Yesterday a tiny, scrawny lice infested kitten died in my arms. She had not had food or water for two days. I could see that she wanted to live even though her body had given up on her and her breathing was intermittent and very difficult: I sponged her down, fed her drops of cat milk and glucose , took her lice off , keep her close to my chest, gently rubbed her heart to make her breathe better. I whispered into her ears that she was loved. The doctor gave her instant energy injections. She took a long time to die.

I wish I had some magical healing power. Or even the ability to let her die immediately and peacefully. Perhaps I should learn Reiki.
 
Reiki started in the early 1900′s invented by Mikao Usui whose teachings involved the use of palms to transfer healing energies from one being to the other . Students are taught different techniques for pressure as well as the pressure points of the body. Reiki is considered a way of channelling healing energy from the universe through the practitioner into the patient. Originally used only on humans it is now commonly used on animals as well.

 Giving a Reiki treatment involves the practitioner putting his or her hands lightly on or near the animal’s body. Different hand positions are used, depending on the condition being treated. This energy flow can be administered either in a “hands-on” way for animals that are used to being touched or it can use a “distance healing” approach to an animal who is not usually touched, such as fish or wild animals. Both approaches work equally well; 

Animals, I am told, respond well to Reiki, specially with regard to muscular aches, pains, back problems and strains. It can reduce stress, anxiety, nervousness and skin or coat problems and is used to Often the animal will enter a state of deep relaxation or sleep. It also helps with behaviour problems or stress due to abandonment or ill-treatment.

Lots of people in India do Reiki. Any Reiki Master can give Reiki to animals. Abroad , many animal lovers who work as animal handlers or in veterinarian's offices are taking Reiki training so they can use Reiki in their work. 

Learn Reiki so you can help animals. Adapt the techniques used for humans to animals. As is the case for humans, Reiki healing sometimes leads to a curing of an animal's illness, but it may also lead to a peaceful death. For a person who has a pet or volunteers at a shelter, Reiki is a healing tool to be able to offer to your animal friends. 

So many dogs come to our shelter that have been abused and thrown out. Shelters abroad get Reiki people to come in once a week who treat the physical and mental conditions of the animals that need it the most.

Here is one case written by a Reiki Master working in an animal shelter “Trooper had been treated so badly that he walked in a crouch afraid to raise his head in case he was hit. He was frightened of everything. I brought him to a room where I gave treatments. The whole way to the office, his body crouched no more than an inch or two off the ground. Every few steps he would stop suddenly in fear, as if he wasn't going to survive the short trip. I began the treatment by introducing myself to Trooper and letting him know that I was there to offer him Reiki, which would help him heal. I let him know that receiving the treatment was his choice. At first, he nervously wandered around the office. But after a few moments, he began to relax, choosing to lay down right under my hands, taking a deep sigh, resting his head on the floor. The whole atmosphere of the office became quiet, relaxed, and incredibly peaceful. 

After about an hour, Trooper woke up, turned around to face me, and gave me the familiar look that many of the dogs I treat give: "Thanks. I'm done now." I thanked Trooper for his openness to healing and took him back to his kennel. Incredibly, he was walking normally, his body no longer slinking along the ground.
His transformation was even noticed by the staff, who exclaimed, "He looks so much calmer than before!" This almost immediate response is very common for the dogs that are treated with Reiki. No matter how stressed out they may initially be, Reiki can help them become calm and relaxed. It is a wonderful feeling to watch the change in their behaviour, the emergence of a peaceful look in their eyes.”

Here is a short guide to Reiki with animals which I read on the Net:

It is important to do Reiki animal healing on your pets as soon as you sense any changes in behaviour habits; temperament, eating, elimination and energy levels. 

When applying Reiki animal healing, lay your hands very gently on the area in question; Do not force the animal to sit still, while you do your work; rather raise your hands just off the surface of the body. Reiki will flow equally even if the hands are up to 4 inches above the skin. Spend extra time on sensitive areas, but remember to treat the animals entire body—other parts reacting to the initial injury can be energized and brought into balance. Continue to treat, until the animal is back to its normal routine without any symptoms.

 When treating domestic animals start the treatment by laying hands at the base of the ears near the neck. This seems to calm down animals. Then the animal can be treated systematically . When working on small animals (mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, frogs, and birds), cup your hands gently around their bodies, without pressure. You may experience a rapid heartbeat, but not to worry, the animal will relax. If the case of caged wild birds or fish in a tank, place your hands around the cage or tank and allow the energy to flow between your hands for 20 to 30 minutes so the creatures have time to absorb the energy they need.

Keep a journal of your treatment experiences on animals, and in time you will build a file on how best to treat animals. Get anatomy charts of animals that you will be working on regularly, so that you can treat them specifically. Or instance if you are treating a cat for "feline leukaemia", you cover the neck area and under the jaws where their lymph nodes are located. Work on the chest where the thymus gland sits and on the belly about 2 inches up from the hind legs on the cats left side . This is effective in building up immunity to the leukaemia. If your cat has a bladder infection, place your hands over the pelvic area on top near the spine. If an animal has a spinal injury, it is effectively treated by placing the heel of one hand at the base of the tail, with fingers pointed toward the head, and the heel of the other hand at the base of the neck, with fingers pointed toward the base of the spine. 

Reiki does not replace medical treatments so do not attempt to a cure for a fracture or a skin disease through sheer touch. It is simply an auxiliary which, I am told, increases the blood circulation and helps muscles to relax, which in turn encourages healing.

Learn Reiki and then come to my shelter. 

Maneka Gandhi
 
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