The Reiki Ideals
Just for today, do not be angry
Do not worry, and be filled with gratitude
Devote yourself to your work and be kind to people
Every morning and evening join your hands in prayer…
Usui Mikao
Reiki: A Powerful Tool
Reiki is one of the most powerful tools that I use in my daily personal life, as well as in my animal communication and intuitive healing practice. As a Reiki Master-Teacher (International Association of Reiki Professionals), I use Reiki daily for myself, my animal family, and with my human and animal clients.
My journey with Reiki began after I began my professional practice as an animal communicator. I was interested in Reiki because I wanted additional tools that I could offer to my clients and their animals, particularly those who were healing from trauma, or had emotional, behavioral, or physical issues that could benefit from the supportive holistic energy that Reiki provides.
I was initially drawn to Reiki as a supportive service that I could offer to my clients and their animal friends. What I didn’t expect, really, was how much Reiki would change MY life.
Here are some of the ways that I use Reiki in my daily life for myself and my animal family:
- support for physical healing of injuries and illness
- support for emotional healing
- clearing my mind and thought process
- as part of my daily yoga and meditation practice
- energetic clearing and protection for our home and land
- relaxation and stress release
- preparing for client sessions
- blessing our food, water, medicine, and supplements
- in my garden (I give each plant Reiki as it is planted and when I water it)
- preparing for vet visits, travel, and new situations
- end-of-life transitions, grief, loss
I’ve seen Reiki relieve physical and emotional pain, heal relationships, accelerate spiritual growth, and create great transformation not only in my own life, but in the lives of many of my clients and their animal friends. Because of this, Reiki has become one of the cornerstones of my work and my own physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual support system.
What Is Reiki?
Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a holistic healing art for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. Dr. Mikao Usui developed the style of Reiki that spread to the West in the early 1900’s. Reiki is a very simple yet powerful technique that can be learned and used by anyone.
The word “Reiki” comes from two Japanese words, Rei and Ki. The word Rei as it is used in Reiki is interpreted to mean higher spiritual consciousness. The word Ki means the same as Chi in Chinese, Prana in Sanskrit, and Ti or Ki in Hawaiian.
Ki is life energy, the universal life force. This is the non-physical energy that animates all living things. Healthy Ki nourishes our physical body, and helps to balance our mental and emotional energy. Many people also find that Reiki is a form of Divine healing love which helps them deepen their awareness of their innate spirituality.
Reiki is practiced either in-person, through laying the hands on or above a person or animal’s body, or distance, by practitioners attuned to Level 2 Reiki.
How Can Reiki Help?
Benefits for People
Here are just a few of the benefits that I’ve experienced from Reiki, and that I’ve seen with my friends, family, and clients:
- relaxation and stress reduction
- pain relief
- accelerated healing from illness and injury
- emotional healing
- healing in relationships
- healing from destructive patterns and addictions
- spiritual growth
- release of past trauma
There is a growing body of scientific research on the benefits of Reiki in hospitals and other medical programs. For additional information on this research, visit Reiki Research at IARP .
Benefits for Animals
Reiki can also be used with animals, and animals tend to love it. Reiki can help animals in the same ways that it helps humans: to balance and nourish the physical body, and to support healing and promote emotional and mental balance.
Reiki is particularly effective in helping animals who have been traumatized, or who are experiencing physical, emotional, or behavioral difficulties. Reiki can assist animals in a variety of situations, including:
- acute or chronic illness or injury
- resolution of past trauma
- emotional or behavioral issues
- family changes
- end-of-life and transition
Reiki combined with Telepathic Animal Communication
We sometimes hear the statement “animals can’t tell us how they feel”, but, in fact, through telepathic communication, they can. The value of combining telepathic communication with the powerful healing energy of Reiki is that the animal can communicate their responses, feelings, and experiences in the Reiki treatments. This can be extremely valuable in designing a course of treatment that is most helpful for them.
How Is a Reiki Treatment Given?
Reiki may be shared in-person (either through laying on hands or in the energy field at a distance off the body) or long distance (by a Reiki practitioner attuned to Level 2 Reiki).
In a human Reiki session, the client is fully clothed usually on a Reiki table or in an armless, straight-backed chair. The normal time for a full treatment is about 60 minutes. Reiki treatments involve the placing of the practitioner’s hands on (or just off) the recipient’s body in a series of positions designed to facilitate and encourage relaxation and the flow of healing energy.
A Reiki treatment is usually done in a quiet environment with no distractions. A one-hour treatment can be helpful for a specific issue or for general relaxation. The number of treatments and frequency is tailored to the individual client’s needs and condition.
Reiki can also be given in short sessions, in crisis situations, and in what I like to call “micro-bursts”: short Reiki treatments given over a course of hours or days.
In an animal Reiki session, Reiki is offered to the animal, and the animal chooses how and if they wish to receive it. The animal is allowed to move around freely, and to choose whether or not they wish to accept the Reiki energy on or off of their body.
Often, an animal will respond to the Reiki energy by relaxing, licking, chewing, yawning, laying down, or going into the famous “Reiki Nap”. The Reiki practitioner will stay in the Reiki energy for the allotted amount of time, during which the animal may come and go as they please.
There is no difference between Reiki for humans and Reiki for animals–Reiki is Reiki. However, HOW the Reiki is shared will be very different for animals than for humans. I’ve had people ask me,
“How can I get my dog on the Reiki table?” The answer is, you don’t!
An animal Reiki session can look like this:
Or this:
But usually NOT like this:
Distant Reiki is very effective, and many animals actually prefer it. The beauty of distant Reiki is that it can be offered to a person or animal in any location or in any situation. I often use Distant Reiki in my animal communication consultations, and offer Distant Reiki packages for people and animals with chronic issues.
How Do People Learn Reiki?
Not only is Reiki a powerful and transformative holistic modality, but it can be learned and used by anyone. I strongly encourage anyone who is interested to take the Reiki training and learn to use Reiki for themselves. I really believe that Reiki is one of the tools that can help to transform not just our personal lives, but our world, through its ethical use as an agent of healing and divine love.
Reiki is a particular form of healing energy that is transmitted to the practitioner by way of an “attunement”. An attunement is like a special and sacred meditation, and brings us into alignment with the Reiki energy. A Reiki attunement is activated by a Reiki Master-Teacher, who has been trained in the attunement technique, and who shares the process with a person who has the spiritual desire and intention to awaken their inner healing power.
In addition to the attunement, Reiki classes provide instruction on techniques, tools, and ways to use Reiki. In my Reiki tradition, we have guidelines for class length, hands-on instruction and practice, and topics to be covered at each level of Reiki training.
There are 3 levels of Reiki classes and attunements in the Usui Reiki Tradition.
Click here for more information on the various levels of Reiki training and classes.
Becoming a Reiki practitioner is a profound and sacred experience, and should be entered into with the highest intentions of integrity, ethics, and professionalism. I subscribe to and support the International Association of Reiki Professionals Code of Ethics.
If you are interested in becoming a Reiki Practitioner, see the Reiki for All Species Training Program for information about classes and training.
I’m passionate about Reiki, and about sharing Reiki and passing on the Reiki training and attunements to as many people and animals as possible. If you have a Reiki story to share, please get in touch with me!
Reiki Blessings!
You may be interested in:
Reiki for All Species Training Program
Animal Reiki Open-Access Online Class
