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This article offers advice about using the Reiki energy and symbols with animals, and it is written for those who have already been trained and attuned in Reiki I or higher.
Animals are exceptionally sensitive to all subtle energy healing techniques, including Reiki, because they are not burdened by human egos or thought forms that tell them such things are unreal. Pets open easily to the nurturing feeling of Reiki energy when you place your hands upon them. They also know when you send them energy telepathically, via second-degree Reiki.
Nonetheless, animals may not cooperate in lying down or letting you move your hands through all the positions of a hands-on healing, like a person would. They are also unable to verbalize if your second-degree work is effective. You must be willing to be a bit more creative when working with fins, fur and feathers. Following are techniques that have worked well for me in adapting Reiki to the special needs of the animals in my own life.
1. Use your intuition and imagination when giving hands-on treatment.
A small animal, such as a cat or small dog, may not feel like positioning himself to suit you. Therefore, simply invite him into your lap. Let the animal choose his position, and then place your hands, ever so gently, where it feels most natural. This may or may not be the area that is under stress. Remember that the Reiki energy will naturally go where it is most needed, and that you do not need to force it.
Gerbils or other small animals may be comfortable just sitting in your hands, and this is a great way to give a whole body treatment. With fish or caged animals, you can place your hands over their bowl or container. Manually tracing or visualizing the Cho-Ku-Rei is very powerful and effective in all hands-on treatment. Imagine the creature feeling happy and healthy once again too, if you want to give an added boost to your healing.
It is best not to touch wild animals at all, though even level I Reiki practitioners can visualize tracing the Cho-Ku-Rei symbol over the animal’s energy field. With the animal in your visual field, hold your hands out so that you “frame” the creature in your vision. Then use your imagination and intent to channel the energy through the animal’s body. This technique also works well for large animals who are too unruly or ill to hold directly.
2. Second-degree symbols and distance work.
You are more free to perform Reiki in whatever fashion you like when doing second-degree healing, because of course you can imagine that the creature behaves as you wish! Be sure to use Hon-Sha-Ze-Sho-Nen along with Cho-Ku-Rei when you trace and send symbols across time or distance. Following are two ways of performing distance Reiki for animals, both of which work if you are comfortable with them.
A. Use a stuffed animal, drawing, or other symbol to represent the animal, and imagine using all of the hand positions. If you prefer, you can imagine holding a miniature version of the animal in your hands, and giving him an all over light bath with the energy.
B. Visualize imprinting the animal’s energy field with the healing symbols. Then picture the creature happy and healthy in the most specific ways that you can imagine. “Glue” these happy images to the animal’s energy field by once again tracing and imprinting the symbols on the animal’s aura.
I have not mentioned Sei-He-Ki yet for a reason. It seems to me that this symbol works more on the owner of the animal than on the creature. Most likely, this is because Sei-He-Ki works upon clearing up emotional causes that underlie physical disease, and for animals such emotional storms often come from the energies of those who care for them. It is important to be aware of this. If you are doing a healing for someone else’s pet or livestock, you should tell them that your healing may have an influence upon the people in the family, as well as the animal. If you are giving Reiki to your own pet, then open your heart and mind to insights that may come to you as a result of this work. Such insights may lead you to change your behavior, or other elements in the animal’s environment that keep him feeling unstable.
3. Master symbols
Master healers may of course use Dai-Ko-Myo or other specialist symbols in place of, or in addition to, the symbols listed above. However, please remember that because our pets and animals experience their consciousness on the plane of densest vibration, they are usually soothed by good, old fashioned hugs, nurturing noises, familiar smells, and Cho-Ku-Rei.
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