What if my horse doesn’t like Reiki?! by Sarah Berrisford
When we picture sharing Reiki with our equine friends, we often imagine a perfect scenario. A beautiful, strong being standing next to us, both immersed in peaceful energy. But what happens when this picture doesn’t come into fruition? Many people are unsure of what to do when they think their horse may not want Reiki, so here is a quick guide to help.
When giving a horse Reiki I like to say “take as much or as little energy as you would like”. This is simply being polite; the horse will take as much energy as he needs. You can’t force Reiki on any animal. They can quite easily block the energy. If a horse blocks the Reiki energy, you will most likely feel a connection to Reiki, however, the energy may not seem to flow. You might also sense that the horse is not connecting.
It isn’t normal for any animal to block energy; they share energy with each other and read all species energies. There is usually something else going on if you feel that the horse is blocking you.
Here are the main reasons why you may find a horse is blocking energy or not connecting to you:
There are a few simple methods that you can use if you find that a horse isn’t connecting.
When you are sharing Reiki with the horse, don’t worry about how he is reacting; many people focus too much on looking to see if the horse is relaxing into the treatment. Instead, focus on feeling the beautiful two way connection of energy, flowing between yourself and the horse.
Many younger horses and first time Reiki horses, won’t relax quite so much or they will go into a trance for a few minutes and then wake up and so on. This is completely normal. You will tend to find that these horses will soak up the energy once the treatment has finished and if you go and check in on them 10 minutes after the session has ended, they will probably be asleep.
So remember, if you hear someone say “my horse doesn’t like Reiki” or you are having issues sharing Reiki with your own horse; follow the guidelines above. As your treatments progress and the horse becomes used to receiving Reiki treatments you will find that he will begin to relax and connect as soon as you start the Reiki flowing.
When we picture sharing Reiki with our equine friends, we often imagine a perfect scenario. A beautiful, strong being standing next to us, both immersed in peaceful energy. But what happens when this picture doesn’t come into fruition? Many people are unsure of what to do when they think their horse may not want Reiki, so here is a quick guide to help.
When giving a horse Reiki I like to say “take as much or as little energy as you would like”. This is simply being polite; the horse will take as much energy as he needs. You can’t force Reiki on any animal. They can quite easily block the energy. If a horse blocks the Reiki energy, you will most likely feel a connection to Reiki, however, the energy may not seem to flow. You might also sense that the horse is not connecting.
It isn’t normal for any animal to block energy; they share energy with each other and read all species energies. There is usually something else going on if you feel that the horse is blocking you.
Here are the main reasons why you may find a horse is blocking energy or not connecting to you:
- Over excited and doesn’t want to or doesn’t know how to come down from that state of mind and body.
- Pressure. Particularly when treating your own horse, you can find that you ‘really’ want to connect. This feeling of needing and wanting, focusing all of your attention on the horse and his reactions, can make the horse want to keep his distance from what you are doing.
- Has something else taking priority, for example, food.
There are a few simple methods that you can use if you find that a horse isn’t connecting.
- We can simply visualise a ball of energy in the same area as the horse. Perhaps make a ball of energy in the corner of his stable and use your intent to say ‘the horse can connect to this whenever he is ready’. Spend at least 20 minutes sending Reiki to this beautiful ball of energy, making it powerful yet calm and a nice place to be. Often you will find that the horse connects during the time that you are building the energy ball.
- Give the horse time – remember that it can take 15-20 minutes for the horse to connect, don’t be in a rush for reactions and connections, let them happen as they need to.
- Do Reiki on yourself. Perhaps use the Hatsurei exercise for 10-15 minutes. Pay no attention to the horse whatsoever, whilst carrying out this exercise. By following this method you will find that the horse is interested in what you are doing because there is no focus on him. The horse is inquisitive and at some point during the meditation you will most likely feel him connect in to share Reiki.
When you are sharing Reiki with the horse, don’t worry about how he is reacting; many people focus too much on looking to see if the horse is relaxing into the treatment. Instead, focus on feeling the beautiful two way connection of energy, flowing between yourself and the horse.
Many younger horses and first time Reiki horses, won’t relax quite so much or they will go into a trance for a few minutes and then wake up and so on. This is completely normal. You will tend to find that these horses will soak up the energy once the treatment has finished and if you go and check in on them 10 minutes after the session has ended, they will probably be asleep.
So remember, if you hear someone say “my horse doesn’t like Reiki” or you are having issues sharing Reiki with your own horse; follow the guidelines above. As your treatments progress and the horse becomes used to receiving Reiki treatments you will find that he will begin to relax and connect as soon as you start the Reiki flowing.
Reiki for dogs – A quick how to guide by Sarah Berrisford
Can I give my dog Reiki? How do I do Reiki on dogs? How do I know if I’m doing it right?
These are all common questions I often hear. The simple answer is ‘yes’ of course you can share Reiki with your dogs, simply let it flow!
For some people and their animals this works just fine, however, sometimes it doesn’t quite go to plan, so here’s a quick ‘how to guide’ to set you on your way.
Setting the Scene
Whenever possible I like to share Reiki with dogs in a place they feel comfortable, a place where they often relax, try not to change everything and then expect the dog to suddenly go to sleep as soon as you start the treatment. It’s very simple, but a common issue encountered, the dog becomes excited in the new area he is in, he wants to sniff, jump around and generally be a dog!
Just imagine taking your child to a Theme Park and then trying to give them a Reiki treatment, yes Reiki will still go to your child, but don’t expect them to lie down and go to sleep on the nearest bench!
Prepare Yourself
It is important to prepare yourself before giving Reiki to dogs. If you are feeling a surge of emotion, whether it is anxiousness, excitement, sadness or so on, the dog will feel it, more so than if you are working on a human.
We can overcome this by working on ourselves at the beginning of the treatment. We can use the Hatsurei exercise or perhaps connect to Reiki and become aware of each part of our body in turn. Focus the Reiki energy on any parts of your body that are holding emotion. If you are finding it hard to release the emotion, think of replacing it with love.
Once our energy is ready, then it is time to begin...
Connecting with your dog
Now that you have set the scene and prepared yourself, let energy flow to your dog. You do not need to go straight over to the dog and touch him! Keep your hands to yourself for a while and just focus on the connection. You could be around twenty minutes getting the energy flow going between you and the dog, don’t rush - enjoy feeling the connection.
Once the energy flow is there and you can feel that there is an energetic two way connection, you may feel drawn to go over to the dog and place your hands on or near to him. Some animals prefer hands off, hovering a few inches away from them.
It is important to overcome the need to touch the dog. Many practitioners feel that they would always like their hands to be touching the animal, this isn’t always what the animal wants. Put your heart in your hand, listen to your intuition and the dogs’ reaction as to whether you send Reiki from across the room, have hands on or hands a few inches away. Let go off all expectation and enjoy the connection!
Can I give my dog Reiki? How do I do Reiki on dogs? How do I know if I’m doing it right?
These are all common questions I often hear. The simple answer is ‘yes’ of course you can share Reiki with your dogs, simply let it flow!
For some people and their animals this works just fine, however, sometimes it doesn’t quite go to plan, so here’s a quick ‘how to guide’ to set you on your way.
Setting the Scene
Whenever possible I like to share Reiki with dogs in a place they feel comfortable, a place where they often relax, try not to change everything and then expect the dog to suddenly go to sleep as soon as you start the treatment. It’s very simple, but a common issue encountered, the dog becomes excited in the new area he is in, he wants to sniff, jump around and generally be a dog!
Just imagine taking your child to a Theme Park and then trying to give them a Reiki treatment, yes Reiki will still go to your child, but don’t expect them to lie down and go to sleep on the nearest bench!
Prepare Yourself
It is important to prepare yourself before giving Reiki to dogs. If you are feeling a surge of emotion, whether it is anxiousness, excitement, sadness or so on, the dog will feel it, more so than if you are working on a human.
We can overcome this by working on ourselves at the beginning of the treatment. We can use the Hatsurei exercise or perhaps connect to Reiki and become aware of each part of our body in turn. Focus the Reiki energy on any parts of your body that are holding emotion. If you are finding it hard to release the emotion, think of replacing it with love.
Once our energy is ready, then it is time to begin...
Connecting with your dog
Now that you have set the scene and prepared yourself, let energy flow to your dog. You do not need to go straight over to the dog and touch him! Keep your hands to yourself for a while and just focus on the connection. You could be around twenty minutes getting the energy flow going between you and the dog, don’t rush - enjoy feeling the connection.
Once the energy flow is there and you can feel that there is an energetic two way connection, you may feel drawn to go over to the dog and place your hands on or near to him. Some animals prefer hands off, hovering a few inches away from them.
It is important to overcome the need to touch the dog. Many practitioners feel that they would always like their hands to be touching the animal, this isn’t always what the animal wants. Put your heart in your hand, listen to your intuition and the dogs’ reaction as to whether you send Reiki from across the room, have hands on or hands a few inches away. Let go off all expectation and enjoy the connection!
Reiki exercise for the nervous horse rider by Sarah Berrisford
Visualisation is an important tool, not only in horse riding but also in everyday life. Many people visualise circumstances that they don’t actually want to happen. Unfortunately when we visualise something that we do not desire we are more likely to make it happen. This is especially important when it comes to horse riding.
Horses often pick up on the pictures that we are portraying, so we do need to be careful what we are asking them to do, even when we’re not aware of it!
Firstly, if you find yourself visualising a situation which you do not want to happen, think of erasing that picture or video in your mind and gradually replacing it with the situation and outcome you wish for.
When we work with visualisation for nervous riders it is best to start the technique whilst in a quiet place. Don’t put yourself in the scary situation and then try it out. First we need to train our minds to think positively.
For this exercise I will use a horse spooking, which makes the rider nervous, as an example.
- Find somewhere quiet to sit, where you won’t be disturbed
- Make yourself comfortable. Take some deep breaths. Close your eyes. Feel your body relaxing into your chair. Your shoulders relax down.
- Allow your mind to become still, if any images come to mind, for example, your ‘to do’ list for the day, just acknowledge them and let them pass by. They aren’t needed at the moment.
- Connect to Reiki in your preferred way.
- Feel the energy filling your body.
- Now begin to imagine the lead up to the situation you are going to focus on. Perhaps you are walking into a yard, or driving to a riding school. At this stage begin to go through your body and check how each part of your body feels. Can you feel any tension anywhere? Do your feet feel firmly connected to the ground? If you feel any tension or worry emitting from any part of your body, send Reiki to that part of your body.
- Carry on visualising each step of the sequence which leads to the event you wish to focus on and checking through your body.
- Now go back and imagine yourself in all of those situations being confident as you approach.
- You will now be ready to work on the main issue.
- Imagine getting on to the horse and having a lovely ride. See yourself smiling. Feel the reiki energy gently flowing through you and through the horse, filling you both with a loving calm energy.
Whenever possible take a few minutes to carry out this exercise. After this first session or if you find visualisation quite easy, you can spend a couple of minutes ten times a day. Every time you think of horse riding, change the picture you imagine to one of you and the horse enjoying the ride, being at one, connected.
Don’t worry if you find it hard to visualise at first, this will become easier with practice. Once you feel confident using this exercise, you can tailor make it to fit the area where you need more confidence.
You needn’t carry out the whole exercise every time to use it. Just the last few pointers will make a great difference to your horse riding experience and enjoyment.
If you do find yourself in a situation that is scaring you, think of Reiki flowing down through your crown, to your shoulders and arms, deep into your elbows and wrists. Think of the energy flowing through your torso and into your hip, down your legs and deep into your knees and ankles. You don’t need to close your eyes and start doing Reiki to do this. By simply thinking of Reiki and then turning some of your attention to these parts of your body, the Reiki will follow your intention.
A simple method to include Reiki in your dog training by Sarah Berrisford
One of the easiest ways to use Reiki with dog training is to use intent.
You can carry out this exercise in person or distantly.
You may find that when you try to picture your dog being happy and content, when left on his own, you keep thinking of him being anxious again. Don’t worry this is quite normal. If this does happen you can slowly erase the anxious picture and replace it with the contented image. Keep doing this until it is easy to ‘see’ your dog being content.
Carry out this exercise whenever you can, preferably a few times a day. When you greet your dog, let your first thought be of him being happy and content when on his own, followed by a smile from you – letting your dog know that this behaviour also makes you happy.
Next, it is important to become aware of your own thoughts, every time you think of your dog behaving in a way that you hope to change, replace that thought with the desired image.
If you are fretting about your dog whilst away, thinking of him tearing around the house causing havoc and destruction, your dog will pick up on this. Animals read these pictures and energy that we put across to them, so we do need to be careful that once an issue has started we aren’t ‘feeding’ the problem further.
So keep those happy thoughts and enjoy the moments that make you smile.
One of the easiest ways to use Reiki with dog training is to use intent.
You can carry out this exercise in person or distantly.
- Sit comfortably
- Connect to Reiki
- Feel the connection with your dog
- Let Reiki flow
- When you feel that the time is right, begin to picture how you would like your dog to act. Say your dog becomes anxious when left alone. You would picture him lying happily and content when on his own.
- Once you have visualised your preferred scenario, smile to yourself, feel happy, see the picture and follow it with happy thoughts.
You may find that when you try to picture your dog being happy and content, when left on his own, you keep thinking of him being anxious again. Don’t worry this is quite normal. If this does happen you can slowly erase the anxious picture and replace it with the contented image. Keep doing this until it is easy to ‘see’ your dog being content.
Carry out this exercise whenever you can, preferably a few times a day. When you greet your dog, let your first thought be of him being happy and content when on his own, followed by a smile from you – letting your dog know that this behaviour also makes you happy.
Next, it is important to become aware of your own thoughts, every time you think of your dog behaving in a way that you hope to change, replace that thought with the desired image.
If you are fretting about your dog whilst away, thinking of him tearing around the house causing havoc and destruction, your dog will pick up on this. Animals read these pictures and energy that we put across to them, so we do need to be careful that once an issue has started we aren’t ‘feeding’ the problem further.
So keep those happy thoughts and enjoy the moments that make you smile.
Reiki for dogs – bringing peace to the household by Sarah Berrisford
One of the great things about Reiki is that it works just as well from across a room as it does being hands on.
This means that if you find yourself in a situation whereby an animal is showing aggressive tendencies, there is no need to put yourself in harm’s way.
Aggression in dogs can happen for many reasons and can be directed towards many things. Today I’ll be talking about one of the most common issues I have encountered – when dogs are at war in the household!
Of course, we can simply send Reiki to the situation and circumstances. This is a very good starting point.
We can also look deeper into the issue and help the owner understand what is happening with their dogs’ energies, which is in turn affecting their behaviour.
When an owner becomes aware of how the dogs’ energies change before the aggression is shown. They can often stop the undesired behaviour before it escalates into a full blown dog fight.
When one dog is attacking another in the household, it is important to take into account the energy of both dogs. You will often find that the dog who is being attacked isn’t acting in the correct ‘doggy manner’ – he isn’t portraying the energy that he should be. Perhaps his energy becomes nervous or over excited. This in turn can cause the other dog to ‘tell him off’. It is common for the issue to start with the dog who is being attacked. I’m not saying that this is his fault; in fact it’s not a case of blame at all. It is a case of one dog being highly sensitive, probably due to inherited factors.
From a dog training point of view it is important to only reward desired behaviour. I often see a dog ‘misbehaving’, said dog is then told ‘no’, he may then sit and the owner says good boy. This is rewarding the undesired behaviour.
When a dog has exhibited any signs of unwanted behaviour we must be careful to not give him a reward. For example, if I walked into my house and one of the dogs growled at another, I would send the growling dog out of the room and then ignore him until it is all forgotten about. When taking this approach it is also important to reward the good behaviour. So when I walk into my house and the aggressive dog doesn’t growl at the other I tell him he’s a good boy, stroke him etc.
In order to help the owner feel the energy of their dogs, we can point out obvious physical signs, but we can also talk them through the following exercise where they firstly become aware of their own energy and after some practice they can more easily and readily perceive their pets’ energies.
It is important to do this exercise regularly. In return you will begin to pick up the energies of your dogs without having to try. You’ll simply feel it, rather than having to go through the exercise.
Once you are able to feel the energy of your dogs, you’ll be more susceptible to the energy changes that they have before an issue occurs. This meaning that whilst the dogs are still relatively calm , you can either send one of them out or ask them to sit and send them Reiki to calm the situation.
One of the great things about Reiki is that it works just as well from across a room as it does being hands on.
This means that if you find yourself in a situation whereby an animal is showing aggressive tendencies, there is no need to put yourself in harm’s way.
Aggression in dogs can happen for many reasons and can be directed towards many things. Today I’ll be talking about one of the most common issues I have encountered – when dogs are at war in the household!
Of course, we can simply send Reiki to the situation and circumstances. This is a very good starting point.
We can also look deeper into the issue and help the owner understand what is happening with their dogs’ energies, which is in turn affecting their behaviour.
When an owner becomes aware of how the dogs’ energies change before the aggression is shown. They can often stop the undesired behaviour before it escalates into a full blown dog fight.
When one dog is attacking another in the household, it is important to take into account the energy of both dogs. You will often find that the dog who is being attacked isn’t acting in the correct ‘doggy manner’ – he isn’t portraying the energy that he should be. Perhaps his energy becomes nervous or over excited. This in turn can cause the other dog to ‘tell him off’. It is common for the issue to start with the dog who is being attacked. I’m not saying that this is his fault; in fact it’s not a case of blame at all. It is a case of one dog being highly sensitive, probably due to inherited factors.
From a dog training point of view it is important to only reward desired behaviour. I often see a dog ‘misbehaving’, said dog is then told ‘no’, he may then sit and the owner says good boy. This is rewarding the undesired behaviour.
When a dog has exhibited any signs of unwanted behaviour we must be careful to not give him a reward. For example, if I walked into my house and one of the dogs growled at another, I would send the growling dog out of the room and then ignore him until it is all forgotten about. When taking this approach it is also important to reward the good behaviour. So when I walk into my house and the aggressive dog doesn’t growl at the other I tell him he’s a good boy, stroke him etc.
In order to help the owner feel the energy of their dogs, we can point out obvious physical signs, but we can also talk them through the following exercise where they firstly become aware of their own energy and after some practice they can more easily and readily perceive their pets’ energies.
- Sit or stand comfortably
- Close your eyes
- Take a few deep breaths, each exhale brings your body to a calmer, more relaxed state
- Continue breathing and relaxing for a few minutes
- Become aware of the energy around your head – does it feel light/thick/heavy? Does it feel calm or erratic? Is there a colour that comes to mind?
- Continue focusing one at a time on each part of your body – shoulders – arms – elbows – hands - torso – pelvis and lower back – thighs – knees – lower legs – feet.
- Once aware of the energy around your own body you can think of calming it and bringing it to a nice feeling.
- After a few times of trying out this exercise on yourself, you may be ready to try it out on your pets
It is important to do this exercise regularly. In return you will begin to pick up the energies of your dogs without having to try. You’ll simply feel it, rather than having to go through the exercise.
Once you are able to feel the energy of your dogs, you’ll be more susceptible to the energy changes that they have before an issue occurs. This meaning that whilst the dogs are still relatively calm , you can either send one of them out or ask them to sit and send them Reiki to calm the situation.