energy healing

When a Book Hits Home. Soul Healing with Our Animal Companions.

Posted by Barbara Techel

I really can’t say enough good about this book I recently finished! I loved it so much that I did a video book review for it which I share below.

But as I wrote for a review on Amazon also, Soul Healing with Our Animal Companions – The Hidden Keys to a Deeper Animal-Human Connection by Tammy Billups, is a beautiful book on how animals sense our energy and emotional wounds and often reflect that back to us – all in an effort to help us heal – and then how it often helps our animal friends heal too.

Because animals don’t speak our language, Tammy identifies through her work and book, five core emotional wounds that our animals can experience – and then how this is often reflected in their behaviors, actions, and physical issues – and to add to this – these are emotional wounds we as humans experience also.

Having recently gone through my own deep emotional healing with my dog Gidget who was the most profound reflection of what I needed to heal, I can attest to so much of what Tammy shares in her book.

I easily identified two core emotional wounds through her book that my dog worked diligently to help me heal, and I’m happy to say I did the inner work to do just that. But what was the most profound proof for me of my healing was that I was able to be witness to a beautiful and calm shift in Gidget as she healed too.

My favorite paragraph in the book is this one:

“A (human) congested energy field can affect all aspects of one’s emotional, physical, and spiritual health. Consequently, this knowledge can significantly influence the choices you make about your animals’ care. Knowing how sensitive they are to your emotions is also motivation for you to do your own energetic housekeeping.”

This, to me, is one of the keys to the book. When I was in my own dark night of the soul and realized I needed support and then began to heal, I wanted to do my work not only for myself but for Gidget too. I wanted her to live out the remaining of her life with more harmony and peace.

While I wish I’d had Tammy’s book when I was going through such a difficult time the last few years, reading her book now is just more validation and confirmation of what I experienced.

After reading Tammy’s book and having had to say goodbye to Gidget in May of 2019 I can say that I believe what Tammy shares in her book needs to be read by everyone who shares their life with a pet.

And I wholeheartedly concur with the last line on the back cover and that our “pets higher purpose is to help people understand themselves.”

Tammy’s book has been such a gift and another layer of confirmation for me and what I experienced in my healing journey which is what I’ll be sharing in my upcoming memoir, I’m Fine Just the Way I Am.

This is the video review and in it, I share more passages from the book that really hit home for me.

XO,

Barbara

Bear Medicine Healing

Posted by Barbara Techel

Bear Medicine Healing

I confess. I was a bit apprehensive when a few weeks ago I signed up to take part in a group healing with Native American Energy Healer, Dennis “Rocky” King. I didn’t know what to expect.

But for as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by the traditions of the Native Americans– and especially in how they understand animals and the healing medicine animals provide us in their teachings. But the more years I’m on this planet, the more it breaks my heart what we are doing to our mother earth and to ourselves.

But I do believe we can change this. And it all begins with looking in the mirror and healing our own “stuff.”

I’ve come to understand that by working on my own issues and finding more peace and acceptance of who I am that this in turn sends a positive energy out into the world.

Rocky, part of the Bear Claw tribe, began our healing circle on Saturday by thumping his large, strong hand on his heart saying we must repeat to ourselves twenty times a day, “I love myself. I love myself.”

Dennis “Rocky” King

It really does begin with each of us. If we can’t love ourselves, how can we expect to love those around us? And I know for many it is one of the hardest things to do – to say we love ourselves.

I remember years ago during a retreat I helped create with a friend. We did an exercise called “mirror work.” It was my part, to hold a mirror in my hands, look into it and say what I loved about myself, instead of what we most often do, and point out our flaws.

I couldn’t do it. I was too self-conscious. I felt bad that I let down my partner I was facilitating the retreat with. And felt even worse for not being a positive example to the women taking part that weekend.

For a long time, I beat myself up about it. But I’ve since forgiven myself because I know that I am human. I’m a work in progress and I’ve grown since then and loving myself comes much easier these days. Not that I’m perfect, far from it! — but I’m at least much more aware and can remind myself to be kinder to that lady in the mirror looking back at me.

Each time I step out of my comfort zone, as I did on Saturday, taking part in this healing is another step in my awakening. And another chance to be of good in this world.

Native American, white, black, or whatever your color or race, we all have our struggles. Rocky opened his heart to us about his alcohol addiction and how he finally saw what he was doing to himself. But more importantly that he had been given a gift that needed to be shared. And he came to understand the rough start down the path of life was part of his journey in order to share his gift and help others.

His gift has not come without struggles either. He’s learned to trust and have faith in Spirit. To know that he will be provided for, even when he really questioned how that was going to happen.

Someone in our circle asked Rocky if he ever doubts anymore. He said he does not. Whoa, really?  I thought. I’m still wrapping my head around that one.  And I know it is because of my own moments of self doubt that I question it because I am not yet there.

But I loved the experience and all the thoughts it has brought since then. I so appreciate the work Rocky is doing along with Bear medicine in a world that really needs it.

If you want to learn more about Bear medicine, here is a link. You can certainly do a Google search for other resources too. And if you wish to learn more about Dennis “Rocky” King, visit his Facebook page.

Thank you for subscribing to my journal posts.

Letting Go of Expectations

Posted by Barbara Techel

Kylie

This past weekend I completed my Reiki II training. It was fascinating and intriguing. For those of you unfamiliar with Reiki it is a Japanese method of energy healing. Rei means universal (or higher source, God, etc) while ki means energy. I took my Reiki II training from Ann Noyce who studied with Kathleen Praasad, founder of Animal Reiki Source.

Kathleen’s book Animal Reiki has many wonderful stories of how Reiki has helped animals with anxiety, healing from injuries, and transitioning.  Ann shared the beautiful story of how Reiki helped her when her dog, Amanda was dying. Though a challenge at first, Ann was able to focus on being there for Amanda recalling all the joy she had brought to her life, instead of getting lost in the sorrow of the impending death of Amanda.

One thing I found so intriguing about Reiki is letting go of expectations. Reiki knows where to send the energy to a person or animal and goes where it is needed most. As someone who just trained in Reiki, I can tell you letting go of expectations is something I’m going to have to work hard on. For those of us who love animals so deeply, we want the very best for them and will do all we can to make sure they are happy.  Reiki teaches us to let go of what we think the animal may need and trust that Reiki will do the healing.  I especially found this difficult when thinking about Reiki for my dog, Kylie.

We learned how to do remote Reiki healing and I chose Kylie to do this with. I had a picture of her with me as we began the remote healing. Letting go of what my expectations were that I thought she needs healing on was hard. For a long time I’ve felt guilt on and off for the abrupt change in our relationship when I had to care for Frankie. I’ve felt like the bond we had been developing broke then. Little by little I’ve been trying to rebuild that with her.  But I still see signs that I think contribute to us not being as close as Frankie and I are. I’ve thought a lot about his since the weekend and I keep going back to accepting what is with Kylie and letting go of what I think should come of the Reiki healing with her.

When I took my Reiki I training, I was told that Reiki is truly all about your own healing. I couldn’t grasp that. Now I get it. It is about my own healing. How often in life do we have all these expectations of ourselves, or family, or friends, or our pets?  I’ve been better at letting go of expectations of others and learned some great lessons of that this past holiday season – but now realize I must also apply that to Kylie.

When I think about the pets in our lives, I feel concerned for them and the expectations we have put on them. They often endure a heavy stress load, which is really our very own stress that we put on them. I don’t think most of mean to do this – but Reiki, as well as what I’ve learned the past few years from my own pets, has taught me to be more aware – and when we are aware we can give them a better life – and let go of expecations – which in turn deepens our bond with them.