Ever wanted to know how if you can do healing work on not? Work with animals! Animals, in my view, are the best healing teachers out there, because they are honest with their feedback and often much more in tune with their bodies than humans are.
After doing a distance healing/animal communication session for a dog recently, I thought I would share some of the do's and don'ts of treating animals (also applicable to humans!).
DO
Start the session from a neutral space, meaning make sure your energy is as clear as it can be - animals are often very sensitive to our issues and may try and do healing on us instead or react negatively to our issues, confusing the symptoms they present
Assess whether it's appropriate to give healing. Sometimes animals refuse. This is perfectly in their right to do so
Assess whether the animal would prefer a hands on, hands off or distance treatment (many animals can find hands on healing too close or intense)
If treating in person, make sure it is a pleasant and comfortable experience for you both. Think about where and how you are going to do things
If treating from distance, ideally arrange with the owner that the animal is quiet and can be with them and undisturbed. Healing can produce a response, animals may appreciate the comfort of another to lean into
Watch the responses of the animal as you are treating. Stop when they are done, not when you think they should be done (a colleague once treated my horse and she could only handle a few minutes before she needed for it to stop). Notice which part of their body they seem to want have treated or whether it's a general all over.
DON'TS
Assume you are right for every animal, they have their preferences, just like us humans
Force yourself on an animal, whether it's physically or energetically
Pin them down and have them tightly captured in any way
Do what you want. Your job is to be an open vessel and to allow the animal to take from you what they need
Assume if they have a condition or injury, that's where you should focus your healing. They may just want some general support. Treating the injured or diseased area may be too uncomfortable for them
Assume you know what you're doing. Animals are masters at taking what they need, our human brains and thinking often get in the way of them being able to do that, so keep an open mind
Stop because you've run out of time, and leave them hanging. At the very least explain you have to finish the session and that they need to get themselves to a space it's ok for the healing to end. Work with them on this, or stop trying to live in human time and run the session until they are done!!
At the end of the day, I've learnt so much from animals around healing I highly recommend you let them teach you how to be a better healer. As with a healing, the healer benefits too, so make sure you carve time out in your day to do your healing practice with your pets and be open to random animals plonking themselves at your feet asking for healing support.
Happy healing!