October 17, 2025 • 47 mins
Do you want to help a rescue animal heal and find peace? In this episode of Animal Posse we explore the deep energetic connection between humans and animals with special guest Tianne Lastra, a leading Reiki Master.
Tianne specializes in bringing comfort to pets who have endured trauma. She’ll share remarkable stories and techniques showing how Reiki provides a lifeline for animals in rescue and shelter care, helping them shed the energy of fear and past stress. If you are struggling with a fearful rescue, an adopted pet with separation anxiety, or are involved in shelter work, this conversation is a powerful guide to non-invasive healing and deepening the bond with your companion.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dixie (00:02):
Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the
people and rescues making adifference in the lives of animals.
Today's show is gonna bea little bit different.
In addition to being an animal rescuer,I am also into energy healing or reiki.
I use it to comfort all of my rescues.
When I worked in an adoption center,I would go in and I would also comfort
(00:23):
the animals that seemed a little bitmore stressed at the adoption center.
So today I decided to invite my Reikiinstructor, Tianne Lastra on to discuss
Reiki and how it can be used to help pets.
How are you today, Tianne?
Tianne (00:39):
I'm doing well.
I'm very happy, excited andgrateful for the invitation.
Dixie (00:45):
Great.
I'm excited to talk aboutit 'cause I love reiki.
Before we start, tell us alittle bit about yourself.
What is your background and doyou have a fondness for animals?
Tianne (00:59):
Look, fondness is a word so close to my heart because
I'm actually an animal lover.
Since a very early age I was thinkingyesterday, how when I was four and
five years old, I had my own littleemergency kit and I used to go out
of the house and if I would seean animal in front of the house, I
(01:22):
would bring him in, give him a bath.
Cure him if he had somethingthat I felt me curing.
So it was something that I grew up with.
So, I feel that animals are sogenuine in everything that they
do, and I really appreciate that.
Besides the fact that I feel that weall should be responsible and do the
(01:45):
best we can to give them the lifethat they need and they deserve.
Dixie (01:50):
I couldn't agree more.
And do you do any kind of things likeTNR to help with the population of cats?
Tianne (01:58):
I did a lot of TNR, especially after Katrina.
I was so fortunate to be able to getthe assistance from a group, and I
remember we did 80 cats immediately afterKatrina because everybody had left the
city and left their animals behind, andeverything was very chaotic after Katrina.
(02:22):
So the animals kept reproducingand I felt that no one was
really doing anything about it.
So I contacted this group andthey were so absolutely wonderful.
Within a fairly short period oftime, we were able to control the
cat population and everything.
Since we did that went back to normal.
(02:44):
The neighbors were happy andthe cats were well taken care of
and placed in good homes, so itreally worked out for the best.
At present.
I try to support different organizations.
I'm not no longer doing TNR.
But I do a lot of animal rescueand I have been able to place
(03:06):
not only cats but dogs as well.
So I'm always on the lookout foranybody or anything that needs
help, and I try to be there.
It's my way of giving back becauseI've been blessed with wonderful pets.
Dixie (03:22):
We'll move on to what Reiki is.
Let's start a little bit with the basics.
You are a reiki master.
If you can explain just a little bitabout what that is, and then for anybody
who doesn't know what Reiki is, if youcan explain that in simple terms as well.
Tianne (03:41):
Of course.
My training started in 2006.
And came as a result ofmy husband's, diagnosis.
So at that point we started looking foralternatives to just traditional medicine.
And we studied a numberof different modalities.
We actually traveledfor almost eight years.
(04:02):
Learning different types of healingmodalities, like, crystal work,
energy work reiki many of thethings, meditation, chronic healing.
We were always looking forsomething that could support
the path that he was going in.
And then we came across Reikiand we started being trained.
(04:25):
So, I've been a licensed teacherfor the ICRT for about 14 years.
In December I decided, to semi-retire,but I'm still, fairly active.
I work in the hospital doing,reiki for cancer patients and
also giving meditation classes.
(04:47):
But for some reason I have been calledlately to pay attention, to the situation
of animals that may need some support.
And I'm glad that you called meto discuss this thing because it's
something that I think is very important.
So, going on to the topic ofwhat Reiki is by definition we
(05:09):
can say that Reiki is a system.
For stress reduction and for relaxation.
It was developed in Japan by aman by the name of Usui, and that
happened around 1922 and it camethrough Hawaii into the United States
through a lady by the name of Akata.
(05:31):
And although she started teaching in1976, which we, you will agree, that is
fairly recent it, it's been practicedand it has spread all over the world.
So every country has practitioners.
Different types of schools.
So it has become, quite important.
(05:52):
And one of the important thingsthat happened is that the medical
profession is looking into reiki asa way of also benefiting patients.
So reiki has been used in differenthospitals and different, organizations
that, that treat the patients.
(06:12):
And the reason primarily for that isthat it produces a level of relaxation
that allows the patient to get better.
The belief is that yourbody has a capability of.
Helping itself and for you to obtain ahigh level of relaxation, it actually
(06:33):
allows your body to do just that.
So science is recognizing that.
So it's been offered , inmany healing facilities.
Now, in regards to the word reiki, whichby the way in Japan is called leiki.
So if you ever go to Japan and you wannareceive reiki, you need to ask for leiki.
(06:54):
It means the word reiki iscomposed of two, two words.
The first one is re, which meansuniversal or spiritually guided energy,
or a higher knowledge or consciousness.
And the second syllable is key,which is the same as Chi Asana.
Simply said is that lifesustaining energy that we all have.
(07:18):
That animals have, that plants have,so every living organism has it.
So, that in a nutshell is a littlebit of an explanation on reiki.
The only thing I wanted to also addthat in order for you to practice
reiki, you need to be taught.
(07:38):
The first two levels are taught.
The first level is a two day program.
The second level is a three dayprogram, and at that time you can also
start practicing reiki and treatingpeople and animals and plants.
And nature in general.
(08:00):
And now important points to haveis number one, that you need to
be taught by a master teacher.
The second important part isthat you do not become a healer.
What you become is a conduit ofthis energy that you connect with.
Number three, that this is in no waysubstitute for medical or veterinary care.
(08:25):
So it is cataloged as acomplimentary therapy.
And the most important one tosome people is that Reiki is not
a religion or is associated withany type of religious practice.
It is a spiritual practicebecause we believe that we
connect with a higher source.
And then we use that energy and we areable to transfer it to the person or
(08:50):
the animal or the thing that needs it.
Dixie (08:54):
I would like to address the way that I came to discover Reiki
and sought you out as a teacher.
Because it was kind of acoincidental, funny thing.
Many years ago I saw a classthat another rescue was offering
and it was an introduction toenergy healing for animals.
There was a reiki instructorthere, so I attended that class.
(09:15):
And I immediately connected with it.
I thought it was very interestingand I wanted to learn more.
I was talking to my friend about it,and she's in rescue, and I was like, , I
really wanna go do this, but I don't know.
Where to look for aReiki instructor locally.
And she was like, oh, I know one.
She goes she helps us outwith with the cat sometimes.
(09:38):
So that's how I actually came to find you
Tianne (09:42):
well, I'm glad you did.
Dixie (09:43):
It's just funny 'cause it's just like a coincidence, that you were
into doing the cat rescue and the TNRand everything just fell into place.
Tianne (09:50):
For a long time I was actually the only teacher in the area.
And people were wanting to learnand I wanted people to learn how
to do it because I thought it wouldbe so beneficial at all levels for
people, for patients, for animals,for families, because there's immense
benefits , to using this energy.
(10:13):
It helps you with pain management.
It helps you with your sleep.
It helps your body relax.
It puts you in a clearer frame of mind.
So, it's just, excellent, nomatter which way you look at it.
And the good thing is that once you learnhow to do it, not only can you treat other
(10:33):
things, but you can also treat yourself.
Which is an advantage, especially ifyou have a presentation, if you're
excited, if you are a little bit sad.
If you're having pain, if you areneeding some type of support, you
can support yourself with thisenergy, so you can self-treat.
So I think that's really important.
(10:55):
Another important thing is when youwanna treat, for example, the animals,
which is the focus of our conversationyou really don't need any equipment.
Your equipment is in yourhands and in your heart.
So I usually carry my purse,a small speaker, and I have
my Reiki music in my phone.
So, when the opportunity comes.
(11:17):
I just turn on my little relaxingmusic and I start doing my session.
And so it's very easy to do.
It is a very soothing, very relaxingand everybody really appreciates it
because it gives you that feeling ofcomfort and that feeling of peace.
(11:37):
That is what we wanna bringinto into our animal population.
Dixie (11:42):
Let's talk about how you actually perform Reiki on an animal
and do, is it a hands-on thing?
Do you touch 'em or doyou not have to touch 'em?
Tianne (11:52):
Well, there's three basic ways, and the same thing applies to people
whenever you wanna do a reiki session.
The first way of doing it iswith the laying of the hands.
You put your hands on your subject.
And when you get trained to do Ray,you learn particular hand positions
that if you complete all of thosehand positions, then you have treated,
(12:16):
the full body so you can do hands on.
If for some reason the personis not receptive to touch or
the animal is not receptive totouch, you can do it hands off.
And when you do that, we use the wordbeaming in which we beam the energy
to the person or to the subject.
(12:38):
And one thing that a lot of peopledon't know is that we can actually
do reiki long distance energy travelswhere we, wherever it's directed to.
So you don't need to be present toreceive the benefit of of the session.
So, those are the three basicways and for animals you can
(13:01):
do it the three different ways.
You can do it if the animal is receptive.
If it's an animal that's has beenwithin a family, you can do it.
Putting your hands on theanimal if the animal is is wild.
Or if the animal is stressed,you can go ahead and do it hands
(13:23):
off, just beaming the energy.
Or if the animal is located in a differentplace, you can do the distance healing,
or you can send the energy remotely.
Energy will travel as you directed.
So, you can send it wherever thisperson or this animal is located and
(13:44):
they actually feel the energy whenyou're doing that, and you yourself
are feeling the energy as well becauseyou're energetically connected.
So it's a very interesting process andit's very amazing the way that it happens.
It's really interesting when you senda long distance reiki to a person,
(14:05):
and after the session, I alwayscall and check in with my client.
They can describe prettymuch what I was doing.
Oh, did you put your hand, you hadyour hands in my chest, didn't you?
Oh, you put, then you moveyour hands to my head.
So.
It's so interesting to know thatactually happens and that the other
person is just aware of what youare doing as you yourself are.
Dixie (14:32):
When you're doing Reiki on an animal, how do you know
that the animal is accepting it?
Tianne (14:39):
Okay.
The first way.
Is observation.
So there are people, and I have takenseveral classes on animal communication
to where you actually communicate withthe animal at a at a different level.
Somehow, you can convey your emotionsto the animal, and the animal can
(15:00):
convey those emotions for you.
And that's a very interestingfield that I urge people who
deal with animals to explore.
The issue of animal communication.
There's a lot of books that canbe that can be read, but there's a
lot of of people that are teaching.
The way to communicatewith animals, even online.
(15:22):
But going back to the questionyou observe the animal, a person
can tell you what they're feeling,what they're experiencing.
An animal cannot.
So, you can speak to a person, butthe animal doesn't have that ability.
So, observing an animal and payingattention to the movements can
(15:42):
provide you a lot of information.
You look at the little face of theanimal and you can see in the eyes.
If they're stressed, if they'removing from side to side.
In dogs, you see a lot of, thetail going in between the legs, so
observation can tell you a lot ofwhat that animal is experiencing.
(16:04):
You can also know if an animal is stressedor if it's aggressive by the way it looks.
And looking at the body,you can see the tension.
Some animal shakes, someanimals, are are in the corner.
And so you first, you have to makean effort to let the animal know
that you're there, not as a threat.
(16:26):
But that support.
So you wanna you wanna try tomake him feel, relaxed and that
he's not in danger so that theycan be receptive to the session.
When you start working with an animal,usually after a few minutes, you can
see the animal starting, to relax.
(16:47):
It's very typical that ananimal that is accepting, of the
session starts getting quiet.
Then it starts laying down andbefore it just like it happens to
people, they may even fall asleep.
So, sometimes, when you are communicatingwith an animal and giving them Rey they
(17:08):
can come to you and try to touch yourhands because they can feel the energy.
They don't know exactly what itis, but they know they feel safe.
They know they like it.
They know they're not threatened by it.
So, that's an excellent way in which youcan start, to to communicate, with the
animal and know if they're accepting.
(17:30):
So observation is the key point.
And then of course,respecting, boundaries.
If you feel that the animal is notreceptive, then you need to give
them time, to cool down or just,try later or on a different day.
So animals just like people, they canfeel a sense the energy and most of them
(17:54):
welcome it because it feels good, itfeels soothing, it's calming and that
is very welcome, especially when you'rein a shelter situation or in a stressful
situation where he has been rehomed orhe has been foster or is in shelter.
Going to the vet's office is usuallyvery stressful, especially for
(18:17):
cats and also when they're sick.
And all of these are situationsin which they certainly can
benefit from receiving, reiki.
Dixie (18:28):
What are some of the most significant benefits that you've
observed for shelter animals?
specifically?
Tianne (18:35):
Well, when you think about going to the shelter, you go to
the shelter for many reasons, andthe majority of people go there
because they're looking for a pet.
So when you go to the shelter, you'relooking for the most bubbly, the
happiest, the friendliest kitten or dogthat there is, but there's a little dog.
(18:59):
In the corner shaking, looking down, andhe's like that because he is terrified
of the situation, because he's missinghis family because he's not feeling well.
So when we go there and we workwith those cases, we give those
(19:23):
animals a chance to relax.
Show themselves like they really are.
When they do that, what we discover is ourwonderful little animals, to be adopted.
But sometimes because they're inthat mode of being stressed or
afraid they miss that chance ofshowing themselves like they are.
(19:46):
I remember several years ago I was lookingin Facebook and they had this picture of
this little dog that they were going toeuthanize on the following day because
he had been in the shelter and nobody.
Was interested in him.
So I got up early and I went to theshelter that morning and I told the
(20:08):
girl in the front I would like to adoptthat little dog that you put on Facebook
that is going to be euthanized tomorrow.
And her response shocked meand she said, you want him?
And I said, yeah, I want him.
So when we went to where he was.
He was shaking in the corner lookingagainst the back part of the kennel.
(20:31):
And she she took him outand she said, are you sure?
And I said, I'm positive.
The moment I took him out of thefront door, he was a different dog.
He was walking, he was jumping,.
Turned out to be the nicest little dog.
He was just intimidatedby the environment.
(20:53):
I remember another time that I went,I look in the cage and there was
this beautiful little black cat.
So I start talking to himbecause I had gone there to
see if I could find a lost cat.
And there he was.
His name was Joey.
And, I went and I looked at him and Iwasn't ready to take in another animal,
(21:17):
so I went every day to the shelter.
So two days after I go and Iasked the attendant, I said.
Where's the littleblack cat that was here?
And he says, oh, we justmoved him somewhere else.
And I said, can I go can I go see him?
And when I went into thecage, he was so defeated.
(21:38):
He was laying on the floor and he was justlooking at me, and he was so depressed,
he was so intimidated by the environment.
So I told him, I promise you,this afternoon I'm coming for you.
So I went and I started, givinghim reiki when I got him.
I found a home for him.
(21:58):
He is the most amazing little cat.
So these environments affecttheir behavior and sometimes
their behavior causes them not tobe good candidates for adoption.
So reiki comes in torelieve them of that stress.
(22:18):
And put them in a position towhere they're more adoptable.
And that's that's something thatwe want every animal to find a home
and every home to find their animal.
So, this is really important in Louisiana.
I don't know that there's an activegroup of people going to the shelters,
and it's something that I have feltthat it has been very necessary.
Dixie (22:44):
Maybe we have to think about putting together something like that then.
Tianne (22:48):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
Dixie (22:51):
Because It seems like reiki and animals do go hand in
hand because you do see that.
Oh, absolutely.
Most of your Reiki practitionersare big time animal lovers.
Tianne (23:01):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
When you go to treat an animal, so you'llknow we need to honor what they want.
And again, you do that by observingtheir body movements or behavior.
But usually an animal determines howlong they want their treatment to be.
(23:23):
So usually you start, treating theanimal and then when they consider
that they're done, they'll just getup and then just literally, walk away.
And that's okay because we need to honor.
Their wishes in that way.
If they don't want the treatment,they just don't want it.
(23:45):
I used to treat a cat, her name wasSabrina, and when she was a baby,
apparently somebody pulled her tail to.
They damaged all the nerves thatwent, to her elimination, system.
So she needed to go to the vet everyday to have her bladder expressed.
So they brought her to me.
(24:06):
I worked with her andshe actually got better.
So after the third treatmentI went, they, she was brought
and I tried working with her.
She was just not gonna have it.
She just wouldn't do it.
So I guess she felt thatshe didn't need it anymore.
(24:26):
So they have very clearindication as to what they want
and how long they want it for.
So we need to honor andrespect that as well.
Important thing to know thatbefore you begin to treat an
animal, send love to that animal.
And if you are afraid of that animal,then may not be the right moment.
(24:50):
Because remember I said that animal arevery good sensors of the energy of people.
So what you do is you send love,you set up your intention, not what
you want, but for that animal toreceive whatever it is that they need.
And then you stand or sit in front of yoursubject and you close your eyes, take a
(25:13):
couple of deep breaths and set up yourintention, and then you start putting
your hands on the animal if you can, orjust beaming the energy to the animal.
And when he's ready andhe's done you will know.
Now, we don't wanna createan expectation that.
(25:34):
This is what I want tocome , out of this situation.
What you wanna do is to desire whateveris the best outcome for your animal, which
is the same thing as you do for people.
If you don't love animals or your,threatened by animals and all of that,
this may not be what you need to be doing.
(25:55):
However, reiki is excellentfor treating people, animals,
plants, and treating ourselves.
So very important to know thatthis is available for everyone and
everyone can learn how to do it.
They just need to be trained.
Dixie (26:13):
For the skeptics in our audience, how do you explain the mechanism?
Is it the energy itself or is itthe focus, quiet, compassionate
presence that makes the difference?
Tianne (26:24):
I think it's a combination of both, because once you connect to
that energy, the energy is flowingthrough you and you at the same time.
, Passing on that energy to the person, tothe thing, to the plant or to the animal.
So.
Being in a, an environment that isconducive to quiet and peaceful.
(26:48):
Just like when you domeditation is usually the best
scenario for this to have.
You can do reiki in the middle ofof a concert if you feel that you
want to, however, the best way ofexperiencing the Reiki energies by
creating an environment that's conducive.
(27:09):
To relaxation and puts you as well asyour client in a form of meditation.
So, to answer your question, Ithink it's a combination of both.
It's a combination of both because,that way you can maximize the effects.
Having soft music, playing your handstend to get warm and sometimes vibrate,
(27:35):
and that is always very welcomed byyour client, especially, by the animals.
Yesterday I was givingreiki to one of my cats.
Her name is Katrina.
And she let me do it for a bit of time.
And then, she had enough.
So this morning I was sitting on a chairand I see her around me, and then I look
(27:55):
at her, I said, oh, I know what you want.
And I just grabbed her, put her in mylap and it's just like, okay, I am ready.
So, it's that combination of feelingnurtured and taken care of and accepted.
That really makes it just so wonderful.
Dixie (28:13):
I understand you follow SARA or the Shelter Animal Reiki Association.
Do they have specific methods that theyrecommend when you go into a shelter?
Tianne (28:23):
They
do.
They sure do.
And I came across this organizationmany years ago and this is a an
organization that was founded by alady by the name of Kathleen Prasad.
And it was created around 2004.
So, she created this method in which shefocused animals, that are in shelters
(28:48):
because she recognized the same things.
I mentioned before that ananimal that's in a shelter is an
animal that is stressed normally.
An animal that needs, support ananimal that needs attention, that
wants to be loved and accepted.
So she make it, she made it her goalto address, those healing methods to
(29:13):
these animals that were in the shelters.
So she she created this organization,shelter Animal Reiki association.
And the abbreviation is Sara, SARA.
She has methods that she teachesspecifically people to go into the
(29:34):
shelters and offer reiki to the animalsthat are there, if you go on their
website and you can Google shelter.
Animal Reiki association.org.
You find a lot of information howher instruction is based on how
(29:55):
to target and how to reach theseanimals that are in that situation.
And she calls, and Ireally like this title.
She lets her classes, becalled let animals lead.
So to me, that tells me that you areattentive, what the, not only what the
(30:15):
animal needs, but what the animal wants.
So, what it does according,to her information.
They have the stress that theyexperience in this condition.
A lot of these animals thatgo into the shelter, they have
been abused or mistreated.
So you need to rebuildthat trust to humans.
(30:37):
Animals get depressed because they havebeen separated from their environments.
They perhaps have been sickor they have been abused, so,
they pretty much have given up.
So all of this helps them to open upagain and during their stay or even in
the time of their passing, Reiki cancreate a very peaceful space for them.
(31:03):
And the beauty of this is not onlyyou're helping the animal, you're
helping yourself because as you transferthe energy is going through you.
So you're also receiving the benefitsof what you are giving to to the
other person or to your animals.
(31:24):
Now we know that shelters are noisy.
That shelters are stressful.
There's a lot of chaos it seems, withthe animals barking and people coming
in and people coming out and everybody'sdealing with some sort of stress issue
that if you would wanna go into that, oneof the things that you can do is just.
(31:49):
Cover the face of the kennel.
So you minimize distractionsand that way you can.
Make your little subject a littlebit more quiet and a little bit
more receptive to what you're doing.
And like I said, I always carry my littlespeaker in my purse and you can actually,
(32:11):
start playing a little bit of music.
If you go on this website, shehas a video on how she does it in
the shelters that I really liked.
So you may want to explore thatas well and watch how she's doing.
It's really simple.
You don't need to carry anything.
You just connect to this beautifulenergy and you start just, sharing
(32:35):
this energy to whoever it isthat you wanna share it with.
And everybody's relaxed.
Everybody's connected.
Everybody does so much betterwhen they are receiving and
after a session of reiki.
Dixie (32:53):
I know you touched on this a little bit too, that anybody can
learn reiki, so even your averagepet owner, foster parent, anybody in
rescue to learn reiki, you would justneed basically like reiki level one,
Tianne (33:07):
yes, you can.
You can learn.
Anybody can learn it.
What they need to have isfirst a desire to learn it.
Then find a reputable teacher.
That is gonna be teaching you thebasics in a, in the proper way and
giving you accurate information.
So I would suggest taking levels one andtwo that you can do, over one weekend
(33:35):
and that makes you ready to start detreating people, treating animals.
Plants.
The uses are just incredible.
There are so many things thatReiki can apply can apply to.
And the good thing is that reiki isso simple and it's a viable source
for anybody that wants to impact thelife of somebody else or of an animal
(34:02):
by bringing, calmness into theirlives by helping them get away from
fears, overcoming fears and trauma.
And it's so easy to do.
Like I said before, you don'tneed any special equipment.
You just use your hands and all thatenergy of love that comes from from
(34:23):
your heart, that's really all you need.
That good intention to be of service tosomebody else or to someone else, or to
an animal, or to whoever needs you to be.
And like I said before, it's safe.
We remember that reiki is a complimentarytherapy and it's no substitute for
(34:43):
veterinary care or for doctor's care.
We go in and we hold the.
Caregiver's hand and we held them.
Support them, throughtheir journey of healing.
And we know that when your body ismanaging stress, that your body can
actually take care of many things.
(35:06):
We know our bodies can takecare of of many things.
And the same thing happenswith animal, but animals.
But removing those layers ofstress is really the best benefit.
That we can do.
And when you have a calm body, your bodyagain, can help itself in many ways.
Another important thing is thatthere are no licensing requirements
(35:29):
in the state of Louisiana.
There are licensing requirementsto practice in Mississippi,
Florida, and many other states.
But here in Louisiana thereare no licensing requirements.
So you can practice withouthaving to apply for a license.
Dixie (35:49):
What is one thing you want animal rescuers and shelter
staff to know about Reiki?
Tianne (35:55):
Well, first of all, I think that every person that's a rescuer, especially
a rehabber, that they deal with theseanimals, in, a long-term way that this is
something that should be in their toolbox.
And we call reiki tools, andit's things that we can use to in
(36:17):
order to practice in a better wayand to deliver better benefit.
So I think every rescuer, every rehabbershould have this in their toolbox because
again, it requires no special equipmentso they can treat an injured animal.
(36:38):
Right there and then untilyou bring them, to the vet or
wherever the animal needs to go.
So it gives you,possibilities of not only.
Treating the patient in the physicalway by supporting, and relaxing them
until, other means are used, but alsohelps the animals calm down so that
(37:03):
they can make that transition intogetting better to where they reach
a point where they can be released.
Or animals that have a strongsense of aggression, we can help,
bring their aggression down sothat they become more manageable.
And we know that true rehabbers,the purpose is to release animals
(37:28):
on the wild so they don't.
They don't encourage, socializing,but sometimes these animals need
medical care and it's a lot easierto provide, medical care when the
animal is less stressed and moreaccepting of what you're trying to do.
So, very easy, no necessary equipment.
(37:51):
There's zero cost to it once youhave completed your training.
So.
You take it with you wherever you go.
So it's a win-win situation.
And again, the most important thingis not only you're helping your
subject, you're helping yourself.
And the more you do it, the more yougrow, the more your understanding becomes.
(38:18):
And your communication skillswith the animal also develop.
So yes, that, that should be part ofeverybody that deals with animals.
Dixie (38:29):
And one other thing that I'd like to mention too is since you did
mention the rehabbers and the aggressivedogs, and you did say this before,
you do not need to do that hands on.
. So you could either stand close byand send it to them, or you could
even do the distance, like you said.
Tianne (38:47):
Absolutely.
You never wanna put your yourself at risk.
And you really don't wanna createa situation where that animal is
also, a victim of its own impulse.
So we wanna be very discreet andvery cautious on to how to approve
an animal, especially an animalthat we're not familiar with.
(39:10):
And this one of the beauties ofreiki, that you can treat that animal.
Remotely, even if there's an animal thatwould be in Baton Rouge, for example,
that had just went through surgeryand is having a difficult recovery.
From Metairie, I can sendthe energy to Baton Rouge and
(39:30):
treat that animal remotely.
And I know this is hard for peopleto understand until you have
experienced it, and I'm sure youhave experienced, that connection.
Long, long distance.
So you can do it that way too,but face to face with an animal
that may be aggressive, you wannasay, okay, I'm here to do reiki.
(39:52):
I'm gonna call this lion.
I'm gonna go open thegate that I'm going in.
You know that, that makes no sense.
You're showing total lack of common sense.
So what you do is you stand at adecent distance, from the cage, and
you start beaming the reiki energy.
And the first thing you know, you maysee that they're pacing and then somehow
(40:15):
they get the idea, well, what is this?
I like it.
And then they start relaxing and thenyou complete your session, but we
always wanna do it in their terms.
We need to accept that they have a rightto determine what they want, to accept
and what they're comfortable with.
(40:36):
So it's really interesting process, butyou never wanna put yourself in danger.
Assuming that you can overcome anytype of of problems, that this animal
may be dealing with, and maybe it'spain, maybe this animal is in pain
and that's why he's acting that way.
(40:56):
But the thing is common sensecautious and never assume.
That you know everything that'shappening in this animal's
life and emotions and feelings.
Dixie (41:10):
For our listeners that are inspired by this conversation, do you have any
resources where they can learn more?
Tianne (41:18):
If they're geared towards working with animals, I would
ask them to go into the Shelter.
Animal Reiki Association.
They offer classes and classes online.
If you're interested in reiki ingeneral, that you can use some people
as well as you can use on animals.
There's multiple Reiki schools.
(41:40):
I was affiliated with InternationalCenter for Reiki training.
There are many schools that you can seektraining from, and so, so, you would
need, depending on your location, youcan just go Google, reiki classes in.
(42:02):
Whichever city or whichever state you'rein, and you can go ahead and find,
who's available and what's available.
A lot of classes are being held online.
So that open teaching fora lot of the teachers.
So there is a number of places thatthey can go to secure Reiki training.
(42:24):
And I encourage you that you do,especially, with the animals,
because I really would like to seea group form here in Louisiana,
maybe under the guidance of Sarah.
That we can start, visitingshelters and trying to put a little
grain of salt to make this littleguy's life a little bit better.
(42:45):
And we always need to rememberthat the calming effect that we can
bring into the shelters using Regi.
Can make the animals more adoptable.
They would open doors for themto be adopted if they can put
their guard down and let peoplesee them how they really are.
Dixie (43:06):
Yeah, absolutely.
I totally agree with that.
Well, thank you so much, Tianne.
I really appreciated you coming on andtalking all about this, so hopefully
somebody can learn something from it.
Tianne (43:17):
We are here to help.
This is something that is beautiful,that's important, that is necessary.
So, whatever I can do to support you oranybody else, that may be interested.
I'm more than happy to do it.
Dixie (43:32):
Thank you.
Tianne (43:34):
Well, thank you for the invitation and I hope everybody has a wonderful
day, evening and life is beautiful.
We just need to learn how to live it.
Dixie (43:44):
That's all the time that we have for today's episode.
Thank you for listening.
If you are enjoying our show, pleaseconsider leaving us a donation.
A hundred percent goes to our animals.
Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the
people and rescues making adifference in the lives of animals.
Today's show is gonna bea little bit different.
In addition to being an animal rescuer,I am also into energy healing or reiki.
I use it to comfort all of my rescues.
When I worked in an adoption center,I would go in and I would also comfort
(00:23):
the animals that seemed a little bitmore stressed at the adoption center.
So today I decided to invite my Reikiinstructor, Tianne Lastra on to discuss
Reiki and how it can be used to help pets.
How are you today, Tianne?
Tianne (00:39):
I'm doing well.
I'm very happy, excited andgrateful for the invitation.
Dixie (00:45):
Great.
I'm excited to talk aboutit 'cause I love reiki.
Before we start, tell us alittle bit about yourself.
What is your background and doyou have a fondness for animals?
Tianne (00:59):
Look, fondness is a word so close to my heart because
I'm actually an animal lover.
Since a very early age I was thinkingyesterday, how when I was four and
five years old, I had my own littleemergency kit and I used to go out
of the house and if I would seean animal in front of the house, I
(01:22):
would bring him in, give him a bath.
Cure him if he had somethingthat I felt me curing.
So it was something that I grew up with.
So, I feel that animals are sogenuine in everything that they
do, and I really appreciate that.
Besides the fact that I feel that weall should be responsible and do the
(01:45):
best we can to give them the lifethat they need and they deserve.
Dixie (01:50):
I couldn't agree more.
And do you do any kind of things likeTNR to help with the population of cats?
Tianne (01:58):
I did a lot of TNR, especially after Katrina.
I was so fortunate to be able to getthe assistance from a group, and I
remember we did 80 cats immediately afterKatrina because everybody had left the
city and left their animals behind, andeverything was very chaotic after Katrina.
(02:22):
So the animals kept reproducingand I felt that no one was
really doing anything about it.
So I contacted this group andthey were so absolutely wonderful.
Within a fairly short period oftime, we were able to control the
cat population and everything.
Since we did that went back to normal.
(02:44):
The neighbors were happy andthe cats were well taken care of
and placed in good homes, so itreally worked out for the best.
At present.
I try to support different organizations.
I'm not no longer doing TNR.
But I do a lot of animal rescueand I have been able to place
(03:06):
not only cats but dogs as well.
So I'm always on the lookout foranybody or anything that needs
help, and I try to be there.
It's my way of giving back becauseI've been blessed with wonderful pets.
Dixie (03:22):
We'll move on to what Reiki is.
Let's start a little bit with the basics.
You are a reiki master.
If you can explain just a little bitabout what that is, and then for anybody
who doesn't know what Reiki is, if youcan explain that in simple terms as well.
Tianne (03:41):
Of course.
My training started in 2006.
And came as a result ofmy husband's, diagnosis.
So at that point we started looking foralternatives to just traditional medicine.
And we studied a numberof different modalities.
We actually traveledfor almost eight years.
(04:02):
Learning different types of healingmodalities, like, crystal work,
energy work reiki many of thethings, meditation, chronic healing.
We were always looking forsomething that could support
the path that he was going in.
And then we came across Reikiand we started being trained.
(04:25):
So, I've been a licensed teacherfor the ICRT for about 14 years.
In December I decided, to semi-retire,but I'm still, fairly active.
I work in the hospital doing,reiki for cancer patients and
also giving meditation classes.
(04:47):
But for some reason I have been calledlately to pay attention, to the situation
of animals that may need some support.
And I'm glad that you called meto discuss this thing because it's
something that I think is very important.
So, going on to the topic ofwhat Reiki is by definition we
(05:09):
can say that Reiki is a system.
For stress reduction and for relaxation.
It was developed in Japan by aman by the name of Usui, and that
happened around 1922 and it camethrough Hawaii into the United States
through a lady by the name of Akata.
(05:31):
And although she started teaching in1976, which we, you will agree, that is
fairly recent it, it's been practicedand it has spread all over the world.
So every country has practitioners.
Different types of schools.
So it has become, quite important.
(05:52):
And one of the important thingsthat happened is that the medical
profession is looking into reiki asa way of also benefiting patients.
So reiki has been used in differenthospitals and different, organizations
that, that treat the patients.
(06:12):
And the reason primarily for that isthat it produces a level of relaxation
that allows the patient to get better.
The belief is that yourbody has a capability of.
Helping itself and for you to obtain ahigh level of relaxation, it actually
(06:33):
allows your body to do just that.
So science is recognizing that.
So it's been offered , inmany healing facilities.
Now, in regards to the word reiki, whichby the way in Japan is called leiki.
So if you ever go to Japan and you wannareceive reiki, you need to ask for leiki.
(06:54):
It means the word reiki iscomposed of two, two words.
The first one is re, which meansuniversal or spiritually guided energy,
or a higher knowledge or consciousness.
And the second syllable is key,which is the same as Chi Asana.
Simply said is that lifesustaining energy that we all have.
(07:18):
That animals have, that plants have,so every living organism has it.
So, that in a nutshell is a littlebit of an explanation on reiki.
The only thing I wanted to also addthat in order for you to practice
reiki, you need to be taught.
(07:38):
The first two levels are taught.
The first level is a two day program.
The second level is a three dayprogram, and at that time you can also
start practicing reiki and treatingpeople and animals and plants.
And nature in general.
(08:00):
And now important points to haveis number one, that you need to
be taught by a master teacher.
The second important part isthat you do not become a healer.
What you become is a conduit ofthis energy that you connect with.
Number three, that this is in no waysubstitute for medical or veterinary care.
(08:25):
So it is cataloged as acomplimentary therapy.
And the most important one tosome people is that Reiki is not
a religion or is associated withany type of religious practice.
It is a spiritual practicebecause we believe that we
connect with a higher source.
And then we use that energy and we areable to transfer it to the person or
(08:50):
the animal or the thing that needs it.
Dixie (08:54):
I would like to address the way that I came to discover Reiki
and sought you out as a teacher.
Because it was kind of acoincidental, funny thing.
Many years ago I saw a classthat another rescue was offering
and it was an introduction toenergy healing for animals.
There was a reiki instructorthere, so I attended that class.
(09:15):
And I immediately connected with it.
I thought it was very interestingand I wanted to learn more.
I was talking to my friend about it,and she's in rescue, and I was like, , I
really wanna go do this, but I don't know.
Where to look for aReiki instructor locally.
And she was like, oh, I know one.
She goes she helps us outwith with the cat sometimes.
(09:38):
So that's how I actually came to find you
Tianne (09:42):
well, I'm glad you did.
Dixie (09:43):
It's just funny 'cause it's just like a coincidence, that you were
into doing the cat rescue and the TNRand everything just fell into place.
Tianne (09:50):
For a long time I was actually the only teacher in the area.
And people were wanting to learnand I wanted people to learn how
to do it because I thought it wouldbe so beneficial at all levels for
people, for patients, for animals,for families, because there's immense
benefits , to using this energy.
(10:13):
It helps you with pain management.
It helps you with your sleep.
It helps your body relax.
It puts you in a clearer frame of mind.
So, it's just, excellent, nomatter which way you look at it.
And the good thing is that once you learnhow to do it, not only can you treat other
(10:33):
things, but you can also treat yourself.
Which is an advantage, especially ifyou have a presentation, if you're
excited, if you are a little bit sad.
If you're having pain, if you areneeding some type of support, you
can support yourself with thisenergy, so you can self-treat.
So I think that's really important.
(10:55):
Another important thing is when youwanna treat, for example, the animals,
which is the focus of our conversationyou really don't need any equipment.
Your equipment is in yourhands and in your heart.
So I usually carry my purse,a small speaker, and I have
my Reiki music in my phone.
So, when the opportunity comes.
(11:17):
I just turn on my little relaxingmusic and I start doing my session.
And so it's very easy to do.
It is a very soothing, very relaxingand everybody really appreciates it
because it gives you that feeling ofcomfort and that feeling of peace.
(11:37):
That is what we wanna bringinto into our animal population.
Dixie (11:42):
Let's talk about how you actually perform Reiki on an animal
and do, is it a hands-on thing?
Do you touch 'em or doyou not have to touch 'em?
Tianne (11:52):
Well, there's three basic ways, and the same thing applies to people
whenever you wanna do a reiki session.
The first way of doing it iswith the laying of the hands.
You put your hands on your subject.
And when you get trained to do Ray,you learn particular hand positions
that if you complete all of thosehand positions, then you have treated,
(12:16):
the full body so you can do hands on.
If for some reason the personis not receptive to touch or
the animal is not receptive totouch, you can do it hands off.
And when you do that, we use the wordbeaming in which we beam the energy
to the person or to the subject.
(12:38):
And one thing that a lot of peopledon't know is that we can actually
do reiki long distance energy travelswhere we, wherever it's directed to.
So you don't need to be present toreceive the benefit of of the session.
So, those are the three basicways and for animals you can
(13:01):
do it the three different ways.
You can do it if the animal is receptive.
If it's an animal that's has beenwithin a family, you can do it.
Putting your hands on theanimal if the animal is is wild.
Or if the animal is stressed,you can go ahead and do it hands
(13:23):
off, just beaming the energy.
Or if the animal is located in a differentplace, you can do the distance healing,
or you can send the energy remotely.
Energy will travel as you directed.
So, you can send it wherever thisperson or this animal is located and
(13:44):
they actually feel the energy whenyou're doing that, and you yourself
are feeling the energy as well becauseyou're energetically connected.
So it's a very interesting process andit's very amazing the way that it happens.
It's really interesting when you senda long distance reiki to a person,
(14:05):
and after the session, I alwayscall and check in with my client.
They can describe prettymuch what I was doing.
Oh, did you put your hand, you hadyour hands in my chest, didn't you?
Oh, you put, then you moveyour hands to my head.
So.
It's so interesting to know thatactually happens and that the other
person is just aware of what youare doing as you yourself are.
Dixie (14:32):
When you're doing Reiki on an animal, how do you know
that the animal is accepting it?
Tianne (14:39):
Okay.
The first way.
Is observation.
So there are people, and I have takenseveral classes on animal communication
to where you actually communicate withthe animal at a at a different level.
Somehow, you can convey your emotionsto the animal, and the animal can
(15:00):
convey those emotions for you.
And that's a very interestingfield that I urge people who
deal with animals to explore.
The issue of animal communication.
There's a lot of books that canbe that can be read, but there's a
lot of of people that are teaching.
The way to communicatewith animals, even online.
(15:22):
But going back to the questionyou observe the animal, a person
can tell you what they're feeling,what they're experiencing.
An animal cannot.
So, you can speak to a person, butthe animal doesn't have that ability.
So, observing an animal and payingattention to the movements can
(15:42):
provide you a lot of information.
You look at the little face of theanimal and you can see in the eyes.
If they're stressed, if they'removing from side to side.
In dogs, you see a lot of, thetail going in between the legs, so
observation can tell you a lot ofwhat that animal is experiencing.
(16:04):
You can also know if an animal is stressedor if it's aggressive by the way it looks.
And looking at the body,you can see the tension.
Some animal shakes, someanimals, are are in the corner.
And so you first, you have to makean effort to let the animal know
that you're there, not as a threat.
(16:26):
But that support.
So you wanna you wanna try tomake him feel, relaxed and that
he's not in danger so that theycan be receptive to the session.
When you start working with an animal,usually after a few minutes, you can
see the animal starting, to relax.
(16:47):
It's very typical that ananimal that is accepting, of the
session starts getting quiet.
Then it starts laying down andbefore it just like it happens to
people, they may even fall asleep.
So, sometimes, when you are communicatingwith an animal and giving them Rey they
(17:08):
can come to you and try to touch yourhands because they can feel the energy.
They don't know exactly what itis, but they know they feel safe.
They know they like it.
They know they're not threatened by it.
So, that's an excellent way in which youcan start, to to communicate, with the
animal and know if they're accepting.
(17:30):
So observation is the key point.
And then of course,respecting, boundaries.
If you feel that the animal is notreceptive, then you need to give
them time, to cool down or just,try later or on a different day.
So animals just like people, they canfeel a sense the energy and most of them
(17:54):
welcome it because it feels good, itfeels soothing, it's calming and that
is very welcome, especially when you'rein a shelter situation or in a stressful
situation where he has been rehomed orhe has been foster or is in shelter.
Going to the vet's office is usuallyvery stressful, especially for
(18:17):
cats and also when they're sick.
And all of these are situationsin which they certainly can
benefit from receiving, reiki.
Dixie (18:28):
What are some of the most significant benefits that you've
observed for shelter animals?
specifically?
Tianne (18:35):
Well, when you think about going to the shelter, you go to
the shelter for many reasons, andthe majority of people go there
because they're looking for a pet.
So when you go to the shelter, you'relooking for the most bubbly, the
happiest, the friendliest kitten or dogthat there is, but there's a little dog.
(18:59):
In the corner shaking, looking down, andhe's like that because he is terrified
of the situation, because he's missinghis family because he's not feeling well.
So when we go there and we workwith those cases, we give those
(19:23):
animals a chance to relax.
Show themselves like they really are.
When they do that, what we discover is ourwonderful little animals, to be adopted.
But sometimes because they're inthat mode of being stressed or
afraid they miss that chance ofshowing themselves like they are.
(19:46):
I remember several years ago I was lookingin Facebook and they had this picture of
this little dog that they were going toeuthanize on the following day because
he had been in the shelter and nobody.
Was interested in him.
So I got up early and I went to theshelter that morning and I told the
(20:08):
girl in the front I would like to adoptthat little dog that you put on Facebook
that is going to be euthanized tomorrow.
And her response shocked meand she said, you want him?
And I said, yeah, I want him.
So when we went to where he was.
He was shaking in the corner lookingagainst the back part of the kennel.
(20:31):
And she she took him outand she said, are you sure?
And I said, I'm positive.
The moment I took him out of thefront door, he was a different dog.
He was walking, he was jumping,.
Turned out to be the nicest little dog.
He was just intimidatedby the environment.
(20:53):
I remember another time that I went,I look in the cage and there was
this beautiful little black cat.
So I start talking to himbecause I had gone there to
see if I could find a lost cat.
And there he was.
His name was Joey.
And, I went and I looked at him and Iwasn't ready to take in another animal,
(21:17):
so I went every day to the shelter.
So two days after I go and Iasked the attendant, I said.
Where's the littleblack cat that was here?
And he says, oh, we justmoved him somewhere else.
And I said, can I go can I go see him?
And when I went into thecage, he was so defeated.
(21:38):
He was laying on the floor and he was justlooking at me, and he was so depressed,
he was so intimidated by the environment.
So I told him, I promise you,this afternoon I'm coming for you.
So I went and I started, givinghim reiki when I got him.
I found a home for him.
(21:58):
He is the most amazing little cat.
So these environments affecttheir behavior and sometimes
their behavior causes them not tobe good candidates for adoption.
So reiki comes in torelieve them of that stress.
(22:18):
And put them in a position towhere they're more adoptable.
And that's that's something thatwe want every animal to find a home
and every home to find their animal.
So, this is really important in Louisiana.
I don't know that there's an activegroup of people going to the shelters,
and it's something that I have feltthat it has been very necessary.
Dixie (22:44):
Maybe we have to think about putting together something like that then.
Tianne (22:48):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
Dixie (22:51):
Because It seems like reiki and animals do go hand in
hand because you do see that.
Oh, absolutely.
Most of your Reiki practitionersare big time animal lovers.
Tianne (23:01):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
When you go to treat an animal, so you'llknow we need to honor what they want.
And again, you do that by observingtheir body movements or behavior.
But usually an animal determines howlong they want their treatment to be.
(23:23):
So usually you start, treating theanimal and then when they consider
that they're done, they'll just getup and then just literally, walk away.
And that's okay because we need to honor.
Their wishes in that way.
If they don't want the treatment,they just don't want it.
(23:45):
I used to treat a cat, her name wasSabrina, and when she was a baby,
apparently somebody pulled her tail to.
They damaged all the nerves thatwent, to her elimination, system.
So she needed to go to the vet everyday to have her bladder expressed.
So they brought her to me.
(24:06):
I worked with her andshe actually got better.
So after the third treatmentI went, they, she was brought
and I tried working with her.
She was just not gonna have it.
She just wouldn't do it.
So I guess she felt thatshe didn't need it anymore.
(24:26):
So they have very clearindication as to what they want
and how long they want it for.
So we need to honor andrespect that as well.
Important thing to know thatbefore you begin to treat an
animal, send love to that animal.
And if you are afraid of that animal,then may not be the right moment.
(24:50):
Because remember I said that animal arevery good sensors of the energy of people.
So what you do is you send love,you set up your intention, not what
you want, but for that animal toreceive whatever it is that they need.
And then you stand or sit in front of yoursubject and you close your eyes, take a
(25:13):
couple of deep breaths and set up yourintention, and then you start putting
your hands on the animal if you can, orjust beaming the energy to the animal.
And when he's ready andhe's done you will know.
Now, we don't wanna createan expectation that.
(25:34):
This is what I want tocome , out of this situation.
What you wanna do is to desire whateveris the best outcome for your animal, which
is the same thing as you do for people.
If you don't love animals or your,threatened by animals and all of that,
this may not be what you need to be doing.
(25:55):
However, reiki is excellentfor treating people, animals,
plants, and treating ourselves.
So very important to know thatthis is available for everyone and
everyone can learn how to do it.
They just need to be trained.
Dixie (26:13):
For the skeptics in our audience, how do you explain the mechanism?
Is it the energy itself or is itthe focus, quiet, compassionate
presence that makes the difference?
Tianne (26:24):
I think it's a combination of both, because once you connect to
that energy, the energy is flowingthrough you and you at the same time.
, Passing on that energy to the person, tothe thing, to the plant or to the animal.
So.
Being in a, an environment that isconducive to quiet and peaceful.
(26:48):
Just like when you domeditation is usually the best
scenario for this to have.
You can do reiki in the middle ofof a concert if you feel that you
want to, however, the best way ofexperiencing the Reiki energies by
creating an environment that's conducive.
(27:09):
To relaxation and puts you as well asyour client in a form of meditation.
So, to answer your question, Ithink it's a combination of both.
It's a combination of both because,that way you can maximize the effects.
Having soft music, playing your handstend to get warm and sometimes vibrate,
(27:35):
and that is always very welcomed byyour client, especially, by the animals.
Yesterday I was givingreiki to one of my cats.
Her name is Katrina.
And she let me do it for a bit of time.
And then, she had enough.
So this morning I was sitting on a chairand I see her around me, and then I look
(27:55):
at her, I said, oh, I know what you want.
And I just grabbed her, put her in mylap and it's just like, okay, I am ready.
So, it's that combination of feelingnurtured and taken care of and accepted.
That really makes it just so wonderful.
Dixie (28:13):
I understand you follow SARA or the Shelter Animal Reiki Association.
Do they have specific methods that theyrecommend when you go into a shelter?
Tianne (28:23):
They
do.
They sure do.
And I came across this organizationmany years ago and this is a an
organization that was founded by alady by the name of Kathleen Prasad.
And it was created around 2004.
So, she created this method in which shefocused animals, that are in shelters
(28:48):
because she recognized the same things.
I mentioned before that ananimal that's in a shelter is an
animal that is stressed normally.
An animal that needs, support ananimal that needs attention, that
wants to be loved and accepted.
So she make it, she made it her goalto address, those healing methods to
(29:13):
these animals that were in the shelters.
So she she created this organization,shelter Animal Reiki association.
And the abbreviation is Sara, SARA.
She has methods that she teachesspecifically people to go into the
(29:34):
shelters and offer reiki to the animalsthat are there, if you go on their
website and you can Google shelter.
Animal Reiki association.org.
You find a lot of information howher instruction is based on how
(29:55):
to target and how to reach theseanimals that are in that situation.
And she calls, and Ireally like this title.
She lets her classes, becalled let animals lead.
So to me, that tells me that you areattentive, what the, not only what the
(30:15):
animal needs, but what the animal wants.
So, what it does according,to her information.
They have the stress that theyexperience in this condition.
A lot of these animals thatgo into the shelter, they have
been abused or mistreated.
So you need to rebuildthat trust to humans.
(30:37):
Animals get depressed because they havebeen separated from their environments.
They perhaps have been sickor they have been abused, so,
they pretty much have given up.
So all of this helps them to open upagain and during their stay or even in
the time of their passing, Reiki cancreate a very peaceful space for them.
(31:03):
And the beauty of this is not onlyyou're helping the animal, you're
helping yourself because as you transferthe energy is going through you.
So you're also receiving the benefitsof what you are giving to to the
other person or to your animals.
(31:24):
Now we know that shelters are noisy.
That shelters are stressful.
There's a lot of chaos it seems, withthe animals barking and people coming
in and people coming out and everybody'sdealing with some sort of stress issue
that if you would wanna go into that, oneof the things that you can do is just.
(31:49):
Cover the face of the kennel.
So you minimize distractionsand that way you can.
Make your little subject a littlebit more quiet and a little bit
more receptive to what you're doing.
And like I said, I always carry my littlespeaker in my purse and you can actually,
(32:11):
start playing a little bit of music.
If you go on this website, shehas a video on how she does it in
the shelters that I really liked.
So you may want to explore thatas well and watch how she's doing.
It's really simple.
You don't need to carry anything.
You just connect to this beautifulenergy and you start just, sharing
(32:35):
this energy to whoever it isthat you wanna share it with.
And everybody's relaxed.
Everybody's connected.
Everybody does so much betterwhen they are receiving and
after a session of reiki.
Dixie (32:53):
I know you touched on this a little bit too, that anybody can
learn reiki, so even your averagepet owner, foster parent, anybody in
rescue to learn reiki, you would justneed basically like reiki level one,
Tianne (33:07):
yes, you can.
You can learn.
Anybody can learn it.
What they need to have isfirst a desire to learn it.
Then find a reputable teacher.
That is gonna be teaching you thebasics in a, in the proper way and
giving you accurate information.
So I would suggest taking levels one andtwo that you can do, over one weekend
(33:35):
and that makes you ready to start detreating people, treating animals.
Plants.
The uses are just incredible.
There are so many things thatReiki can apply can apply to.
And the good thing is that reiki isso simple and it's a viable source
for anybody that wants to impact thelife of somebody else or of an animal
(34:02):
by bringing, calmness into theirlives by helping them get away from
fears, overcoming fears and trauma.
And it's so easy to do.
Like I said before, you don'tneed any special equipment.
You just use your hands and all thatenergy of love that comes from from
(34:23):
your heart, that's really all you need.
That good intention to be of service tosomebody else or to someone else, or to
an animal, or to whoever needs you to be.
And like I said before, it's safe.
We remember that reiki is a complimentarytherapy and it's no substitute for
(34:43):
veterinary care or for doctor's care.
We go in and we hold the.
Caregiver's hand and we held them.
Support them, throughtheir journey of healing.
And we know that when your body ismanaging stress, that your body can
actually take care of many things.
(35:06):
We know our bodies can takecare of of many things.
And the same thing happenswith animal, but animals.
But removing those layers ofstress is really the best benefit.
That we can do.
And when you have a calm body, your bodyagain, can help itself in many ways.
Another important thing is thatthere are no licensing requirements
(35:29):
in the state of Louisiana.
There are licensing requirementsto practice in Mississippi,
Florida, and many other states.
But here in Louisiana thereare no licensing requirements.
So you can practice withouthaving to apply for a license.
Dixie (35:49):
What is one thing you want animal rescuers and shelter
staff to know about Reiki?
Tianne (35:55):
Well, first of all, I think that every person that's a rescuer, especially
a rehabber, that they deal with theseanimals, in, a long-term way that this is
something that should be in their toolbox.
And we call reiki tools, andit's things that we can use to in
(36:17):
order to practice in a better wayand to deliver better benefit.
So I think every rescuer, every rehabbershould have this in their toolbox because
again, it requires no special equipmentso they can treat an injured animal.
(36:38):
Right there and then untilyou bring them, to the vet or
wherever the animal needs to go.
So it gives you,possibilities of not only.
Treating the patient in the physicalway by supporting, and relaxing them
until, other means are used, but alsohelps the animals calm down so that
(37:03):
they can make that transition intogetting better to where they reach
a point where they can be released.
Or animals that have a strongsense of aggression, we can help,
bring their aggression down sothat they become more manageable.
And we know that true rehabbers,the purpose is to release animals
(37:28):
on the wild so they don't.
They don't encourage, socializing,but sometimes these animals need
medical care and it's a lot easierto provide, medical care when the
animal is less stressed and moreaccepting of what you're trying to do.
So, very easy, no necessary equipment.
(37:51):
There's zero cost to it once youhave completed your training.
So.
You take it with you wherever you go.
So it's a win-win situation.
And again, the most important thingis not only you're helping your
subject, you're helping yourself.
And the more you do it, the more yougrow, the more your understanding becomes.
(38:18):
And your communication skillswith the animal also develop.
So yes, that, that should be part ofeverybody that deals with animals.
Dixie (38:29):
And one other thing that I'd like to mention too is since you did
mention the rehabbers and the aggressivedogs, and you did say this before,
you do not need to do that hands on.
. So you could either stand close byand send it to them, or you could
even do the distance, like you said.
Tianne (38:47):
Absolutely.
You never wanna put your yourself at risk.
And you really don't wanna createa situation where that animal is
also, a victim of its own impulse.
So we wanna be very discreet andvery cautious on to how to approve
an animal, especially an animalthat we're not familiar with.
(39:10):
And this one of the beauties ofreiki, that you can treat that animal.
Remotely, even if there's an animal thatwould be in Baton Rouge, for example,
that had just went through surgeryand is having a difficult recovery.
From Metairie, I can sendthe energy to Baton Rouge and
(39:30):
treat that animal remotely.
And I know this is hard for peopleto understand until you have
experienced it, and I'm sure youhave experienced, that connection.
Long, long distance.
So you can do it that way too,but face to face with an animal
that may be aggressive, you wannasay, okay, I'm here to do reiki.
(39:52):
I'm gonna call this lion.
I'm gonna go open thegate that I'm going in.
You know that, that makes no sense.
You're showing total lack of common sense.
So what you do is you stand at adecent distance, from the cage, and
you start beaming the reiki energy.
And the first thing you know, you maysee that they're pacing and then somehow
(40:15):
they get the idea, well, what is this?
I like it.
And then they start relaxing and thenyou complete your session, but we
always wanna do it in their terms.
We need to accept that they have a rightto determine what they want, to accept
and what they're comfortable with.
(40:36):
So it's really interesting process, butyou never wanna put yourself in danger.
Assuming that you can overcome anytype of of problems, that this animal
may be dealing with, and maybe it'spain, maybe this animal is in pain
and that's why he's acting that way.
(40:56):
But the thing is common sensecautious and never assume.
That you know everything that'shappening in this animal's
life and emotions and feelings.
Dixie (41:10):
For our listeners that are inspired by this conversation, do you have any
resources where they can learn more?
Tianne (41:18):
If they're geared towards working with animals, I would
ask them to go into the Shelter.
Animal Reiki Association.
They offer classes and classes online.
If you're interested in reiki ingeneral, that you can use some people
as well as you can use on animals.
There's multiple Reiki schools.
(41:40):
I was affiliated with InternationalCenter for Reiki training.
There are many schools that you can seektraining from, and so, so, you would
need, depending on your location, youcan just go Google, reiki classes in.
(42:02):
Whichever city or whichever state you'rein, and you can go ahead and find,
who's available and what's available.
A lot of classes are being held online.
So that open teaching fora lot of the teachers.
So there is a number of places thatthey can go to secure Reiki training.
(42:24):
And I encourage you that you do,especially, with the animals,
because I really would like to seea group form here in Louisiana,
maybe under the guidance of Sarah.
That we can start, visitingshelters and trying to put a little
grain of salt to make this littleguy's life a little bit better.
(42:45):
And we always need to rememberthat the calming effect that we can
bring into the shelters using Regi.
Can make the animals more adoptable.
They would open doors for themto be adopted if they can put
their guard down and let peoplesee them how they really are.
Dixie (43:06):
Yeah, absolutely.
I totally agree with that.
Well, thank you so much, Tianne.
I really appreciated you coming on andtalking all about this, so hopefully
somebody can learn something from it.
Tianne (43:17):
We are here to help.
This is something that is beautiful,that's important, that is necessary.
So, whatever I can do to support you oranybody else, that may be interested.
I'm more than happy to do it.
Dixie (43:32):
Thank you.
Tianne (43:34):
Well, thank you for the invitation and I hope everybody has a wonderful
day, evening and life is beautiful.
We just need to learn how to live it.
Dixie (43:44):
That's all the time that we have for today's episode.
Thank you for listening.
If you are enjoying our show, pleaseconsider leaving us a donation.
A hundred percent goes to our animals.
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