Healing magic of dogs

I had the opportunity to volunteer yesterday with my therapy dog Ahnung at The Lab, an arts and wellness-based program of St. Paul Public Schools serving youth in special education in grades 7 - 12. We've been volunteering here for quite some time now. It's amazing to witness the healing and the transformation that takes place in the kids as Ahnung walks by ... her presence, her simple presence touches the souls of these kids. It's magical to witness.

I know for me I have personally experienced the magic and the healing of Ahnung's energy and way. We have 3 beautiful rescue dogs whom I love dearly ... but there is something truly special about Ahnung and her way to connect with youth, and in particular youth in special education. We all have a shadow side ... a wounded spirit. There is something about dogs that breaks down the protective layers around our hearts ... maybe it's their unconditional love, their ability to simply be in the present moment, and their ability to see not with their eyes but with their being ... no judgment, no expectations.

Yesterday I was reminded of the wounded spirit deep inside of me .... that shadow side I have tried to keep buried. How do we heal old childhood hurts, old wounds that are so deep with layers and layers of protection ... a wound with scabs so thick? I had the opportunity to volunteer with Ahnung yesterday to bring a smile and healing to youth .... I was then reminded of how much healing she gives to me and how she truly is my north star (her name Ahnung means star in ojibway). I was also reminded of how healing it is for me to volunteer alongside of Ahnung spending time with youth ...

Ahnung is an incredible spirit in the body of a dog ... who does amazing work as a therapy dog volunteering with youth, in hospice and she will also start visiting cancer patients undergoing chemo treatment. She shared more about her volunteer experience yesterday on her blog. 

There is something magical and healing about dogs. Ahnung shared the following Hafiz poem on one of her blog posts ... this morning I feel moved to share it on mine :)

I am So Glad

~ Hafiz

Start seeing everything as God,

But keep it a secret.

Become like a man who is Awestruck.

And Nourished.

Listening to a Golden Nightingale

Sing in a beautiful foreign language

While God invisibly nests

Upon its tongue.

Hafiz,

Who can you tell in this world

That when a dog runs up to you

Wagging its ecstatic tail,

You lean down and whisper in its ear,

"Beloved,

I am so glad You are happy to see me.

Beloved,

I am so glad,

So very glad You have come."

Thank you Ahnung for the gift you share with me and others in this world. Thank you for seeing beyond and for helping so many of us reach beyond our protective layers.

With my north star, Ahnung (aka nung-nung)

Healing at the deepest level ...

Today was a special day for me and for my dog Ahnung. It was in the fall of 2008 when we had our first experience volunteering at The Lab working one on one with a very special young man. It was that experience that opened my heart up to the healing that can take place simply by the presence of Ahnung. It was our weekly meetings with this young man, playing word games and just hanging out that taught me that simply being there and creating a loving, accepting space was the best medicine possible. I don't know who went through more transformation, growth or healing in those weeks -- ahnung, me, the young man? Maybe all of us?

Well, it's been almost a year since we've seen this young man. It's because of him that Ahnung and I are doing the work we are doing with animal therapy and volunteering at The Lab. Today was a special day because we had the chance to see him again for a small group. Today I saw connection at a deep level. For some reason, today felt different for me, and I think for Ahnung as well. I remember the trust dance that Ahnung and "R" went through when they first met. Ahnung had just been rescued … the memories of neglect and hardship probably still so fresh for her. Both wanted to open up; both wanted to trust. But the dance took weeks as they each took their time to find a way to connect with each other. My role back then was simple – to provide a safe space, for both Ahnung and “R.”

Today, the trust was almost instantaneous. They connected. They bonded. They spoke with their eyes. Magic.

Today, I had a chance to say "thank you" to this young man. Today, I received the biggest thank you in return as I watched him look with pride at the photos taped on the walls of him with Ahnung in 2008 and witnessed connection at the deepest level. He asked if he could have a copy of those photos. I promised him I would bring one next week. Meanwhile, I asked if he wanted a photo of Ahnung -- I had 3 he could pick from. He picked one and as I turned away, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him pull ahnung's photo up to his chest and pause momentarily before he placed Ahnung's photo in his pocket.

Trust. We spent time today talking about trust. Truth is ... there's not much to say when you feel it in your gut and you witness it in the actions of a young man and his trusted companion. Ahnung is an ojibway word that means star. There's a reason she left the reservation in the fall of 2008. Her purpose is to heal wounded spirits. Her purpose is to light up the night skies - to help us find our way. She's touched and healed so many since then. I know for a fact that she continues to heal my spirit ... and in the process builds bridges for me to connect with youth who, like me, have had wounded spirits.

Miigwech Ahnung. Miigwech "R". Thank you.

Who's really at risk?

Earlier this week I attended the Highland Junior High Final Mentor Celebration at The Lab (a creative youth-based program of the St. Paul Public Schools). For the past couple months our dog Ahnung has been volunteering at The Lab. Sometimes we go together and give presentations; sometimes we go to hang out with one kid whom Ahnung has been developing a one on one relationship with; sometimes Ahnung even goes without me as my partner or another volunteer takes her and has her work with the kids [Note: Ahnung has written about it on her own blog].

I began volunteering at The Lab with the intention of wanting to help youth who have been given a label of “at-risk” and through Ahnung bring the healing and transformative energy to wounded spirits. I have witnessed the transformation in this one kid that Ahnung has become friends with, and I have witnessed transformation in Ahnung. The day they met two months ago, we thought dog obedience would be a good way for them to get to know each other. What resulted was a frustrated boy who couldn’t get Ahnung to “sit” and a frustrated Ahnung whose stubborn streak came out. “R” kept following Ahnung trying to get her to sit, and Ahnung kept moving away from “R”. Lesson learned – both needed time to simply be with each other, to simply get to know each other, to simply hang out. It’s about building a relationship. It's about learning to communicate by reading body language. It's about learning a whole new way of communicating.

Over the next few weeks, Ahnung and “R” built a relationship. There were weeks where all we would do is have Ahnung hang out in the room with us as we played scrabble and word games. Over the weeks, there was a calm energy that was created binding “R” and Ahnung. Now "R" can easily get Ahnung to "sit, laydown and rollover." Ahnung's not being "obedient" -- "R" and ahnung simply know how to communicate.

I loved to watch “R” arrive at The Lab at Homecroft. He would arrive in a yellow cab and on an occasional Tuesday, Ahnung was waiting by the front door. “R” would walk through the front door, and as soon as he realized Ahnung was there, I could feel his shoulders lift up, his body straighten with confidence, and his spirit soften. It didn’t matter how many others were around. It didn’t matter there was chaos and multiple conversations going on. All that mattered for “R”, and for Ahnung, was each other. “R” walked directly to Ahnung and got down on his knees to be at eye level with her. His face brushed up against Ahnung’s face and his hands brushed the top of her head. On one Tuesday, I heard him say to a couple other kids, as he stood proudly next to Ahnung with his hand on her head, “have you met my dog ahnung?”

I flashed back to the day they first met when “R” did not even want to touch a dog. These kids don’t have stability in their lives. They don’t have the good role models all kids should have. Many have been abused and neglected. Many witness violence on a regular basis. Many have been hurt time and time again, and have made a decision not to trust – a decision that helps them survive.

Here I am two months after I have begun a journey and volunteer experience working with Ahnung and youth at The Lab. I thought it was to help them heal. I am learning that this is as much about my own healing as it is about their healing. The trauma, abuse and deep losses of my childhood have been surfacing …. I imagine myself as a tree. The painful aspects of my childhood have remained buried for most of my adult life – roots buried under the ground. I am thankful to “R”, to Ahnung, to the kids at The Lab, for helping me recognize that it’s time for me to acknowledge my own roots, the good and the bad. It’s time for me to water my own roots. By watering my own roots, the branches of my tree can extend even further out than I could ever imagine.

These kids are not “at-risk”. These kids are full of love, compassion, creativity and possibility. We need to remove labels that define us and constrain us. We are all simply living beings with a desire to be loved, to be heard, and to be understood. If anyone is “at-risk” I have come to the conclusion it is me … I am “at-risk” if I keep my distance from what scares me and what makes me uncomfortable. I am “at-risk” if I refuse to water my own roots and peel back the layers of my own hurt.

I believe we all have a responsibility to make this world a more loving, gentle, compassionate world. I believe animals can help build a bridge. I believe we have a responsibility to be good role models for our youth. If we don’t then I believe we are all at-risk.

Hold onto me

Early one morning, as Ahnung and I (along with another Pet Haven volunteer Laura) were preparing to meet with a group of at-risk youth at The Lab, she pawed at me. Our objective for that day's session was to share more of her story and to work on an art project. Could I, she asked, transcribe for her some words she wanted to share with her new friends??



How could I possibly say no?? I have learned that Ahnung can reach beyond walls and touch the wounded spirits of these kids in ways I am unable to.

Later that day, I read Ahnung's poem to them as she napped quietly off to my side - her quiet, calm, comforting presence filled the room. Through my volunteer work with The Lab, I am bearing witness to wounded spirits connecting and helping each other heal.

Hold Onto Me

I am your north star.
I am here with you, always.

When you feel angry, hold onto me.
When you feel sad, hold onto me.
When you feel like giving up, hold onto me.
When you feel alone, hold onto me.

Hold onto me and I will walk by your side.

I will love you and all your feelings.
I will honor you and protect you.
I will be your bright star in the dark sky for as long as you need me.

And when you are ready,
and only when you are ready,
we will saunter out together into the open fields.

We will play.
We will explore and discover new things.
Or maybe, we’ll just hang out and take a nap,
as we all need time to rest.

I am your north star.

But you too, are a bright star.
You are unique and you are special.
Together we will light up the night sky.

Hold onto me.

And know I am holding onto you too.

Ahnung was abandoned with her litter of 8 puppies at Red Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota. When she was rescued she tested positive for heartworm and lymes disease. She carries physical scars from her rough beginnings (a pellet in her nipple and no front teeth – her teeth ground down to the gums as a way of survival to find food or escape). Her spiritual self, however, only knows how to be calm, loving, confident, wise, forgiving and present.

Each student received their own copy of their poem with a special dedication just to them, from Ahnung, along with her "signature."




I share with the kids how Ahnung has been a source of healing and comfort for me and how she continues to be my star. There is an Ahnung in each and every one of us.