Recently, my elderly cat has taken a turn for the worse and is at the end of his life. I have been offering Reiki to him several times a day. After much meditation with him and discussing with other animal communicators, we have determined that he wants to stay home as long as possible and not have to go and be euthanized. We are doing our best to accommodate his wishes but have communicated to him that if he starts being in obvious distress or suffering, we will take him to be put down. So far, we are maintaining him comfortably at home and hoping he will pass with ease and grace in the comfort of familiar energies in alignment with his soul's chosen path. In discussing this situation with family and friends, several people have said to me "but you say Reiki is not a substitute for good veterinary care". That is absolutely true! Reiki can not diagnose -- only a vet can do that. Also, it is important to not that Reiki can not cure terminal illness. When your animal is truly at end of life (what might be considered hospice care), Reiki can help them in many ways. Here are some examples:
1) Reiki can help decrease pain, ease distress, and make them more comfortable. I have noticed this in my cat -- he occasionally is wheezing. Within a few moments of starting a Reiki session, his breathing eases and he is able to relax. I also see him able to move around a bit more easily after a session.
2) Reiki can bring peace and harmony to the soul and help release any blocks such as guilt (about leaving, those left behind etc), anxiety (what will they experience), or other sources of stress. In several animals I have worked with, I felt a large amount of guilt -- "will my people be ok" etc. With my own cat, I have felt a huge shift from tension, stress, anxiety, and guilt to a feeling of peace and acceptance that everything is ok.
3) Reiki can work to release any negative karmic ties and finish up any life lessons. Yes, animals have karma just like we do. Reiki can work to help free the soul of any ties or tethers that are holding them back. Some of these karmic ties or life lessons can prolong their suffering or experience.
4) Reiki can work to help the animal decide what their soul path is and what they want to experience. It can help prepare them for what is coming on all levels. Through this, it can help your animal intuitively "communicate" with you as to what their wishes are. Keep your heart open and trust any "random" thoughts or feelings you pick up - this is probably your animal communicating with you.
5) Reiki can help support not only the physical body but also the mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies.
6) You may also want to seek Reiki for yourself to help you move through the grief process and get to a point of acceptance.
7) Keep in mind, Reiki flows anywhere it is needed and works on so much more than we could ever be aware of.
Lessons learned from this experience:
1) Do not judge the situation. Just because the physical body seems really weak, the soul may still have "work" to do. Allow them the time to work through whatever is needed. Trust your intuition.
2) Keep your heart open. If you get a random thought or feeling about how to proceed, it is probably your animal trying to communicate with you. Trust it!
3) Even though you are going through the grief process and it may be hard to interact with your animal, take a deep breath before you interact with them. If you can interact with them with love and kindness and not just detachment, your animal will definitely notice and appreciate the difference in your energy level.
4) Believe that miracles can happen. At any time, their soul can "re-negotiate" and things can change. Stay open to that possibility and to any "messages" from your friends/family. Sometimes, someone will mention something that no one has thought of that can make a big difference. I had a friend who had a cat not eating and someone recommended trying the anti-stress pheromones and it made a world of difference. The person did not realize the amount of stress in the house and the vet was assuming it was a respiratory infection and the cat was not eating because they couldn't smell. The antibiotics were not making any difference, but the day they listened to their friends message and got the pheromones, the cat started eating again.
5) Remember to celebrate their life and all of the happiness and joy you have shared. Unfortunately, animals life spans are shorter than human life spans and we will experience this process several times with different animals. It is the love, joy, happiness that makes this all worthwhile.
6) Let their soul fly free! Take the time to say your goodbyes and get closure, but then wish them well for any future adventures and experiences. Tell them it is OK for them to let go and leave the physical body when they feel ready -- this helps them let go of guilt, anxiety, and stress.
1) Reiki can help decrease pain, ease distress, and make them more comfortable. I have noticed this in my cat -- he occasionally is wheezing. Within a few moments of starting a Reiki session, his breathing eases and he is able to relax. I also see him able to move around a bit more easily after a session.
2) Reiki can bring peace and harmony to the soul and help release any blocks such as guilt (about leaving, those left behind etc), anxiety (what will they experience), or other sources of stress. In several animals I have worked with, I felt a large amount of guilt -- "will my people be ok" etc. With my own cat, I have felt a huge shift from tension, stress, anxiety, and guilt to a feeling of peace and acceptance that everything is ok.
3) Reiki can work to release any negative karmic ties and finish up any life lessons. Yes, animals have karma just like we do. Reiki can work to help free the soul of any ties or tethers that are holding them back. Some of these karmic ties or life lessons can prolong their suffering or experience.
4) Reiki can work to help the animal decide what their soul path is and what they want to experience. It can help prepare them for what is coming on all levels. Through this, it can help your animal intuitively "communicate" with you as to what their wishes are. Keep your heart open and trust any "random" thoughts or feelings you pick up - this is probably your animal communicating with you.
5) Reiki can help support not only the physical body but also the mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies.
6) You may also want to seek Reiki for yourself to help you move through the grief process and get to a point of acceptance.
7) Keep in mind, Reiki flows anywhere it is needed and works on so much more than we could ever be aware of.
Lessons learned from this experience:
1) Do not judge the situation. Just because the physical body seems really weak, the soul may still have "work" to do. Allow them the time to work through whatever is needed. Trust your intuition.
2) Keep your heart open. If you get a random thought or feeling about how to proceed, it is probably your animal trying to communicate with you. Trust it!
3) Even though you are going through the grief process and it may be hard to interact with your animal, take a deep breath before you interact with them. If you can interact with them with love and kindness and not just detachment, your animal will definitely notice and appreciate the difference in your energy level.
4) Believe that miracles can happen. At any time, their soul can "re-negotiate" and things can change. Stay open to that possibility and to any "messages" from your friends/family. Sometimes, someone will mention something that no one has thought of that can make a big difference. I had a friend who had a cat not eating and someone recommended trying the anti-stress pheromones and it made a world of difference. The person did not realize the amount of stress in the house and the vet was assuming it was a respiratory infection and the cat was not eating because they couldn't smell. The antibiotics were not making any difference, but the day they listened to their friends message and got the pheromones, the cat started eating again.
5) Remember to celebrate their life and all of the happiness and joy you have shared. Unfortunately, animals life spans are shorter than human life spans and we will experience this process several times with different animals. It is the love, joy, happiness that makes this all worthwhile.
6) Let their soul fly free! Take the time to say your goodbyes and get closure, but then wish them well for any future adventures and experiences. Tell them it is OK for them to let go and leave the physical body when they feel ready -- this helps them let go of guilt, anxiety, and stress.