Radiance Series | Supporting Shelter Animals with Reiki Kelly McDermott Burns

Join us in the first episode of the Radiance series on the Reiki Women Podcast where we have an insightful conversation with Kelly McDermott Burns, a passionate animal lover and experienced Reiki practitioner. 

Kelly shares her journey of combining her love for animals with Reiki, her experiences volunteering at various animal shelters, and the deep connection between Reiki and animals. 

This episode covers practical advice for those interested in practicing Reiki with animals, the importance of respecting animal agency, and profound stories from her work with animals, including heartfelt encounters with shelter animals, horses, elephants, and even an owl. 

Kelly's inspirational stories and expert insights are sure to resonate with animal lovers and Reiki practitioners alike.

And one thing Kelly would like all the listeners to know is: "the similarity between Animal Reiki and human Reiki is that both practices are rooted in compassion, presence and seeing the Light in all." 

00:00 Introduction to Reiki and Animals
01:50 Meet Kelly McDermott Burns
04:28 Kelly's Journey into Animal Reiki
08:05 Differences Between Human and Animal Reiki
12:55 The Simplicity of Reiki Practice
19:36 Profound Insights from Animal Reiki
30:00 Teaching at an Alpaca Farm
31:57 Meditation with Elephants in India
33:40 Reiki in Western and Eastern Cultures
34:25 Working with Shelter Animals
35:17 Reiki with Senior Citizens
37:57 The Philosophy of Reiki and Animal Interaction
40:09 Advice for Aspiring Animal Reiki Practitioners
46:17 Personal Stories and Experiences
56:23 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Subscribe now and join the conversation. 

Guest: https://heartsongreiki.com

Resource: 
https://www.youtube.com/@rockykanaka
https://rabiesalliance.org/world-rabies-day/nominee/tree-life-animals-tolfa
https://shelteranimalreikiassociation.org/

Hosts
Bronwen Logan: https://ReikiwithBronwen.com
Carrie Varela: https://www.reikihealingsociety.com
Michaela Daystar: http://HeartscapesInsight.com

Our email: reikiwomenpodcasts@gmail.com

Our own RWP Facebook Group discussion: Embodying Reiki
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Transcript

Speaker 7 0:00

I've always been an animal lover, and so when I started doing reiki I thought, there's gotta be some way that I can do this with animals. And also if you really wanna check your meditation, go volunteer and meditate at a farm because if you think your meditation is great, oh God, all the noises and all the things going on at a busy farm, you have to learn how to be in that space and peaceful.

Speaker 3 1:17

Hello friends. Welcome back to the Reiki Women podcast, and welcome to the first of this year's Radiance series, a series of interviews with people from our reiki practitioner community who are doing really important work around specific topics. Last year we got to talk with folks about women and health, and this year we are focusing on the animal kingdom and the many ways in which the system of reiki can connect with, humans and animals together. And for our first interview, I'm really excited to welcome Kelly McDermott Burns to our conversation. We've gotten to colleague together in a variety of ways, practice together, but never in this type of conversation and never in this formal way. So I'm really excited and happy that you've agreed to be with us this first time. So folks, to help set the scene, I wanna introduce Kelly A. Little bit formally, through her bio and then we'll get to our conversation. So, Kelly McDermott Burns has been practicing reiki since 2004 and teaching since 2006. She's a teacher practitioner trained in the Japanese art of Reiki by the International House of Reiki, where you and I have studied together and have trained in animal reiki through animal Reiki source. Kelly's a certified teacher of the Sha Boomi International Reiki Association and a founding and teaching member of the Shelter Animal Reiki Association, which we'll get to talk about more. She's also a past president of the Vermont Reiki Association and remains an active member of the VRA as the Reiki volunteer coordinator for Rutland Regional Medical Center. Kelly was instrumental in bringing Reiki to the hospital in addition to volunteering Reiki at RRMC. Kelly is a trained hospice and palliative care volunteer and teaches Reiki to hospice and HO Hospital volunteers. For many years, Kelly has volunteered at Rutland County Humane Society offering reiki to animals and their caregivers, and is a member of the Board of Advisors for the New England Pet Hospice and Home Care. Educating the public and the private sector about the benefits of Reiki is a major focus of Kelly's work leading to the first Reiki program at Guilford Medical Center. Her students are as diverse as doctors, senior groups, alternative medical practitioners, hospice workers, children and animal shelter employees in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. And Kelly speaks on Reiki frequently to a variety of groups, including can cancer centers, hospice groups, and groups of animal caregivers. clearly we have a lot to talk about and we may end up seeing you again for a future Radiance series because you're definitely touching on other points of expertise that we very much want to dig into in the future. But for today, we are gonna focus on animals. So thank you so much for joining us here. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 4 4:13

Wow. That was a very impressive, bio there. Yeah. We're not only talking about animals, but we are talking about non-human animals today. So, Kelly, looking back, how on earth did you end up in working with animals in shelters?

Speaker 7 4:33

well, I, I've always been an animal lover, and so when I started doing reiki I thought, there's gotta be some way that I can do this with animals. And, kind of before Google, went online and was looking to see if there was any information out there, and came across Kathleen Prasad's book, animal Reiki, and, And I was very excited about being able to, learn how to be with the animals in a different way than we are with humans. And, and I wound up studying with Kathleen and, she was putting together the Shelter Animal Reiki Association at the time. And I was really excited to hear that. And I, right away wanted to be part of that. But it was also a little afraid, you know, it's hard to, go in the shelter a lot of times. My shelter here is pretty good, but sometimes, you see animals in rough shape and, coming from homes that, didn't care for them and things like that. But, I remember, telling Kathleen that and she was like, well, if we don't do it, who's gonna do it? So, I thought, well, that's a good point. And I can start trying, see how it feels and, I just loved it. I loved being able to go in and sit with the animals. And my husband's not a dog. Well, he doesn't want a dog. He likes dogs. He doesn't want a dog. And we have cats. We've always had cats. And so I get my dog fixed by going in to hang out with the dogs. And, you know, the really wonderful thing about it is that there's such a huge variety of animals that come through there. You know, not just dogs and cats, but ferrets. And we had a ground or a, hedgehog one time. There was a pig there one day because they had a rescue from a farm and they put one of the pig, the pig in the, in the dog kennel. And, so there, always a variety and bunnies and all kinds of, small animals. So for me it was really, really helped my practice because, I got to have all this experience with different kinds of animals and seeing how they might react and how to be with them.

Speaker 4 6:28

Yeah. And was it difficult to get into in the first place?

Speaker 7 6:34

actually I was really, it's a funny story because I went to my shelter, local shelter, and I, I had made an appointment with the director or the acting director. The director was, out on me maternity leave. So I go in and I see the acting director and I said, well, I'd like to do this with the animals volunteer here. And so I went in her office and her dog was there. And I said, well, how I'm gonna do a little reiki on you while you're in your chair? And, and so I did that and the dog just crashed and she was like, I've never seen my dog do that. So I was in and she's like, yeah, sure. And it was funny because when the director, the, regular director came back after having her baby. She kind of, looked at me sideways quite a bit and, didn't really, get it. but in the end, after going all the time and, showing up and being, a regular volunteer, she would come and ask me, do you think, this animal would really be helped by this? And then she went to another shelter and we have a great reiki program where she wound up going. She was really supportive of us. And so really having her just observe what was going on and, really respond, respond well to it was really helpful. So we've got several shelters right here in Vermont that, offer reiki to animals.

Speaker 4 7:50

Right. Fantastic.

Speaker 5 7:55

I just love you sharing more of your experiences and what drew you to this. I'm curious, when you had this experience working with humans and also animals, is there something that stands out to you as a similarity or a difference between those two experiences working with animals and humans?

Speaker 7 8:14

Yeah, I think there are more differences really that I was thinking about this and I'm just thinking more differences because animals are really much more open to the energy and they live in that space, right? They live in that space of, in the moment and their energy is strong. so for people it's so different where, you ask them if it's okay to touch them and, put, they're on the table and I. Nine times out of 10, when people come for reiki, humans come for reiki. They want an outcome, right? So they're well, what did, and they wanna know what I felt and all that kind of thing. But with the animals, they just take it or leave it, right? So, so I'm Not forcing anything on them. I always ask permission of them. So it's really important that the animals have agency and that they decide whether they wanna come up and, partake of the energy and even where they wanna be when they're in that energy. So a typical session looks a lot different than what we do with humans because we're, the human is on the table and we're moving around them, but when we're working with animals, we're sitting quietly and they're moving around us. And so that makes a huge difference. And if there's any similarity, it's reallyhardfor me to even come up with one. But mainly that, they're really like people when they're really receptive, they're so open to the energy. And then there are some people who just aren't. And so we also see that with the animals, it's not, doesn't happen a lot where I have an animal turn me down. I'm always aware that, they're, whether or not they, open to what's going on. So even with people, when I'm working with people, I can really go into this space and, close my eyes and that sort of thing. But if I'm working with an animal, oftentimes it's really not a good idea to close my eyes because I need to know where they are. And especially, and I've worked with some big dogs and some horses and, animals that, And, care Foundation in Florida, you wanna know where they are, what they're thinking. so it's really important to be able to pay attention to that. I think really, the biggest difference I see too with people and animals is that, people have an agenda. They come, they want this done, and, and it can take a while, but they don't have the patience for it. And so they come once or twice and then they're done because it didn't, nothing happened right away. but animals, a lot of times they're just in that space and they're open to whatever happens. And there isn't anything that, they don't want, they don't particularly want an outcome, like a human would want an outcome, right? Mm-hmm. And I go into a session also not wanting an outcome, just wanting to be with them. So, yeah, it's really hard. It's really hard to come up with a similarity, actually.

Speaker 5 10:59

I think it's so funny. It's like, there's so more, in some ways, so much more enlightened than us humans, right? When we're just mm-hmm. Always seeking an outcome rather than just being in that Yeah. The beauty of the moment and sharing energy and, yeah. That's, that's a pretty striking difference. Yeah. The fact

Speaker 7 11:15

that they can so easily be in, just be themselves and, and be totally present, is really, it's really incredible to watch. And, and I have a, I have, two, well, I had two cats. My, one of my cats, left last year, last summer. And, the other guy still, he loves reiki, so all I have to do is have my coffee and my, my phone to come down here to do my meditation and, and I'll be like, oh, time for meditation, time for Reiki. And his head pops up and he runs down the stairs and gets in my lap and he'll hang out there. But Elsie, the other cat, she only came once in a while and she would hang out a little bit and leave, but Bo will stay the whole time. He really loves it. But, but there were times at the end of when she was nearing the end where she would come almost every day and sit in my lap for Reiki. And so it's so beautiful to see like she knew what she wanted. Yeah. And Bo just loves it, he wants to hang out in that energy all the time. But Elsie was like, Nope, I'm good. And then, and then when she wasn't feeling well, she'd come down and she'd get my lap and hang out with me, like, get her reiki time. So, they know what they need. And I think that's another difference with humans is a lot of times when people come for reiki, they don't really know what they need. they don't have an awareness of what's happening, energetically for themselves.

Speaker 3 12:36

Yeah. I love that. Carrie's Kitty is coming to get some, at least reiki conversation. If not animals always welcome. They are, they are. It's totally appropriate. I actually wanted to ask a follow up question to that. so you and I, trained in the same system with Bronwyn and and her organization and, I actually came to that perspective after studying, Western Reiki for three years. I kind of found my way to studying the origins of reiki and shifting the way that I practice it through an animal reiki class. And, what I would learn is that that, lineage is, how Kathleen Brasad. Adapted reiki for animals and found it to be a more appropriate, method of working with them. And, so I'm, I'm just curious if you have any thoughts of that. I don't know how much, experience or contact you've had with, with Western Forms, but I, I've, it makes a lot of sense to me, certain ways in which, the mindsets of reiki from his Japanese origins align better with animals than, Western forms might. And I'm just curious if you have any insights about that or if you've made any, conscious observations about that.

Speaker 7 13:46

Yeah, I actually, I studied, early on I was, my first training was in, with Reiki alliance teacher and, so very w Tata lineage. And so all about the hand positions. All about the hand positions, right? Mm-hmm. And I think we spent. The both days of the weekend class, getting the, I was just getting the hand positions drilled in to me and, no, I'm not, just, I don't think that's a problem. I'm just, remembering how that was and how it was so focused on what we were doing with our hands for me, I really, and then I studied with western Reiki teacher and it seemed to get a little bit more off the, off the path of where I want really wanted to be. and some of the practices I thought for, for me personally were, two, they were getting into dangerous territory, right? So, the idea of doing something for somebody who's having psychological problems and using different types of. symbols and mantras and things like that. that, that did not sit right with me. I'm not a psychologist, I'm not a trained, mental health, practitioner. so when I went and studied with the International House of Reiki, I really love that all the responsibility was turned to me. That, everything I had to do was about me. And from there I was able, that's where I work from. I work from a place of working on myself, balancing my own energy, clearing my own energy, strengthening my own light, and then being able to offer that to others. And so, it really was helpful to understand that I don't have, the hand positions are. Are just the piece It's not the only thing I need to focus on. And, and that made a huge difference with the animals because we don't touch the animals in the let animals lead method of animal reiki. We don't touch them unless they come to us and maybe, and we reach out then and they back off, then we back off. So we're always mirroring whatever, their response is. So we don't make them uncomfortable or take away their, agency. so for me it was just a no-brainer. It was like, yeah, this is definitely so much better for the animals and so much more respectful. I know there are other, schools of reiki that, have an animal reiki symbol and all kinds of other things, but I love the simplicity of the practice that I have and that. everything I need is right here, right? And everything in the system of reiki that I have to work with is for me. and this is what we do with the Lead Animals lead method. It's all about, the reiki, the reiki piece of animal Reiki is about our own development and our own, staying calm, staying grounded and clear. And so that is really through that. Then the beautiful energy is happening that the animals are attracted to.

Speaker 3 16:45

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I love your emphasis on simplicity on the self-practice aspect and that our role is to be with them in this way in our own reiki, and they know what to do with that, that we're not really doing much of anything. yeah, exactly. I agree with you that, I find that very effective with humans as well. But as you say, then there's a lot of their expectations that we have to filter through and kind of get them into more of that simplistic, simple yet deep kind of mindset. So yeah. Thank you for flushing that out for us. Appreciate it.

Speaker 7 17:19

Yeah. And I think that that's a really, good point too, is that the simpler the practice was for me when I was letting go of all the other stuff I had learned, right? And the simplicity of the practice changed everything. So all of a sudden it was like, oh, this is different. And because it was simple, it was. Easier to go deeper, isn't a whole lot of other stuff out there, you know, that I was focusing on or wondering should I use this symbol or chant this tone or do this, you know, whatever. yeah, there wasn't any of that, so, so that's what I really appreciated and it's, you know, what I practiced today still.

Speaker 4 18:01

We are really lucky to have a structure to work within that can give us those guidelines because aren't we just as humans, so wanting to make things more difficult, right. Yeah. But, actually there's, this is not a Reiki thing, but there is a guy that I watch these videos on YouTube and he goes into the shelters and he sits with, Rocky Kanaka, I think. Is that his name? Name? No. Oh my God. You should look him up. I love Rocky Kanaka. I am. So, and look, who knows, maybe he is a Reiki practitioner. I don't know. But really, he works with animals just very simply, and it's about trying to connect to animals that have. Enormous amounts of trauma and are sitting in shelters and are very unhappy. But I mean, for those of us who have practiced the system of Reiki, then we have, we have the outline. You know, we have the skill, taught to us to help us do what people like him tend to do quite naturally. Yeah. Mm-hmm. and, yeah, I, I, I love that, that simplicity without trying to make the animals do something or be something, or, and I see it with my own animals because they all respond differently. with how, how I am with them. And, and each one is an individual and you need to treat them with that respect of being an individual. And it's not like there's just one way to be with animals. I love all of that. From what you were just saying before, there was some really profound insights about this. Do you have any other really important insights that you feel that you've learned as you've been practicing with animals, I guess in shelters and just regularly with your own pussy cats or, mm-hmm.

Speaker 7 19:51

Yeah. I spent some time, I went to India for a couple of weeks with a colleague and we went to, tofa Tree of Life for Animals, who was a member of our organization, the Shelter Animal R Association. And I learned so much from the animals there. It, because it was such a different situation, right? So I, I go into the shelter here and they're all, pretty, I do get to go in with the intake animals before they're up for adoption. But, but I go in, the animals were all in, pretty good shape and everybody's, ready to go home and tofa. Took in a lot of street dogs. So sometimes, street dogs, if they were there too long, they also had a ho They also have a hospital. I'm, I'm actually on their board now. but they also have a hospital. and so when, an animal's there, dogs there too long, for instance, getting, well, they can't be put back out into their pack in the community 'cause the pack won't accept them. They've been gone too long. So there were all these dogs and when you walk in the campus, they're all these dogs running around and have got, two-legged dogs. They're dragging themselves all over the place and they run up to greet you and, one legs, two legs, tongues hanging out because they've, had some sort of, I forget, I always forget what that, that illness is that they get that. Attacks their nervous system. I was figured the name of it. But anyway, they, so they all, they are not acting oh, woe is me. There's something wrong with me and, don't, I am so miserable, or I'm so sad. And so that was one of the things that was really important to learn when I worked, started working with animals, was that if I'm bringing that energy of pity to them, that is not helping them at all. I mean, these dogs were happy. There was no, no reason to think they weren't. They, they acted like regular dogs. They were wrestling with each other, laying in the sun, all of that. And so for me to go in there with, oh, that's so sad, is gonna just bring everything down.

Speaker 4 21:52

Yeah.

Speaker 7 21:53

So it was really good to see that in real life. Right. I understood the idea of it, but to see that these animals, they were just enjoying life and not. Caring that they had two legs instead of four legs, was really profound for me to see that in action. And, while I was there, we also went to animal aid. And there, they had a cow who was actively dying and the cow was on a tarp on the ground. And, they asked me to go and do some reiki. So I went back there and what I saw was this cow laying on the ground and another cow standing right next to her and just holding space. I mean, it was really amazing to see that. And for me it was like, that's how you hold space. That's how I wanna learn to hold space for somebody who needs that. Right. And I think. That's something that really translates over to humans too, right? I mean, we can hold space in the same way we hold it for animals without, oh, do you want some reiki? I can, do some reiki for you. Can I put my hands on you? We don't have to do that. If somebody sits down next to us in there and look like something's happening, they're sad or whatever, we don't have to do anything but, breathe and just, connect with our beautiful light and, well, we're always connected to that. So, really bring mindfulness to sitting with that person without even, hey, you want some reiki, right? That just letting that energy flow and they'll take what they need if they need it. So it's the same thing with the animals. You know, we sit quietly just being in that energy, shining that light, and they come and go through that light as much as they want. So I think that just seeing those two cows was so moving, and to see how that cow, the other cow just naturally knew what to do.

Speaker 4 23:48

Yeah. It's so beautiful. I, just spent the weekend with a chicken who had, a prolapse, which you don't even wanna know what that is. Right. But it's not nice. And actually the egg was outside of the body with the prolapse. It was just terrible. but when I found her, actually the root, her rooster was with her. So she's there, the rooster was with her and just doing exactly the same thing, just being with her in that. But, I spent the, the weekend trying to put a prolapse back into a chicken, which was just very unpleasant. But, it is that thing of. how do you be with an animal in that reiki space? which, for me it, it's certainly not about oh, I'm not gonna sit there trying to do hand positions on some port chicken. Mm-hmm. That's got a prolapse. Right. I mean, it's about common sense, a lot of it as well, isn't it? Mm-hmm. You know, so just being with another being and really, I, yesterday I had to take the chicken to the vet and have it put to sleep because you can't leave. I couldn't leave it in that pain and it was not right. It, it couldn't be fixed. So, there was too much damage. So, but the chicken is being put to sleep and at the same time I'm in that, holding that space for that chicken, Open, shining that sun for that chicken, not feeling pity for that chicken.

Speaker 25:21

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 4 25:22

Being there for the chicken, supporting it. it's exactly all those things you just spoke about. And that is really beautiful. And it is, it's almost when we feel pity, it's almost self pity for us. Mm-hmm. It's self-indulgent, I feel. Right. You know, it's we need to let go of that and we need to actually be able to be open and share, what support we possibly can in, in those moments. In all moments, of course. But yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's so decent. Yeah,

Speaker 7 25:54

absolutely. I mean, I, I think you're right. I mean, I, I think for, and for the longest time for myself even, being around things that were, that was intolerable. Like I couldn't handle the pain or the Yeah. getting, how upset I'd get. And when I was at Tofa, again, I was in the puppy house and, they had one puppy that was really sick, and, they, they don't have what we have here, right? They have, when I go to the shelter here, they've got Purell on every doorway. And, they use medicine. And, and at to, at Tofa, they were using things like spirulina to give them nutrition and, turmeric paste for wound care and that sort of thing. And so there was a little puppy who was not doing well, and then there was another puppy who was on the floor. And I was doing reiki with that dog. And when I turned around and walked away. For two seconds. And I came back and it was gone. That dog was gone. Mm-hmm. And I thank God I do a lot of grounding. I was like, I ground, ground, ground, ground. That's my thing. And if I hadn't, I don't know that I could have hung out there any longer. I mean, I, I walked out and cried to my friend right, right away. And I was just like, what? And she's like, I was waiting for you to do that. 'cause she'd been there a few times, And, and then I was okay to go back in because it's, the need was more than my personal comfort.

Speaker 4 27:22

Yeah.

Speaker 7 27:23

And so, knowing that I could stay grounded and that, what I was doing was important and not, get caught up in again, the outcome. Not trying to change anything for them. just supporting them where they are. Yeah. Thanks.

Speaker 5 27:43

Well, that's so beautiful. And my cat has decided to join for our conversation, sharing her life with us Lady. We're sharing her life with us. what's her name? It's so funny. Her name's India. India and, yeah, India. And, well, it's so interesting we're having this conversation, but your experience in India as well. Yeah. and I traveled to India and after I came back from that trip, I, I got her. So, great. But she's my reiki cat, and she shows up for all of my videos and just things that I'm doing. And so I, actually was just leading a Reiki three course, prior to this. And one of my clients had experienced a bunch of preparation videos that I had for her, for the course. And my cat was such a big part of it. Anyways, and then, so we're in the course and she's like, your cat is here with us. She said, I can just see her intuitively with you. so anyways, that's, our pets are just with us, aren't they? Such a beautiful thing. Mm-hmm.

Speaker 7 28:41

Yeah. I was just gonna say one of my fir, my first, Reiki cat was, tux, also black and white tux. Oh, tux with Murphy T.

Speaker 5 28:49

Yeah.

Speaker 7 28:49

Yeah. He loved it. He loved it.

Speaker 5 28:51

Oh, so sweet. so I was wondering if you'd share just some more memories or stories from your work with animals and reiki, you know, any other experiences that you had that were just really touching or life changing for you?

Speaker 7 29:07

God, I've got so many.

Speaker 5 29:09

I've got many. I think

Speaker 7 29:11

probably, one that was really funny was, I was teaching a class at a horse sanctuary and, there was a gentle horse in the, in the paddock and we set up our chairs out there to do reju during, you know, to do the spiritual blessing. And, she was kind of down the corner and wasn't paying attention. And then I started working, I had my hands over somebody's head. There were three students and she came over and she just sort of sniffed at my hands. Like she was checking out my work, and then I went to the next student and she did it again. She just followed me down the row, checking out every person in the way I was doing the radio or something. It was really funny. So that was one of my favorite things that happened. And a really interesting one that happened was, I taught at an alpaca farm for a while also, and Alpac is a great, for, they're wonderful teachers and we really, believe that animals are, are amazing teachers, right? So, the alpaca is, it was a bunch of males and we would go in with them, which was fun, they were really great, but you had to really be slow and cautious with them. So it taught the students how to be deliberate with their movements and not, rushing around, but taking their time and being aware of their surroundings and what's happening with the animals. So I'm watching them all go in with these alpacas. And the alpacas just took off. But the minute they stopped and they started doing their breathing, they all kind of turned around. They just came wandering back and stood in front of the students. Hmm.

Speaker 30:43

So they

Speaker 7 30:44

were, they were really funny. And I see that with cats too. they, they're similar in that way where it's like, and sheep. Right. Really spooked and then Okay. But I'm really, really aware of the energy and I found it was, it's always been, fun to do a practice with the students at the farms where, they're working on each other but near the animals. Because when they're really focused on each other and not focused on the animals, the animals feel free to come and check out the energy and see what it's all about. But, but if they're, just doing a meditation for instance, they might be overly focused on, was this animal gonna come over and, come to me or all those things that we do and we're learning and we really want to see a result. So it's fun to have 'em work on each other. We do the, the three, diamonds, as a pair. And then while they're doing that, then the sheep, there's a sheep farm I work at too. And they all come around and they just stand next to the students. And so they get an opportunity to see what it's like when they're, energy's just not, they're just being right. They're just being together. That's beautiful. So

Speaker 31:48

that's really

Speaker 7 31:48

fun. And I have one more, story. it was really a treat to go to, wildlife, SOS when I was in India and we stayed on the property and so we were feeding the elephants in the morning and everything, but we had taken time to talk to a couple of staff members about what we did. And, they were really interested and it was natural to them, right? They weren't like, what is this crazy stuff? They, they totally got the meditation idea and everything, and they. we did a little talk with them and then we did some, did reju with them and everything and they really loved it. And the next day they were like, we don't want you feeding the elephants. We want you to go and work with these elephants that are, there are two teenagers, peanut and coconut who were with the three, these three senior elephants and they were up to all kinds of stuff and it scared the senior ladies, right? So they were always trying to rein them in and keep them, they were getting nervous about their behavior. So we sat down outside the fence and started doing our meditation, inviting them in. And, this most senior, I think, of the elephants came over to the fence. They, the other two kind of. And, circled around the two teenagers. And then, Susie, her name was, she came over to the fence and she took her trunk and she was just like doing this in front of the fence with us. And then she turned around and left. And then when one of the younger ones came forward, she didn't try to stop them at all. So it was really interesting to see how they kind of protected them first to make sure everything was cool. And then she came by and she just, they feel everything with their trunks. So she was just like in front of the energy. It was really neat. Mm-hmm. It's a treat.

Speaker 4 33:35

That's interesting, isnt it, culturally, about, you know, how, how different cultures, 'cause you know, I was in India for two years and they mm-hmm. Had, you know, wherever you'd sort of go, after having studied reiki that, people were always. Wanting you to, be a part of whatever they were doing, invite you to this or do that to work in that way. And, that's something that I think in a lot of our, more westernized, countries that we put up a lot of, I don't know what that is. It's almost like a bureaucratic thing that we don't want, you have to have proven yourself in some way. I don't know what that is, but, I guess you, you might come across that in shelters as well, here.

Speaker 7 34:20

Yeah. I've had pretty good results with the staff that I work with. Yeah. There have been times also where, they're just and they offer, 'cause that's one of the things that we do is when we're, we offer to train the staff, the staff gets trained for free, and then we offer, the shelter Animal Reiki Association. And then, we also offer the staff reiki because those guys are so overworked and, they, it's a lot of stress and just what they're dealing with too. some of the situations, they're great candidates for compassion fatigue, right? So it's a really good, opportunity to work with them. And, but they're always so busy and, but for the most part, I haven't really, hit any walls with the staff there because they're willing to try pretty much anything to help the animals as long as it's safe. And I've been there, I don't know, 10 or 11 years now, I've been going there.

Speaker 2 35:11

Yeah.

Speaker 7 35:12

So, yeah, I, I think probably the funniest thing that ever happened, was this wasn't a, a shelter but a senior center nearby. And I was doing, chair reiki for, for the residents, right. And so this, senior guy, he was poo-pooing the whole thing and everything. And, and I was like, okay, you know, not gonna push it. And so then, before I left he was like, okay, I'll try it. So, so I did a little short chair session with him and I was like, how you doing? He's like, well, I feel relaxed. It was an awful thing. Like what's the, what's the point of being relaxed? It just is so funny. I never forget that

Speaker 3 35:52

I thought this was energy and it was gonna pump me up.

Speaker 7 35:57

Took

Speaker 3 35:57

a

Speaker 7 35:57

burning push situation or something. Yeah. And I think, no, the thing that, I think we've come up against all the time is that people don't recognize that they already have all of this inside of them. That we're all of this energy, we're all this light. And, and I think, I have my opinions about that. I'm gonna probably say am here, but, but yeah, I think that it's that I, that whole idea has been totally, trained out of us in a way.

Speaker 4 36:25

Yeah, I think just thinking about what you were saying, I think often it's our confidence issues that probably would be the thing that would get in the way of mm-hmm. Of, of being in that environment and, putting ourselves forward as someone who would be able to do that. Mm-hmm.

Speaker 7 36:46

Yeah. Yeah. And it's, especially with the shelters, it's hard because. I don't see the same animals every week sometime, most of the time. Right. And I, I just was fortunate enough, not for the dog, but for myself to do six in-person sessions over the course of six or seven weeks with one dog and see him every week and be able to actually document. I, I did, short videos of it and, it's on my YouTube channel. And so there, each session was a little different and you could actually see his progress where he wasn't so riled up about everything going on. And then the next week he was a little better, and then he kind of slide back a little, and then by the last week you just sat down in front of me and he wasn't reacting to things going on around him and. So I don't normally get that opportunity because usually when I come back, animals have been adopted or moved to another area or something like that. So, so it was a real treat to be able to work with him that long and he did get adopted, so that was wonderful. Finally, God poor guy, he'd been there for a little while and he was in Sweethearts.

Speaker 3 37:52

It strikes me based on Bronwyn, what you were just asking and just this conversation that, working with reiki in this way is, it's counter-cultural even to the, like, subculture of being in the alternative wellness, realm or however we wanna call that because the, this way of working is so much about being, instead of doing of. Sharing freely and of acknowledging that what is needed each individual already has. And that's distinctly anti-capitalist. It's distinctly anti, authority, anti, like expertise. it's like we have training in specific techniques, but the expert in that room is that dog or the experts in that room is that man and the expert in the room is that staff at the shelter. And then to, create a container where this gift is shared with them freely and they don't have to pay for it. So it's, it's like being in, alternative health, wellness, however we wanna call it, industry, it's still an industry and, and to work in this way, like feels like another layer of. Countercultural and subversive and I like that a lot. I here. Yeah, definitely.

Speaker 7 39:15

Yeah. And I, the other thing too is that, with such a results oriented culture, right, I wanna see results, I wanna see 'em right away.

Speaker 39:23

Yeah.

Speaker 7 39:23

And that was the good thing about this six weeks with this dog, was that, I could just keep saying, I have to be patient. 'cause Winston is not, he's taking his time, he's going at his own pace and that's fine. All of that's fine. So really not trying to rush anything. And then again, just constantly checking, am I looking for an outcome here? am I looking, do I need something from this dog? I have to keep checking that to make sure that's not the case. 'cause they feel that they feel that so easily. yeah, just, letting them decide exactly how they want it to go and, and, and just honoring that. And it is an honor. It's an honor be to be able to work with animals like that.

Speaker 2 40:02

Hmm, absolutely.

Speaker 3 40:04

Well, I'm curious, for other people who may want to work with animals in this way, I know many of my students have that desire, they ask, how can I specifically focus on, on reiki with animals? And I am not a reiki animal professional, so I can give them some framework I can share with them the way that, the way that we learn reiki from its origins as well suited. I can direct them to the books and to the websites, to the lead animals, lead methods. So there's kind of these formal structures for. what to, what's the first right thing to do? I'm curious what you would offer to folks who really have a desire, either before they've learned reiki at all, or perhaps as Reiki professionals, what you most want them to know, what you want them to consider, what might they not be expecting that, that they, they might be well to expect, and, and some next steps for them.

Speaker 7 40:57

Yeah. I do a lot of talks on, animal reiki to different groups, and I always teach them, Josh and K hope breathing to help them calm down. Because a lot of times people don't realize that their own energy is what is part of the, it can be part of the problem of what's going on with their animal at home. And, So I talked to them about how, when you come in and you're all wild from the day and things didn't go right and your dog is jumping on you, is it your energy that's, creating that or what? And so, so I always, give them something to do. First of all, just a, a simple practice like that that helps them to stay calm and peaceful when they're with their animals. And then always, let you know, letting them know that everything that they, if they wanna do any kind of energy work with their animal, they always have to create it as an offering, right? Not, and invite the animal into that offering, but not, sending any, any energy or anything like that. But just sitting with the animal, doing that, breathing and inviting them to come and join them. And to also recognize that not all animals are gonna want that. And they might not want it one day, but the next day they're cool with it. I mean, I had, when I'd meditate, I had, my Cat Flynn years ago would sit behind me and my cat Murphy would wanna be in my lap. And I knew, never knew, I didn't know right away Flynn was back there, but that's where she wanted to be. She didn't wanna be in my lap. So, so we have to meet them where they are, see and allow them every opportunity to get comfortable with what's going on and not force anything.

Speaker 4 42:32

Yeah.

Speaker 7 42:33

So, yeah, I think that that would be what I would tell people. But mainly just, make sure that the animal has complete agency and is totally in charge of the session, however it goes. If they wanna be across the room, that's fine. If they wanna be in your lap, that's fine. If they wanna turn around, that's fine.

Speaker 3 42:54

Yeah, I love that. That's very sound advice,

Speaker 5 42:58

except when they're like 150 pounds wanting to be.

Speaker 7 43:03

Yeah, Winston was like 150 pounds, and I had to be careful because when I'd come in, sometimes he'd jump on me and, I had to be, I had to be aware. So even though I was sitting in a chair, I had to watch him. You know, I couldn't just shut my eyes and go into meditation and shut everything out. I had to know what was going on around me. And it's true, with horses and stuff, you can't just stand there with your eyes closed. You need to, to really be aware. So we, that's the other thing that we learned from this practice is how to meditate, and keep your, be aware, of everything going around you without shutting your eyes. So as you practice more and more, you learn how to do that and still be in that space. I mean, I think people think that we have to close our eyes and, oh, get into Reiki space. But maybe in the, at first, but that's not necessarily how we can hang out, with the animals because we have our own safety to think of their safety. And also I'm if you, if you really wanna check your meditation, go volunteer, meditate, and meditate at a farm because, if you think your meditation is great, oh God, all the noises and all the things going on at a busy farm, you have to learn how to be in that space and peaceful. Yeah. The animals will tell you if your energy is chaotic. Like they'll, right. Yeah. They'll walk away and then, then the first thought is, well, well they didn't want it. But that's not necessarily the case. So when that happens, the first thing you have to do is check your own self. Right. what's happening with me right now that might've made that animal walk away.

Speaker 4 44:34

You Sui said that we heal with our eyes. Our hands and our breath. Mm-hmm. If we are thinking of the eyes talking about what you're saying, if we've got our eyes closed, we are not really present for another being. What we're trying to do is close ourselves off from distractions, get into what we are doing, which is fine to begin with, as you said, but in reality, what we wanna do is to be able to be with the world. We don't wanna be separate from the world and we want to be, if we have that lovely, soft healing gaze, where we are non-judgmental because the eyes can be very sharp as well, can't they? Mm-hmm. It's that loosening and softening of that which is the loosening, softening of the mind and the body, and then the breath, and, so allowing that all to happen through, how we are working with our eyes, I think is a really, it's a beautiful end to being with, with others, humans and, non-human animals.

Speaker 7 45:38

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. And just watching, being able to, um, gently gaze at them. a lot of what we talk about too in class is staring, is very, um, um, challenging to animals and especially in a shelter, and how we move our hands can be just, you know, difficult for them and they react to that. So just Being peaceful in our own bodies and, um, you know, giving them the, the honor or giving them the, um, experience of our presence without, again, needing anything from them.

Speaker 3 46:12

What came to me was the, the contrast I experienced when I was first practicing reiki in the first three years that I was practicing it in the Western way. the contrast between dabbling with animal reiki at that time versus. After making this transition. At the time I had, um, a cat named Tonks. She was an elder cat. I think she was about 10, maybe 11 at that time. Black cat, beautiful bat cat. And she was very sweet, very cuddly. she was, she was a dignified elder lady. but she slept under the blankets with me and, definitely liked affection and liked closeness. And so I'm like, oh, this will be great. I'll share Reiki with her. she's probably getting a little achy, getting into her older years. And so, being a good reiki practitioner, I was trying to do the hand placements with her and, and she was just having none of it, just absolutely none of it. whenever, she would be sitting on my lap, sweetly, always. And then I'd be like, I'm gonna do some reiki for you. And I'd start putting my hand and she would just be like, Nope. And just get up and go. And it was, it was really. I mean, it's disappointing. I was, what am I doing wrong? what actually, I think first it was more like, what's wrong with her? Why doesn't she like this? And truly it was like I, I was doing it wrong. Like I was applying entirely the incorrect technique. And so after that reiki, animal Reiki class, that was my entry point into discovering that you absolutely can learn the original form as well as we can now. and that's what originally connected me to International House of Reiki was that class and just kind of, playing with this new way of working, which was very, as you've described, just being with them. And we learned a version of Josh and Coho in that class was the first time I'd encountered anything like that. And just the night and day change, it was kind of like, she looked at me as like, okay, finally you figured it out. Like finally you figured out that like, I already know this. Like I am already fi like I got this reiki situation. Or however cats would call it. I just need you to, be with me in this space. Just come join me in this space. It was just like a night and day transformation and that, seeing that difference with the same animal was one of the things that actually really gripped my attention with following this different path.

Speaker 7 48:34

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 3 48:35

Yeah, that's the story that came to my mind. What about you, Ms. Carrie?

Speaker 5 48:41

So first of all, I, I often see eyes in meditation. It's just kind of a common thing. And sometimes I'll see whale eyes and, horses, eyes and snake eyes, cat eyes. It's just a, it's a thing. And sometimes I experience that. But I live in California and, coastal California. We have a whale migration couple times a year. And, I have been shut out. I've been really wanting to do this kayak experience. We go to see the, the whales in their environment on the kayak and. I've tried many times over the last five years to have that experience and every time gotten shut out. But, over a Labor day weekend, the whales were in town and I got a chance to get out there. And we did this really intense paddle, super far out to experience a whale. And we sat with a whale for about 45 minutes out on our kayak, and it was just absolute pure magic. and what's interesting about these whales is that they migrate, that's the longest, animal migration in the world. And just in terms of my own love of animals, I had just have a huge affinity for wild animals. I just, there's something magical about wild animals and especially animals that are, close to extinction. the gray whales and, so they, they travel all the way from Baja California up to Alaska and back. every year. And Well, anyways, it was just such an incredible experience and it just reminds me of the journey of life. Like, the song from, the Lion King Circle of Life, Mm-hmm. How we're just so tied into that. And whenever I listen to that song, I just like bawl and I was out there with that whale and just bawling because it's like we're all on this incredible journey of life, right. And there's these moments of connection, whether it be human or animal, or these profound experiences that we have where we can just meet each other on our journey.

Speaker 50:33

Mm-hmm. And

Speaker 5 50:34

somehow share this, experience. It was just such an, it was such a high, such an incredible moment, to have that connection with the whale. And then I came home, I took my dog on a walk and I, there was blackberry season out here, and I must have stopped and just ate gallons of blackberries. I just felt my body was just oh my God. And I just the, the flavor and the, the earth connection was so deep and it just, it just, it made me feel so alive. Those special

Speaker 7 51:04

experiences. Mm. Beautiful. Yeah. That's beautiful.

Speaker 4 51:07

Yeah.

Speaker 7 51:08

I love, the wild, I live in Vermont and side of a mountain here and we have wild animals all the time. And so whenever I'm on my walk and I encounter one, I always stop and, let them know that I'm safe and I just do some breathing and visualize them just taking whatever they need from that. And, It's just been incredible having, there was a little fox that I, as a kid I started being friendly with and he would follow me up the hill and then follow me back down and, I just wasn't scared of me. And, and it was so interesting to have that interaction with him and it just, every time I would see him, I would just stop and do some breathing and then, go on my way and not, force anything on him.

Speaker 4 51:53

Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 7 51:54

There's so many beautiful animals that we can connect to that way.

Speaker 4 51:58

Hmm. That just reminds me of, the owl. I think I told you guys about that owl, but, there was an owl, someone who was staying here at my place came back and they said, oh, there's an owl stuck in a fence. And, I went up. It was out on the road, went down the road. There it is. Someone had a barbed wire fence, with the, that sharp bits of wire. Anyway, the fence was like that, and, the owl had been, was stuck with, in this fence and it was just hanging there. Oh. And I just go into that. I don't know what that is. it's just that thing where you just know that you have to do something. Mm-hmm. And so you set aside all your, all the things we were talking about, all the, the worries and the, anything. And, we must have brought, I don't even know how I had that, but some, some wire cutters maybe we already knew when we went up there, but, and we went and, I held the owl. I just wor I just, 'cause it looked at us. It was amazing actually. The hours just lying there. And when I arrived, you know how they have that head swivel? Yeah. They just did the head swivel and it looked straight at me like that. And I was just like, okay. And it's just like, you just know, you just gotta do it. And you just put everything aside and you just, it's sort of like training. Oh, you go back to your training, isn't it? Mm-hmm. And you just feel grounded, open, went straight to the owl, held the owl, someone clipped on either side, the metal wire, and I just held the owl and it lay like a baby in my arms. And it's just that whole thing of, I just didn't exude any fear or anything like that. Mm-hmm. And it was just total, being there, Kelly, you talked about that, holding that space, for the, for whatever being, for whatever they need and, and doing that and. Then put it somewhere safe and got the wildlife people to come to, make it better. But it was just the most amazing experience because you don't think it's just, there's no thinking and there's just that being in it and being, it's that connection of that thing of us all being animals and just knowing that we can all just be there together and yeah. So it was, it was a beautiful experience.

Speaker 7 54:22

Yeah. That's such incredible creatures. And I think, that's also what I learned from my, my practice is that I'm not above the animals, right? So the, I, I feel them as equal in my life, in my, practice. But otherwise in that they're. Just actually probably better teachers, than I am than anybody I know because they, they're in that, They're in that energy, their own energy. They're just, they are authentic. They are being who they are. They're not trying to be anything else. And and they're in the moment. And so there's so much to learn from that. But also just the generosity also of animals where, they are, for instance, the owl who, Awful. Strong claw, awful strong, beak as well. It could really hurt you. But when I rang the Wildlife Kelly,

Speaker 4 55:16

I rang up the wildlife place, right? And they have a little answering machine message and it says, if you come across any raptors, do not go near them. And I was like, oh, it was too late by that point, obviously.

Speaker 3 55:27

Oops. Too late. Like, we're already friends. It's fine. It's fine. That's

Speaker 7 55:31

right, that's right. I know this guy. Yeah. Yeah. That's amazing. That's a great story though of, just holding that space and doing the right thing.

Speaker 2 55:41

Yeah.

Speaker 7 55:42

and, and I like to, Carrie mentioned letting go of the ego, and I think that's something that, animals pick that up right away. They, they know when you're in your ego and, again, checking in constantly of like. Am I wanting anything here? Am I looking for an, do I have expectations? Am I looking for an outcome? Asking myself that all the time just to make sure that I'm not letting my ego slip in

Speaker 3 56:06

beautiful.

Speaker 7 56:07

They're gonna tell me if it is so, but they're also very giving, right? They go back into my space and then they're like, okay, now she gets it.

Speaker 5 56:16

Yeah.

Speaker 3 56:16

Yeah,

Speaker 5 56:17

absolutely.

Speaker 3 56:18

Well, Kelly, thank you so much for joining us, for being our first guest in this Radiant series. I am looking forward to all of the conversations because I've already learned so much from this conversation and feel very inspired by it, as I'm sure our, our viewers and listeners will as well. So those of you who have been watching along with us, please do share down below your experiences with animals and reiki, the coming together of your practice with Encounters with Animals. Do you have questions for our guest? We can pass them along to Kelly and get them answered in the comment section. We will, of course, put all of Kelly's information, including her YouTube channel down below, in the show notes, and let's throw Rocky Kanaka down in there too. More people should be watching his channel, getting some dogs adopted. I agree with you. I think Rocky's just a natural Ricky person. Oh yeah, no training ne necessary. so friends, thank you so much for being with us. We will, be with you again next week for another great conversation. And until then, we love you. Goodbye. Thank you all so much.

Speaker 7 57:20

It was so much fun.