Animal Reiki at BrightHaven

A few of weeks ago I got to visit a beautiful home in northern California and experience true love.

I went to Brighthaven Sanctuary.

About 20 years ago Gail and Richard Pope decided to turn their ranch, located on the fringe of Santa Rosa, CA, into a hospice for animals in need of a place to gently and quietly transition into the end of their lives while rescuing mistreated and forgotten animals in need.  They call it BrightHaven, a healing arts center for animals.  Today the Popes have a team of caring holistic vets and volunteers
that foster and mend any animal that comes to them, and the list varies:  I met a goose, some roosters, horses, a donkey, some cats and dogs, a goat, and I think there was a turtle hiding somewhere. 

The BrightHaven team focused on the individual needs of the animals in their care with different health issues, food requirements and personality traits.  I was surprised to find that the sanctuary was still a home - a very nicely decorated and comfortable home - where the cats and dogs in their care could relax and feel loved, welcome and well cared for.  The bedrooms were transformed into treatment rooms, the living room was a comfy waiting and cuddling room, and the kitchen was shared by all, including the foster pets.  Every nook, shelf, cupboard, and piece of furniture was transformed into a bed for some critter.  There were comfy plush chairs and couches in the living room, well padded wicker furniture in the sun room, fountains and swing chairs on the back patio, a nice pasture and barn for the horses outside and a big chicken coop in the back for the roosters.   There were plans for using the pool for physical rehabilitation.  Crystals and healing gems were scattered throughout the house and there was incense burning in front of the fireplace.  There was art, antiques and sculptures in every room.  I found it a creative, artistic, and pleasant place to be. 

The caring and dedicated Brighthaven team uses every healing modality available to heal and nurture their charges: Ayurveda, Reiki, T-Touch, traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, flower essences and anything else you can think of.  The Pope's furniture is even Feng-Shui arranged to create an atmosphere of peaceful and stress free living.  I was amazed to see how clean it was - not even any dust on the furniture - the place was obviously lovingly cared for on a regular basis.  The human belief was that a clean home supports a healthy immune system and the animals seemed to agree, because even the dying critters looked happy and healthy.  During my weekend visit I was never bothered by a floating hair, fleas or any allergic reaction to dust and dander, and there were around 20 cats and dogs living in the house at the time!

The animals are free to roam anywhere they want.  Even the paralyzed dogs are fitted with wheels so they can travel around the garden and grounds.  The ranch is as beautiful outside as inside, lushly decorated with beautiful rose bushes and eucalyptus trees, with plenty of acreage for the horses to roam.  It's no wonder that every critter chose to stay close to" home".  Who wouldn't?

My first comment when I went through the front door was, "Wow!  I could live here - no problem!"

Which was appropriate - the Popes are ready to retire and are looking for someone who will take over for them.

At this point you may be wondering, did I fly across the country just to visit this haven?  Actually, I went there to train with Kathleen Prasad, Reiki master to the animals.

I was already a level 2 practitioner, but I wanted to extend my training to level 2 Kathleen style.  Even though I can use my Reiki training to help human clients, my focus is more on our companion animals, and Kathleen Prasad is an expert on that subject.  When my Reiki teacher and master on this coast learned of my interest, she sent me to Katleen's website, Animalreikisource.com, where I found the information about the classes she teaches.  I jumped on the chance to go out to California and work with her.

The other students and I met at BrightHaven for a weekend intensive.  Kathleen strolled in right on time at noon and introduced herself.  She was was like a nature-fairy.  She was gentle and dainty and spoke with a sweet sing-songy voice.  Our teacher radiated with love and sunshine, obviously a friend of nature and a protector of the animal world.

We spent the first day comfortably situated in the comfy living room where we learned about Kathleen's point of Reiki view, distance healing and chanting.  In the middle of the day we were treated with snacks Gail Pope style - fancy chips with gourmet dips and lavish desserts served on chinaware.  We were treated like old friends who came for a rare visit.  I already felt at home, snacking on treats and chatting with my new peeps.  The second day, after we were activated to level 2 status and practiced a little more chanting, we went outside to work with the horses.  I was treated with the trust of an old donkey.

Actually, the story is kind of sweet.  We gathered in the pasture where Kathleen assigned us to certain rescued horses and an aging donkey.  I was supposed to work on a horse, but that horse decided to go to someone else.  I decided out loud that I would travel to the donkey on the far side of the pasture and work with him, but another woman headed out that way, so I stopped moving and stood still and radiated Reiki energy just to see what would happen.  I hoped there would be a connection with a willing participant, but tried to keep any expectations in check.  I was immediately rewarded for my non-effort.

Within minutes, as if he'd heard my intention, the little white donkey started a slow stroll toward me, ignoring the woman that had come to him, and eventually stopped right next to me.  Not long after that he rested his jaw in my hand.  I was taken by surprise, but was happy to oblige.  I imagine he had a sore tooth and wanted some healing.  Together we shared Reiki energy as I tried to show him with mental images how beautiful he really was.   Obviously he was a sweet and very aware teacher.

As part of my Reiki practice is aimed toward enhancing my ability to communicate with animals, I was exhilarated by the experience. The little dude validated both of my efforts: my ability to radiate with healing energy and an ability to talk to the animals. Our twenty minute healing session went by too quickly.

After another Gail-style snack we stayed indoors and worked with the dogs and cats in the house.  Every animal responded to the healing.  When one animal was done we moved on to another, or they moved to a different student - we left it entirely up to them.  We didn't want to force ourselves on them.  By the time we finished for the day we all felt touched by the love and appreciation for the attention we paid the ailing companion animals.  They were now our friends.  It was hard to leave them.

I didn't some straight home after that weekend - I stayed in California to visit with some cousins - but I carried the magic of that weekend with me wherever I went.  I still feel it: the strength of each dog, cat, equine and bird, and the beauty of BrightHaven Sanctuary. 

I still feel the love.

Panache Desai - Extraordinary

The thing I like about Panache is that when he is sending you an energy fix, you have to drop everything and take it in.

You have no choice.  Panache Desai is a siren of clearing energy, a force of the divine who's calling to you.  His voice is warm and smooth, his demeanor is polite and patient, and his message is universal and true:  "Our potential is infinite..."  Panache is on a mission to help everyone he can recognize their true potential to live the life they were born to live.

When he talks, you listen.  First he'll ask you to sit quietly with your palms open on your lap and take a deep breath.  Then he asks you to stay open and receive.  After a a while you'll feel his energy boost wrap around you like a comfy blanket then warmth and love flows through you.  If you have a question, he'll explain his point of view of your problem then send you some healing energy, quickly and lovingly.  How you receive his help depends on how open you are to his vibrational energy and his words.  How you feel it depends on your vibrational state at the moment, and you may not feel anything at all.  Chances are, though, you will.

I've taken part of one of his 21 Days of Presence and Vibrational Increase programs. I tried to multitask while listening to the teleseminars, but I couldn't.  I'd feel whatever a caller reported feeling - because Panache always asked how they were feeling after an energy boost - be it a warm sensation in their legs, a tingling in their stomach, or tears after an emotional breakthrough.  Every time I tried to take notes I'd start to zone out and stop typing.  My hands and arms would relax on my lap, my eyes would cross, my mouth would hang open and I'd start drooling - just kidding, but not.  I couldn't resist his siren powers.

I found it enlightening and relaxing, and I want to do it again.  In fact, I think I will.

Panache Desai stresses the importance of non-conformity.  We were never meant to be the same - we are divine beings that should stop judging ourselves and connect to our own unique expression.

"We've been conditioned to conform and to fit in, but we were created to reform and redefine what it is to be human.  We do that by being ourselves."  He believes we all need to revel in our own personalities and be authentic.  We need to embrace our lives as individuals and share our gifts with each other.  This is how we make the world a better place to live.

Here is a video from Healing With The Masters that will give you a taste of Panache Desai:

Panache was born and raised in London, and now lives in America with his wife, Jan, and their twin daughters.  He looks like an ordinary handsome Eastern Indian man, but when he talks he proves to be more than ordinary.  He expresses a modern point of view about spirituality and wants to simplify our connection to the divine. 

Do you thing I'm gushing too much?  Maybe.  He does have his critics, and I ignored him for a couple of years after hearing of him, but I've experienced his energy now and I can't complain.

When he tells us he loves us I believe him. 

Love, after all, is what makes the world go round.

 

Very Interesting!

I finally became a level 2 Reiki practitioner!

 Actually I've been one for a few weeks, now. 

I had two whole months to practice at level one before the new attunement, and I really needed it. I have to admit, though, I haven't been practicing much on other people, just on myself and a few animals here and there.  This short journey has been pretty interesting so far, especially after my advancement to the second level.

It seems the more I practice, the more energy movement I feel.  And the more I feel, the more I attract.  I'm meeting all sorts of interesting energy healers, including dogs, cats and birds.

The other day I thought it would be different to practice some Reiki while sitting outside on the porch.  I usually do it in my basement rec room, 40 minutes or so practicing the hand placement and feeling the flow, but the weather was so nice I had to go out and be with Mama Nature.  I got quiet and invited any critter in the neighborhood to join me for some healing energy.  After about 10 minutes of sitting still with my hands in my lap I looked up and noticed I had attracted a flock of migrating black birds.  I watched them fly toward me in groups of two or three at a time from distant trees in the neighborhood to roost in the trees above and around me.  I thought it a profound and grand experience until one pooped on me.

Back to the basement I went.

A month ago I had another practitioner work on me and I could feel her energy boost through me like a strong electric flow, occasionally making my legs jitter with excitement.  I was thrilled that I was able to feel it.  Years ago I'd tried a Reiki treatment and felt nothing, so I never continued with more.  I finally had proof that Reiki was real, and now I was ready to try more.

I worked with a visiting dog in a hotel room who's energy was so strong he made my dizzy brain see the carpet swim like an optical illusion.  I think heard a buzzing sound.  Even though he preferred to sleep through it in the next room, I left that night pretty high. I never knew a dog could give me a no contact high.

Hummingbirds snuck up on me to say hello.  One startled me so much I jumped, which startled him, so he pooped and flew away as fast as he flew toward me.  It never occurred to me that hummingbirds poop like regular birds, but of course they do.   I'm so naive.

I've been getting lots of love from cats.  Some of them talk to me as if I can understand what they are talking about.  Of course I pretend I do - what else can you do when a critter needs a sympathetic ear?

I've been practicing my level 2 symbols and long distance healing.  I found a Reiki for Dummies book and watched a number of You Tube videos and learned more.  I got a couple of energy tuneups from Panache Desai that left me feeling pretty good and ready for more, so I bought into a 21 day long tuneup.  I'm getting ready to buy my tickets to California to work with Kathleen Prasad for a weekend in November. 

What I find really interesting is the timing of it all.  I've been exploring energy healing for decades and had to search everywhere for teachers and healers, eventually traveling to Sedona, Arizona to find them.  I learned about all sorts of great New Age healing methods but never really could tell if I was able to do it or if it really worked.  I eventually lost interest and moved on to other things, like writing and on line marketing.  I did manage to collect some great crystals and minerals, but mostly because they are pretty. 

Along came 2012 and New Earth change theories.  People came out of the woodwork to talk about what they've also been doing for decades and they wanted to share, thank goodness.  I dived headlong back into the stuff and now I can feel the energy like crazy, thanks to Mahendra Trevedi and his transmissions.  Maybe I had cleared enough of my energy blocks to start feeling things, or maybe the planet is really changing it's frequency and helping things along, but I wish I could've reached this level years ago.   It's a good thing I plan to live a good 30 plus more years - it gives me time to get good at this stuff.  

I still can't tell if I'm accomplishing anything with it but now that I can feel it I can have faith that it's doing good things for me. 

At least that's what everybody is telling me.

Even if it isn't, it's still a wild ride.  And I plan to continue.

I Like Ann (Ann Taylor)

Ann Taylor is an internationally known energy healer with a not-so-unique method of healing that works wonders.

She prays for you.

Ann works powerfully with prayer to facilitate changes in your subconscious beliefs from those that hinder your happiness and personal growth to those that can change your life in a very positive way.  She asks God to heal you on a genetic, cellular, mental, spiritual and past life level to be able to do the things that should be simple, but aren't.  Her work eliminates belief systems that no longer serve you and imprints ones that do. 

When you sign up for her 21 Days of Healing program, she sets aside time every day for 21 days or more to focus on your healing.  People love her, and I can see why.

She also has recorded healing prayers in her pleasant sing-song voice available for you to listen to over and over again.  Repetition is important - studies have proven that the more you do something the more it becomes ingrained in your subconscious until it permanently changes you in ways you may never become aware of on a conscious level.  You can download the audios or buy her CDs to listen to as often as you want, and the more you listen to them, the more profound the changes. 

With Ann's audio recordings you can:

Be programmed to be optimistic.
Be empowered to manifest money.
Know that you deserve love.
Know that your mother, your father and your friends think you are wonderful.
Have the passion necessary to create the life of your dreams.
Know that you deserve to have a happy life.
Believe in miracles.
Be empowered to have the wisdom to make good decisions.
Be imprinted on a DNA level that you're worthy of love and respect. 
And more.

Pick your favorites, or listen to them all.  I enjoy listening to the ones that strike my fancy on any given day.  The audios seem to cheer me up; it could be the messages or her voice.  Or both.

I've gone through 3 rounds of Ann Taylor's 21 Days of Healing so far.  I started out on the first round looking for miracle changes, but realized that what was really happening was much more subtle.  I saw that what I needed was a cheerleader; someone whispering positive messages in my ear to make me a better person - the ones I can hear and the ones I can't.  Time is on my side so I can keep the healing working for me long after my 21 days are up, and even though I haven't become a millionaire with no personal problems I don't really care anymore.  The changes are more perceptual than physical; less stress and a better outlook means a better life.  Her prayers seem to be working.

All I had to do is pay for a package and tell her who I am.  She does all the work remotely from her home - I just needed to trust in her abilities.  I wondered at first if Ann was keeping her end of the bargain, praying for us every day, until one day I got a message in my email from her apologizing for being sick and unable to do the healing work the day before.  She promised to make up the day at the end of the program.   I wondered if it was necessary to apologize for something I, or we as there were over 700 other participants at the time, would never really know was actually being done.  She could've easily just skipped over a day or two without our knowledge, but Ann was way too honest for that.

It's easy to admire her cheerfulness, kindness and generosity.  She seems to really enjoy what she does.  I liked her before, but after that email, I liked her even more.  In fact it's impossible to not like her. 

To learn more about Ann Taylor and her process and her audio recordings, check out her website at  www.InnerHealing.com.  

Ann's never tired of doing good.

Reiki is Pretty Cool

I've always wanted to have healing hands.

In the 90's I trained with Barbara Brennan, a former NASA physicist turned energy healer, author, and founder of holistic healing schools in Europe and the USA.  It was very enlightening - I found out that even though I had the power, I disliked hanging over people.  Which also ruled out massage therapy as an occupation. 


So I thought it would be nice to be an animal healer.  I studied Telling Touch, a massage system developed by Linda Tellington to heal emotional and physical disharmony in horses.  She later evolved her system into healing all animals and people, and to this day I'll use it on dogs and cats, just to see if it works.  I think it does.  Still, I have to hang over animals for an extended amount of time to massage, feel for tense and hot spots, and use different massage techniques for different problems.  I realized I didn't have the patience for it.

So, I tried animal communication.  I studied with Penelope Smith and other communicators for a while, only to find that I wasn't very good at it.  Still, I have the bug and I keep trying.  The problem, I think, is that I need to sit down every day for some time to meditate,
reach out, talk to and listen to other people's pets.  Who has time for that?  I do have to say I've had  some pretty neat experiences over the years; with cats talking to me, squirrels and insects staring me down, dolphins giving me bubble baths, and birds sending me intuitive experiences.  I know what it feels like to lay an egg and why birds make little sighing noises when they fly.  I once had an experience with a cat who spent a good 15 minutes licking the palms of my hands.  I had no idea why at the time, but I now conclude it was because she knew my secret and was helping me by cleaning the chakras in my hands.  I guess she was telling me I was meant to do more than just talk to animals.

I recently discovered Reiki (pronounced Ray-kee).  Actually, I've known about it for years, even had a Reiki healing massage once about 10 years ago, but I never considered becoming a practitioner - until now.  I found out that people were using it on companion animals as well as on people in need of some energy healing.  When I found out I didn't need a lot of specialized training, just be attuned by a Reiki Master, I thought, great!  I get to sit still for 20 minutes or more, have the animals come to me or not, and we heal each other.  I also get to improve my communication skills at the same time, a positive side effect of regular Reiki practice.

Reiki is a Japanese energy healing system that creates stress relief and relaxation, founded by Mikao Usui.  He perfected a way to heal a person's personal energy field, thus healing their body, by channeling the life energy of the universe through his hands to the patient.   Reiki is thought to be an energy that knows where to go; you don't have to be aware of what needs to be healed.  Reiki uses your intuition to guide it to the right places, combines with the energy of the patient, and heals without any effort from practitioner or patient.  In fact, it is supposed to be an energetic give and take that helps both people.  The more you practice Reiki with someone else, the more in tune with cosmic energy you get.

As it has been a popular form of healing for people since 1922, it's only recently become a way to heal animals.  I'm all for it and I want to do it!  So, last week I attended a class and was attuned to level 1 Reiki.  I can now work on people and pets to heal with my hands.

What I like most is that I have a choice.  I can hang over people to heal specific areas of their bodies, or I can just sit still, let the Reiki energy flow through me, and let it go where it wants.  In fact, that's the best way to work with animals.  You start an energy flow from a short distance, either sitting or standing, and let the animal come to you.  Reiki is ideal for use with animals because it is gentle, noninvasive and doesn't require physical contact.  They might try to get close to your hands, come to the edge of your personal energy field, or just lay down and take a nap.  It depends on their comfort level.

I'm ready to be attuned to level 2, and I want to go to California to work with Kathleen Prasad, a well known animal healer and communicator who specializes in using Reiki for animals.  She's a self taught expert on Reiki for animals and has taught people from all over the world to become Reiki healers for the animal world. She believes that working with animals in a positive way will create a positive shift on the planet that will heal us all.

Reiki will also be good for my new business, coaching people to define and refine their passions, talents, and interests and create businesses they love from the things that they love.  I call it Lemonade Thoughts.  When I get attuned to level 2, I'll be able to do long distance treatments.  That means that even though we only communicate through telephone sessions, I can still work with my client's energy from home. Cool, huh?

Just another vibration raising activity for me.  Maybe some healing, intuition growth and a successful passion quest too.  I really feel I'm on a good path here.  With the help of Reiki I hope to finally get going on a new and exciting way of life.  Whatever happens, I know it will be beneficial for all.

I'm Trying to Be The Change

Suzanne Evans, bless her heart, is a wild woman.

And she's wearing me out.

Who is she, you might ask?  Well, she's the owner and founder of Suzanne Evans Coaching, LLC.   Determined to be all that she could be, she started with a secretarial job to build a business that  surpassed the seven-figure mark in just over three years. Today, she supports, coaches, and teaches over 30,000 women enrolled in her wealth and business building programs.  She has a huge coaching and money making team, and she's all about showing everybody else how to do it.

This weekend she hosted her 4th Be The Change Event,  a conference that gathered 900 plus business owners and entrepreneurs to teach them how to make the most of their businesses.  Because I'm training as a Profit From Your Passions career coach, I was invited to come.

Even though I haven't actually started my new business yet, I thought, why not?  I'd never heard of her before my coaching course, but Suzanne seemed determined to get everybody to come to Orlando.  I instinctively knew I could learn something while spending a little time in a nice hotel - maybe get a little sun and a swim at the pool.  I also knew these conferences could wear one out if you're not prepared for an intensive schedule so I came ready for bear - but I wasn't prepared for Suzanne's energy and drive.

Her event has gotten so popular she was able to get enough sponsors, big and small, to create an almost one million dollar 4 day weekend, and she filled every minute of it with activities.  It's now Saturday and I'm worn out.  So far today we covered email sequencing, product offers and having your own events.  We listened to an Infusionsoft spokesman (Infusionsoft is a marketing software company that Suzanne speaks highly of and is a big part of the sponsorship of the event) and broke for lunch.  There's much more to come after lunch.

I arrived on Wednesday so that I could take my time registering for the event and exploring the Peabody Hotel, famous for it's twice daily duck walk through the lobby.  In the 1930's the general manager of the original Peabody Hotel decided to let ducks live in the fountain. It became a popular attraction for tourists, and ever since then they've let farm raised ducks lounge in the fountain by day and sleep off their hard work in the arboretum at night.  Every morning and evening the ducks are led to and from the fountain with musical fanfare as if they were the royal family.  People love to watch the duck parade and line up along the red carpet to take pictures.  Today I was one of them.

I finally got to see the royal ducks arrive this morning, but Thursday morning, because I had a little time before the first event session, I got to go swimming with a pair of ducklings in the pool on the recreation level.  It was almost as fun as swimming with the dolphins - something I did years ago in the Bahamas and want to do again.  I glided through the water so not to scare the little tykes away, and together we swam up and down the length of the pool until I ran out of energy.

After that, though, my time to lay back and enjoy life came to an end.

The first thing we did that afternoon once we finished settling down in the giant conference room was stand to the Star Spangled Banner.  A high school marching band filed down the isles, playing very well I might add, followed by a troupe of cheerleaders waving flags and marching to the music.

Then an announcer read the names of all of the sponsors, speakers and coaches that were contributing to the event as they filed onto the stage as if they were the team football stars.  Finally Suzanne Evans came on with great fanfare - "And Now, The SENSATIONAL Suzanne Evans!"

She has a big personality and a Minnie Mouse voice, perfect for an Orlando conference.  Smart and exuberant, she also cussed like a sailor.  I found her entertaining as well as informative.  She proved to be a pretty good teacher and through the course of the rest of the weekend I learned a great deal from her.

There were two big video screens on either side of the main stage, which branched out into the room in three directions, runway style.  Suzanne used every inch of it as she walked around talking and motivating us.  She welcomed us to the game of business. The music flared as the marching band

played it's way out of the conference room with somersaulting cheerleaders trailing behind.

She talked through the afternoon, introduced other speakers who just happened to be part of her coaching staff, had a DJ in the back of the room playing very loud dance music during the breaks, and had us working through a series of workbooks she left under our chairs.  Suzanne announced, "I'm definitely not the smartest person in the room, but I'm definitely the most awesome person in the room!"  She was alluding to the amount of teamwork it took to help her create her successful business with her leadership.  She said she had to turn away 25 sponsors to the event because they didn't represent what she wanted to portray as a business woman and announced that she didn't care if we didn't like her.  She just hoped to help us grow our businesses exponentially.

"The way you do anything is the way you do everything," is Suzanne Evan's motto, which apparently means she does everything over the top.  She warned us that we need to pay attention to what we do in our private lives because it reflects how we will be with our businesses.

She topped the evening with a guest speaker and a book signing.  Bert Jacobs, the older brother of the "Life is Good" empire, came to lecture us on optimism, and even though he confessed he was not a professional speaker he was pretty damn inspiring.  He slipped off his shoes, threw a few autographed frisbees into the audience, and talked us into loving him and his company.  At the end of the evening he mentioned that he and his brother started a publishing company and sold us a book.  He got us with their children's charities - they didn't know what else to do with all the money they were making ("Life Is Good" was worth $100 million in 2010) so they decided to help children in need. He mentioned that 1/2 the proceeds for the book went to the kids.  We ran to the desk in the back of the room and bought all the books he brought.

10:30 that night he was still autographing the books for us.

The rest of the weekend was much the same.  Suzanne talked, her coaches coached, and we went on breaks with our heads spinning.  Friday night we were entertained by a family of Russian acrobats.  Tonight we're recognizing and giving awards to the members of her 10k club - people who payed to learn from her coaches and were able to earn $10 thousand dollars or more in a week.  Some of them earned 6 and 7 figure yearly incomes under her tutelage.  They're to be given awards and a champagne party later.  I may not be able to make it to the party.

All day we are fed lots and lots of information and somehow we're supposed to retain all of it.  We go to bed exhausted, but our brains are so busy we can't sleep.  I suspect that what Suzanne is doing is wearing us down so that we won't be able to resist her sales pitch on Sunday.  She is a smart woman with a plan. 

Next year Suzanne Evans plans to take over a whole hotel in sunny Las Vegas for her next Be the Change event and fill the whole thing with potential clients.  I wouldn't be surprised if she were to hire the Cirque du Soleil to demonstrate how teamwork works.  I don't think I'll be making that show, but I'm glad I came to this one.  Every business owner should experience Suzanne and her energetic business style at least once, if only to witness a master in action.

I'm so glad I took some time to enjoy the ducks.  They know how to live - gliding through life on a calm pool of warm chlorinated water without a thought about how to conduct business.

Oy, My Feet.

I had visions of filling up my free time walking a dog or two or pet sitting on the weekends and making a little extra money.  I found out something really important.

The dog walking business is not all it's cracked up to be.

You have to keep to schedules, walk for hours every day in good and bad weather, clean up after your dogs after every walk, stay cheery for the human parents, clean up messes if there are accidents in the house, dodge traffic, other dogs and unfriendly neighbors.

It's important to be trustworthy because everybody counts on you being there when you promised.  You need a back-up system in case something happens to you.  There's a lot of paperwork and key shuffling when you have several customers. You are needed day and night - there's morning walks, afternoon walks, bedtime walks, and in-between pee breaks.  You have to get out of bed early in the morning, go to someone else's house to walk and feed their dogs.  Then you have to stay up at night to go to someones else's house to walk their dog before bedtime.  Their bedtime - not yours.

You should know how to deal with difficult dogs.  You should be strong enough to handle difficult dogs.  You need to be patient with difficult dogs.

You really should be knowledgeable in doggy CPR, healthcare, and training.  

Like human children, every dog has their own issue and preference.  They might have health issues.  They might have personality problems.  They have fears, anxieties, weight problems, allergies, and favorite foods.  Some are food gobblers and will eat anything that fits in their mouths.  Some nibble and can spend all day eating a bowl of food.   Some like you.  Some don't.

Things get a lot more complicated if you offer other services. Grooming, over-night sitting, specialty treats, taxi services and weekly bed and breakfast services can add to your business, but make you seriously indispensable.  You end up working 16 hours a day and can never take a day off.

You need a good pair of walking shoes.  And hair resistant clothes.  And you can't worry about your own hair.  And you need a lot of poop-scoop bags. 

When I decided I wanted to try the business and supplement my income, I didn't realize how demanding tho job really was.  I was hoping to spend my days playing with other people's dogs and meeting interesting people, maybe lose a little weight with a few walks a day.

It's really hard work!

If you're considering supplementing your income with a little dog walking, I recommend working for someone else for a while first.  You may make only ten dollars an hour, but you'll get a good taste of what it takes to run a successful business.  You might decide, like I have, that you should try to be happy with a dog of your own and find another business that easier on the social life.

I'm still walking dogs, but it's become a way to explore a different avenue of pet care - Reiki.  I can become a Reiki practitioner and have access to some potential patients. It's my next new interest, and as you can tell from my previous posts that I have a lot of new interests.

Reiki promises to be the next big thing in pet care.  It's a Japanese healing technique that practitioners use to transfer universal energy through their palms to induce stress reduction and relaxation.  Even though it was developed for us humans, Reiki allows for self-healing and a state of equilibrium that works as well, maybe even better, for animals as it does for people. 

Yes, our pets get stressed.  And like with us, stress leads to health issues and emotional problems.  The difference between us and our pets is that our pets are more open to the energy flow of their environment.  Their ability to block or ignore environmental stressful situations is nothing like our

ability.  It's almost non-existent.  It makes them more susceptible to health disrupting negativity.  Reiki, which is as beneficial to the practitioner as the client, attracts a positive "life force" energy flow to help us heal ourselves. 

It's been a popular practice since the 1920's and I've known about it for years.  I can't believe it's taken me so long to decide to do it.  Even though my primary reason for learning it is to help animals,  I hope to make a daily practice that I can use to help me with my other new business, becoming a creative career counselor.

A whole new set of blogs to come.

Anyhoo,  if anyone out there is thinking dog walking may be a fun new career, think some more.  Be prepared for the hard work and dedication you're going to need.

Remember that those dogs are going to become dependent on you.  So will their parents.  Be ready.

And have a good pair of shoes.