What does Reiki feel like?
During a treatment, the client is totally clothed.  Sessions can be done with the client lying on a massage table or sitting on a chair.  The client will begin by feeling a warm sensation or one that feels like pins or needles (‘tingly’) on the areas being touched.  Others feel no sensation at all. Most animals enjoy Reiki but some are not comfortable at first, getting up or moving away from the practitioner’s hands.  It has been my experience that even the most timid animals will eventually accept and look forward to their Reiki sessions.  It is important to respect the animal’s wishes and not ‘push’ Reiki.  Healing should always be willingly accepted and never be imposed on anyone.  You will know what your animal’s wishes are the moment Reiki begins flowing through the practitioner’s hands. 

Does Reiki conflict with Christianity or other religious teachings?
Reiki healing, like veterinary medicine, is not tied to any particular religion, and is practiced by members of all faiths. Many Christians in particular see Reiki as an opportunity to follow the teaching and examples of Jesus healing the sick. The ability use Reiki to do good works for people and their pets is a wonderful gift, and we at All Creatures Great and Small have heard of so many stories where  Reiki made a positive difference in the lives of friends, neighbors, and even strangers thousands of miles away, that we encourage people to discover what Reiki can do for them or their animals. We also teach that as one of God's gifts, Reiki is available to everyone to learn and use to make the world a better place.

Will my own or my animal’s problem/issue clear up immediately?
It would be highly uncommon for your or your animal's issues to clear up after just one Reiki session.  What you will notice after the first session is a feeling of deep relaxation.  You may find the sleep you is deeper and more restful the day of your session.  Some people (and animals) have actually snored while I worked on them.  I consider this a great complement.  With equines, the most common response is licking and chewing, yawning and stretching.  Following a Reiki session it is very important to drink lots of water, so please make sure you have plenty of fresh water on hand for your animal following a session.  You will want to be able to rest following a session.  Please allow Performance Animals at least 24 hours to rest following a Reiki session.  Reiki continues to work through us for several hours.

It is important to note that Reiki works for the Highest Good of all living things.       If there are underlying causes to a particular problem, Reiki will attend to those first. There is no set time table for results although many owners report seeing movement after four to five sessions.  There have been occasion where changes have occurred in less than four sessions as well. 

Reiki is a COMPLEMENTARY Therapy and not mean to be a replacement for good medical or veterinary care.  

Animals and Reiki: Sometimes animals (like people) are not in the mood for Reiki. They may be distracted by something and can't do the work until that 'thing' is taken care of. I once worked with a horse who just could not concentrate on receiving the energy. It turned out that he was just hungry and felt the need to eat the lush grass that was only a few feet away. Once satiated, he allowed me to continue.

I generally take my cue from the animal. When they are ready to stop 'working', they will either get up and walk away or give me some other indication. Then there are those animals that simply do not want reiki, and it is their right to refuse it. Usually they accept the energy quite willingly, but not all do. One small dog I tried working with simply refused my offer of reiki. He let me know by nipping me. It wasn't that he didn't like me. I was okay to play fetch with, but he just did not want the reiki, so we played fetch.

Reiki works for all living thing’s highest good. It is not something you impose on an animal just as you would not impose it on a human being.