Feeding and Bathing Elephants

On 24^th January 2018, eight members of Lotus Healing Seva Group Kenya, Sheela, Nalina, Rashmeen, Anuradha, Lata, Mamta, Balvinder and I, Kamal went on a spiritual / healing / Reiki trip to Sri Lanka.

And what a trip it was! From Visiting special high energy spots of the Ramayan Trail and the Buddhists Temple galore, to feeding baby elephants and bathing mature ones, to releasing baby turtles into the sea, to doing an extra special moon eclipse meditation …… We did it all!

We share with you here, our visit to the Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage on 26^th January, in Kandy, Sri Lanka. To begin with, we were in for a small surprise. The elephants we saw were different from the ones we are used to seeing in Kenya and for that matter, in India. That they had smaller ears than their African brothers was not a surprise. The large ears of African elephants help fan themselves in the hot climates. But these Sri Lankan elephants had a beautiful spray of orange / light brown spots on their trunks and ears and some on their head too. They were so beautiful! There were also some black beauties without these colourings.

After seeing them in their enclosure, we went to a shed in which 2 four year old baby (they were huge!) elephants were playing with water and with each other. A few minutes later, it was feeding time! With the help of the trainer, we held a HUGE feeding bottle of milk as the baby elephant guzzled it all in seconds! A new bottle was given and the milk disappeared as quickly!

We were then asked to walk a half kilometer down to a river, where the elephants would soon arrive. They came. . . . some of them in groups, other older ones walking majestically ……… When they reached the river …. they lay down in the water …. A powerful hose sprayed them with the much needed cooling water. Some of them did what elephants do … use their trunks to spray themselves with the water!

It was now Anuradha, Mamta, Sheela and my turn to get into the water and give Reiki to them and bathe them! We were given a young 28 year old female elephant called Mallika to love and to hug and to bathe! We gave her Reiki, told her we loved her, washed her with water from our cupped hands, and scrubbed her with a coconut shell!

Although we were given 15 mins, the whle thing came to an end all too soon! It was an experience that topped all eperiences! I for one, will remember it the rest of my life! And I give my thanks to the Universe and Reiki for making me a channel to give love to these gentle giants!

Kamal Tolia

LHSG Founder Member

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It was a very very moving and humbling feeling feeding and bathing the elephants. Such magnificent, majestic, powerful animals yet so gentle, sensitive and loving. The feeding of the elephant was actually so quick, he gulped the milk down so quickly, that it was a fleeting experience. Bathing the elephant was completely a different story. I could sense the utter joy and relaxed state the elephant was. She enjoyed all the scrubbing and rubbing on her side with the simultaneous washing that we were all doing. We also gave hands on Reiki which she took immensely. Our elephant remained calm and peaceful through out the bathing exercise. It’s an experience that I’ll never forget as coming in such close contact with an elephant is highly rare. I was full of gratitude for the opportunity.

Sheela Shah

LHSG Kenya Member

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Going to the elephant orphanage was an unique experience for me. So many elephants different sizes…..feeding was too quick but felt very satisfying. Bathing was amazing how the giant creature was enjoying the whole session so calm and relaxed. And while giving Reiki to the elephant I felt as if I am getting more calming energy back from him. It was a life time experience altogether.

Anuradha Nath

LHSG Kenya Member

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Feeding the baby elephants brought up so much love in my heart as if I was their mother. I sent Reiki and intended lots of nutrition in the milk to nourish them just as the mother ‘s milk would do.

Bathing the elephant was out of this world experience. Even thinking of it fills my heart with gratitude to these beautiful, powerful, emotional and graceful beings for allowing us to interact with them so up close. Bathing the elephant as it lay down calmly in the water made me feel like a child as I splashed water on it and as a mother as I scrubbed it. I was just saying the Hoponopono to it and all the elephants for all wrong that we humans do to them.

Just being in the presence of an elephant is an experience hard to describe in words. We definitely receive much more love than we can ever give!

Mamta Advani

LHSG Kenya Member

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