Today, I want to share an answer I posted on a FB group for Animal Reiki. The question was: Is Animal Reiki a specific line of Reiki or is it just any Reiki used for animals?
Here is my answer, and please feel free to share:
Thank you for asking this question, because it is perhaps the most important one we would ever ask.
There are two approaches used in Reiki practice today, and each regards method, not essence. As far as the “essence” of doing Reiki for animals, all Reiki and Animal Reiki practitioners that I have ever spoken with agree that Reiki is the energy of the universe, we are all One, and humans are animals.
However, regardless of the lineage we belong to, we have a choice in how we apply the “method” to animals. The reality is that non-human animals are much more sensitive to energy than we humans are. They are also closer to the earth and retain energetic wisdom that we have forgotten.
So that question is, should we use a method that is practitioner-led and created for humans or should we acknowledge animals as our teachers and allow them to completely lead the session. In my experience, letting animals lead is always the best way and you can CLICK HERE for more about my philosophy.
To allow animals to lead the process – and to trust that they can – is very challenging because we want so badly to help using the rituals (physical and mental) that we know work for humans – we might begin to see ourselves as “healers” and we know “best” (this is a trick of our ego) – however if we make some mental and physical shifts in our method, and trust animals to lead – in essence then we let go of human ritual and simply learn to use Reiki to “hold space” for animals, rather than “doing treatments” to them – that is the unique method of Animal Reiki in its most ethical form.
This is the only way to make sure we don’t push our healing agenda and “what we think is best” on animals.
Each Reiki person has to carefully decide what approach they are going to pursue with animals – human-led or animal-led. It does make a huge difference in results.
Want to know more? CLICK HERE for an introductory course in the Let Animals Lead® method.
Blessings,
