What is Reiki . . . Practicing practicing

What is Reiki?

Reiki is fabulous, interesting, powerful. Its energy work that can be used for healing physical and emotional issues.

Here's a more thorough answer (www.animalreikisource.com)

The name Reiki, pronounced ''Ray-key'', comes from the Japanese words ''rei'' meaning spirit, and ''ki'' meaning energy. It is usually translated as ''universal life energy.''

Reiki is also a Japanese holistic energy healing system that is gentle and noninvasive and yet yields powerful results for the body, mind and spirit.

When using Reiki to heal, the practitioner simply sets an intention to facilitate the healing process of the client and allows Reiki to flow in whatever amount the client wishes to receive and for whatever he or she needs most.

It is ideal for use with animals because with Reiki, since effectiveness is not dependent upon physical contact, the animal controls the treatment, accepting Reiki in the ways that are most comfortable, either hands-on or from a distance, or a combination of the two.

Easy for anyone to learn and use, Reiki can do no harm, even when used by the most novice practitioner. It always goes to the deepest source of the problem and always supports a path towards balance and harmony.

I've been practicing Reiki ever since I got back from my Reiki and subsequent massage classes. As part of another class, I've been journaling about working with various animals...

1.
Sumba the Pomeranian (back of picture) just lost his sister Dewi (front) last week. I asked Reiki to flow and said to myself that this was for Sumba's health, wellbeing and higher good. I just lay down, with my hands open and felt them warming up. I kept myself into thinking about Sumba, about his ability to let go and wondering whether he was missing Dewi. After about five minutes, he came into the room and walked right up to the side of the bed. So, I picked him up and let him wander around on the bed. I went back to just offering reiki, not really moving. He settled into the pillow just about a foot next to me. After another couple of minutes, he got up, went to the foot of the bed and coughed a few times. (He also has a collapsing trachea and occasionally coughs to get it unstuck.) Then he lay down again and fell asleep. I also told Sumba (in my head) that he could take this Reiki energy as he needed it and use it for what he needed it for. I felt the Reiki in my hands and breathed into giving him Reiki from the other side of the bed for another ten minutes.

2.
There was a spider in our shower yesterday so I just sat on the floor about two feet away and offered it Reiki. He (I called it he, not sure really, didn't check) started out close to me in the shower and was staying very still. After a quick minute (maybe 30-seconds), he started crawling over to the other side of the shower away from me -- I got the sense that it was too intense and he had to get out of my sight. He stopped on the other side of the shower where I couldn't see him because of the shower door. I closed the session after another minute or two, as I felt the energy sort-of close off.