Reiki for Pets & People

Reiki is a gentle, powerful, non-invasive form of energy healing channeled through the practitioner's hands. It can be performed hands-on, from just above the body, or even over great distances. It relieves stress, promotes relaxation, and helps remove blockages from the body's energy system to allow it to heal itself. It is effective on its own, or when used in conjunction with standard medical treatments and other alternative healing therapies.

Reiki works at the physical, mental and emotional levels, is effective with acute and chronic conditions, and can provide great comfort and peace to patients and their loved ones in palliative care situations.

Birds and animals love Reiki! They are very sensitive to energy, and very quickly relax and receive when Reiki is offered to them in a gentle and respectful manner.

Reiki Kanji

The two Japanese words that make up the Reiki kanji are Rei and Ki. Rei carries a variety of meanings involving the Spirit or the Divine. Ki is life force energy, similar to Chi in Chinese and Prana in Sanskrit. Reiki, therefore, can be defined as spiritually guided life force energy. It is important to note that the Reiki practitioner is not providing or even guiding the healing energy, but simply acting as a channel for the energy to come directly from Source, and go to where it can provide the highest good. Reiki can therefore do no harm, and can often provide great benefits.

History of Reiki

Reiki & Healing

All living beings contain the power to heal ourselves. This depends on the free flow of life force energy throughout the physical and energetic bodies. Blockages to this free flow of energy are created throughout our lives by physical and emotional traumas large and small. Pain, disease and dysfunction can develop around these blocks.

Reiki triggers the relaxation response, helping the system to relax and release these blocks so healing can take place. Reiki thus often works on the source or cause of the problem, not just the symptoms. The healing takes place on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual planes, and can be quite profound and long-lasting.

Reiki & Spirituality

Reiki is not a religion, and can be ~ and is ~ practiced by people of all religious or non-religious backgrounds.

It is, however, a spiritual practice. The practitioner connects directly to the Source of the life force energy that pervades the universe and animates all living things. Much as a flute provides a perfect channel for the breath to create music, the attuned practitioner provides a channel for the life force energy ~ ki, chi, prana ~ to be guided by Spirit or Source for the highest and best good of the recipient.

The more one practices Reiki, the more one experiences this direct connection to Source as deeply spiritual, and the more receptive and effective a channel one becomes.

Reiki & Yoga

In Sanskrit, the word "yoga" means "yoking" or "union", and refers to joining the individual self or consciousness with the Divine Self, the Supreme Consciousness, the Oneness of everything, the Source. This is often referred to as Self-Realization or Enlightenment.

The physical postures ~ hatha yoga ~ that most people are familiar with in the West are only a small part of a complete system of practices designed to achieve this union. Also included are pranayama ~ breathing techniques; karma yoga ~ selfless service; raja yoga ~ meditation; gnana yoga ~ self-inquiry; and bhakti yoga ~ devotional activities such as chanting and ecstatic dance.

Reiki can be a valuable addition to any and all of these. Practicing Reiki on oneself is grounding, centering, healing, meditative, and a direct connection to the very Source that we are attempting through yoga to join with and eventually become. Both Reiki and yoga raise our vibration and allow us to release things ~ physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually ~ that we no longer need.

Together, yoga and Reiki can provide a powerful accelerator of our spiritual development.

Reiki as Palliative Care

"The primary cause of death is birth." That was how the Swami started his talk on making the best use of our precious human life. It is not a question of whether or not we will leave this temporary body, but when, how, and whether we have made good use of our time here.

As the time to leave the body approaches, most people and animals will experience some degree of pain, discomfort, stress and anxiety. So will their family members, both human and animal. This can be a time of great distress for everyone.

Reiki is very helpful in relieving pain and discomfort during the transition process. Reduction or even elimination of painkillers and other drugs allows us to be more present and aware during our own process of passing, and allows us to make our peace with ourselves and our loved ones. Perhaps even more importantly, Reiki is one of the most effective ways of relieving the emotional stresses associated with dying, including fear, anger, confusion, guilt, worry for those left behind and apprehension of what lies ahead. One elderly gentleman in the final stages of cancer described his weekly Reiki treatment as the only thing that could cheer his heart, calm his mind and make him feel at peace.

For the humans and animals being left behind, Reiki is also a powerful tool for dealing with the emotional upheaval involved with losing a loved one, both before and after the transition.

Finally, Reiki offered during the actual time of leaving the body can be a transformational, spiritual experience for the Reiki practitioner and everyone involved.

For a detailed description of palliative Reiki care for a cat named Jeannie, please see The Blog.

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience;

but spiritual beings having a human experience.

~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin ~