Charlie Gets Reiki

Charlie waiting for her final Reiki session.

I have been at the end of my rope with Charlie's reactivity issues lately and decided to try something "out of the box"... Reiki. Charlie had her first treatment at the end of June, just a few days before the big 4th of July weekend and fireworks extravaganza, which seemed like good timing based on her fear of loud noises.

Her first session at Amy's Animal Massage & Reiki, went extremely well. When we arrived, Amy gave Charlie time to go potty and explore the treatment room until she was ready to start "working." Amy began by doing distance Reiki and eventually Charlie came over to her voluntarily to do the hands-on treatment.

It was amazing watching the process of energy transfer. Charlie's face visibly softened as she stared off into space. A sense of calm seemed to wash over her. She treated Amy as if she'd known her forever and instead of trying to instigate playtime, like she usually does with new people, she seemed to understand what we were there for and she soaked up the energy, aligning and venting her chakras.

After the session, Charlie "zoned out" on the way home and pretty much fell asleep as soon as we got home (Amy referred to this as a Reiki nap). She was exhausted, but in a good way. The following day she was so zen! She meandered around the house with this "hey, everything is cool" attitude. Nothing seemed to bother her, or if it did, it was only temporary and then she went back into her mellow zone.

Charlie's "Reiki Nap"

The 4th of July weekend was tough though. I had to close all the windows in the house and turn on the t.v. at a louder volume to drown out the scary noises exploding throughout the neighborhood. It was a long weekend.

But Charlie had two more weekly Reiki sessions with Amy after that and those helped get her energy back in line. She was so excited to see Amy at the second session that she was squealing and squirming to get out of the car and run over to her before I had even parked.

We just finished up the last session yesterday. Charlie had a hard time concentrating at this last appointment and although she was obviously comfortable being there, she seemed to want to play and be outside more than anything... which was actually a good thing! The first time we went to Amy's, Charlie was so fearful that she ran from the car to the house, trembling against the door waiting to get inside. Her fearfulness has abated enough by this third session that she felt comfortable exploring Amy's yard and trying to initiate playtime. This is success.

Charlie receiving Reiki from Amy, opening her hip chakras and getting "grounded."

I've begun taking 5am walks with Charlie, when our neighborhood is quiet, to avoid noise triggers. This will hopefully improve her confidence and eventually we'll work up to going on some hikes again. As long as I can keep unexpected noise triggers to a minimum, I think we'll be good to go!

Overall, I was on the fence as to whether I believed in this type of treatment, but now I'm a believer. I saw it happening before my own eyes. I know my dog and I saw a transformation. Charlie's behavior with Amy was unlike anything I have ever seen with her before. And although the results after the second and third sessions were less noticeable than the first one, I think this was a great experience for Charlie. I'm such a believer now, I'm thinking about signing myself up for a Reiki session soon!



*Note:  All opinions and viewpoints above are my own. I did not receive any free services in exchange for my testimonial. Always consult with your veterinarian regarding behavior issues with your pet to determine the best treatment options.