Picking up on cues
Posted by lisa on Jun 11, 2008
One of the tenets in Kathleen Prasad’s Reiki Code of Ethics is
I always ask permission of the animal before beginning, and respect his or her decision to accept or refuse any treatment. I listen intuitively and observe the animal’s body language in determining the response.
If this is your goal, it is extremely important to learn what an animal is saying to you through his body language and vocalizations. A dog (usually) tries to tell you several times that he doesn’t want to be touched on the back before he finally snaps. You have to become a master at reading these signals, to save your fingers, and to save the session.
A massage isn’t like a skin scraping or Xray that must be done– nothing bad is going to happen if you work the left scapula but not the right, or skip the back for a session. The dog will reap fewer benefits in that session, but will learn to trust that you will listen to his wishes.
I firmly believe, especially with energy work but also massage, the animals understand more than we do about their bodies. We might not know about the clot or tumor in his leg, but he knows that leg feels uncomfortable and it gets worse when you touch it. There is no harm in backing off a bit, and letting the owner know there might be an issue in that leg.
“Listen” also for times the animal asks for longer treatment in a certain spot. Work it more or at least return to it often. Responding appropriately to his cues will strengthen your relationship and perhaps help a condition that he is aware of and you are not. Later I will write about how to recognize these signals, and some ways to eventually get around to that forbidden spot.
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