Homework Practice Call - Rusty the Horse

We were given a partner to work with to trade practice time. Since we all have animals, it makes it easy to partner up and swap photos to practice. Lois and I arranged a call and she sent me a photo of her horse Rusty, and I sent her a photo of my dog Toby so we could trade. We both went through some meditation time, and then connected with the animal.

Rusty is her 9 year old horse that she and her husband have owned since he was 6 months old. He lives with two other horses, Buddy a 13 year old, and Crusader, aka "CR" who is 8 years old, plus their dog Misty and she and her husband.

I connected with Rusty, and immediately got the feeling like he was standing RIGHT in front of me, almost with his forehead pressed against me. I connected a little deeper and got the impression that he liked to nap in the sunshine, and that he felt very young to me, regardless of his age.

When we reconnected, Lois confirmed everything for me, and told me that he also enjoys playing with CR a lot, and is in general very playful.

She shared with me about her connection with Toby, and that he interrupted her meditation wanting to chat! She had to tell him to wait a minute and let her finish. When she connected wtih him she found that he likes to be close, especially to things that are mine and smell like me. He's very loving. He also told her he wants to be in charge (thinks he is....), he's very proud of his coat and how shiney it is. He is also proud of his home and the humans he lives with (myself and my boyfriend). He likes to be outside and inside, and likes other animals. He showed her his bed (she saw something stuffed and blue), and then told her about a round bouncing object that was red that he loves to play with.

I was able to confirm everything she got, and discovered later that the round bouncing object was the laser dot that we sometimes play with him. He loves to chase it and will probably chase it forever if he's given the opportunity!

Home Study Call - Buster Keaton the Cat

Joan's cat, Buster Keaton was our animal friend for the day. He is one of several of her animals that she has, and so we connected with him after our meditation.

I entered into the call late due to problems with my phone, so I was a little flustered from the outset. I picked up on his essence of being warm and liking connection with people. I got that he likes grooming himself, and enjoys running around and playing.

Others picked up on the playful attitude as well, finding that he likes the little toy mousies, and crunchy sounding things like leaves and ribbons. He likes to tussle with another cat, and enjoys snuggling with the other animals and people in the house. He is gentle, but has a strong personality, though isn't the leader of the house. He is proud of his fur, and enjoys time in the sunshine relaxing.

Joan gave us the rundown and we had all really picked up his essence. He enjoys being in a group, but also alone time. He likes to groom the dogs, and is careful with Olivia and cleans her ears for her. He loves to take strolls outside, and will steal the other cat's catch from them. He is sometimes reserved, but still fun and playful at the same time.

Home Study Call - Shaker the Horse

Today's class was led by Sue, and we connected with her daughter's horse, Shaker. He is an 11 year old Thoroughbred gelding that is boarded at a nearby barn. Sue led us through the meditation and we all began connecting.

I didn't get much more than a sense, which was disappointing. The essence that I sensed was that he was a real gentleman, and that he loved to run.

Almost everyone in the class sensed that he liked to run. Others picked up that he was easy going, and a funny guy. He likes carrots and apples and walking on the trails. Someone even identified that there is one horse in his herd that he doesn't particularly like, otherwise he gets along with the others. A few people noticed that his right hind felt a bit off. There was also a sense that he liked to play with a ball or toy, and that he likes having his feet trimmed, he just doesn't like the process of doing so.

Sue verified that he had injured his right hind foot last summer. He enjoys rolling, and shaking off. He was a former race horse, and does love to run. He did, in fact, have a ball to play with at one time. He is easy going, and does like his carrots. He hasn't been worked in a while, so he probably is tight.

It was delightful to work with a horse for the first time. I got a sense of a big brown barn, and a sort of shed row, or dutch door style barn that opens to the outside. He was quite the gentleman to work with.

Home Study Call - Body Scan

Karen sent the information for the day's call and included a photo of herself. When we connected to the call, she explained that body scanning is challenging because the animal can't give us feedback. When scanning for general essence, favorite things, and other topics, the person most connected with the animal can give descriptive feedback. When dealing with body scanning, the feedback isn't able to be verified from an animal, so working with people is the preferred learning method.
Karen explained several different methods of body scanning, and encouraged us to experiment to find our own "easiest" technique. She suggested working with the photo, and using "soft eyes" to scan the image to see if we could detect any energetic discrepancies. Another option was to use our hands to run over the animal (physically, if you are with the animal, or using imagery if the animal is in another place) to sense changes in energy, hot spots, or blocks. The last option was to "climb into" the body, and use our own body to sense feelings, energy, heat, and possibly pain, to sense what the animal is experiencing.

We began the session the same as we always do, with a meditation to get grounded and connected, as well as to identify anything in our own bodies that could interfere with receiving information. Once the meditation was finished, I began to scan, trying to place my body within the image of hers and feel any sensations that I could. I felt slightly nauseous, and a little light headed, but couldn't identify anything more than that.

Karen filled the class in after we all gave our descriptions. She did say she was a bit dizzy and not feeling well. She was not working at 100% and was feeling a little fuzzy. She explained she gets frequent headaches, and wears reading glasses. She's been a little stuffy with some sinus issues, and has been seeing an ENT to help diagnose that. She explained she probably should be taking her thyroid supplements, but hasn't been. Her shoulders and back were a little tight from traveling and hauling her suitcase. She feels there is a hip or leg issue on her left side, but isn't sure of what it might be at this time. She has also been dealing with grief issues, and has been doing a lot of transformational clearing work in the past couple of years.

Many people in the class got a number of the details that Karen elaborated on. I think that my own inability to connect is based upon the fact that I am unsure that "I can do it" so that is leading to the reality that I can't do it. Hopefully this will shift with more practice. Body scanning work is my weakest area currently.

Home Study Call - Bella the Cat

This is Bella! She is 2 years old and lives with Sue's family, herself, her husband, and their daughter. The call today was to begin learning to scan the body. This is a form of connection that allows the individual to feel what is going on in the animal's body. It does not take the place of a veterinary diagnosis, but it can help tremendously with tough situations, especially when an animal might be masking pain. There are several different methods to do this, but this call was just the beginning to explore.

After Sue guided us through the meditation, I began to connect. I felt that she was a bit timid and shy, but that she loved to play. It seemed that once she warmed up to you, she would be very affectionate. I got images of her pouncing on things, toys, and feathers, and that she loved to play in the grass. When I attempted to connect with her body, I felt some pain in my left shoulder blade that had not been there before.  I felt unsure working this way, so I was not surprised to not perceive much.

Others in the group picked up more detailed information. Someone identified that her left hind leg seemed like it had an old injury, possibly from a wheel of a car or something else. Another person felt some issues in her solar plexus area, and possible shortness of breath, which was seconded by someone else. Another person identified an odd feeling in the bladder area, while one other person felt there might be some issues in her pelvis or tail.

Several people picked up a little of her essence as well during the connection, with most everyone identifying that she is timid, and shy, but still very playful. She acts like a little sister, and is a bit territorial.

Sue confirmed that we all were very accurate about her essence. She didn't know a whole lot about her physically because she had only come to the family in the previous fall when she wandered up. She likes to hunt rabbits and mice, and is very energetic. She's shy with strangers, but loves to interact and is very loyal with people she knows well.

I'm still feeling very green, and unsure, which I believe accounts for some of my lack of information. I'm just timid myself, so that makes it more challenging. It is challenging to have patience with myself while attempting to grasp at something that is so intangible, but so very real.