Last week, I wrote that Reiki energy feels like loving kindness ... I was referring to humans at the time, yet I believe the feeling is similar when Reiki is received by dogs, cats, and other animals.1
For example, our family dogs sense when I’m working with Reiki energy and they immediately climb up for a Reiki snuggle. In the photo, Cuddle Biscuit is nestled into my armpit nook, one of her favorite spots. The eye contact warms my heart every time.
Dusty, our older dog (not pictured), shows me when she wants Reiki. She communicates this by sitting on my lap in a way that moves my hand onto her hips. This happened a few times before I realized she was asking for Reiki to help manage joint pain in her hips. Now, she has me trained to give her Reiki whenever she asks … which I simply adore.
The American Kennel Club published a helpful article about Reiki Healing for Dogs with examples of Reiki’s benefits in relieving stress, accelerating healing, and deepening the pet-to-human bond.
Reiki is a safe and gentle “complementary” therapy that activates the parasympathetic nervous system to heal body and mind. - American Kennel Club article citing a study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information
In the coming weeks, I will share more about Reiki for animals as I gear up for a Reiki for Pets / Lunch & Learn scheduled for June 4, 2025 in Bryson City, NC.
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