Understanding animals as the spiritual, sentient beings they are is the key to honoring and supporting them through their life journey and healing path. As an Animal Reiki Practitioner and Animal Communicator, I have learned that just like people, animals incarnate with a life purpose, have hopes and dreams for their life experience and choose their body form and life circumstances here on Earth. They often serve as spiritual teachers for the humans they live with or encounter, providing us with lessons for our own spiritual growth.

Although they do not speak our human language, they are able communicators, understanding the language of energy through thoughts, feelings, emotions and intentions. In order to receive the messages and information animals share with us, we need to be open to it. We have the ability to understand them through the language of energy via our innate telepathic abilities; it just needs to be cultivated. Many pet owners express feeling connected to and understanding their animal, while others do not realize the sentient and spiritual nature of animals and the roles they can play in our lives beyond companionship.

Animals “live on the wind,” which means they sense positivity (safety) or negativity (potential danger) in their environment and act accordingly for their own wellbeing. An argument between people can be construed as a potential threat or stressor because of the negative energy being expressed. Conversely, loving thoughts and intentions are felt positively and convey safety and harmony for the animal.

When working with animals in a healing situation, it is important to remember that they have freewill just as we do.  Often, our companion animals’ lives are scheduled according to our human needs and the animal is expected to conform.

Even though we may have our animals best interests at heart, when we force them to take a Reiki treatment, we are not coming from that open space allowing them to make a choice on their own behalf.

Supporting animals through Animal Reiki, sometimes also described as meditating with your animal, can be very healing in its own right. The practice of Animal Reiki offers an open-hearted approach that honors the animals’ choice to partake in the healing being offered on their own terms. Whether they wish to take part in some, none, or all of a treatment, animals will have the choice to accept or reject the offer.

It is very empowering for them and for us in that we are reaffirming the oneness and spiritual nature of all creatures. When animals sense that they have a choice to receive what is being offered, rather than that it being forced upon them, most are quite open and willing to tap into the healing space. They can then remember their spiritual purpose and activate their own inner healing response.

Being a different species does not make animals less intelligent or less spiritual. In many ways, animals are freer and closer to Spirit than humans are. They have come into this life making spiritual choices and they have a right to have those choices honored.

Animal or inter-species communication, at its heart, is about fostering understanding between species. When someone is not getting along or is unwell, there is dysfunction, stress and disharmony in the environment and everyone in that environment is affected. Working with and through an animal communicator allows for all parties sentiments to be heard and understood. Sometimes all that is needed is for the animals to know their perspective is heard, understood and valued by their companion humans and animals. Many people find comfort in validating or knowing what their pet is feeling or thinking about a situation. Whether it’s a behavioral or a health issue, using animal communication can bring clarity, peace and calm to a situation. Sue Ann Seccia-Harnden is an Animal Reiki Practitioner, Animal Communicator and owner of Fifth Dimension Healing Energy LLC in Clinton. For information, call 908-730-0658  or visit FifthDimensionHealingEnergy.net.