There is such beauty in our animal friends. You know that already. Many, if not most, of the animals I’ve been blessed to work with this year in my animal communication and Let Animals Lead meditation practice appear in this short video.
In 2024, Indiana experienced some amazing beauty in the sky as well — the solar eclipse in April and at least a couple of Northern Lights displays. A few photos from these are included as well.
Thank you to Camp Red Cedar for the cover image of the aurora borealis above the camp grounds; Chandu Prem Lal for the stunning capture of the eclipse behind the Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Monument; Heather Hoffmann for her beautiful scenes of the Northern Lights; Jenn Andrew for her photo of me at the pasture fence and everyone else who sent their best.
Even bigger thanks go to all of you who trusted me to listen to and hold space with the horses, dogs, cats, goats and other creatures in your lives. I look forward to doing even more in 2025.
Want a better connection with your dog, cat, horse or other companion? This newly revised, mobile-friendly guide can get you started.
As an animal communicator and professional writer, I know how important it is to be succinct. That’s why I streamlined the earlier version to make it even easier to begin to find the answers you seek.
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Dolly, left, and Maggie after a Let Animals Lead® session.
You may hear me talking more about meditation than Reiki these days. That’s because the animal Reiki method I practice, Let Animals Lead®, works through meditation. It’s different from what you may know as Reiki.
Let Animals Lead® was developed by Kathleen Prasad, founder of Animal Reiki Source and co-founder of the nonprofit Shelter Animal Reiki Association, to which I belong. Let Animals Lead® is a specialized form of Reiki, a Japanese stress relief modality: “Rei” stands for spirit or higher power, and “ki” (sometimes seen as “chi”) is the energy that animates every living thing.
Reiki was developed a century ago by Mikao Usui. It was essentially meditation; subsequent teachers added hand positions. These hand positions are used with a human client seated in a chair or lying on a massage table. That was how Kathleen and tons of other practitioners, including me, learned Reiki. Today, Reiki promotes relaxation and healing in spas, private clinics, hospitals and other settings.
As time went on, Kathleen found that “people Reiki” wasn’t always effective with animals … despite the best intentions of the practitioner. Because animals are much more sensitive to energy, touch generally isn’t needed. Animals who have experienced abuse, trauma or illness may even shy away from touch.
Kathleen saw this most acutely when her beloved dog Dakota was sick. He wouldn’t sit still for traditional Reiki, but when she sat quietly in meditation, he settled beside her.
Creating a peaceful space where animals are free to share on their own terms turned out to be a game changer. Thus Let Animals Lead® was born.
I had taken one or two of Kathleen’s earlier classes and practiced animal Reiki, but training with her as a Let Animals Lead® practitioner and teacher allowed me to offer animals and their people something better. It is my honor to see creatures from mice to rescued draft horses join with me and take the lead in their own healing — whatever that means for them.
Is it still Reiki? Yes. Is it more accurately and recognizably described as meditation? Also yes.
In a world where so much seems murky, talking about a discipline that makes animals’ lives better can be clear.
All Creatures 