Animal Reiki Source Newsletter: January, February, March 2012

By Aileen Morrison

My first attempt at offering Reiki to a wild animal was to a dingo. We had stopped at Devil’s Marbles, which was hot, dry, no trees and the ground extremely hard (couldn’t get our tent pegs in!).

As the sun began to set a dingo appeared in the campground. It looked the worse for wear with its coat patchy and dull. Basically it wandered slowly around the camp looking for food. Many campers had headed off to climb the ‘marbles’ (large roundish rocks) to watch the sunset so there was not much available as no one was cooking. [By the way we are not allowed to feed the dingos nor encourage them to come close, as there have been instances in the past – especially Fraser Island – where they have attacked & even killed].

My partner & I had been to the rocks already so stayed at camp. I decided to offer Reiki to the dingo as it seemed in need of some TLC and that was all I could offer. 

After a few minutes of offering Reiki the dingo came and stood right in front of our site but in the middle of the road area. I lowered my eyes so I wasn’t looking directly at it but could still see where it was. After about 5 minutes the dingo went away but then was back again shortly after, this time facing the opposite direction.

Again after about 5 minutes, the dingo ‘plonked’ onto the ground and curled up. I kept the treatment going for about 10 minutes when it then stretched out (paws in front, belly still on ground). After a few minutes of this position it then rose, shook itself and then commenced wandering about the camp again. I wasn’t sure if this had anything to do with the Reiki until I heard a camper nearby (had been there for a few days) remarking to new arrivals that he hadn’t seen the dingo do that before – lie down, usually ready to run to food or away from vehicles. The dingo walked past a little while later and that was it for the night. 

We were up before dawn and on the road just as light was breaking so don’t know whether the dingo came back in the morning.

Part Two…

My second attempt was not deliberate. We were camping at Mataranka Springs (lovely place to swim in the heat, lots of bats, peacocks & wallabies) when we were approached by a skinny, bony wallaby (small kangaroo like critter). The camp manager told us she had been around for years and was fairly old.

She happily took some dried apple from our hand but wouldn’t allow anyone to touch her directly. The wallaby disappeared at dusk so I didn’t think anymore about it

Let me first describe our tent before continuing with my experience.

I call it a “foreign legion” tent (not sure of the correct term) - it has 4 sides, one central pole, is high enough to stand up in, two sides have mesh as well as canvas zipped covers (one end is the doorway). We usually have the mattress with our heads at one mesh end and feet at the other where the door is. The canvas is often rolled up in the warmer climate to allow any semblance of breeze to flow through the tent.

Later that night when I went to bed I sent Reiki out to my family, their animals & both of my animal companions. I was lying on the mattress with my hands above my head, palms out against the mesh, eyes closed sending Reiki.

I would say I was like this for about 15 minutes when I felt something initially brush against the mesh. I opened my eyes and tried to see what it may have been with the limited view I had to the sides of the tent. After not identifying anything that may have been the cause of this I resumed the Reiki as described above. Five minutes later, a furry critter leaned against the mesh and onto my palms. This time I didn’t stop the Reiki or move apart from twisting my head to check out what it was. It was a wallaby but I couldn’t distinguish which one in particular.

The wallaby stayed on my hands for at least a ½ hour when it eventually got up. It moved a small distance away & sat there for a few minutes and then hopped away.

Again I didn’t know whether it had come to accept Reiki or just liked lying on canvas (anything other than directly on the ground). 

In the morning the old wallaby hopped up when we were eating breakfast so I gave her some more dried apple. I sent some Reiki to her then gave her a scratch behind the ears and put my hand on her shoulders just for 10 seconds before my partner offered her some of his apple. When she hopped over to him he went to scratch her behind the ears also but got a different response. She accepted the apple but nipped him for his advances. She came back to me but I had put the apples away so only gave her a gentle scratch behind the ears and then she hopped away.

It was a great experience whatever may have motivated her to come over. I hope she felt better in some way whether it was the Reiki, a softer place to lie for her bony body or the healthy treat of apples.