What is Reiki ?
Reiki is a gentle and natural therapy known to bring deep relaxation and speed up healing in animals and humans alike. Animals seem to particularly enjoy this ancient and soothing therapy and may actively seek out the healer’s hands.
Reiki allows animals to be at the forefront of their own healing. It is not about “fixing” something that is wrong; rather, it is about providing a positive space where healing can occur.
Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. Reiki means "universal life source energy", it goes back as far as the healing's of Jesus Christ and Buddha. A monk named Miako Usui discovered the healing art a century ago after years of research and hardship.
The Reiki practitioner channels healing energy 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, Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, homeopathy and all other forms of healing.
Animals are naturally receptive to the Reiki energy and tend to gravitate towards it readily. 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 are usually 20-30 minutes in length. 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. Frequency of sessions will be tailored to your pet’s individual needs.
Reiki treatments are either given in the pet’s home in Northern Virginia or through distance Reiki. Whether given directly hands-on, from across the room, or from across the country, treatments are equally effective.
Distance Reiki
Remote treatments are just as effective as in person treatments and can be preferable to hands-on treatments in some instances. Distance treatments are also quick to schedule: in emergency situations, I can usually offer a distance treatment the same day. Remote healing can be a good option for animals who are skittish about being with strangers or too hyper to sit still. For humans with busy schedules, remote sessions allow them to benefit from the energy without having to make time to drive to and from the session.
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.
What are the benefits of Reiki for Pets?
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Reiki enhances overall well-being.
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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.
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Strengthens the immune system for cancer therapies.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Accelerates healing following surgery or illness.
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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.
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Increases trust and bonding between you and your pet.
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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.
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Provides comfort and relieves pain, anxiety and fear for terminally ill animals.
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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. Reiki healing used when an animal is dying as it seems to calm them and prepare them for their journey to the spirit world. When reiki is done for a dying animal the owner can benefit greatly seeing how calm and at peace their beloved pet becomes and it can ease their grief and loss.
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What Happens in a Reiki Treatment?
Treating Dogs, Cats, and other pets.
Pets are most comfortable in their own home, for this reason I come to them.
I will start by opening up to Reiki from a distance and connect to the pet and ask if they wish to accept the healing energy. This gives the animal a chance to feel the healing energy and realize what it is before I come any closer to them.
Some animals choose to stay a short distance away and may come closer to me throughout the session, or they may roam the room weaving in and out of the wave of energy. The animal instinctively knows how much healing they need. However they decide they will receive the healing energy they need.
Your pet will usually be quite sleepy afterwards and will want to rest quietly. An increase in water consumption may also appear; this is the body flushing out toxins.
Because Reiki is healing energy, it will never harm you or your pet. It can be given to any type of animal. If your pet has emotional problems due to a traumatic situation such as abuse, neglect, or being hit by a car, Reiki can help release and heal those emotions. For behavioral issues such as nervousness or hyperactivity, Reiki can help your pet relax and reduce their stress and anxiety. If your pet is sick or injured, it can help your pet heal more quickly. If your pet is facing a serious illness, it can help bring comfort and be a great compliment to conventional treatment.
If your beloved pet is dying, Reiki for animals can help bring peace and comfort to you and your pet during this difficult time. It really seems to help them relax so they are not afraid and struggling to stay a part of our lives.