Reiki Introduction

What is Reiki

Reiki is a complete energy healing system. It uses a frequency of the universal life energy towards healing. It's gentle, painless, stress-free and non-invasive. The recipient always has the choice to take what he or she needs. It also treats the whole being. The practitioner can either do a hands-on treatment (hands are applied on different area of the body) or distant treatment.

Reiki and Ayurveda

Although Reiki originates from Japan with Dr Usui it has its place in Ayurveda as it is close to pranic healing or ayurvedic energy work. It uses the Qi or Prana, the Life Force in the same way but Reiki is more of a particular frequency of energy compared to pranic healing being more raw.

Energy work is a part of any ayurvedic treatment and Reiki is just a form of it.

Reiki with horses

Horses are highly sensitive to energy. Reiki becomes a great tool when it comes to behavior issues, illnesses or emotional distress. It can be used alone or as a complementary treatment. Either way horses will benefit a lot.

Reiki works well on anxiety, fear, nervousness, stress or agitated horse. It is also used in case of illnesses or injury as a support in the healing process. Reiki will help to restore a balance.

The treatment can be given with the hands touching the horse's body or hands above the area to treat or even from distance (example: a horse in a pasture). The approach being to respect where the horse is, it is better to let the horse determine how the treatment will go. It's not unusual to start a session from distance and see the horse coming slowly closer, sniff the hands of the practitioner to finally place a part of his body against them.

The most important things are to stay open, to respect the animal and to have no expectation or agenda

Horse Examination

The purpose of an examination is to assess the horse condition. For that the examination will determine the horse basic constitution and current issues or imbalances that eventually lead to a specific disorder.

An Ayurvedic examination is based on the following three approaches: observation, touch and questioning. 

There can be variations with more or less depth in each of the procedure but most of the time it will go over this three stages.

Observation

Observation consists at looking at the horse as a whole and also examining specific part of the body. It covers the posture, the physical attitude, the movement but also the coat, the eyes, the tongue. 

Observation of sounds (like the one from the gut) and smells are included as well.

Touch

Touch is another important part of the examination. It provides additional information about the horse that enrich the observations already made.

Touch includes taking the pulse and palpation of particular point of the body. It will show if there is any tender point, lumps, if the tissues are more hard or soft, if the temperature is cold or hot.

The procedure informs at both a physical level and at an energetic level.

Questioning

Questioning includes the medical history of the horse as well as direct questions asked to the owner. It allows the practitioner to gather information about the horse behavior, habits and lifestyle. Questions about food preference, time of rest, response to seasons will be covered.

This three fold examination give the practitioner insights about the horse condition. From there the course of an holistic treatment can be decided.