When the intensity of the type of work that I do gets to be a bit much, and I’m feeling like I need a break, I take a mental vacation. My favorite form of doing that is to dive into a good book like Gun Shy (Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries, Book 3), by author Donna Ball.

While the book has well-developed characters, including the dogs, the best part of reading it was arguing mentally with the main character. This supplied an unexpected pinch of zest to my usual reading style which is more passive. Raine Stockton is quite dog savvy, yet finds it difficult to wrap her mind around the concept that animals and people might be able to communicate telepathically.

However, when the only witness to a murder is a golden retriever, Raine finds herself seeking the help of Sonny Brightwell, an attorney with an uncanny knack for animal communication. What did Hero really see? Will he overcome the trauma?

Now I found myself mentally taking stock on the type of energy healing approach I would have taken to help Hero (I do the same thing sometimes when I watch Cesar Millan work with some dogs that I feel could transform more quickly if energy healing was included with the rehabilitation process). At this point I realize that I may be working rather than taking a break from work, but I am too caught up in the story to stop.

Add a dash of the dysfunctional relationship that Raine has with her sort-of ex-husband (it’s complicated does not even cover it), and you’ve got the makings of a great soap opera as well! Now I find myself mentally cataloguing the many shamanic ways to clear out relationship baggage. I resolve to stop armchair coaching, and read on to the end of the book.

Gun Shy is a murder mystery with dogs, dog training, and animal communication all blended together into an enjoyable page-turner of a book. Now, after all that mental activity over fiction, perhaps I should take a break from reading, and escape by watching some reality TV?

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Think Outside the Cage
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About Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing:

A pioneer in Reiki and shamanic healing for people and animals, Rose De Dan has seen firsthand the profound healing impact of this work on the lives of others. A Reiki Master Teacher, mesa carrier in the Peruvian Q’ero tradition, and animal communicator, she teaches classes, workshops and teleclasses for those interested in learning more about energy medicine.

Rose is also author of the acclaimed book Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism, and creator of Animal and Reiki Art. As an animal shaman, she views her role as a healer as one of building bridges between people and animals, and of empowering them to reconnect with Pachamama, Mother Earth.

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