Animals are highly intuitive and are sensitive to the energies of their surroundings. As with humans, animals have chakras which can become unbalanced. Reiki healing energy can be used alone or as a complement to other healing practices, balancing the energy patterns and strengthening the animal's natural healing systems. When the animal's healing are at optimum performance, the body, mind and spirit can heal itself.

Reiki can help animals in the following ways:

• Maintaining health and well being through regular sessions;
• Aiding in pain management for animals who are ill or injured, as well as post surgery;
• Promoting relaxation and calm for animals with emotional issues, anxiety, separation anxiety or stress (including pre-surgery);
• Increasing bond between human and animal - a great way to ease an animal's transition to a new home environment or to enhance training; and
• Bringing peace and comfort to a dying pet by easing the transition into death.

During an animal reiki session, I have found that many animals do not like to be touched for long periods of time so I will normally stand at a distance. This allows the animal to lead the session. I move only if the animal moves and the length of the session is determined by the animal or the owner. A session could be very short (15-20 minutes) or very long (1-2 hours). There can be many "releases" like yawning, strenching, laying down, sleeping, or various other bodily functions that would give one the impression the animal is relaxed. The animal will also let me know when the session is complete. I will ultimately defer to the owner for guidance if it isn't a good day for the session or if the animal seems to not want the session any longer. I really enjoy animal reiki session because I feel a special bond with the animal.

Note: Reiki is not a substitute for taking your animal to your veterinarian. If your animal needs medical attention, please contact your veterinarian immediately.