There is a bit of an inner skeptic in us all and it can be a frustrating reflection to encounter from another party, especially since it’s such a common encounter in our work. Sometimes patience and soft, persistent demonstration is all we need to calm others’ inner skeptics to assist them in opening just enough to receive the healing gift that we offer.
Pat Barton of Raleigh, North Carolina discovered how a persistent softness was enough to calm others’ inner skeptic and here is her story:
During the spring and summer of 2012, I had already been volunteering several years at the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, Maryland when I learned about and took Levels 1 and 2 of Healing Touch for Animals. I have been interested in energy work since the 1980s, engaging in many courses, seminars, and personal wellness experiences in a variety of modalities. HTA just felt like “coming home” to me, combining my interest in the well-being of animals with my experience and growing knowledge of energy work. Not surprising, I started talking about what I had learned in my HTA classes to other volunteers and staff at the shelter.
What did surprise me was the rather cool reception to my “good news” and offers to provide some energetic support to the animals. Looking back, I think that many people are just a bit unsure of what energy work is about. I often hear, “I don’t believe in that.” In any event, I continued to quietly provide some chakra balancing, magnetic clearing, etheric heartbeat, and behavioral change work to the foster animals in my home, not wanting to turn people off at the shelter by being a “broken record.” Then one day everything changed!
On a Saturday in early spring 2013, I was at the shelter doing training for new volunteers, when the volunteer coordinator, Kim Teter, approached me in a rather tentative, but somewhat excited way. She said, “Would you be willing to do ‘that thing you do’ with one of the dogs in kennel?” All of a sudden my plans to take an afternoon clicker training class dissolved and my response was a resounding, “Yes, yes, yes!” Though I was a bit nervous, this was my opportunity to have the staff’s blessing to work with one of the dogs.
Darkness was a big, black, two year old lab mix who was not ready to be in the adoptable area of the shelter because of his deep anxiety. He was very fearful of humans and cowered in the back of his run (with indoor and outdoor sections) barking and snarling at anyone’s approach. As Kim and I approached his run, Darkness responded in his normal way. She suggested I step inside and she would hang a towel over the front of the cage and wait outside while I “did my thing.” I slowly took a seat on the floor placing a towel in front of me.
Not looking directly at Darkness, I started sending some positive energy out into the run. I was softly chanting when I noticed a nose in by back from the neighboring kennel and another nose under the fence from the opposite kennel. I had some allies! These dogs were also receiving energetic benefits and assisting me with Darkness. Before long, the barking stopped and curiosity took over. Darkness came closer as I placed a small treat on the towel. He tentatively took it and immediately moved back. After the third round of this, he stood by while I did some clearing. Then he allowed me to assess his chakras, do some chakra balancing and end with Etheric Heartbeat. He let me know when he was “finished” with this session by moving away. As I slowly stood to leave Darkness followed me to the front of his run. Kim’s response was nothing short of amazement!
I planned to return on Tuesday to do some follow-up work with my new friend and to discuss with caretakers any observations they had made on Darkness since my work with him on Saturday. When I arrived, I was dismayed to find that he was not in his run. What happened? Where’s Darkness! My alarm soon turned to delight when Joe, Darkness’ caretaker, told me he had gone to the adoption area. Going over to the viewing area, my delight turned to tearful elation, when I discovered that our boy had already had an application and was preparing to go to his new, forever home.
So, you see, it took Darkness to shed some light on the benefits of energetic healing. Now, I am encouraged to use HTA with the animals at the SPCA. I always consult with staff for suggestions and am now incorporating the Healing Touch Music and will soon be adding essential oils to my repertoire. What had been viewed with some skepticism is now welcomed. The beneficiaries of this openness, of course, are the dogs. My heartfelt thanks go out to Kim for opening the door and to Darkness whose beautiful light now shines in the home of his forever family.