Actual Animal Reiki FAQs
From “OMG, that’s so cool?!” to “How does that even work?” (LAL® Style)
Curious about Animal Reiki? What it is, how it works, what healing looks like, and why the animal leads.
Whenever I tell people I share Reiki with animals (using meditation), certain questions are sure to come up…and quickly. They are often followed by „OMG, that’s so cool!“ and a couple of baffled looks when I describe some of the experiences of sharing Reiki with animals this way. Which I totally get. I am equally stoked about it. And I’ll get into some of those here.
Maybe you’ve heard someone mention Reiki with animals somewhere and, because you love animals, you’re now curious about this method that can gently but powerfully support their well-being. Or maybe you’ve already read through a couple of pages about (LAL®) Animal Reiki as a way to support an animal companion (maybe even one of mine).
And now you are curious but still have questions: No worries, that’s very normal. It’s pretty niche. 🤭
Since the same questions keep coming up, I decided to answer the ones I’m always asked about sharing Reiki with animals the Let Animals Lead® way, right here on my blog. Read on if you are wondering what Reiki is, how this can even work, what kind of healing we’re talking about, what I can (or can’t tell you about your animal afterward, and how anyone (me) would even get into all of this. Here we go!
The 6 Questions I hear ALL. THE. TIME.
1. What is Reiki, really? (Also: Wait, you don’t touch the animal?)
Okay, this one I get a LOT. How? Because everything is connected energetically. Here’s the longer version. While there’s so much more to say about Reiki, on a fundamental level, the following three things are what I would want you to know.
First of, Reiki means two things. For one, Reiki energy is a specific energy quality (or vibration, if you will). It is a spiritual and intelligent energy that brings more harmony to whatever it touches and promotes self-healing on all levels of being as well as in situations. Rei stands for spirit or higher consciousness while Ki means ‚subtle energy‘ or ‚life force‘. My favorite way to translate it is soul energy or true essence. Everything living has a connection to (or is) Reiki energy at its core. Connecting with Reiki energy reminds us that–on a deeper level–all is well and amazing healing shifts can happen from connecting with our wholeness and inner essence. That’s true for humans and animals.
Reiki is also a spiritual healing practice and method (Usui Reiki Ryoho) that dates back to Mikao Usui in Japan about 100 years ago. That is the second thing we refer to when we talk about ‚Reiki‘: a method of cultivating it within ourselves and sharing this energy with others for healing. As Reiki practitioners, we learn to make this energetic frequency more easily available to others (thus reminding them of their own connectedness). With Let Animals Lead®, we use meditation to achieve that. Through being Reiki ourselves, we create a peaceful, compassionate energetic space that the animal can join if they wish. Animals love the peaceful, positive, calm, and safe energy this creates.
So, how can it work when I am not next to or touching the animal (or person)? It works because we are all connected on an energetic level. At all times. Everyone and everything. Every time we share Reiki with others, we tap into that inherent connection. I know this might be hard to imagine for some of you, but we can often see the animals’ reactions (settling, sighing, etc.). No matter if they are across the room from me or hundreds of miles away. Unlike humans, animals cannot talk themselves into believing Reiki works; they simply react to what they notice. Over the past few years, I’ve experienced this miracle so many times that I no longer question it. And neither do my Reiki clients–human and animal.
2. How is Reiki with animals different from Reiki with humans? (Aka: Isn’t it all the same?)
Here’s what changes with animals (a Let Animals Lead® kind of answer)
The Reiki, of course, is the same; how we share it is different. While animals like being in Reiki energy just as much as most humans do, sharing it ethically and in a way that honors their agency, preferences, and wisdom requires a different approach. To do that, LAL® is designed to create as many opportunities as possible for animals to lead the session. It’s a way of practicing Reiki adapted so even the most traumatized, fearful, or sensitive animals can benefit, if they wish.
Instead of doing Reiki to them, we are being Reiki with animals through a meditation practice. We don’t place our hands on them, restrain their movement, send or beam energy at the animal, or „an issue“. Instead, we create a peaceful, positive, and still state of mind that helps them feel comfortable and safe. It’s completely up to them to meet us there. (They usually do.)
Hands-off, no beaming of energy
We only use touch if the animal initiates it, and I don’t use my hands to beam or manipulate energy. Animals are very perceptive about what we do with their (and our own) energy. I’ve gotten plenty of side eyes for slipping into old habits. A bald eagle I connected with through a wildlife live camera wouldn’t settle until I stopped focusing my thoughts on him altogether. And I’ll never forget the puppy, from before my LAL® days, who looked straight at me through the Zoom camera and barked accusingly after I “touched” his energy body with my energetic hands.
Stillness not necessary
With a human, I’d be surprised if they got up in the middle of a session. Animals are free to move around, and we make as much space for that as we can. They choose whether to stay close or move away. I’ve seen animals leave the room, have a drink, play, run to the door and come back, or start grazing or grooming and return later. All of that is fine and most doesn’t mean they are not interested in the Reiki offered to them.
“All is Well“ state of mind
Many Reiki lineages (and Animal Reiki approaches) direct the energy at the “issue“, or at wherever something seems “wrong” or in need of fixing. In our approach, we don’t. We focus on the animal’s wholeness and perfection in this moment. That creates a positive, peaceful space where they can feel safe, connect easily, and let go into the energy and the healing it brings.
3. How do animals experience Reiki? (And how can I tell they’re connecting?)
What does a session feel like for them, and what if they don’t show anything?
First off: animals are energy experts and very sensitive to energy (as well as to our thoughts and emotions, which, after all, are energy too). Unlike most humans, they have no issue sensing or recognizing the energy offered to them during Reiki time. They may need a moment to trust that it’s shared without expectations and with their choice in mind. Once they do, they know what to do with it and what it invites them to do.
Since softening and letting go help animals heal, our practice is designed to create an environment where they can do exactly that. Everything we do aims to bring comfort and a sense of safety, so they can relax and connect with their healing potential. The Reiki space feels safe, spacious, positive, calm, and inviting to them.
When animals are connecting, we can often see this reflected in their body language, behavior, and emotions. They might choose to settle, slow down, self-soothe, yawn, sigh, close their eyes, relax their posture, stretch, change their breathing rhythm, come to lie near their guardian or me, or go find a quiet spot in another room only to come back in right after I finish to say their version of Thank you!
One of my favorite examples of this is a tortoise I connected with two years ago. This little guy knew exactly when his turn for Reiki had come and showed clearly how involved he was. I had just finished sharing Reiki with his human and her dog when he started staring at me intently. The moment I began holding space for him, he stopped eating his lettuce, dropped his head, and rested deeply. After about 15 minutes, I came out of the meditation for a moment. He raised his head, looked at me with big, unblinking eyes, and then sank back into his relaxed pose as soon as I continued.
Not every animal shows these signs, and not always right away. Even when they choose to play or seemingly ignore me, the session can still bring about more emotional balance and healing to the situation. I once offered Reiki to a very fearful dog who wouldn’t settle, but decided to be walked around by her caretaker. The next day, however, she stepped more boldly out of her boarding area and leaned against a new person, for the first time in weeks.
4. Will Animal Reiki “fix“ my animal’s problems?
What healing with LAL® can look like, including a few examples
Yes, it can help animals with all kinds of challenges and bring real healing shifts. No, not always in the way most people mean that question, and not always as straightforward. Let me tell you why (and how it helps them heal, of course).
This is another very common question. After all, most people book a session to either help their animal with a specific issue or simply to help them feel better. And as the signs of connection (question 3) show, when they choose to connect with the Reiki space, it does increase their well-being; it allows them to let go and relax, to feel safe and loved. That in itself is healing.
The healing shifts that come from being in this space only add another layer. Offering a very sick dog a moment of much-needed deep rest is a win in itself. And the many repeat clients who seek out their favorite spot just before I connect with them tell me everything I need to know.
In an LAL® Animal Reiki session, we hold space for self-healing. We don’t focus on curing or fixing the issue you, as their guardian, had in mind when booking the session. Because animals don’t need us to „fix“ them. However, sometimes they need a space where they feel safe enough to soften and connect with their own healing potential, their wholeness and essence. So that healing can happen naturally, on their own terms.
Remember, the animal is the one who decides if and how to „use“ the energy and the healing space that has been offered to her or him. (That’s also why Reiki can do no harm and there’s no contraindication.) My own animal companions join most of my sessions and never really seem to get enough.
Animal Reiki can bring peacefulness, stress relief, and emotional balance. It can support overall well-being (emotional, physical, and spiritual), help with pain management, and physical recovery. It supports the processing of difficult or traumatic experiences; and it can deepen trust in humans (and their bonds with them).
How exactly all this might show, we cannot predict. And I, for one, I am glad we cannot and also do not need to know, so there’s space for the healing to happen naturally and however the animal chooses.
Here are a few of the healing shifts I have seen:
Physically
A paralyzed cat who hadn’t been doing or eating well was more upbeat and ate her fill the morning after her session. A disabled dog limped less for several days. A poisoned dog found temporary symptomatic relief and some peace before his passing.
Emotionally and behaviorally
A multi-cat household became more peaceful in the days after sessions. A rescue cat who had been on edge for a long time started cuddling with her rescuer, making biscuits on her arm, and sleeping soundly. A newly adopted dog and two resident cats became friends after being very tense with and around each other. A grieving dog slowly opened up to her “spare” human, with the first change visible after just one session. One morning she waited for her on a walk instead of charging ahead, and her mum could hardly believe it.
5. Can you tell me what’s going on with my animal after the Reiki session?
Animal Reiki vs. Animal Communication
Not during or after a Reiki session, no. Animal Reiki and Animal Communication are two separate things, with different asks of the animal and of me, and I like to give each my full attention. If you want to know what your animal is thinking, how their body feels, or whether a health issue or situation is affecting them, it’s best to book a separate Animal Communication session at a different time.
What I often get a sense of in a Reiki session is how the animal connects with the Reiki space. For example, I can feel myself sinking deeper into the meditation when they’re part of it. It’s a co-creation, after all. I often share that general feeling afterward, for example, how an animal went from anxious and hesitant to letting go of a lot of tension or into a very peaceful space.
Do I sometimes pick up more, and does the animal share thoughts or feelings with me during Reiki? Sure. I acknowledge them and thank the animal, but I don’t focus on them. They can even get in the way, because to go really deep we move beyond words and beyond what separates us. Reiki time is for letting go, with zero expectations or focus on what feels heavy.
Knowing anything beyond the connection the animal wishes to co-create isn’t needed for the deep healing at the heart of LAL® Reiki: calm, peaceful, compassionate presence.
6. How did you get into this?
It started with my late tomcat Elister (you can see him in the photo for this post). He nudged me to attend my first Animal Reiki class just before he became chronically ill. He had never wanted Reiki from me before, but he truly loved the energy I was attuned to there, and it often eased his symptoms. When I later took my first official LAL® Level 1 class with Kathleen in 2023, Elister quickly showed me how to drop deep, deep, deep into the Reiki space with him, and how much healing and peace it brings to simply be Reiki together.
Let Animals Lead® gave my healing work with animals a new depth. I had already woven parts of it into my practice, but before that, whenever I used hands or beamed energy, animals would often get up after a few minutes and walk away (side-eyes included). Like many people, I assumed they just didn’t want Reiki or not for long. Now I know better: they simply weren’t fully comfortable with the way I was sharing it.
LAL changed that. With no hands, and the animal free to lead how the session unfolds while I hold a peaceful, safe space, I can support so many more animals. Even the most traumatised or frightened ones feel drawn in and can relax to heal. We meet as equals, and I no longer feel like I’m stepping on anyone’s toes (or hooves).
It has let me share Reiki with wild animals, had a whole garden falling silent (insects and all), and with big groups of dogs in a shelter.
I can’t imagine doing Reiki without animals now, and I know LAL® is the reason it works for them
And those are the questions I hear most.
Is there one I missed? If I didn’t answer your question, or you’re wondering whether LAL® Animal Reiki might be right for your own animal friend(s), just get in touch.
Ready to see what Reiki can do for your four-legged, feathered, or finned animal friend(s)? Book your Animal Reiki session right here.
I’ve also included a short guide to what a session actually looks like, because I know that’s usually the follow-up. 🤭
Much love ✨
Laura
Hi, I am Laura! Healing Guide & Energy Intuitive
Hi, I’m Laura, Healing Guide & Energy Intuitive. I believe healing and real connection start when we stop trying to be in charge, and Animal Reiki is where I learned that from the best teachers: the animals. Now I use that knowing to support them and the humans in their lives in the best way I know: through Reiki and Animal Communication.
