Practicing Clouded Leopard

As I mentioned last week, Clouded Leopard was one of the first touches I learned. I think a lot of people do something like this pretty much naturally, at least the touch part. What I believe is equally important is the intention while touching, along with simply being present. Being present is a lesson I seem to have a hard time learning, by the way! Clouded Leopard uses the pads of all five fingers. The fingers are slightly curved, but not perpendicular as with Bear. The idea is to get below the fur to the skin, but certainly not to apply enough pressure to be considered massage. It is easy for me to go too quickly with Clouded Leopard, so I consciously try to slow my breathing and stay relaxed.

Blue is not nearly as fond of Clouded Leopard as he was of Bear. I will continue to work with him and try to help him reduce his stress levels. Marley and Carson both melt into this one. I use it quite a bit along Carson's neck under her chin, which is a bit of a touchy area for her. I need to find my rhythm, however, so I can flow from one circle to the next without it feeling so "jerky" to me.



Week 3 will be spent on Belly Lifts. These are used not only for digestive issues, but also for sore backs, nervousness, pregnancy, hypersensitivity, timidity, poor balance, arthritis, gait problems and in helping redirect negative behavior. While I could use my hands in a pinch, it works best to use a towel for most companion animals like dogs and cats. I am particularly interested to see how Blue responds!

(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday

Sorry! The day almost got away from me. Here are a few bits of the natural world to share from our little corner of the globe. Offered with love from Blue, Carson and Marley.

Storm clouds southeast of town

A tiny nest made from the native grasses
in the back yard. Recent winds blew it down.

Sun through the clouds as I left for work this morning.
It was even more red 30 minutes earlier!

Post-holiday letdown

The holidays are gone and now the college-age children gone, as well. My son left on Thursday for a four-month internship in Florida. As he does each time he leaves, he spent some quality time with Blue before he headed out, talking and telling him to "take care of the terriers and the girls." Then, yesterday, my daughter headed out for her second semester at college.

The dogs played all afternoon, taking advantage of sunshine and warm temperatures. I left the back door open so they could come and go and they got plenty of exercise. But it was much more quiet that it had been in recent weeks - no voices, no guitar and singing, no television.

We were all a little blue. Marley couldn't get close enough, as this picture shows. It will take everyone a bit of time to find our middle ground again. Of course, by then, the kids will probably be back home!

Hibernating with Bear TTouch

My apologies in advance if these experiments aren't as interesting as they seem to me! This week we worked with Bear, which means using the fingertips at a 90 degree angle to the skin/coat. I realized I use it pretty often and without realizing that's what I'm doing.

A huge (for us) cold front moved in on Saturday night, so I had a lot of forced hibernation time with the dogs - and the kids. It gave me plenty of chances to get my hands on the dogs, as the temperature dropped and the winds howled.

Bear TTouch puts Carson into a zen state pretty much every time. Her eyelids slowly close and she sinks into me, the bed, the sofa - wherever. I consciously try to slow down the circles, as I find myself going too fast much of the time.

Blue is much bigger, with a ton of coat. For him, the circle moves his fur around more. He will even back up to have the area around his tail touched with Bear, which is nearly unheard of with him.

As for Marley, well, he's pretty easy. He loves almost all touch.




Week 2 focus is on Clouded Leopard, one of the first touches I learned. Founder Linda Tellington-Jones wrote that this touch got its name from a Clouded Leopard at the Los Angeles Zoo who was worked on with TTouch. It's a very light touch to help reduce all kinds of stress and stress-related reactions and to increase self-confidence.

(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday

Celebrating the holidays, time together, rest and relaxation - and trying to keep the cold away!

Baby, it's cold outside!

Much of the country has been dealing with winter storms and bitterly cold temperatures. Here in Oklahoma, the thermometer plummeted on Saturday afternoon, taking with it the ability to spend very much time outside - at all. As I hustled the dogs in and out - always a challenge since Carson gets distracted and doesn't take care of "business" - I watched the cows across the road. They huddled together, braving the elements stoically. They seem so passive, well, except for at dinner time, when Rosie the red cow always gets very vocal and moves right up to the fence!


A quick online research adventure revealed that cows in good coat and with adequate body mass can survive bitterly cold temperatures pretty easily. It is harder for calves, who haven't had the chance to fatten up. There are four calves across the way. The articles I found mentioned windbreaks and plenty of water as important to survival. Luckily we haven't had rain, as wet coats, combined with wind and cold, increase the odds of hypothermia in cattle.

The herd across the way is well-cared-for, so I am certain they will be fine during this cold spell. And I have to say I'm glad I'm not the one feeding and watering a couple of times a day. Thankfully, I can watch them from my sunroom and stay warm!

New year, new goals

I hope everyone had just the kind of holiday season they hoped to have  - and now it's time to create the best year ever. At least that's my plan. My writings here will (hopefully!) be a bit more organized and regular. Friday's posts will follow my journey in learning and practicing Tellington TTouch. I have three sessions under my belt and hope to finish the remaining three for my level one in the next 12-14 months. Each week, I plan to focus on one touch and use it on myself and the dogs throughout the week. Then, on Friday, I will share my experiences and let you know which touch I'll be using the following week.

Okay. Ready? Here goes! Beginning today, I am going to work with Bear TTouch. Bear is described as having "an activating effect and is soothing for itching hot spots from fleas or skin allergies." Bear is also useful for "large, well-muscled dogs who lack focus or are hyperactive."

Marley is always ready to snuggle and help out
with TTouch practice.

Here is one of my pack, Jacob Marley, waiting his turn for the week. From all of us here, stay safe and warm on this first weekend in January.

Blessings!