Reiki and Animals

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This page is one of a series where I give my personal experiences and ideas on aspects of Reiki and/or energy work. The pages are intended to give some "food for thought" and some are only my viewpoint. While a number of facts may be included, you should decide for yourself how much (if any) of the content feels right to you. One of the more enjoyable uses for applying Reiki that most of us learn, is to share this with our own pets and other animals. In fact some Reiki practitioners choose to work only with animals, sometimes joining up with local veterinary services. I've found that depending on the species (and sometimes the animal) we can expect a variety of reactions to a Reiki treatment, or even just the presence of Reiki. When Nadya and I first learned Reiki, aside from practicing on ourselves and our 3 daughters, we also explored Reiki on our many cats (5 at that time). Just as with people, I found that each cat had their own peculiarities in relation to Reiki (that`s adorable Chester on the left.) While most of the cats would sit still and purr in your lap while receiving, sometimes I discovered that giving one Reiki was a way to get the cat to leave my lap. Perhaps simply being near to us so much of the time, the cats were absorbing our Reiki radiance, enough to satisfy their needs when healthy. We know that cats and other animals tend to absorb our emotions, hence the reason why they sometimes get sick for no apparent reason. When I became a Reiki Master I would practice giving the cats attunements to Reiki. Granted some would again not sit still long for this increased energy space, so I learned to just project it to them. One cat in particular, a black beauty we called Blackberry (on the right,) used to enjoy sneaking into my Reiki classes. She would walk amongst the students, select one, and then jump up into the person's lap. The selected student never seemed to mind this and would just continue listening to me as I taught. However, when it came time for the students to practice the techniques I was sharing, the student with the cat somehow felt he or she should not move at all and should remain seated. If this had happened once or twice, it would have just seemed an unusual incident But this happened several times. I finally had to bar Blackberry from the classes. There were times before this when she would also just jump right up onto the Reiki table beside the person receiving the treatment. I suppose she just wanted to be a part of this and considered herself something of a Reiki practitioner (or teacher.) Our 3 daughters would get quite involved in treating the cats, as well as their many other pets: hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, the rabbit. And when a cat was sick, or they recovered a baby robin (on the right) or a baby crow that had fallen out of their nests, they each received ongoing special treatments (and they all responded very well.) The favourite recipient these days is often Stephanie's Australian Shepherd, Kane (on the left). And our last remaining cat, Raven (who looked very much like Blackberry, except much silkier,) has been recovering very well from an illness, thanks to a lot of Reiki treatments from all the family as well as a healthy change in her diet initiated by Sabrina. (many months after I initially wrote this article however, Raven finally passed away - we miss her very much.) For over 16 years now we have had a pet turtle, a red eared slider my girls named Lesa. We have a children's small wading pool outside with a large rock and terracotta tray in it, and the pool is half filled with water. We put Lesa in this during the day, especially when it is warm and sunny. We also have a smaller tub of water for her when she comes inside in the evenings. She's about a foot long now, but when she was smaller, we made the mistake one evening of not bringing her inside right away at dusk. When we went out to get her we discovered her on the grass, upside down and seemingly injured. It was obvious she had been the victim of raccoons! We brought her inside and noticed that her front claws had been bitten away. We phoned wildlife services and they suggested to bring her in and they would put her down. We refused to accept that and Nadya suggested we put her on a towel and keep her out of water, so that her wounds could dry up and heal. We might have put some hydrogen peroxide on her, I can't remember. She was definitely in shock and did not move for a long time. But we all gave her continuous Reiki. In time, the turtle healed and returned to normal, with the added bonus that she could no longer climb outside of her pool. We became very diligent with bringing her inside each evening. These days when we let her run around the apartment where we now live, she is very agile and quick, in spite of her deformed front legs. After teaching for a few years, I began to get a few students who worked with horses as healers and massage practitioners. I especially remember the healer, Kim, who called one day and said her horses wanted her to learn Reiki. In talking with her I learned she easily communicated with animals, a skill one of my good friends (Joanne) also has. So I asked her if her horses wished to be attuned to Reiki. After a few moments she said they were really excited and yes, they would love this. So I got quiet for a short time, focused and then intended each receive a Reiki attunement. Afterwards she said they were very happy with this and so she booked classes for her and her mother. I eventually taught them to master level. In class Kim talked about how she worked with a large amount of the horse crowd involved in dressage and competition. She said that the main problem was that like most animals, the horses tend to absorb the negative emotions of their riders, to the point where the horses get sick, injured or develop tumors. Kim felt she really should be treating the owners first, and not just the horses. I always try to remember that when I get any negative thoughts or feelings around animals, and my family as well. I did try some horse healing myself, from time to time that`s Pilango on the right.) I must admit I do get a bit intimidated by their size, even if I am not in a stall but standing outside with the horse. I've learned to ask their permission to attune them, and as I explain below, this has led to additional energy work with them and with all animals I encounter. One interesting experience occurred one day when a young student asked me to come with her out to the countryside to meet her horse and it's new foal. She asked if I would attune them to Reiki. I agreed as the farm was very near that of one of Nadya's sister's, and we knew the area well. I invited my daughter Stephanie, then a teenager, to come along. I guess my student felt I needed to touch the horses and she brought them from the pasture into the barn so I could. I didn't mind this and the attunements were both simple and quick. So she brought them back to the pasture. The farm was also a boarding place for horses so I asked a worker if I could attune the other horses. He didn't mind so I sent Stephanie around the other side of the barn to offer attunements to any horses in their corrals in that direction. Then I turned to the one in front of me. It was a very active stallion, mainly due to the fact it's corral was next to that of a gelding and a mare in heat. As I sent the attunement he quieted down and became very still. I then turned to the other 2 horses and did the same. They too got very quiet. When I looked back at the stallion, he had moved to the back of his corral and stood sleeping under an overhang. We were quiet amazed at this. Then my student noticed that the mare and gelding had done the same thing. It was as if it was night time for them, but it was the middle of the afternoon. We then looked over at the pasture to find her mare and filly both lying down and sleeping. I turned around to see how Stephanie was doing and each horse she had been to was standing still, seemingly asleep. In the future I was to come across this phenomenon several more times. Years later when I started working with the devas of plants and animals (click here) I would also add to my applications and attunements, whatever energy best suited that specie. I would do so by channeling the appropriate deva and ask for it's assistance.

Our 3 daughters would get quite involved in treating the cats, as well as their many other pets: hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, the rabbit. And when a cat was sick, or they recovered a baby robin (on the right) or a baby crow that had fallen out of their nests, they each received ongoing special treatments (and they all responded very well.)

The favourite recipient these days is often Stephanie's Australian Shepherd, Kane (on the left). And our last remaining cat, Raven (who looked very much like Blackberry, except much silkier,) has been recovering very well from an illness, thanks to a lot of Reiki treatments from all the family as well as a healthy change in her diet initiated by Sabrina. (many months after I initially wrote this article however, Raven finally passed away - we miss her very much.)

For over 16 years now we have had a pet turtle, a red eared slider my girls named Lesa. We have a children's small wading pool outside with a large rock and terracotta tray in it, and the pool is half filled with water. We put Lesa in this during the day, especially when it is warm and sunny. We also have a smaller tub of water for her when she comes inside in the evenings. She's about a foot long now, but when she was smaller, we made the mistake one evening of not bringing her inside right away at dusk. When we went out to get her we discovered her on the grass, upside down and seemingly injured. It was obvious she had been the victim of raccoons!

We brought her inside and noticed that her front claws had been bitten away. We phoned wildlife services and they suggested to bring her in and they would put her down. We refused to accept that and

Nadya suggested we put her on a towel and keep her out of water, so that her wounds could dry up and heal. We might have put some hydrogen peroxide on her, I can't remember. She was definitely in shock and did not move for a long time. But we all gave her continuous Reiki. In time, the turtle healed and returned to normal, with the added bonus that she could no longer climb outside of her pool. We became very diligent with bringing her inside each evening. These days when we let her run around the apartment where we now live, she is very agile and quick, in spite of her deformed front legs.

After teaching for a few years, I began to get a few students who worked with horses as healers and massage practitioners. I especially remember the healer, Kim, who called one day and said her horses wanted her to learn Reiki. In talking with her I learned she easily communicated with animals, a skill one of my good friends (Joanne) also has. So I asked her if her horses wished to be attuned to Reiki. After a few moments she said they were really excited and yes, they would love this. So I got quiet for a short time, focused and then intended each receive a Reiki attunement.

Afterwards she said they were very happy with this and so she booked classes for her and her mother. I eventually taught them to master level. In class Kim talked about how she worked with a large amount of the horse crowd involved in dressage and competition. She said that the main problem was that like most animals, the horses tend to absorb the negative emotions of their riders, to the point where the horses get sick, injured or develop tumors. Kim felt she really should be treating the owners first, and not just the horses. I always try to remember that when I get any negative thoughts or feelings around animals, and my family as well.

I did try some horse healing myself, from time to time that`s Pilango on the right.) I must admit I do get a bit intimidated by their size, even if I am not in a stall but standing outside with the horse. I've learned to ask their permission to attune them, and as I explain below, this has led to additional energy work with them and with all animals I encounter. One interesting experience occurred one day when a young student asked me to come with her out to the countryside to meet her horse and it's new foal. She asked if I would attune them to Reiki. I agreed as the farm was very near that of one of Nadya's sister's, and we knew the area well. I invited my daughter Stephanie, then a teenager, to come along. I guess my student felt I needed to touch the horses and she brought them from the pasture into the barn so I could. I didn't mind this and the attunements were both simple and quick. So she brought them back to the pasture.

The farm was also a boarding place for horses so I asked a worker if I could attune the other horses. He didn't mind so I sent Stephanie around the other side of the barn to offer attunements to any horses in their corrals in that direction. Then I turned to the one in front of me. It was a very active stallion, mainly due to the fact it's corral was next to that of a gelding and a mare in heat. As I sent the attunement he quieted down and became very still. I then turned to the other 2 horses and did the same. They too got very quiet. When I looked back at the stallion, he had moved to the back of his corral and stood sleeping under an overhang. We were quiet amazed at this. Then my student noticed that the mare and gelding had done the same thing. It was as if it was night time for them, but it was the middle of the afternoon. We then looked over at the pasture to find her mare and filly both lying down and sleeping. I turned around to see how Stephanie was doing and each horse she had been to was standing still, seemingly asleep. In the future I was to come across this phenomenon several more times.