Reiki For Pets

What Is Animal Reiki

As the healing principles of Reiki are the same whether you are treating a person or a pet, Reiki can help animals in so many ways They respond very well to the energy, often more quickly than people do. Positive results may be seen immediately or within a relatively short period of time. It is a wonderful way to bring hope, healing, relaxation and stress relief.

Reiki is extremely gentle, painless and non-invasive, always safe and comfortable for both animal and healer. It complements both conventional and alternative therapies. It heals at all levels of an animal’s being: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. It is one of only a few therapies that brings no harm to any living thing – plant or animal – to produce its healing properties. It goes to those issues most in need of healing, even those unknown to the practitioner. Reiki treatments, especially those including mental and emotional healing, reach deeply within the animal to bring about a remarkable degree of healing on the emotional and spiritual levels.

Sick animals can be treated with Reiki to help reduce their illnesses. For high-strung or nervous animals, Reiki induces deep relaxation, balance and calm and, over time, can reduce the tendency toward nervousness. It can speed the healing process after surgery. Those animals suffering from arthritis, allergies, joint pain or diminished sight may begin to feel whole again. Reiki has been used to help heal virtually every known illness including serious problems such as cancer and the effects of chemotherapy. A pet who displays bad behavior, doesn’t sleep well or is hyperactive can benefit from regular treatments. Also, if your pet experienced a particularly stressful event such as the death of another animal or person in the home, a move, or any event that may have a negative influence on your pet’s health or well-being, a Reiki treatment can help your pet adjust in an easier, more peaceful way.

For healthy animals, Reiki treatments help to support that state of health, fostering peace and overall well-being while deepening the bond between your pet and you. It can be practiced with or without direct contact with the animal. With Reiki, it is best for the animal to be off-leash when treated. As it can be sent from a distance, the practitioner can send the energy from several feet away. The animal controls his own healing process, including how much Reiki he will take and under what circumstances, so that he becomes an active and willing partner during the treatment. With distant Reiki, abused or traumatized animals can be treated safely and comfortably without having to submit to human touch. Reiki can be adapted to any problem that affects animals and can be used under any circumstances.

Reiki is an excellent treatment for stray animals or other animals rescued from negative situations or abusive homes. Many of these animals have had traumatic experiences with humans and can benefit tremendously from the Reiki healing. Practitioners can give shelter animals a second chance by providing comfort and by healing injuries, emotional problems and illnesses. It is a powerful means to ease pain and improve their quality of life. Even the most damaged animals with abuse, neglect, fear or trust issues will willingly accept Reiki to heal severe depression or behavior problems that would otherwise prevent them from being placed in a forever home. Reiki also provides a gentle though powerful method of relieving pain, fear and anxiety for an animal that is terminally ill, providing peace and comfort while easing the transition from this life.

Reiki is truly a language that animals readily understand and appreciate. As a simple method that can heal challenging problems, it adds an important element to the healing that animals can receive in our society. It is important to note that Reiki should not replace regular veterinary care and is best regarded as a valuable part of an integrative approach to healing.

What is animal reiki

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated"

- Mahatma Gandhi

What To Expect

When giving Reiki in person, I usually begin the session a short distance (about three to six feet) from the animal to give him a chance to feel the energy and decide if he would like to receive it. It is important that the animal is comfortable. With Reiki, the animal is in control of what he receives, how to receive it, and how much or how little he desires. As the healing potential of Reiki is a language that animals understand it is unusual for them to refuse treatment, but it can happen. The animal usually determines the length of the treatment, which can vary from 15-45 minutes or longer.

In the beginning of a treatment, the animal may move back and forth several times before he usually decides to sit or lie down right next to me or near my hands. I always ask if something hurts him or if there is something that he needs to tell me. Often he will turn his body to place the part of him most in need of healing right into my hands. I may then give him a hands-on treatment if he prefers, as it is their preference and it is always respected.

When the animal begins to feel the Reiki and decides to accept the treatment, the energy will ebb and flow and my hands will heat up, throb, tingle or pulse. The animal usually becomes very relaxed and often falls asleep for some period of the treatment. I often hear the animal release a big Reiki sigh.

When the flow of Reiki energy diminishes or animal gets up and walks away, the treatment is usually complete. Animals show their appreciation by licking my face or hands, nuzzling me, or making happy, satisfied sounds after the treatment is finished. Plenty of fresh water is always provided as animals as well as people often become thirsty after a treatment.

I’ve also offered group Reiki to animals in shelters, particularly to dogs kenneled in suites. As there often is excess stress and anxiety, heightened emotional and behavioral issues, increased depression and excessive barking, my approach is particularly gentle. From a distance of 15-20 feet, I’ll stand outside of the entire suite, out of their view, if possible, and calmly beam Reiki to them. When I notice subtle changes in their demeanor and all dogs show that they are receptive to the energy, I’ll enter the suite. In a more subdued meditative state, as I still need to be aware of the responses of all of the dogs, I’ll offer Reiki to them. Usually within several minutes the entire suite settles down, the barking stops, all of the dogs lie down and some actually take a Reiki nap.

Upon receiving Reiki, most people feel a sense of tranquility, deep relaxation and peace. Those feelings are the same for animals. Reiki can also be experienced as a feeling of warmth or tingling, especially when a treatment is given with my hands directly on the person or animal.

The results of a treatment may be immediate or take the following several days up to a week to be noticed. It may become clear that a physical injury or illness has healed more rapidly than expected or that an emotional or behavioral challenge has shifted or released. Deeper or longer-standing issues may take several treatments to begin to shift and regular treatments for a period of time to facilitate the process of working through and letting go of the issues that need healing.

Whether it be distant or hands-on Reiki that is offered, Reiki finds the matters that are most in need of healing, and those matters may not be what I expected. Physical issues can have emotional root causes, and, when it is in the best interest of the animal, Reiki can help him to resolve and release those issues and return to excellent physical and emotional health.

What to expect

Animal Reiki Practitioner Code of Ethics

I welcome these guidelines into my practice with conviction and gratitude*

Guiding Principles:

I believe the animals are equal partners in the healing process.
I honor the animals as being not only my clients, but also my teachers in the journey of healing.
I understand that all animals have physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects, to which Reiki can bring profound healing responses.
I believe that bringing Reiki to the human/animal relationship is transformational to the human view of the animal kingdom.
I dedicate myself to the virtues of humility, integrity, compassion and gratitude in my Reiki practice.

In working on myself, I follow these practices:

I incorporate the Five Reiki Precepts into my daily life and Reiki practice.
I commit myself to a daily practice of self-healing and spiritual development so that I can be a clear and strong channel for healing energy.
I nurture a belief in the sacred nature of all beings and in the value and depth of animal kind as our partners on this planet.
I listen to the wisdom of my heart, remembering that we are all One.

In working in the community, I hold the following goals:

I model the values of partnership, compassion, humility, gentleness and gratitude in my life and with the animals, teaching by example.
I work to create professional alliances and cooperative relationships with other Reiki practitioners/teachers, animal health-care providers and animal welfare organizations in my community.
I strive to educate my community in its understanding of the benefits of Reiki for animals.
I continually educate myself to maintain and enhance my professional competence so that I uphold the integrity of the profession.
I consider myself an ally to the veterinary and animal health community. I work to support their efforts in achieving animal wellness and balance. I honor other disciplines and their practitioners.

In working with the human companions of the animals, I will:

Share information before the treatment about my healing philosophy, the Reiki healing system and what to expect in a typical treatment, as well as possible outcomes, including the possibility of healing reactions.
Provide a clear policy ahead of time regarding fees, length of treatment and cancellation policy, as well as “postponement” policy, should the animal not want the treatment that day.
Never diagnose. I will always refer clients to a licensed veterinarian when appropriate.
Honor the privacy of the animals and their human companions.
Share intuition received during Reiki treatments, with compassion and humility, for the purpose of supporting their understanding of the healing process.
Respect the human companion’s right to choose the animal’s healing journey, selecting the methods, both holistic and/or conventional that he or she deems most appropriate, with the support and advice of a trusted veterinarian.

In working with the animals, I follow these guidelines:

I work in partnership with the animal.
I always ask permission of the animal before beginning and respect his or her decision to accept or refuse any treatment. I listen intuitively and observe the animal’s body language in determining the response.
I allow each animal to choose how to receive his or her treatment; thus each treatment could be a combination of hands-on, short distance and/or distant healing, depending on the animal’s preference.
I let go of my expectations about how the treatment should progress and/or how the animal should behave during the treatment and simply trust Reiki.
I accept the results of the treatment without judgment and with gratitude toward Reiki and the animal’s openness and participation in the process.

Code Of Ethics

"We can never achieve peace in the outer world until we find peace within ourselves."

- Dalai Lama

Animal Communication

Jill launched her own business called Whispers from Within to assist animals and people resolve the challenges – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual – that can lead to illness and disease and to deepen their understanding of each other.

Because animals don’t have an ego, they love unconditionally. They teach us uncomplicated things, like how to listen, how to be joyful and how to live in the moment. We take care of them and they gently try to show us how to connect with our heart, teaching us to become kinder, more positive, tender, and less selfish. As the author Dean Koontz wrote about his dog, Trixie, “Most of us will never be able to live with as much joy as a dog brings to every moment of his day. Their virtues, such as loyalty, unfailing love, instant forgiveness, a humble sense of place in the scheme of things and a sense of wonder arise from their innocence and reveal that they have a soul.” When they hurt or become ill or stressed, they communicate to us that they need our help. Our job is to listen.

As a healer who genuinely loves all living things, Jill is able to communicate with dogs and other animals and invite them to share whatever it is they want her to know. Animal communication can be described as deepened intuition or telepathic communication. That is how animals communicate with each other. By listening telepathically in a meditative state, Jill receives either subtle impressions, thoughts, feelings or a combination of images from the animal. There is no conscious reasoning involved.

By being able to “hear” the animal’s point of view, presenting a calm, positive and honest manner to them, and by closely observing the animal’s body language and facial expressions, successful communication is created and a deeper healing is possible for both animal and human. After all, animals long to be understood just as humans do. And all humans, with practice, can develop their intuition.

Animal Communication