If you’re not familiar with Reiki, it’s used for humans and animals as a safe way to calm or sometimes heal physical conditions. It’s particularly useful for people (and animals) who are dying or who suffer from dementia. Reiki practitioners cannot diagnose (contact a doctor or vet).
Like orthodox medicine, it does not always work, but that’s not an excuse to dismiss it entirely. It’s not religious either, so ignore silly scaremongerers (nearly always Christians’ who seem to know diddly-squat about their own religion of peace, compassion and healing). Reiki is used by hospice Catholic nuns to veterinary nurses, and can also be used as ‘distant healing.
Like any holistic medicine, the ‘quacks’ sometimes get hold of what is a genuine tool for healing, and give it a bad name. One ‘modern rational voice’ of Reiki is Torsten Lange who emigrated from Germany to London some years ago, after a career in politics. After founding a successful store on Regent Street, his world fell apart overnight when he went bankrupt, lost his business and home, and almost ended his life. He tried everything to turn his life around and nothing worked – until he discovered Reiki. As well as studying the story of founder Mikao Usui, he was determined to ‘prove the science’ how Reiki. His book of 100 simple exercises makes the bold claim that if everyone did them, we could have world peace!
Reiki (pronounced ‘ray-key’) is a Japanese form of healing using the same ‘life-force’ energy used in yoga, acupuncture and ta’i chi. In a nutshell, everything is energy (humans, pets, wildlife, trees, even the molecules of a chair). If this flow of energy is unblocked – good! But when blocked, it can cause all kinds of issues (a blocked artery causes a heart attack but a blocked heart chakra can cause unforgiveness, repressed emotions etc).
A Reiki practitioner simply lays his/her hands on the body (or not in the case of most animals as some get spooked) and energy is ‘soaked up’ from the practitioner (Reiki does not ‘beam you up, Scotty’, more the recipient receives the energy – think of it like sunbathing on the beach!) You remain fully clothed throughout. Some say that distance Reiki can work as well or better, as there are no distractions (especially if you feel silly standing there with your hands open). Think of it like a spiritual form of Wi-Fi (you don’t have to physically be together to talk to a friend in New Zealand).
How long? Most practitioners suggest daily for the first few days (for emergencies) then once a week or fortnight, for as long as you like. Sessions cost around £40 an hour (and volunteers for hospices, animal shelters etc).
Love Energy Healing offers a free monthly Reiki healing session for humans and/or animals. Just sign up and this practitioner will include you in her distant healing sessions which work worldwide.
Reiki is based on 5 principles:
- Just for today, I let go of anger.
- Just for today, I release my worries and fears.
- Just for today, I will earn my living honestly.
- Just for today, I will show gratitude to every living thing.
- Just for today, I will honour my family, friends and teachers.
Yogis would explain that our bodies are not just physical, we also have etheral bodies and auric bodies (auras – otherwise known in Christian art as ‘halos’). Some people can look at you and see different lights around your head and body, and know what’s wrong with you. All fascinating stuff!
books to help you learn more about Reiki
Everyday Reiki is a wonderful book, by a Rhode Island resident (with a degree in mathematics) who breaks down the science of how Reiki works. She shows how to heal your chakras (they do exist, even if your doctor can’t find them on x-rays). Rather than a ‘manual’, it’s a readable book that you ingest over 40 days (daily wisdom, intention-setting, guided journaling, meditation and chants). By the end, you should be ready to be ‘attuned’ and begin a lifelong practice (the book includes information on using Reiki to help animals).
To become a channel for Reiki energy, you must receive an attunement from a Reiki master/teacher. Once you receive an attunement, it is with you forever. By adjusting your personal energetic signature, you can act as a channel for high vibrational energy. The atunement process can be done in person or remotely. You will experience significant shifts in energy: you may develop a healthier lifestyle as negative patterns of behaviour begin to change, You may find that you are out-growing old friendships that are not aligned with your current path. You may need more alone time to process all the shifts in energy. Practice self-care and drink plenty of water to support yourself during this time.
Press Here! Reiki for Beginners is a beautifully illustrated book, of 30 traditional hand positions (12 for yourself and 12 for others). It’s organised into 3 categories:
- Ailments by location (head/neck, chest, tummy, pelvis, legs/feet)
- Ailments by body systems (immune, circulatory, gastrointestinal, respiratory, muscular/skeletal, endocrine, nervous)
- Ailments by chakra (root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, crown)
how does Reiki help animals?
The ‘queen of animal reiki’ worldwide is American Kathleen Prasad, who has been practicing for 20 years. Her Let Animals Lead 21-Day Meditation Challenge (with accompanying journal) is the book of her course (graduates of her Shelter Animal Reiki Association can tranform shelters of barking animals into serene bliss within an hour).
A good example of a successful practice is Suffolk Reiki Company, from a woman who was healed with Reiki and has wonderful testimonials for her work on humans, dogs and horses (she also runs training courses). Some of her her ‘cured patients’ include limping puppies and horses with ligament injuries (or sweet itch).
Often animals (who particularly benefit if they’ve been abused) will go to sleep after drinking water, then wake up when it’s over! Leave them to sleep for an hour or two, to absorb the energy (just like you would do Corpse pose at the end of a yoga session, to absorb the benefits of the flowing energy from the postures). Healthy animals (and people) benefit too!
Practitioners can sometimes pick up on illnesses (and refer to a vet). One woman picked up on tummy pain from a dog (the vet found an aggressive tumour, the dog was immediately put to sleep).
Reiki is not the same as animal communication (also good, but only if the practitioner is genuine). Animals communicate telephathically and that’s how it works (nothing woo-woo). It can sometimes find lost pets, but back this up with community notices and modern lost/found pet apps.
Occasionally animal communicators may even receive messages from animals in spirit (have an open mind!) Even Dr Stephen Hawking signed a proclamation declaring that human and animal consciousness were alike. Anyone can do it, it’s like learning any other language.
where to train to become a Reiki practitioner
- Traditional Reiki uses symbols, but you don’t have to use them. But if you do, you can download them from Drawings Of (a fun site by an artist and Reiki practitioner in Boston). Easier to learn!
- Aimee Phlegar is one of the few genuine practitioners to offer a quality virtual Reiki training course at an affordable price. This Level 6 Reiki Master Teacher includes attunement as part of the course. It’s a 2-hour video course with lifetime access, and a certificate of completion.
- Reiki Science Academy offers Reiki courses by Torsten Lange (above). You’ll learn how to give Reiki to yourself and others (Reiki 2 is to become a professional practitioner).
- My Spiritual Butterfly is one of the few UK courses that enables a Reiki practiioner to work for the NHS, within the government-founded Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CHNC).
