Do You Have A Wheat Belly? - Natural Awakenings

y Jude Forsyth
Community Spotlight
Big Cats Soothed by Creative Flutes
Paul McAuliffe, flute player
and maker, autism advocate,
writer and professional musician,
has been routinely serenading
the big cats at the Bear Creek
Feline Center, in Panama City for
more than five years. His creative
use of the flute has benefited the
Florida panthers, an endangered
species.
McAuliffe didn’t go to the
feline center with the intention of
playing flute for cats. While visiting
with a friend, they both noticed
the pacing and sporadic movements
of the panthers; McAuliffe’s
friend suggested he go back to the
car and bring in his flute for the
animals.
Neither could guess that both
the cats’ and McAuliffe’s lives
were about to change. As soon
as he sat down near the cage and
began playing, the cats came over
to listen, and their reaction was
immediate. “I have never heard a
full-grown panther purr. It’s like
listening to a motorcycle at a stop
light. I was stunned by their obvious delight and how it
seemed to calm them,” says McAuliffe.
After that first performance, McAuliffe was drawn to do
it more often, and can be found at the center on many Sunday
afternoons playing for all the big cats. Like most frequent
visitors to the park, he does have his favorites, and most loves
the Florida panthers and the one western mountain lion.
“They have amazing energy. They are such powerful beings
that are totally in the present moment. Their movements are
both graceful and strong,” says McAuliffe.
It seems the cats also have their favorite visitors.
McAuliffe explains, “I am told by the owners of the center
that the cats recognize people by scent, sight and sound.
They even seem to know people by the sound of the person’s
car, and they will show a reaction before the person
is even at the enclosure area.”
One of McAuliffe’s favorites is a young panther named
Saint. He was named after the Saints football team when
they won the Super Bowl a few years ago. Says McAuliffe,
“Even before I get within sight of his enclosure, I can hear
Saint’s yipping sound he makes
when he knows I am coming.
When I hear that, I feel that all is
well is in creation.” McAuliffe is
also popular with the cat handlers.
He sometimes plays when
they are in the enclosure, helping
to keep the cats calm. When he
is not at the center, the owners
sometimes put on one of his music
CDs to calm the cats.
McAuliffe is a spiritual
seeker and a level 3 Reiki practitioner.
“There is no gap between my
spirituality and my music. When
I play, I like to think that both the
four-legged and the two-legged
creatures can feel the vibration
energy,” he states.
While McAuliffe routinely
inspires the big cats to calmness,
they also inspire him. His recently
released third CD is entitled
Young Cat Dreams, featuring 11
different wooden and bamboo
Photo by Rowan Whitaker flutes; three of which were created
by McAuliffe. The cover photo
shows him playing a bamboo flute that he crafted next to a
young panther named Takota, clearly enjoying the music.
While his earlier recordings contained more active
music and the inclusion of drums, Young Cat Dreams
contains quieter, more relaxing music, created by McAuliffe
to be used for lullabies, general quiet time, meditation
or just to help relieve the stress of the day. It was inspired
by people that have used his music for years to help their
children go to sleep.
McAuliffe plays at a variety of venues, such as coffeehouses,
art galleries and schools. He also is available for gallery
openings, concerts, school events or parlor concerts. However,
nothing keeps him from his “cat time.” He explains, “The cats
love the music and I love them, so it all balances out. I am so
privileged to have these amazing beings in my life.”
To hear excerpts of McAuliffe’s music, visit CDBaby.com/cd/
paulmcauliffe2. To contact McAuliffe, email ravenbear47@
yahoo.com. To learn more about the feline center in Panama
City, visit BearCreekFelineCenter.org/welcome.
natural awakenings September 2012
17