Reiki Healing for Pets
What is Reiki?
The Reiki practice of healing was founded in the early 1900’s in Japan by Dr. Mikao Usui. He traveled a lot during his life, studying medicine, theology, and many different healing systems. After a few years he became a Buddhist monk, which allowed him to further his meditation skills and therefore his communications with the greater energies around us, reaching enlightenment that showed him the path to Reiki. Although Dr. Usui was a monk, Reiki is not affiliated with any religion or spiritual practice. The word Reiki comes from two words; “Rei” meaning universal life, and “Ki” meaning energy.
His work went on as he created a healing/teaching clinic in Kyoto, and by the 1940’s, the practice made its way to the west through the continued work of Mrs. Hawayo Takata who, after beating chronic illness, studied the practice for years and became a Reiki Master.
Today, the work of attuned Reiki practitioners complement many conventional therapies and is used to help assist in healing from pain, illness and disease. Reiki can also be a safely added treatment for palliative care, and I am glad to be able to offer this option to my clients on a sliding scale during such difficult times.
How Can Reiki Benefit Pets?
Reiki provides relief from stress, provides deep relaxation, and allows the body’s systems to better regulate which promotes its natural healing abilities. It is practiced by Reiki-attuned professionals either directly hands-on (or hands above) or by distance, to connect and direct energy flows throughout the body. With animals, Reiki is often practiced through meditation, rather than leading with hands.
Our pets can be a lot more sensitive to energy work than humans, as directed energy is also an integral part of their communication processes. For instance, as a veterinary technician, I quickly learned that how I approached and felt around patients directly affected their ability to be calm and accepting of necessary procedures and treatments.
This study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5871310/ looked at several clinical studies in both humans and rats, and concluded that there was “reasonably strong evidence for Reiki being more effective than placebo, suggesting that Reiki attunement leads to a quantifiable increase in healing ability.”
The study goes on to say, in conclusion, that “Reiki is better than placebo in activating the parasympathetic nervous system, as measured by reduced heart rate, reduced blood pressure, and increased heart rate variability. For patients with chronic health conditions, Reiki has been found to be more effective than placebo for reducing pain, anxiety, and depression…and quality of life. According to the neurovisceral integration model and the polyvagal theory, these effects are due to higher parasympathetic nervous system activity, mediated via the vagus nerve.”
The Amercan Kennel Club also has this thoughtful article about Reiki and its benefits, which you can view here It suggests that Reiki can help with anxiety, stress, recovery from surgery/illness, end of life care, and bonding.
In addition, as the above AKC article mentions, I also work with each animal as an individual and let them guide me. In my experience, cats and anxious (or previously traumatized pets) are more sensitive to energies, and I work within their boundaries to create a safe and healing space for when they are ready to receive it.
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” – Anatole France
What to expect from a Reiki session (in-person and distance)
Each animal is unique in their connection and acceptance of healing energies, as they are much more in tune with their own health and energy needs. Because of this, sessions are booked for 60 mins to allow your pet to settle and for me to make the connection and assess your pet’s comfort level.
In human Reiki sessions, the practitioner will use the hands on or hands above approaches to connect and direct energies. However, because animals are more energetically attuned naturally, many don’t want to be handled or touched because it goes above their threshold (tolerance) for contact. At the beginning of the session, I will take time to evaluate and connect with your pet, observing their behavior and comfort level. This can take up to 10-15 minutes to settle into the session, and once we can begin, I will continue to re-assess as we go.
Typically during a session, animals will move around, come closer to me, or settle and become more active, and so on. This usually happens several times during the 60 mins. It doesn’t mean the session is over, if your pet gets up and moves to a different place in the room. They will tell me when they’re done - usually with a look or a shake. Sometimes they settle into the energy and have a nap the whole time! I love it when they really relax into the session.
If your pet is anxious of touch, painful, or has gone through traumas that make them nervous of being handled, Reiki is effectively practiced at a short distance through connection and meditation. Reiki can also be practiced over longer distances, and studies have shown that this method is just as effective, so I am happy to offer distance sessions to those clients who wish it.