​This Sunday, February 5th, is Animal Reiki Day! I took my first Animal Reiki course a couple years ago and have worked with several animals since. Sharing Reiki with animals will take patience. When I started with our Yellow Labrador, Copper, I held my hands a few inches from his head. I knew he could sense the energy when he started twitching his ears – as though something was gently tickling them. Confused, he would look at my hands to see what I was doing! After a few of these mini-sessions, I noticed that he would push his head against one of my hands and hold it there for a brief time. Eventually, he pushed his head under my hand and stayed there for several minutes, enjoying the Reiki energy. Then I added my other hand on his chest. He loved it! 

Letting the animal be in control of the session is key to Animal Reiki. Because they can’t talk to you, you need to be aware of their actions and their body language. Never try to force an animal to stay still so that you can “do” Reiki. Always respect my animal clients, just as I would a human client.  Reiki energy will fill the room, so you can share Reiki with your cat even though they are sitting on the other chair. When they are done, they will simply or turn away from you, or leave the room, or even fall asleep.

Animal Reiki will help your pet's physical and mental well being and is a blessing at times of stress - think "V. E. T." visits, or during storms, or if your pet is sick. Aging pets also will benefit greatly from regular Reiki sessions, and Reiki can help them pass when their time comes. 

Like people, animals will react differently to Reiki energy, and a Reiki practitioner should be respectful of your pet's "space" and always watch for signs that your pet is ready for the session to end.