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photo by Rose De Dan
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Death is something that all of us have to deal with at some time in our lives, whether our own or that of a loved companion. Of all the sessions I facilitate for animals and people the ones that take place in the end stages of life are the most challenging and yet also the most rewarding. Energy is never destroyed, it only changes form, and so it is with dying. We simply shed one shape for another, moving from our physical vessel to the realm of spirit, the ultimate form of shapeshifting. So powerful, and so beautiful, all of life is contained in that one delicate moment of transition, and it fills me with awe every time I stand in its presence and am humbled by the opportunity to be of service at that time.
I’m frequently asked if the type of work I do can help in circumstances of extreme injury or illness, and my response is always, “Yes, although I do not know what form that will take.” Neither I nor anyone else I know of can alter the natural order of the universe. If it is time for the journey from this world to the next nothing I know or facilitate can halt that process. In those instances energy work makes the disconnection process more comfortable as the body releases its hold on the spirit (at this time both body and spirit need support) as well as supporting the quality of life that remains. For the actual time of death, energy work can create a pathway, a bridge from this world to the next which serves to support the best possible disconnection (less pain, more joy), assist in eliminating fear or disorientation that might cause the spirit to get lost on its way, and invite the presence of loved ones who have gone on before as well as other guides to accompany the newly released spirit to its next destination.
In the realm of the dying process the term “alternative healing” may seem a misnomer as the term “healing” implies a return to health. And yet the word “health” is defined as the state of being well and free of illness. With respect to the dying process the role of energy healing is dual, supporting the physical body so that pain is lessened, nurturing the spirit in coming into harmony with the coming transformation, and fostering the evolution of the disconnection between spirit and the physical body. As the physical body experiences system shutdowns, the individual begins to move more and more into spirit, existing outside of the physical body yet still connected by a luminous cord. At the point of death the spirit is freed from the body and the connection of body and spirit through the luminous cord is cut. Truly freedom from illness, pain, suffering; spirit is the ultimate state of well-being freed from physical limitations.
Intention is everything in dying as well as in living. Positive intention sets the stage for an easy transition. A fellow Reiki Master shared a story with me of her husband building a Bridge of Light for his unconscious mother who was quite close to death. As he completed the process her body visibly relaxed.
When I took Reiki Level II training over eight years ago I was told that I could send Reiki to the time of my own death. A little later I came across the concept of a Bridge of Light in “Reiki: A Torch in Daylight” by Karyn Mitchell (I later learned in my Peruvian shamanic training the Q’ero call it the Rainbow Bridge). Something about the concept really resonated with me, and I resolved to add it to my practice as needed. As is often the case, the universe provided me with that opportunity sooner rather than later. A friend called me early one morning to ask me to come to the house of a woman whose husband was dying; I was needed to work with one of her dogs that was scheduled to be euthanized when the husband passed away. The story was that the dog was focused while working, but extremely unstable and dangerous when she did not have a job to do. The wife was concerned that the trauma of her husband’s passing would render her unable to cope with the dog and regretfully had made the decision to let the dog go. The wife also wanted me to set up the energetic process so her husband would be reunited with the dog when he crossed over.
As I had concerns about a perfectly healthy dog being euthanized I asked the dog how she felt about the solution. Her immediate response was that she trusted her handler implicitly and whatever decision she made was okay with her. My jaw literally dropped, it was the most phenomenal demonstration of unconditional love I had ever witnessed. Her answer has proven true time after time in future sessions with others. In my practice with dying animals and their human companions it is usually the human who is having the most difficult time with letting go. The animals invariably are more concerned for their companions than themselves. Their ability to love unconditionally enables them to accept whatever carefully and lovingly considered decisions we make on their behalf.
I next proceeded to perform a Reiki attunement for the dog, and to build a Bridge of Light for the time of her passing, whenever that was to be. I also set the intention that she would be reunited with the husband. I completed my work with her and began some healing for the other dogs in the house who were understandably upset. While in process with one dog I became suddenly conscious of commotion as the nurse called from the next room that the husband was dying. We all rushed in and I began the process of attunement for him, building a Bridge of Light with the intent of his being met by loved ones who had gone before and his guides, a joyful and painless transition, and a reunion with the dog. I completed the process with the words, “I bless you, I release you, I let you go,” and I felt the husband’s spirit leave his body in a rush of light, and in the same instant the nurse turned and said, “He’s gone.”
I returned to the dogs, and while I was completing a process I saw this man standing in front of me. I did not know who he was, so he held up a joke book. I realized I was looking at the man who had just died (I had never seen him until the moment of his death, his wife had told me that he was renowned for telling jokes). He was smiling.
A little while later the vet arrived to euthanize the dog. I was present to offer whatever support was possible. As the injection entered the dog’s system I felt her spirit rush out of her body and my friend saw the husband’s and the dog’s spirit meet at the Bridge.
Polly Klein, a Reiki Master who is also an animal communicator, is someone I frequently refer people to for communication sessions to help with the decision-making beforehand and resolution process afterward (www.tonglenhealingarts.com). She told me that in all the cases she has had where one of us had built a Bridge of Light the animals reported a smooth passage.
I was blessed to be present when my dog Cerne passed, and I was honored to facilitate the same process for him that I have for so many others. But Cerne, that wily old codger, had one more lesson to teach me, and what a gift it was. When I facilitated the attunement and checked that the Bridge was in place his spirit merged with mine for a very precious moment and I could FEEL his joy in the light he was about to become one with once again, and his love for me. He gifted me with an experience and an awareness so deep that I will never forget. Death does not come as the end, it comes as a friend. Our bodies are only shells left on the shores of life; on the oceans of light the vessels of spirit and love never die.
Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki & Shamanic Healing, Reiki Master Teacher and shamanic initiate in the Inkan Medicine tradition, specializes in natural healing for all species (humans not excluded) at her private practice in Seattle, where she also teaches Reiki classes. Reach her at (206) 933-7877 or www.reikishamanic.com.
©Rose De Dan 2004. All rights reserved.
This article, along with 44 others, is collected in "Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism."
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