As some of you know, when I became ill several years ago, I began to look into alternatives to allopathic medicine. This actually wasn’t new-I had explored the potentials of natural diet, herbs and other alternative modalities, some of which were written up in the English Cocker Quarterly.

But when there’s a chance you have cancer, everthing changes; there isn’t time to put up with foolishness!

This eventually led me to leave the place I was living, give up grooming dogs (too stressful on the joints) start relearning office skills and-wonder of wonders-computers and the Internet-as well as learning as much about natural healing as I could .

The thought behind natural healing is that our bodies have the ability to balance and heal if given a chance to do so! Lifestyle changes-better food, more exercise, maybe meditation, can help a great deal in pain control. then I started hearing about something called reiki.

Reiki is not "psychic" or "magnetic" healing.The healer, basically, allows life force energy,chi, ki or prana, to flow through them into the healee-the healee’s body accepts what is needed, makes the decisions so to speak. The methods for learning to do this are fairly extensive-qi Gong, martial arts, yoga and other long terms practices...Reiki turns one into a (beginning) healer in one day.

(this is the standard history of Usui. we now know much more.)

The New History of Mikao Usui

Basically, Mikao Usui of Japan wanted to know how Christ and Buddha could heal people. Because so much about healing techniques has been lost in both religions-spiritual healing taking first priority- he ended up learning Sanskrit so that he could read some of the oldest texts mankind has-the Sutras, kept in Tibet with the lamas and other holy people of the region. He learned a system of symbols that would allow much more life force energy to travel through his body.

some of the techniques from Japan are now available!

After using the system for seven years in the beggars’ quarters, and learning that physical healing did not always make changes in people’s lives, he chose to teach students, much more on the spiritual path.One layperson who chose to learn the system from him was Dr Hayashi. He set up a clinic in Japan devoted to natural healing using teams of people "attuned" to Usui’s method. the fastest way to accomplish this was through a series of attunements-hands-on healings that opened the student to the energy safely. They are then able to do hands on healings, for the rest of their lives. It is NOT faith healing, requiring no "belief" on the part of the healee. Thus, it is also useful for animals.

When doing a reiki session with an animal, I always start at the top of the head. or with one hand on back of head, one on chest, if they resist. Then top of shoulderwith one hand/heart area below with other hand, then back and belly, then tail or back legs. Stroking the dog also seems of benefit.

What happens? well, basically, the heat from chi energy seems to relax the animal, making healing possible. I do know that my 12 year old girl is alive, active and looks great, despite being operated on for mammary cancer a year ago and being told it had metastized-she had no more than six months. She looks darned good for a dead dog!

There are plenty of books on Alternative medicine if you chose to explore this. Two authors to look for are Diane Stein (Natural Healing for Dogs and Cats) and Kathleen Milner-(Reiki and other Rays of Touch Healing) Women do seem more drawn to natural medicine.

I in no way wish to imply your dogs should not be seen by a vet. Reiki works WITH other healing modalities to allow the fastest healing possible.

I myself am a Reiki master and do attunements; charges vary with the teacher but you needn’t spend more for a reikithan for a one day seminar. there are teachers willing to take on students on scholarship basis.