Reiki – A Healing Touch for Man’s best friend

Ipshita Sharma loves her pets, even though one of her rescue cats is a total hellraiser! So she knew she had to give Pet Reiki a try with the help of Master Farah Israfilbayova … 

I have two cats, Tintin rescued at four months from Jumeirah and MadMax rescued at 4 years from Barsha. Max was rescued in a horrible condition, completely starving. As a consequence, he is always breaking into cupboards, tearing open bags, or smashing jars to get to any food he can. He is also ridiculously skittish around people, especially men. 

Hello Max!

I have often longed for him to understand that he will never go hungry again. 4 years of consistent feeding and trying every behavioural technique later, nothing has changed. The first session began on a weekday evening, with Farah coming over so that both the cats could feel relaxed in their home environment. She asks questions about the cats and then followed an energy session at the end of which, I saw Max gravitate towards her. I found that a very positive sign. We get talking after the session… 

How did you begin practicing reiki for pets?

I started practicing Reiki with my little dog as soon as I got my 1st level of Reiki. The Classic Usui Reiki teachings work with humans, animals, plants, spaces (rooms, houses, offices). They even work with your intentions – a vision board with your goals, for  example. 

Can Reiki help pets?

Much like children, animals need their space while receiving the treatment. It is important to let the animal feel safe around the practitioner. Animals are a lot more sensitive to the overall state of mind and emotions and do not depend on being touched so its important that we force no physical contact with the animal. Should the animal have physical or emotional issues it would be best to send the healing deeply into the heart and spirit of the animal. That part of the animal is always perfect and has infinite healing potential. 

How does it work?

Reiki for pets is no different from Reiki for humans, their chakras are same as ours and a practitioner always will know where to apply the healing energy flow. When healing animals, the best way to approach this is by focusing on the Reiki meditation, going inward and letting go of energy — the way a Reiki practitioner would heal a human. 

Just as in the session with humans, a practitioner shall activate the Reiki symbols – and once the flow is active – hands getting warm, energy crackling in the room, people and animals getting the feeling of something changing – the session can be addressed to the case at hand. 

Animals are very receptive to energy and will respond in many different ways. As in the recent case with your rescued cats, the reaction was twitching of ears, body movements and then giving in to the warmth that they have felt within the room. In addition, the traumatized cats came very close to a complete stranger – myself – sensing the energy that was emanating from the hands. And even after the session, the connection was even more profoundly expressed, by coming close by or a contact and purring with pleasure, inevitably confirming they enjoyed the Reiki energy and appreciated the practitioner that shared that energy through her hands. 

What kind of issues can be treated with Reiki? 

Because reiki works at every level, it aids on physical, mental and emotional levels. It can accelerate healing in sick or injured animals and it is also great to help ease stress and anxieties caused by an emotional or physical abuse. Yet again, even your totally healthy animals will benefit by enhancing their relaxation and providing a sense of contentment and that shall ensure they maintain their health and good spirits for longer. It is enough to be in the same room with them to allow them to bathe in the loving healing Reiki energy. The session does not have to last too long – every animal knows exactly when it is enough and once they get their portion of healing they simply move away, may just leave the room.  

What type of a pet is suitable for a reiki treatment? 

Any animal can be treated by Reiki, domesticated or wild, it does not matter. All animals react to reiki with incredible speed, allowing any physical or emotional trauma to get healed faster. 

Anyone can be healed because everything is one energy, we are all connected with each other, all living species and all trees and plants and all non living objects, be those objects of nature, such as shells or rocks, or human made material things. Everything is one energy, and that is why everything can be healed with Reiki energy. 

Farah is available for Consultations at at Lee Wellness Centre.