REIKI THERAPY FOR ANIMAL HEALING
Compiled & Edited by-DR RAJESH KUMAR SINGH ,JAMSHEDPUR,JHARKHAND, INDIA, 9431309542,rajeshsinghvet@gmail.com
Reiki is a hands-on healing method that originated in Japan. The practitioner channels healing energy through her hands to the animal through a light touch either directly on the body or from a distance. The word Reiki (pronounced “ray-key”) is a Japanese composite word usually translated as “universal life energy”. It is based on the idea that all living beings have life energy flowing through them. When life energy is high, your pets are healthy and balanced, more relaxed and less likely to get sick. When it is low, they’ll often be more easily affected by stress and less resistant to illness. Reiki is a safe complement to conventional Western medicine,Indian Ayurveda , Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, homeopathy and all other forms of healing.
Animals, especially cats, are naturally receptive to the Reiki energy and tend to gravitate towards it readily (some people even say cats invented Reiki). Some pets may initially prefer to experience the energy from a slight distance, rather than having the practitioner’s hands directly on them.
Reiki sessions for pets typically last 15-30 minutes. The frequency of sessions depends entirely on each individual animal’s health status and needs. Some health issues can be resolved in two or three sessions, others may take ongoing sessions on a recurring basis. As with all services Healing Hands provides, frequency of sessions are tailored to your pet’s individual needs.
Reiki healing can be used alongside veterinary treatment as it does not in any way interfere detrimentally with the treatment, but can help to speed up the healing process, de-stress a sick animal and ease any pain the animal is suffering. Reiki/Seichem is an energetic healing system & is an ideal complementary therapy for all animals (& humans). It is non-invasive, painless, stress free & can even be given at a distance.
Reiki heals at all levels of your animal’s (& humans) being & goes directly to the source of the problem, whether it be physical, mental, emotional or spiritual – it can be used to maintain health & wellbeing, to heal illness, injuries, emotional problems, even when it’s time to ease the transition between life & death.
I always feel very privileged to be able to share this amazing connection between animal & human…such a wonderful feeling!
All animals are receptive to reiki in the same way as horses. Cats particularly enjoy reiki, possibly because they already seek out human contact. Stroking a cat charges their coat with positive ions; reiki energy has the same positive charging effect, and cats simply cannot get enough.
Any animal can receive reiki in the same way, although initially your pet may be wary of it. Most animals are highly attuned to our body language and this is how we communicate with them all the time whether we wish to or not. To have a person present who can communicate and send energy in other ways is often a surprise but most animals settle to its calming energy very quickly.
To help this, a quiet place within the animal’s normal surroundings should be provided; try to avoid distractions such as the tv or children coming in and out and let other members of the household know so that they can minimise disruption. It is important that the animal is under control at all times and this remains the responsibility of the owner.
The practitioner will ask you a few questions and to complete a form to give permission and to confirm that you have sought the permission of the animals vet before the treatment starts.
The practitioner may start the session by simply sitting with the animal, as the energy flows it is quite normal for the animal to place itself close or in contact with the practitioner’s hands. When the animal has had enough in one particular area they may move about and reposition themselves, they instinctively know what is good for them. They may become very relaxed or fall asleep or move away when they have had enough.
After the treatment they should be allowed to continue to relax in their quiet area for as long as needed. Reiki energy will flush toxins from the system so in the case of dogs or other animals that require toilet walks you may find they need to go out fairly soon after and a general increase in their needs for a day or so. Clean fresh water should be available at all times.
Interestingly, even sceptics of reiki treatment will admit that the placebo effect has no bearing on horses or other animals as they cannot be familiar with the concept; it really works
Benefits of Reiki for pets:————
• Enhances overall well-being.
Just like people, even healthy pets can have occasional physical, emotional and mental imbalances that, if left untreated, can manifest as illness. Periodic Reiki treatments can help maintain your pet’s natural state of well-being and balance.
• Strengthens the immune system for cancer therapies.
Cancer therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation present stress to an already compromised immune system. Reiki strengthens the immune system to better deal with this additional stress. It helps alleviate or prevent the side effects of conventional cancer treatments and provides pain relief.
• Accelerates healing following surgery or illness.
Reiki can alleviate and prevent side effects of conventional medications such as pain killers and antibiotics, and provides pain relief and relaxation to facilitate and enhance the body’s natural healing response.
• Increases trust and bonding between you and your pet.
People and pets often mirror each others’ physical and emotional states. Animals are natural healers and sometimes take on their person’s problems, often in an attempt to heal them. This happens because of the deep bond shared between a pet and his or her person. Because of the shared energy in such a close relationship, energetic imbalances are shared as well. For optimum healing, joint treatments for people and their pets can often be beneficial.
• Can help with behavior issues by promoting relaxation and stress reduction.
Many behavior issues are caused by stress. Reiki has a calming effect on the pet and may help make the pet more receptive to training and behavior modification. Reiki is extremely beneficial for animals with a history of abuse. The gentle touch and the energy can help restore trust in animals who have learned to associate touch with being hurt.
• Provides comfort and relieves pain, anxiety and fear for terminally ill animals.
Reiki is a wonderful way to facilitate the transition for terminally ill animals and their owners. Often, animals will not allow themselves to transition because they intuitively feel that their person is not ready to let them go. Joint Reiki treatments for the pet and his or her person can help both through this difficult time by enhancing the bond and allowing a gentle transition.
In Home Treatments—–
Reiki treatments are either given in the pet’s home or remotely. Most pets take to the energy readily and enjoy hands-on treatments. Some pets may be more comfortable from a slight distance. Whether given directly hands-on or from across the room, treatments are equally effective.
RemoteTreatments——–
Reiki can be given remotely. Distance healing, also known as remote healing, is an energetic healing process that can be best explained through the principles of Quantum physics. It has been proven to be extremely effective, sometimes even more effective than local, hands-on healing.
How does it work?———
Quantum physics shows us that everything is made up of energy, and everything is connected. Everything is part of the same, continuous whole. Long distance healing is “wireless” healing. We accept that cell phones, televisions and even our garage door openers work in this wireless way. It’s not much of a leap to accept that all energy travels that way, including the energy of healing.
In a remote Reiki session, the practitioner connects with the person or animal requesting the healing energetically. Every living being has a unique frequency, and the practitioner tunes into that unique energy. We are all part of the same unified field of consciousness, and it’s simply a question of “dialing in” to the correct frequency. Once the connection is made, the practitioner sends the healing energy to the recipient.
Recipients of distance healing report the same sensations recipients of hands-on healing experience, such as a sense of heat or tingling in certain parts of the body, a sense of calm and peace, and a deep sense of relaxation.
This approach is composed of 6 Pillars of Practice:
- This method is founded upon traditional Japanese Reiki techniques and philosophy.
- Animal Reiki is mindfulness meditation practiced “with” our animals, rather than an energy therapy done “to” them.
- Animal Reiki meditation is taught as a state of mind with flexible physical forms.
- Touch is used only when animals seek it out, and then only as a compassionate support.
- Mental focus techniques develop an “All is Well” state of mind for the practitioner that sees the animal’s perfection in this moment. Kathleen calls this seeing with your “Animal Reiki eyes,” in other words, seeing more deeply, with your heart.
- This method acknowledges and honors each animal as a spiritual teacher and healer in his/her own right. Practitioners learn to listen to animals and become receptive to their spiritual wisdom and healing gifts.
What kind of issues can be treated using Reiki?————
Reiki works on a physical, mental and emotional level so as well as easing physical ailments, for example, reducing inflammation and pain, aiding recovery post-op, or accelerating the healing in sick or injured animals, Reiki can also help ease stress and anxieties that may have been caused by an emotional trauma or physical abuse. Healthy animals can benefit by enhancing their relaxation and providing a sense of contentment which in turn will help to maintain their health and for animals at their end time, Reiki is a gentle way to provide comfort and ease their transition. Reiki is also a wonderful complement to other therapies conventional or otherwise.
FACTS ABOUT ANIMAL REIKI———–
Animal Reiki is a spiritual practice of compassion for all beings. In a nutshell, “doing” Reiki for animals simply means learning to meditate with your animals. The practices of Reiki help us navigate our life’s challenges with grace while we to learn to listen to and be present for others in a compassionate space. Compassion is the ultimate healer, and this is the powerful space Animal Reiki facilitates. Because the practices of Reiki are focused on helping us remember our inner wisdom of universal connection to all things, the more we practice, the deeper our healing can go. Because we are healing our inner essence and spirit, we often see ripples into the other layers of our being—spiritual healing through the dying process, or emotional, mental and physical healing throughout life’s journey.
- Animal Reiki = compassion.
Reiki teaches us to be compassionate to ourselves and to others. Ultimately, there is no difference, since all is One. It is this Oneness space that Reiki helps us to tap into with its many tools. When we are with our animals, we can often touch this space, feeling our hearts merge with our animals’ hearts. These moments are so profoundly moving. We can often see a wonderful healing response arising naturally from these compassionate moments. - It is not about interpretation.
It’s true, that Reiki deepens intuition. This means that in our treatments or meditations with animals, we may begin to feel certain sensations, or gain a deeper understanding of what the animal is feeling and going through. This is called hibiki or “echo” in Japanese. It is important for the Reiki practitioner to remember that the more we focus on what we are feeling and what it means – in other words, the more we interpret what we receive intuitively – the more we create a separation between us and the animal. Reiki teachings help us to realize our innate Oneness, and in order to do this we must let go of our opinions, wishes and judgments about what is happening. Interpretations of hibiki can make our mind very narrow and small. The more we can let go of these thoughts, just let them float by like clouds, the more open our mind and heart can be, and the more present we can be for the animal. It is our openhearted presence, or “being” with our animals, without our judgments and interpretations, which is the real healing power of Reiki. Letting go of our judgments is also about being compassionate, which again brings us back to Usui’s precepts. - It is not about hands-on healing.
Yes we can say that Reiki for humans often includes hands-on healing treatments. However when we work with animals, we must use a different approach: one that takes into account their way of being in the world and their awareness of the subtle nature of things. What if the animal is behind a fence or in a tree? Would we need to climb over the fence or up the tree and touch them to be able to support their healing? No, and in fact, sometimes approaching an animal physically is the last thing we would want to do (either for our own safety OR because of the animal’s preference). The most important part of a Reiki treatment for an animal is NOT touch, but rather, the practitioner’s state of mind. What is the best state of mind to be in? We can look at the Reiki precepts for clues. Animals are very sensitive to our emotional states. The more we are in a space of anger, the more this will be disturbing to an animal. The more we focus on fear and worry, the more unpleasant it will be for an animal to connect with us. The more we come from a space of humility, gratitude and compassion, the better responses we will see from the animals. Let go of your hands and open your mind: this is the best way to support your animal’s healing. In this open space we can realize that there is no need for physical connection because we are already One in our heart. This Oneness is real compassion. - It’s about acceptance of things as they are.
Reiki is a healing system. The word “healing” is a bit of a loaded term isn’t it? What exactly does healing mean? People often have certain expectations that if their animals receive a Reiki treatment all physical/emotional problems will disappear. If that were true, the world would be a very different place wouldn’t it? So we have to ask ourselves, if that is not the case, what does it mean to truly heal? In reality, our bodies are finite, and we do not live forever. Does that mean that healing eventually fails us all? Or perhaps we are missing the possibility of deeper and more profound healing: the healing of our inner spirit. We can see from the Reiki precepts that Mikao Usui taught, that true and lasting healing is about our state of mind. Sometimes life is difficult and sometimes it is easy, but how do we deal with the things that come our way? Sometimes our animals will get better and sometimes it is their time to pass, but with the tools of the system of Reiki, we can create a beautiful space of peace and balance no matter what our beloved animals or we may face. Again, compassion here is key, for only through compassion can we let go of our ego; it is our ego that is always judging what needs to be healed and how the healing should take place. - Don’t wait until someone gets sick; practice Reiki with your animals now!
People often only think of healing as something we do when we are ill. However, what if we could bring compassion and healing to all that we do? I invite you to begin each day sitting with your animals with compassionate thoughts. Keep compassion close to your heart all through the day, wherever you go. Find opportunities to show compassion to all beings. End your day sitting with your animals and contemplating the compassion you have shared throughout the day. Watch your relationship with your animals deepen and heal just from this! With daily practice in compassion, your inner balance and well-being will become strong, your spirit courageous. Your animals will reflect and support your strength and balance. And then, if you or your animal faces illness, you both will be ready.
The Power of Reiki———
Reiki helps you to uncover your beautiful inner light and radiate it outward to help others, just as the sun nourishes the earth. The system of Reiki consists of meditation techniques that help break through the walls that we have built, so that we can connect more easily with others. Reiki techniques also focus on mindfulness: training our awareness to come back to this present moment. In a nutshell, Reiki practice helps our hearts to open and our minds to find peace. An open heart combined with a peaceful mind creates a beautiful, healing radiance that can be shared with everyone around you, especially your dogs.
By practicing Reiki on a daily basis, we can strengthen our ability to radiate compassion, peace and joy more constantly, so that these qualities can stay with us even in times of crisis. In this way, we can offer healing to others, for example for our dogs, when they may be facing difficulties. This is not so easy to do when we are emotional and scattered, and this is why our daily meditation practice is so important.
Our dogs are attracted to us when we approach their healing issues from an openhearted, tranquil and balanced state of mind. They also appreciate when we don’t want something from them (be it a response, a reaction or a specific outcome). In other words, our dogs appreciate when we learn how to be Reiki (be present, with an open heart and without expectations) with them, rather than do Reiki (try to fix this or that problem) to them.
If we can put our dogs at ease by radiating a beautiful peacefulness, they will want to be with us. On the other hand, when we feel very worried, stressed or emotionally upset about them, they may avoid our attempts to share Reiki. There are many tools in the system of Reiki which can help us to shift ourselves into a serene, happy and comfortable space, that radiates out from us and that our dogs can share.
HOW REIKI CAN HELP YOUR PETS——–
We all adore our pets, whether they are dogs, cats or any other type of furry friend. Our love for them is due in part to the way we see them as part of our family, so when they are unwell we do what we can to help them. Of course the vet is always the first port of call, but have you heard how reiki healing can not only help people, but animals too? You may be amazed at how this therapy can turn your pet into a much happier and healthier soul.
Since this Japanese healing form was ‘discovered’ in the early 20th Century by Dr. Mikao Usui it has been used as a complementary therapy for treating people with various health issues. Today you can find reiki practitioners in just about every town and city. However, reiki is also now being seen as a viable therapy treatment for animals too.
Reiki works on many different levels. It has been called a spiritual therapy, but in reality it’s more of an energy based system. So what is an energy therapy you might ask? Amazingly, everything is made up of energy, whether human, animal, plant or rock. Physicists have discovered that atoms are made of energy that are constantly spinning and vibrating, each one radiating its own unique energy signature.
When our energy fields are unbalanced or depleted this creates problems that can manifest as physical or emotional problems. Reiki can help to rebalance your own energy to help yourself heal. This applies to all animals too, and by tuning into the animal’s unique energy signature, a reiki therapist can direct ‘ki’ energy to the animal. This can be done with hands laid on the animal or just above them. It can even be ‘beamed’ across to an animal from a distance, just in case the animal does not like to be approached, or access is not available. In most cases pets love reiki sessions, as it makes them feel very relaxed.
An animal healer who practices reiki can help your pets recover from many illnesses, injuries, and emotional issues. Disabled animals in particular can be helped so much with reiki. Obviously the physical disabilities they have can be helped by the relaxing nature of a reiki healing session, allowing the body to relax and restore a balanced system. Then from an emotional aspect, we can see that reiki can also benefit disabled animals. They may feel frustrated and vulnerable, perhaps helpless and sad due to the disability, especially if it is relatively new to them. A reiki treatment (or a few sessions in some circumstances) can bring that happiness and contentment back into their lives by acting on the emotional side of their being. It can help them come to terms with a disability so they can get on with enjoying their life with you.
Just as with humans, animals rely on their energetic level being in a state of balance and harmony. Whether you use reiki, massage, animal communication, or any other alternative therapies for your pets, they will respond on a physical, emotional, or spiritual level. Sometimes it is instant and tangible, other times it can have subtler or hidden effects, but animals always respond well to reiki sessions. By offering our pets the love and support they need, they will respond and lead healthier, happier lives.
Reiki can also be given to pets as part of their general health care. Just as we might go for a massage or spa day to get pampered and get rid of the pains and stresses of modern life, a reiki session can have the same effect on our animals. Disabled animals will undoubtedly carry more stress, whether physical or emotional, so we need to ensure they have more support and healing than other pets. It is deeply relaxing, and time spent with a reiki healer is something your pet will love you for.
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