the energy that is offered or choose not to. It is up to the human or animal to heal themselves.

Just as in the practice of Reiki, there are many different styles or approaches to Interspecies Telepathic Animal Communication. First of all, what exactly is Interspecies Telepathic Communication? Telepathy means "feeling" at a distance. Feeling can be emotional feelings, physical sensations or that gut feeling or sense of knowing. This way of telepathic communication takes place not in your head but in your whole being. 
For more information about Interspecies Telepathic Communication CLICK HERE

Some animal communicators call themselves pet psychics. Usually they work from their heads or minds and "read" the animal's energy. They do what is called a reading and often do not ask the animals permission. 


Many of my colleagues work from the mind connection but go a bit deeper to what is called the heart-to-heart connection. There are some communicators who go even deeper with their connection to the animal by focusing on their belly/gut and connecting to the earth through their feet and whole being, very similar to the Traditional Japanese Reiki practices.

Interspecies Telepathic Communication begins by first asking permission from the animal and respecting them if they do not want to share with you at that moment in time. Using the same techniques that one uses when offering a Reiki session to an animal, the communicator centers themselves, quieting the mind and relaxing the physical body while breathing into their hara center. Next the practitioner sits in the silence with the animal waiting for a "connection" or signal from the animal that they are ready to have a two-way conversation. This process can be very quick or it can take time. The communicator sits in the silence with the animal as if they are an empty basket sitting under a peach tree waiting for the peach to ripen and gently dropping down into the waiting basket. This meditative state of being is the same as the meditative sate of being and connection when offering Reiki to a human or animal. One must be open, patient, and fully present, simply BEING with each other.
 

Offering Reiki

 It is often said that the founder of Reiki, Miako Usui, would sit in silence opposite a student and an energy exchange or healing (Reiju) would take place. No hands-on healing, just sitting opposite each other and BEING in the silence together. It is the same with animal communication. In the silence, deep communication takes place. It takes place mind-to-mind, heart-to-heart and soul-to-soul via the gut or hara center. I do not find a difference in this state of being and a 2-way exchange of energy. Energy is energy. Reiki is energy. Telepathy is energy. Are they not the same?

My feelings in my heart, mind, soul, gut (hara center) feel the same when I am doing my Reiki practice and when I am in deep communication with an animal or nature. I feel I use the same techniques to begin an animal communication session as I do when offerlng Reiki. The difference with the animal communication session is the intention. The human client hopes to learn the animal's point of view so the communicator must find a way to translate into words what comes or is exchanged as "feelings" or energy. To me the foundation for deep communication is the same foundation that one practices with the system of Reiki. I feel there are more similarities in Reiki and Interspecies Telepathic Communication than not.

Rudy

Lessons From A Dumpster Kitty

Survival, Healing & BEING

From the moment I first met him, Rudy always has a lot to say. Little did I know just how much and how he would forever change our lives.

1st day I fed Rudy Aug 2012

A skinny black and white kitty with a black scarecrow like nose appeared from behind a tall fence made of woven wooden boards right next to the dumpster of my father's assisted living facility.

Rudy happily eating

His voice pierced through and above everything in the noisy parking lot, including large fire trucks a few yards away. He was starving and all about food but so friendly. He was not afraid to walk right up to the 4 of us that were thrilled to see him. He was not afraid of a wheelchair or walker. He greeted everyone in the most special and sweet way.

 

Oh he had so much to say and continues to talk quite clearly and loudly! I remember thinking to myself, "I could not live with that noise!!" It was not love at first sight for me, but now he not only has my (and our) heart, he is part of my very soul.

45 minutes after Rudy arrived....he was HOME!

3 days after the first meeting, Rudy came to live with us. His healing work began the moment he came through the door of our home. So many people told us that Rudy was a lucky boy to have been rescued from starvation and living on the streets, but Rudy saved us! It had been 6 months since our beloved kitty Katy had died and we did not want to bring an animal companion into our stress filled home. The stress came from the challenges of human elder care and our grief from missing Katy "sunshine" as well as other situations that are just the stuff of life, but Rudy rolls with the punches and was a purr-fect match.

Rudy on my lap helping and inspiring

Rudy is our first lap cat. (Our others would sit next to us but never on us.) 

Rudy's first night home

He slept in bed with us the first night he came home and his purrs were instantly healing and up lifting. It must have felt like the best dream to him after who knows how long of sleeping in the wild of the suburbs. He even survived the horrible derecho storm that summer.

Rudy loves "his" porch

Every morning Rudy wakes me up to go outside on the porch to greet the day and meditate. Of course getting up that early is always about food. We feel he will never loose the fear of starvation, but that life is in his past. 

He often purrs and chatters at the birds and other critters that come and go from our yard. When the weather is cold he brings me to his favorite chair right next to the windows that gives him a perfect view of his outdoor kingdom.

Rudy was diagnosed with a rare cancer on January 16th of this year. We were told there is no cure and at best we had weeks to months. What? How can this be? But Rudy seems to have other ideas.

Every day he reminds me to BE in the moment.
Another lesson from him is: Problem? Not a problem! 

Shortly after he was home from the ER after his diagnosis of cancer, Rudy told an animal communicator friend and colleague of mine that, "It is NOT a PROBLEM". Cancer is NOT a PROBLEM! He also said that we were to remember his point of view, that he is living and being in the moment.

How does one "BE" in the moment when we are afraid of what might be or what could happen? The answer to that question is simple and yet has many layers. The animals all know the answer. But please read on for more from Rudy.

Rudy has been teaching me lessons every day and moment that he has been with us. This is one example...

Do try to always remember that words can have "power" if we allow them to. The word CANCER. Cancer that has no cure. Weeks to months! How is this possible? But Rudy lives lessons of living and being in the present moment. He has and is teaching us to Trust. Trust our feelings and our gut. Gather information. Gather the medical team. Listen to Rudy. Often he reminds us to look at him. What do we see? We see a healthy, happy kitty. No one would know he had cancer if we did not tell them. He is clear that we must always ask him if we begin to doubt.

It has been almost 4 months since we were given the diagnosis of weeks to months for him to live and yet here we are! Rudy is our miracle.

Rudy purrs into the microphone with his wisdom, healing and so much more

Rudy has made it clear that he wants his "voice" to be heard. I told him I would try to do my best to honor his request an find a venue that would best serve him to make that possible.

I am happy to announce that Rudy has agreed to be the new "spokesman" for Animal Paradise - Communication & Healing. He has a new Face Book page called, "Healing Purrs From Rudy". (link below)

What's next? 

There are limitless possibilities, Rudy says. I have a feeling he will be inspiring and encouraging me to share his teachings, thoughts and wisdom here in the Animal Paradise Blog.

As you go about your daily life remember to take a moment, or more, and BE. Breathe it all in for a moment and FEEL. As you do this FEEL the healing purrs that come from Rudy to you.

Please LIKE Healing Purrs From Rudy on Face Book

Lessons From Lucy & Friends: Fox

Lessons From Lucy & Friends:

Lesson From Fox

Even though we live in the suburbs of Washington, DC we are blessed with many wild beings. I never know who might show up from day to day. There is a fox family that used to have a den right on the edge of our property but they moved. Several different red foxes still visit our bird feeder along with deer, squirrels, chipmunks and of course birds. Early this morning one was right outside the window and then poof! She was gone. Most likely hunting her breakfast.

Earlier this summer while I was out on our screened porch doing my morning meditation with Rudy on my lap, I received a message and lessons from "fox". This message is a wonderful lesson for we humans. This is from the fox's point of view...

• Be alert and use all of your senses to instantly assess every moment and situation.
• Keep moving when outside the den/home.   
  
• Be quick when needed but always quickly assessing the situation, especially when it comes to food. 
• Feed yourself first and then feed your family. 
• Find others and work together for the common good of survival. (She shows me the deer family that always comes into our yard. She often appears just after they (the deer family) eat at our bird feeder and at times is right there with them. The reason she is always close to them, she shares, is they know the best places to find food that the humans share with the wild ones. They have an interesting collaboration and agreement.) 

  

  Fox waiting for deer to invite or leave

  
  

  

  Deer at feeder and fox back by trees waiting
• Dig in the earth. (As you are digging become the earth. Let everything else go and become obsessed with the digging...claws and paws and the feel, smell and textures.) 
• The cave or den is home and sanctuary but so much more.
• Go into the earth every day. 
  
• Take nourishment on all levels from the mother. (Mother Earth) In summer it (the earth/den) is dark and cool  but in winter it is warmth and protection...always protection from the elements. 
• Sleep. Deep sleep. All needed. 
• Feel the feeling of safety and comfort. 
  

I am always in awe and humbled by the profound and wise lessons that the animals share with we humans.

What lessons do you take from the message from Fox?