A regular feature of Reiki Magazine International, in which readers send in questions and the magazine selects a Reiki master to respond to the questions
By Elizabeth Fulton
Reiki Magazine International, February/March 2004, Volume 6, No. 1, p. 26.
Question: I regularly give Reiki to dogs and cats. When I wanted to give Reiki to a very old, demented Schapendoes, my hands turned ice cold. The dog kept shaking its head and walking around the room. I gave it a distant treatment instead, but my hands remained cold and the dog remained restless. I interpreted it as “the dog doesn’t want Reiki.” Is that correct?
Elizabeth: Your interpretation of your experience, namely “The dog doesn’t want Reiki”, is a common one for people when they encounter an animal that doesn’t settle down easily into receiving Reiki. However, the animal’s experience is probably more like “I don’t know what to make of Reiki yet, and I’m conflicted about receiving it”. Some animals are open to Reiki immediately, especially our own animals who trust us already. Others, especially those with even temperaments and who have had positive experiences with humans, may settle down easily into receiving Reiki. But, like humans, animals are individuals; some are more nervous and sensitive by nature, and some have had reason to be distrustful of humans.
Animals seem to feel Reiki more intensely than humans, especially older animals who can be sensitive and frail in general. At first Reiki can feel invasive to animals and be experienced as something that is being done to them without their consent. Distant Reiki seems to be experienced as less intense and so can be useful in this kind of situation for people who have Level II Reiki. But this situation is very manageable with Level I Reiki as well.
Animals are more open to Reiki if they are given a choice about whether to receive it or not. When I give a Reiki treatment to an animal for the first time, I set aside 45-60 minutes and find a quiet space of a good size (at least a small room if possible). I let the animal roam freely in the space, sit down, and let the animal know who I am and why I am there. I ask the animal to take only what it wants in the way of energy, and then I put my hands out and let the energy flow.
At first the animal will continue to move around the room or even move as far away as possible. However, as they get used to the feeling of Reiki and trust that it is their choice about whether and how much of it to take, they settle down into an appreciation of it. They usually end up positioning themselves close by or even under my hands and taking quite a lot of energy. Some will actually move through a series of positions on their own, like a human treatment, offering the parts of their bodies most in need of healing. Sometimes it will take 30-45 minutes for an animal to settle into the first treatment, but in subsequent treatments they will settle down more quickly.
The feeling of cold in your hands is information like any other sensation (such as increased heat) you may receive in the course of giving a treatment and does not mean that Reiki is not flowing. Generally, cold is a sign that the area or being has a higher need for healing. As you know, it’s not necessary for you to do anything with this information since Reiki has its own intelligence and will go to the source of the problem on its own, giving the animal or human what they need most at this stage of their journey.
