Prayer & Energy Healing

The day will come when after harnessing space, the winds, the tides, and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of Love. And on that day, for the second time in the history of the world we shall have discovered fire. Teilhard De Chardin

The power of love, prayer and positive thought to heal is infinite. By keeping the animals in our personal rituals of prayer, meditation, or healing we are contributing to their emotional and spiritual well being and their physical health and safety.

With every television news or on line report received about an animal or species in peril, we can send a prayer and send love to the those in harms way. It takes only a moment to say a prayer, to send them love, to see them filled and surrounded by sparkling love. Love is the most powerful force in the universe. It is bigger than any pain, it diffuses suffering, and can be received by those on the earth and those on the other side.

If you are upset when you hear of animal suffering, be careful to pray first for your own calm and centeredness. It doesn't help the animals when we even inadvertently send them our own fear, anxiety or anger. One of the greatest gifts we can give animals in peril is to unselfishly put our own upsetness temporarily aside as we send them calm, love and healing energy. For more help on how to do this, please read this article: The Whales Lessons on Death and Helping Those Who Suffer. Rather than allowing ourselves to become lost in fear or anger when we see or are triggered to think of a traumatic situation for animals, we can send the energy of calm and love to all involved. And we can visualize positive outcomes, adding to the positive consciousness of the situation. Some years ago, in talking to a whale about whether they received love and prayers sent to them by a group of people on a whale swim trip, I heard this response:

Keep sending us the light of love. All the prayers and the love reaches us to our core. Each and every bit reaches us and helps us. We too send love to you on the land. It’s important that some of you heal your anger at those whose hearts don’t yet see that we’re all the same. Holding onto the anger doesn’t help us or you. Learn to love those who harm us; transform your anger into action for the good. It is one of the greatest things you can do.

This was enormously helpful to me. It helped me in working with my own anger toward those who hurt animals and inspired me to include the following in my own prayer and healing work, which you may want to also consider:

• Picture leaders around the world—from small town leaders, regional government representatives and legislators to leaders of countries— supporting the compassionate treatment and welfare of animals all over the earth.

• Send love to those who directly harm animals, and those who participate indirectly in the suffering of animals. Send love to all human beings whose hearts are not yet open to treating animals with compassion and respect. It is only in receiving love and compassion that they can learn more about giving it.

By praying, by sending calm, by sending love, by sending healing energy, we are participating in raising the vibration of energy for the animals and the earth.

Please consider including the animals in your prayers and spiritual practices, as well as in the meditation, prayer or healing groups in which you may participate.

Love is the most powerful energy in the universe. When harnessed, it has the power to change anything.

Books to read more about the power of love, prayer and positive thought to heal:

	Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine by Larry Dossey
	The Hidden Messages in Water by Dr. Masaru Emoto (including inspiring photographs of the transformation of polluted water molecules after receiving the energy of love and prayer)
	When Compassion Hurts: links to resources for support

May the suffering of animals that occurs in the name of cultural tradition, nutrition, entertainment, fashion, sport, game and wildlife management and in the pursuit of status, profit, science or progress come to an end all over the earth.

May all beings be free from suffering
May all beings be at peace.

Animals feel the same physical and emotional pain that humans do when they are unloved, harassed, abandoned, abused, tortured, killed, or valued not for for their intrinsic worth but exploited for others’ needs. In talking with thousands of humans and animals who have experienced trauma, it is very clear that our pain is the same. Our suffering is the same. Feeling their suffering can be heartbreaking.

The animals of the earth need our voice, our prayers and our love. And there are infinite ways to offer these energies. I am blessed to be surrounded by people who not only love animals but who also spend significant life energy helping them--people who have founded, manage and work for shelters, rescue and animal advocacy groups; people who spend enormous time doing grass roots fostering, rescuing, and activism; people who regularly donate their energy healing work and who pray for animals; and people who, in the spirit of St. Francis, make everyday lifestyle choices that are in alignment with their values to do no harm to animals. I am in awe as I watch what so many people do for the animals.

Sometimes, however, becoming aware of the myriad and seemingly endless ways animals suffer at the hands of humans, it's easy to become overwhelmed with the horror of it all and to sift through all the information and requests for donations and help. It helps me to remember that even though as one person I cannot "save them all" or do it all, if I pay attention to how I can best direct my own available energy to three important areas of activism, prayer and my personal choices, I know can make a difference.

Some people feel that political activism is the best or only way to create change. Others feel that praying for or visualizing the change needed is a more powerful way to help, while others believe that making daily, compassion based choices is the most critical form of help. I believe they are all needed. Action in the outer world and sending love, healing energy and prayer from the inner world both create change. These are not mutually exclusive strategies, they merely employ different energies. Some of us are better suited to do hands on rescue, volunteer work or political activism. while others are more drawn to do regular prayer and healing work for animals. Some of us have more time than money to give, others have more money than time. But no matter who we are, regardless of our unique resources, all of us who love animals might find fifteen minutes a month to respond to a few email alerts, moments each day to pray and visualize good for a particular animal or species in peril, and can begin to examine how our lifestyle choices impact the animals.

I have always been moved by the Anatole France quote, “Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” Loving animals, feeling the wonder and magic of their love, is the first step to awakening a part of our souls. The next step, I believe, is giving back--giving something back to the animals in need for all the love, beauty, grace and healing they bring to the earth and our lives. Yet another place in our souls is awakened when we give back--the place of deep compassion, the part of us that finds the deep meaning, contentment and joy that comes from service and from consciously choosing to do no harm to our fellow creatures on the earth.

I hope the information, resources and links in this section may inspire you to give back in some way to help the animals of the earth. Read what one woman did to bring joy to a shelter full of cats. The animals need us. They deserve our help. In whatever way we can give it, let’s give them our help.

Namaste'
Teresa