Why Having an Animal Reiki Community is the Key to Thriving in Your Practice

Does the idea of a like-hearted Animal Reiki community call to you? At first glance, Animal Reiki as a practice may seem to be a practice of solitude—at least from humans. We learn to meditate and hold space for the animals we love, the animals in our community, or even for larger animal issues in our world. 

We practice seeing the light in dark places and holding a positive vibration of “All is Well” for even the most difficult of situations. All of this because we understand the healing power of Reiki: the spiritual energy of higher consciousness, of Oneness and of transcendent healing. 

Indeed, as we practice our techniques, we learn to sit, stand or walk, often in silence, in many spaces of animal need: our own homes, barns and pastures, shelters and sanctuaries in our communities. Often, we are the only human open to seeing from the heart and letting go of the “story” of animals. 

It’s not easy, but it helps when we practice, practice, practice! And in so doing, we very often see the change: a pacing animal chooses to rest, a panting animal takes a sigh of relief, a fearful animal comes out of hiding and chooses to make contact. 

Sometimes it might feel isolating to us: Perhaps our community doesn’t understand what Reiki is or how it can help. Sometimes doors are closed to our efforts. Sometimes even our own friends and family consider us a bit “strange” and so we learn to keep much of our successes and challenges to ourselves. 

This is where the power of community can come in so strongly to support us, to help us reach our potential and even to amplify our energy. We are not alone, and in fact, there are so many animal-loving souls who are choosing the path of spiritual warrior for animals right alongside us!

In this blog, I want to share some of the biggest benefits of being in community in our Animal Reiki practice. Having created a Let Animals Lead online community a couple of years ago and watching it grow from 100 to now over 600 members, I have been so inspired by the amazing encouragement, empathy and compassion our membership shows to one another. 

I too am growing so much in my own practice because of the online interactions, discussions, live meetings and more in this group. Because of this, I believe we can help so many more animals!

The Benefits of Connecting with an Animal Reiki Community

In the center of our Let Animals Lead community spirit is a deep sense of belonging: of being seen, heard and understood. With our shared vision of serving animals through the healing power of Animal Reiki, our community helps give us a deeper sense of the power of this purpose! Here are some ways our community can increase the power of our Animal Reiki practice.

A Shared Mission for Animals

“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb

I love this proverb because it reminds us that our spiritual journey with Animal Reiki is not about speed, or even our destination, but more about the healing power of the journey. Over the years, many students have taken Animal Reiki training, but many find it difficult to keep it up. I think a big part of this is the isolating nature of the work, since most people don’t really “get it” about what we are doing. 

In addition, there are many unique challenges in practicing Animal Reiki in our homes and neighborhoods, and our Animal Reiki community is a space to address these. Sometimes these are things that even human Reiki people don’t face, such as having to explain this practice to shelter staff who may not initially have interest or understanding in the benefits.  

There are also practical questions that can come up, such as how to offer Reiki to individual animals, vs. animals living in a group. Or what can we do if we find ourselves overwhelmed by the histories and traumatic stories of the animals we work with. Within our Animal Reiki community, there are so many of us facing these same kinds of issues, and in sharing our experiences with one another we can be understood, as well as get advice and solutions. Within the safety of our community, we can also address our own personal self-healing obstacles such as the difficulty of keeping up with a daily meditation practice, or of practicing self-compassion.  

And rooting all our work within this community is the deep respect for the agency and wisdom of our animal friends and teachers. One member shared, “They (animals) have super-powers to remind me to let go of any expectations, seeing my own state of perfection in the moment through their Reiki eyes.” Here there is a community of like-minded Animal Reiki practitioners who “get it.” Animals are healers and teachers in their own right, and we are truly not alone!

A Greater Sense of Belonging

“True belonging doesn’t require that we change who we are. It requires that we be who we are.” -Brene Brown

How long has it been since you've been in a group of people where you felt you truly belonged? How many of you have always been more sensitive to animals' thoughts and feelings than anyone else? Perhaps you’ve gotten used to hiding your gifts and feelings, I know for many years, I had. 

Before I created my online Let Animals Lead® community, I had gotten so used to being the “different” person in a group, having an unconventional career and life’s work. Parent gatherings might sound like this: “What do you do?” “I’m a doctor.” “That’s wonderful, and you?” “I teach Animal Reiki. It’s a way to meditate with animals for healing.” “Oh. I just remembered there’s something in the other room I need to go check on.” 

My husband used to joke that if we ever needed to clear a room, I could just start sharing stories about Reiki on monkeys or elephants, LOL. What if you could share your stories of healing and connection with animals with a large group of people who understand, respect and are even excited about what you share? That is what this community provides for all our members: a safe space to share experiences and the emotions, successes, challenges and more that come up. Some wonderful friendships have been created between members, because they are built on trust, understanding and respect for one another.

Feeling Seen and Understood

"Always be your true self, and surround yourself with positive and supportive people." -Amanda Lepore

Besides having a shared compassion for animals, understanding of their importance in our lives and knowledge of our Animal Reiki practice particulars, we can also be there for one another through illnesses (in our distant healing circle), support one another through grief and loss (in our rainbow connections circle) and much, much more.

Showing up for one another allows each of us to be seen and heard, while being held in the “All is Well” space. This creates a strong sense of connection and validation and creates a safe place from which to heal and grow within our own selves. In healing our own issues and focusing on self-growth, we can be of even better service to animals! 

Impacting the World Through the Power of Empathy

"Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It's the impetus for creating change." - Max Carver 

I don’t think I fully realized the powerful positive nature this community would bring to all of our lives when I created it. I was looking for a way to support my students to stay on track with daily practice and questions about working in various animal scenarios. Through the comments and sharing of members, I’m seeing so much more growth, healing and support than I ever imagined!

One member shared, “I must do my legwork first to be able to embody a space of patience for the animals. Just this morning as I began my practice, my dog jumped on me and my first reaction was to push him away. Only this time I held out my hand and held the space. He put his paw in my hand and after a sneak lick to my face, he settled in front of me. When practicing at home, I can be in a hurry sometimes with the never-ending list before me. It’s a process for sure !”

As I read this, it sounded so familiar! How many of us have felt the same impatience, but perhaps hadn’t tried taking a breath of patience in that moment? We can learn so much from each other and each other’s animals! 

In addition, this community has brought a deeper encouragement for members to go out and take action to help animals in the community. Once we get more confidence in the various situations we encounter with our own animals, we’ll be ready to go out and offer sessions to friends and perhaps even in shelters and rescues. 

The power of meditating together in a group is also very wonderful and brings great strength. Students describe their experiences in meditation as “so peaceful,” or “so needed today.”  For many, it provides a framework of meditation for their month, so that they can stay motivated to practice every day. 

The collective Reiki healing energy that comes through in our group meditations and discussions have also given many a stronger faith in the power of letting go and surrendering to something bigger than all of us: Reiki. One member shared, “I trust Spirit/Universe/God/Reiki energy and light for their perfect healing light. I am but a vessel.” What a profound insight and wonderful reminder!

Another member worked with a high-strung dog who had difficulty calming down, and she left the door open so he could come and go freely and without expectations. “Within 15 minutes, he came and put his head in my lap.  I think it was a novel experience for him, to have someone honor him not needing to stay, be touched, etc.” What a powerful experience that can encourage us all to be patient and let animals lead. 

The more we can let go and just “be,” the deeper our connections can go! Our community is a place where we can read many other’s experiences and share our own.

Sharing Our Growth and Experiences as Animal Reiki Practitioners and Teachers

“When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.” — William Arthur Ward 

One of the most exciting parts of our Animal Reiki community is watching my advanced students grow into amazing mentors. For example, one of my Teachers of Excellence, Sherry Morgado, led this community in a discussion of how we can learn to let even farmed animals lead sessions. She shared, “Offering Reiki to farmed animals is one of the most heart-expanding experiences you can have.” I know her shared stories of the different farmed animals who have touched her life, including a special needs duck named Puddles, have inspired many members to find a farm nearby to go and offer Reiki!

Another Teacher of Excellence, Paula Ford, has created a monthly Rainbow Connections Grief Support Circle. By combining her LAL Teacher training with her skills as an Animal Chaplain (Inter-belief/Inter-species), she’s able to support our community in such a meaningful way!

The Let Animals Lead® method is not my voice alone: it is a collective voice of experience and wisdom, deepened day by day through the sharing of each member’s unique knowledge, skills, insights and experiences. We are growing and healing together as we support animals, inspired to try new things in our animal interactions by being exposed to fresh insights and perspectives from other members. 

In community, there are so many opportunities to learn from others tips and successful strategies.

I’ve also seen within myself, that sharing our own experiences, and deeply listening to the stories of others, helps me to process and embody the LAL® teachings more deeply. All the while, we are making deeper connections w/one another!

Overcoming Obstacles on Our Animal Reiki Journey Together

“We are all like one-winged angels. It is only when we help each other that we can fly.” -Luciano De Crescenzo

Being in community helps us all navigate challenges more easily. Utilizing the collective strength and wisdom of our membership helps make the setbacks and obstacles we face in this work much easier to manage. There is truly “strength in numbers,” and together we can build each other up.

One of our members shared, “Hara breathing is key for me. It’s an act of anchoring, a key to resetting monkey mind, to letting go, to inviting trust & openness. If monkey mind is super active or there are other feelings getting in the way, then focusing on the 1st symbol & mantra in addition to hara breathing is my next step. It has yet to let me down!”  

By helping one another see that we aren’t alone in our struggles, we are also warding off that feeling of isolation that can easily spiral into a feeling of helplessness that might cause us to get discouraged or even give up our practice.

Celebrating Our Wins and Achievements Together

"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." - Coretta Scott King 

One of the ways we share compassion with one another is to celebrate our achievements, even those that are small. One member shared, “Even if it's just a second between sleep or in a blink of an eye where an animal feels that relief — that can be enough.” A tiny moment of awareness, and yet our community understands and validates this mindful wisdom!

Within our LAL® community, we are following the thread of compassion where it leads us: from self-compassion, to compassion for animals and their caregivers, to creating safe spaces for shelter animals or the animals in our community, and even in holding a compassionate space for the animals of the world. This month in our group meditation practice, our collective dedication is to heal the human/animal bond on our planet. To support this intention, we add this affirmation: Our collective compassion creates waves of positive change for animals and their caregivers. 

Our Animal Reiki Community is Part of Our Strength

As Animal Reiki practitioners, we may often begin this path feeling like we are walking alone. Yet when we gather in community, our light becomes brighter, our practice grows deeper, and our compassion ripples further than we could ever imagine on our own. 

Together, we are co-creating a circle of support for one another, for animals, and for the world. May we continue to walk this path side by side, letting animals lead us into ever-expanding circles of healing and love.

Won’t you join us and be part of our LAL community? Together we can amplify the power of Reiki to heal, creating positive change on a bigger scale for animals than we could have done alone.