Grounds for exercises in intuition.

Grounds for exercises in intuition.

As I was taking my morning coffee I noticed a tiny chunk of grit on my tongue. I looked down at my cup; there on the bottom was a smattering of coffee grounds. I grind whole beans before brewing, and when I dump the grounds into the filter not all of them always fall in. There’s usually a few scattered on the counter. Sometimes a few mavericks drop into the carafe. I looked at the dark brown crumbles and mused, “Maybe there is some sort of spiritual message here I’m supposed to understand.”

Many years ago I had a “coffee ground reading” by an ancient Rumanian grandma. It was a ritual. I drank the espresso, flipped the cup upside down, rotated it 3 times, and waited several minutes until the grounds were dry. She tapped it, turned it over, and looked intently at the remaining pattern. I had asked Grandma if she looked for specific patterns that were symbols. You know, like hearts, daggers, ships, or animals. Her accent was thick; but what I think she told me was no. She simply opened herself to whatever thoughts expressed themselves. “Like anything,” she inferred, “you get better with practice because you develop the muscles for opening your mind to the spirit of your intuition.”

I stared at the grounds in my mug, waiting for some sort of message to come through. If I really pushed my imagination to connect the dots I could barely make out a person on the right edge of the pattern with one leg bent inward. Oh, there was a smattering of random shapes behind him. I thought of how we are constantly shedding dead skin leaving a trail of ourselves as we move about. We leave a wake of our scents, aromas, and relationships. Then I saw them as crystal orbs. Then a mist. Then memories. Then thoughts. Then spirit helpers. Then my coffee cup person turned his head around to face them and they became choices. Lots of solid opportunities.

It was an exercise in creativity, like identifying forms in clouds. A fish with a horse’s head morphs into an ice cream cone, and then when you look back, another cloud has drifted under it and it’s a chicken. This is not just fun. It’s part of a rigorous training program. I tell you this: cloud-work is an exhausting workout! I’ve been known to fall asleep while doing it.

I turned my mug to be able to see the pattern from a different angle. The tablespoon of coffee that was still in there swirled across and suddenly I had a new pattern I could attempt to understand.

Interpretations of patterns are all contextual. What we see is a reflection of what we want to see. Or, what we know to see. What we can see. The grounds did not bring up references to rain, hail, or dangerous obstacles. They could have; but these aren’t what I think about. My touchstones are life in its fullness with expansive energy and possibility. These are what I know for you.

It’s the same with PetMassage. During each session

1. I observe.
2. I define to myself what I think I sense.
3. I open myself to whatever inner interpretation I can conjure.
4. Then I move my hands to approach it from a different angle and get an entirely new set of observations.

I sense movement or texture with my hands. I interpret it from my experience. Then I look with my imagination. I then check my work by approaching from another direction. Often I see movement or shifting texture with my hands. Then I follow it just to see where it’s going. I like to make sure it gets home safe. I am the body’s guide and witness.

Each touch is an opportunity to share and influence a brief portion of the dog’s journey. The dog is there so you can facilitate a course correction.

We process our interpretations in our bodies physical. In our gut and throughout our nervous system. Dogs smell what we imagine in our breath and skin. Let’s open ourselves to the possibility of sensing our dogs perfect health and harmony. These are what we need to know for them.

We can exercise our intuitive muscles and enhance the depth of our understanding and guidance. We don’t have to flip the dog over and spin him around 3 times to exercise our psychic muscles. Sit and stay … completely present and available … body, mind, and spirit … with your dog during his massage.