From Zoo Encounters to Sacred Rhythms and Reiki, ways to reconnect, replenish, and restore wonder

In late August, I was finally able to pay a visit to the Zoo Animal Ambassadors (ZAA) at Woodland Park Zoo. I was accompanied by Ann, a graduate of class Listening to Zoo Animal Ambassadors, and bearer of the prayer stick that was to be presented in ceremony to collect the prayers of all the ZAA. It was a fun and eventful day, and I wanted to share a story or two to raise awareness that intention, when meeting with many different species, definitely does matter. We were noticed and interacted with by many.

In the Reptile area, two young boys were madly flailing their hands and pointing at a beautiful lizard, trying to get his attention. The lizard responded to the chaos by climbing up the glass and flailing right back at them. He felt stressed. Ann and I stood quietly to the right of the boys, grounded, balanced, and centered, with prayer stick at the ready. It was like a switch flipped on the energy. Lizard dropped his front feet to the ground, made eye contact, and moved toward us. He stopped a short distance away. Ann extended the prayer stick, and Lizard calmly added his prayers. Interestingly, the chaos to our left had also settled down. I guess what is good for the lizard may also be good for young children (-:

A little later, we visited the Tropical Rain Forest area. We were standing quietly in front of the small monkey enclosure when a White-chested Marmoset spotted us. He came from the back, and his eyes were riveted on the prayer stick. He leapt to the branch closest to us and began licking the air with his tiny tongue. He was tasting the energy of the prayer stick!

Marmoset’s attention was so focused that he attracted the attention of two of the other residents. But Marmoset was not to be distracted, and I could feel he wanted a closer look, so we brought the prayer stick up to the glass. Marmoset leaned forward as far as he could go without falling off the branch and put both hands up on the glass to “feel” the energy. It was a powerful moment of interaction and touched my heart deeply. [More photos and stories from this visit will be made available soon for my Patreon community.]

Moments like these are why I will continue to bring ceremony to the Zoo Animal Ambassadors for as long as I am able. This visit was part of my pro bono work for the animals (donations welcome at BuyMeACoffee), but I will be returning during Listening to Zoo Animal Ambassadors, which will start again in December. Dates have been set, but the class is not yet open for registration.

Why Sacred Rhythms was created

While it’s always uplifting to enjoy animal videos, read stories, or take a shamanic journey, Sacred Rhythms: A Year in Nature’s Wisdom was born for a deeper purpose. It came through an initial push from my guides as an antidote to the constant stream of overwhelming and unsettling news that so many of us face daily, and has been developed in collaboration with fellow medicine person Claudine Records.

Sacred Rhythms is designed to help you reconnect with the living world and remember your place within it. Each month opens a doorway into the wisdom of nature, offering teachings, experiences, and moments of joy that you can carry into your everyday life.

Through the journeys, stories, and seasonal invitations, you’ll:
✨ Receive guidance for daily life through clarity and perspective drawn from the turning of the seasons.
✨ Move in harmony with natural cycles, learning when to rest, renew, or act.
✨ Rediscover wonder through wildlife stories, videos, and hand-picked books that awaken curiosity.
✨ Pause and replenish with puzzles, music, and quotes that spark reflection and play.
✨ Feel your belonging—remembering that you are part of the great web of life, connected with animals, plants, elements, and All Our Relations.

This is why Sacred Rhythms exists: to restore balance, remind us of beauty, and help us live with greater connection and meaning.

Reiki and connection

Reiki offers another powerful way to return to balance and deepen connection—with yourself, with others, and with the natural world. Reiki helps reduce stress, encourages healing on all levels, and strengthens your intuitive awareness. It’s like learning a universal language of energy that supports both personal well-being and spiritual growth.

My next Reiki Level 1 class starts next year, and I would love to welcome you if you feel called to explore this path of healing and connection.

And finally, a little fun…

Sometimes the best medicine is laughter. My sister sent me the T-Rex Reset video (warning: a few F-bombs), and it not only delivers a good belly laugh but also offers a playful exercise for releasing stress. Consider it a reminder that joy, too, is sacred. Roar on!

Enjoy the blessings of the season,
Rose De Dan, Night Sky and Tamerlan, fosters Noctua and Sadiya

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Want to learn how to walk in harmony with the natural world, connect more deeply with animals, restore balance to your life, increase intuitive skills, and help heal the Earth? Take a look at my live Reiki and shamanic virtual classes and digital workshops.

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A WILD WAY TO HEAL
Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC is an animal communicator, Reiki Master Teacher, shamanic energy healer, and author of Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism and Out of the Darkness and Other Animal Tails. Her classes, sessions, and ceremonial work are inspired by wild and domestic animals who have issued a call to action for personal and global healing.