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<h2>You and Your Animal: More Connected Than You Know</h2><ul><li> By Lainey Bowler | Reiki Master Teacher | Equine &amp; Animal Reiki Practitioner | Director, Reiki Australia &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Bond That Runs Both Ways There is a reason you reach for your dog when you are anxious. A reason your cat appears from nowhere and drapes across your lap precisely when you are at your lowest. A reason experienced horse handlers know that no matter how well you think you have hidden your stress before entering the stable — your horse already knows. &nbsp; Animals do not read our words. They read our energy, our breath, our nervous system state, and the electromagnetic field of our hearts. They are, in the truest sense, our mirrors — reflecting back to us, with complete and unsentimental honesty, exactly what we are carrying. &nbsp; And what science is now confirming is something that animal lovers have always known in their bones: the health of a person and the health of their animal are not separate things. They are intertwined — biologically, energetically, and emotionally — in ways that matter deeply for both. &nbsp; &nbsp;<figure id="figure-1mb9q4dehlmnfjm49p"><img id="1mb9q4dehlmnfjm49p" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1723909117179-6af1d264a27e?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw4fHxob3JzZSUyMG1hc3NhZ2V8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc1MDE3Njg5fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="A woman standing next to a brown horse" title="A woman standing next to a brown horse" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-lg md:rounded-xl lg:rounded-2xl" style="aspect-ratio: 3/2; object-position: 50% 85%;" data-corners="medium" data-aspect="3:2" data-caption="" data-positionx="50%" data-positiony="85%" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1723909117179-6af1d264a27e?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw4fHxob3JzZSUyMG1hc3NhZ2V8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc1MDE3Njg5fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 3/2; object-position: 50% 85%;"></figure> &nbsp; What Science Tells Us About the Human-Animal Bond The research on human-animal connection is some of the most compelling in integrative health. Interaction with a beloved companion animal has been shown to: &nbsp; </li><li>Lower cortisol levels — the primary stress hormone — within minutes of contactReduce blood pressure and heart rate, with effects comparable to some antihypertensive medications </li><li>Regulate heart rate variability (HRV) — a key marker of nervous system resilience and cardiovascular health — through the simple act of stroking, holding, or sitting quietly with an animal </li><li>Stimulate the release of oxytocin — the bonding hormone — in both the human and the animal simultaneously, creating a shared physiological state of calm, connection, and trust </li><li>Reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and PTSD, with particularly strong evidence in elderly populations and those living with chronic illness &nbsp; The heart-to-heart connection between a person and their companion animal is not metaphor.</li><li>The HeartMath Institute has documented that the electromagnetic field generated by the human heart extends up to several feet beyond the body — and that animals, whose own heart fields are similarly expansive, synchronise with our cardiac rhythms when in close proximity. When we are calm, they calm. When we are dysregulated, they feel it. &nbsp; This synchrony is the foundation of why animal-assisted therapy works. And it is the foundation of why, in my practice, I believe so strongly in supporting both members of this bond. &nbsp; &nbsp;<figure id="figure-h35ru7c3rcmnfjs1rv"><img id="h35ru7c3rcmnfjs1rv" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1722251517797-97723b773dd7?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw1fHxBbmltYWwlMjBSZWlraSUyMGFuZCUyMEVuZXJneSUyMEhlYWxpbmd8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzczOTk1Mzk1fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="A close up of a person petting a dog" title="A close up of a person petting a dog" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-lg md:rounded-xl lg:rounded-2xl" style="aspect-ratio: 3/2; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="medium" data-aspect="3:2" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1722251517797-97723b773dd7?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw1fHxBbmltYWwlMjBSZWlraSUyMGFuZCUyMEVuZXJneSUyMEhlYWxpbmd8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzczOTk1Mzk1fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 3/2; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure> &nbsp; Animals as Mirrors: When Their Stress Is Our Stress If you have ever noticed that your dog becomes anxious when your household is under pressure, that your horse resists or becomes reactive when you are overwhelmed, or that your cat develops physical symptoms during periods of family tension — you are not imagining it. &nbsp; Animals are extraordinarily sensitive to the energetic and emotional states of the humans they are bonded to. They absorb our stress. They carry our unprocessed emotion. They develop behavioural and physical presentations that often mirror, almost precisely, what their human companion is experiencing internally. &nbsp; A dog with chronic digestive issues whose owner is navigating unresolved anxiety. A horse with tension through the topline whose rider is carrying unprocessed grief. A cat with over-grooming behaviours in a household where a family member is under significant work stress. These patterns are not coincidental. They are the living evidence of the bond. &nbsp; Which means that sometimes, the most important thing I can do for an animal client is to work with their person. And the most important thing I can do for a person is to acknowledge that their animal's well-being is part of theirs. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Calm, Breath, and Mindfulness: The Shared Practice The good news is that the very practices that support human well-being — conscious breathwork, mindfulness, meditation, and Reiki — also create the conditions in which companion animals thrive. &nbsp; When you slow your breath, your heart rate variability improves. Your nervous system shifts from sympathetic overdrive into parasympathetic calm. Your body's electromagnetic field changes — and your animal feels it. The dog at your feet relaxes their jaw. The cat beside you deepens their breath. The horse in the paddock lowers their head. &nbsp; You are not just practising for yourself. You are practising for them. &nbsp; This is why I encourage every client I work with — human or animal — to understand that calm is not a luxury. It is medicine. And it is contagious, in the very best way. Teaching people the correct breathwork, guiding them into mindfulness, and facilitating the deep nervous system reset that Reiki provides doesn't just change how they feel. It changes the entire energy field of the home they share with their beloved animal companion. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sentient Beings Deserve Healing Too Our companion animals give us so much. They offer unconditional presence, loyalty, and love that asks nothing of us but to show up. They sit with us through illness, grief, loneliness, and fear. They make us laugh when nothing else can. They anchor us to the present moment simply by being alive beside us. &nbsp; They are sentient beings with their own emotional lives, their own capacity for joy and suffering, their own need for care. And they deserve to receive healing — not just as an afterthought, but as a priority. &nbsp; In my practice, treating the human-animal bond as a whole — rather than in isolation — is not just a philosophical position. It is a practical one. When both members of the bond receive support, the results for each are more sustained, more profound, and more lasting. &nbsp; Whether your animal is a rescue carrying the weight of an early history, a senior pet slowing down and needing comfort, a horse navigating performance anxiety, or simply a beloved companion living alongside a human who is going through something hard — Reiki can meet them there. &nbsp; And it can meet you there too.<figure id="figure-o15sl2pbcmnfjtvqc"><img id="o15sl2pbcmnfjtvqc" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1555019685-686f4f67aa19?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxMjB8fGhvcnNlJTIwbWVkaXRhdGlvbnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NzUwMTgyNjB8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="woman's face next to horse" title="woman's face next to horse" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-lg md:rounded-xl lg:rounded-2xl" style="aspect-ratio: 3/2; object-position: center center;" data-corners="medium" data-aspect="3:2" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1555019685-686f4f67aa19?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxMjB8fGhvcnNlJTIwbWVkaXRhdGlvbnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NzUwMTgyNjB8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 3/2; object-position: center center;"></figure></li></ul>Our companion animals often extend an invitation to pause. To share a moment, to pause and take a long, slow breath. To be still with in silence. To synchronise with connected compassionate breath.&nbsp;In a that moment, an invisible soul-bond connection tethers between 2 hearts and one soul. Kokoro.Lainey Bowler is an Usui Reiki Practitioner, Equine and Animal Reiki practitioner, and Reiki teacher, specialising in supporting rescued animals, horses and their humans to connected deeply through mindful meditation and reiki. Providing Home-visits and an Online service to clients within the City of Ballarat, Golden Plains, &amp; surrounding areas.&nbsp;

Kokoro- Heart Soul Spiritual connections

a building with two windows and a sign that says hospital hospital

<h2>From Ancient Wisdom to the Modern Ward: Reiki, Palliative Care, and the Case for Healthcare Integration</h2> By Lainey Bowler | Usui Shiki Ryoho — 4th Degree&nbsp;Shinpiden Shihan | Reiki Master Teacher &amp; Accredited Reiki Treatment Practitioner (ARTP) | Director, Reiki Australia Board of Directors &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Rooted in History, Proven in Practice Reiki is not a new idea. It is not a wellness trend. It is a healing system with deep historical roots, a lineage of medical minds, and a growing body of clinical evidence — and it is time it was recognised as such within the Australian healthcare system. &nbsp; To understand where Reiki is going, it helps to understand where it came from. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Origins: Usui, Hayashi, and the Medical Mind Behind the Method Reiki was developed in Japan in the early 1920s by Mikao Usui (1865–1926) — a scholar, spiritual practitioner, and lifelong seeker who spent decades studying medicine, psychology, theology, and ancient healing traditions across Japan, China, and Europe. A lay Tendai Buddhist trained in Buddhist monasticism from childhood, Usui also studied kiko (the Japanese form of Chi Kung) and reached master level in Yagyu Ryu martial arts — disciplines that deepened his understanding of the relationship between breath, energy, and the body long before his healing system took form. &nbsp; His breakthrough came in 1922 following an intensive 21-day period of fasting and meditation on Mount Kurama — a sacred site near Kyoto where Buddhism and Shinto tradition converge — where he received the energetic awakening that became the foundation of modern Reiki practice. He named the system Usui Reiki Ryo-Ho — the Usui Reiki Treatment Method for the Improvement of Mind and Body — establishing healing clinics in Tokyo and becoming widely known throughout Japan. After the devastating 1923 Kanto earthquake, Usui and his practitioners treated thousands of injured and traumatised survivors, and in recognition of his extraordinary contribution the Japanese Government awarded him the Kun San — an imperial honour for distinguished service to others. &nbsp; Before his death in 1926, Usui had trained more than 2,000 students and initiated 20 Reiki teachers — among them one whose contribution to clinical Reiki would prove particularly significant. &nbsp; Dr. Chujiro Hayashi (1880–1940) was a medical doctor, naval physician, and retired naval captain — a man of science, discipline, and extraordinary compassion — who became one of Usui's most prominent students in the early 1920s. Graduating from the Japan Naval Academy in 1902, Hayashi served in the Russo-Japanese War and rose to become Director of Ominato Port Defence Station before retiring from military service and turning his full attention to Reiki. He became a Shihan (master teacher) under Usui in 1925 — possibly the last person to receive that transmission before Usui's death in 1926. &nbsp; After Usui's passing, Hayashi established the Hayashi Reiki Kenkyukai — the Hayashi Reiki Research Institute — in Tokyo, where he employed 20 practitioners working in pairs at ten treatment tables. He brought a clinician's discipline to the work: meticulously documenting every patient, every condition, every hand position, and every treatment response. From this systematic clinical observation, he developed the Reiki Ryoho Shinshin — the Guidelines for Reiki Healing Method — a codified treatment manual that revolutionised how Reiki could be taught, standardised, and applied across different medical presentations. &nbsp; It was Hayashi who trained Hawayo Takata, a Japanese-American woman who came to his Tokyo clinic seriously ill and left in full health — and who would go on to bring Reiki to Hawaii, the United States, and ultimately the world. Her grand daughter Phyllis Lei Furumoto would continue to share the legacy of Reiki, a ripple effect outwards, world-wide. &nbsp; This is not incidental history. It is the foundation of everything. From its earliest clinical development, Reiki was shaped by a medical professional who understood that healing the body required far more than physical intervention alone — and who believed that a systematised, documented, teachable healing practice belonged in the hands of as many people as possible. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ki, Breath, and the Japanese Understanding of Preventative Health In Japanese culture and traditional medicine, the concept of ki — the vital life force energy that flows through all living things — is not a metaphysical abstraction. It is a foundational understanding of health that has shaped Japanese medicine, martial arts, spiritual practice, and daily life for centuries. &nbsp; The word Reiki itself translates as rei (universal, spiritual consciousness) and ki (life force energy) — and the cultivation, balance, and free flow of ki has long been understood as central to physical and emotional well-being. This understanding is embedded in the Japanese language itself: genki (health, vitality) literally means "original ki"; byoki (illness) translates as "sick ki." Disruption or stagnation of ki — whether through chronic stress, emotional suppression, trauma, or physical illness — is understood to precede and perpetuate disease. &nbsp; Breathwork (kokyu in Japanese) is a cornerstone of this understanding. Conscious, intentional breathing is not an add-on to Japanese health and spiritual practice — it is woven into its very foundations. From Zen meditation to martial arts to traditional healing, the breath is the bridge between the conscious mind and the body's innate capacity for self-regulation, repair, and restoration. The practice of kokyu-ho — breath energy work — is integral to both Reiki and many of Japan's ancient wellness traditions, activating the parasympathetic nervous system, calming the mind, and drawing the practitioner and recipient into a shared state of healing presence. &nbsp; In this context, Reiki is not alternative medicine. It is an expression of one of the world's oldest and most sophisticated preventative health traditions — one that Western medicine is only now beginning to confirm through neuroscience, psychoneuroimmunology, and stress-response research. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; My Qualifications: What Professional Reiki Actually Looks Like Reiki is not merely something that I do, it is a deeply spiritual practice, woven with intention, carried upon each breath, every single day. I returned to study reiki, and in 2023 completed training to be initiated into 4th Degree level of Usui Shiki Ryoho — Shinpiden Shihan — the Master Teacher level. This is the highest level of Reiki practice and teaching within the Usui tradition, representing not only technical proficiency but a responsibility to uphold and transmit the integrity of the system with precision, ethics, and humility. With direct unbroken lineage directly traceable to Mikao Usui himself.&nbsp; &nbsp; Current professional membership with Reiki Australia — the peak national body for Reiki in Australia — is held at the Combined Reiki Master Teacher and Accredited Reiki Treatment Practitioner (ARTP) membership level. This combined category recognises both my teaching and my clinical treatment practice, and it is not easily obtained. To hold ARTP status, I am required to meet and maintain the following standards: &nbsp; <ul style="list-style-type: square;" data-mce-style="list-style-type: square;"><li>Current First Aid certification and current CPR certification — ensuring I am equipped to respond to any health event in a treatment setting</li><li>Current Professional Indemnity Insurance — providing protection for both clients and practitioner </li><li>Minimum of 10 documented treatment logs submitted in the first year — demonstrating active, accountable clinical practice from the outset</li><li>Completion of Unit 1 of the Reiki Australia Professional Development for Reiki Treatment — a structured course addressing knowledge and professional responsibilities aligned with health care worker standards </li><li>Ongoing continuing professional development — because ethical practice is not a destination but a commitment renewed every year </li><li>Full adherence to the Reiki Australia Code of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct </li><li>Full compliance with the National Code of Conduct for Non-Registered Health Care Workers — the statutory framework agreed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Health Council, setting minimum standards of safe, ethical, and accountable practice for all unregistered health practitioners across Australia &nbsp; This last point deserves particular emphasis. The National Code of Conduct is a legal requirement in most Australian states and territories for all non-registered health care workers — including Reiki practitioners. It mandates that practitioners provide safe and ethical healthcare, obtain informed consent, protect client privacy, minimise harm, maintain appropriate records, carry current insurance and First Aid qualifications, and never mislead clients about their qualifications or make false claims about curing serious illness. &nbsp; These are not aspirational guidelines. They are the professional floor — and they are the standards I hold myself to in every single treatment, whether I am working at a hospital bedside, visiting a client at home, working with an animal, or sitting with someone across the country via distance Reiki. &nbsp; This is what professional Reiki practice looks like. And it is the standard Reiki Australia is working to establish and protect across the entire profession. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Reiki in Palliative and Hospice Care: Where It Matters Most Of all the settings in which Reiki can make a difference, perhaps none is more profound — or more necessary — than palliative and hospice care. &nbsp; When curative medicine reaches its limit, the human being does not stop needing care. If anything, the need deepens. People facing the end of life need more than symptom management. They need to feel safe. To feel seen. To have their fear met with compassion rather than clinical distance. To be held, gently and completely, as whole persons — not as diagnoses. &nbsp; This is precisely what Reiki offers. &nbsp; My three months volunteering at the BRICC Wellness Centre at Grampians Health Ballarat in 2023 — providing weekly Reiki treatments to oncology patients — gave me a front-row view of what ethical, professionally delivered Reiki looks like within a hospital setting, and what it gives patients that nothing else quite can. Clients arrived exhausted from treatment, frightened, sometimes in significant pain, carrying the emotional weight of a diagnosis that had changed everything. Within a single session, I watched their breathing slow, their shoulders drop, their faces soften. The fear did not disappear — but it became manageable. The pain did not vanish — but it eased. And in that ease, something opened: conversations about meaning, fear, family, and the approach of death that might not have happened anywhere else. &nbsp; Inspired by those experiences, a number of BRICC clients sought me out for continuing Reiki treatment in my private practice. What unfolded in those sessions has shaped my deepest understanding of what Reiki is capable of at the intersection of serious illness, spiritual need, and the approach of death. With their permission, I share two of those stories in my longer blog piece, Reiki as Integrative Self-Care — a man in palliative care who found spiritual peace and preparation for his passing through regular Reiki sessions, and a woman who moved from a terminal breast cancer diagnosis into remission, crediting Reiki as part of the profound inner shift that made that possible. &nbsp; These stories are shared with profound respect and gratitude. And they are the reason I show up to this work every day. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A Vision for Healthcare: Reiki as Allied Health, and Every Nurse Who Could Change a Life Here is my vision, stated plainly: I want every nurse, every doctor, and every healthcare worker in Australia to have access to Reiki training, and for Reiki to be formally recognised within the allied health framework. &nbsp; This is not idealism. It is a logical next step that leading health systems overseas have already taken.</li><li>&nbsp;In the United Kingdom, hospices have trained staff nurses as Reiki practitioners so that Reiki can be available at the point of need — day or night — without requiring a separate appointment.</li><li>Research published in BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care documented a UK hospice programme in which nurses trained to Reiki Level II were able to integrate Reiki directly into routine ward care, reaching an additional 70 patients, carers, and staff in just two months.</li><li>The Footprints Day Centre at St John of God Murdoch Community Hospice — which just received Australia's inaugural Professor Con Michael Clinical Excellence Award for Patient Experience in March 2026 — runs a model built on exactly this philosophy: that complementary therapies, including Reiki, belong within the care team, not outside it.&nbsp; </li><li>Imagine a future where an Australian nurse, completing a Reiki training programme supported by their own health service, pauses at the bedside of a frightened patient and offers five minutes of gentle Reiki before their next procedure.</li><li>Where a palliative care practitioner is equipped not only to manage pain medication but to sit in healing presence with a patient who is afraid of dying, and help them find peace.</li><li>Where Reiki is not a referral to an external provider — but a living skill within the ward, offered freely at the point of need. &nbsp; That future requires that Reiki be taken seriously as a professional discipline — with rigorous training, documented practice, clear ethical standards, legal accountability, and formal recognition within the health system. That is precisely what Reiki Australia's ARTP framework, the National Code of Conduct, and the broader integrative medicine movement are building towards. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Standard We Are Working Towards Dr. Chujiro Hayashi — the naval physician who brought a scientist's discipline to Usui's spiritual system nearly a century ago — understood something that still holds true today: Reiki's greatest contribution is made not in isolation, but in partnership with medical care. He documented. He standardised. He trained. He built the foundations for a healing system to be taken seriously as a clinical discipline. &nbsp; That is exactly what we are doing now — in Australia, within Reiki Australia, and within every clinical relationship I hold as a practitioner. The work of legitimisation is ongoing. The standards are being built, session by session, clinical placement by clinical placement, research paper by research paper, and patient story by patient story. &nbsp; And one day — perhaps sooner than we think — an Australian nurse will complete their Reiki training through a programme supported by their own health service, walk into a palliative care room, and offer a patient something that no medication can: the quiet, certain knowledge that they are not alone, and that healing — in all its forms — is still available to them. &nbsp; That is the future I am working towards. I hope you will join me. </li><li>Lainey Bowler - Elaine Bowler Reiki &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; About Lainey Bowler</li><li>Certificate IV Pathology Collection - 17 Yrs experience in the medical &amp; healthcare industry as a qualified Phlebotomist.</li><li>serves as a Director with Reiki Australia --Board of Directors</li><li> Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki Practitioner — Shinpiden &amp; Shihan</li><li>Reiki Master Teacher and Accredited Reiki Treatment Practitioner (ARTP) combined membership with Reiki Australia</li><li>ETAA certified Equine &amp; Animal Reiki Practitioner</li><li>IICT, International Institute of Complementary Therapists.</li><li>Shelter Animal Reiki Association - Community Supporter</li><li>Elaine Bowler Reiki&nbsp; offers home-visits, and distance Reiki sessions for people and animals across the City of Ballarat and surrounding regions, and regular monthly Reiki Meditation &amp; Well-Being workshops &nbsp; Contact: ElaineBowlerReiki@outlook.com | 0425 778 292 &nbsp; &nbsp;<figure id="figure-z4bgb5nplrmneld6x1"><img id="z4bgb5nplrmneld6x1" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/1G4ERQiN6FCbz3lJhnqNIzUzEYgoeGahoZ3xc2RxZRNcFkl7KIlhIE7qzQrWzO46.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/1G4ERQiN6FCbz3lJhnqNIzUzEYgoeGahoZ3xc2RxZRNcFkl7KIlhIE7qzQrWzO46.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure> &nbsp; Key references: &nbsp; </li><li>Usui, M. (1922). Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai. Tokyo. Historical records and memorial. </li><li>Streich, M. (2009). The Story of Dr. Chujiro Hayashi. Reiki News Magazine, Fall 2009. reiki.org </li><li>Reiki Australia. Accredited Reiki Treatment Practitioner (ARTP) Membership Requirements. reikiaustralia.com.au/accredited-reiki-treatment-practice/ </li><li>Reiki Australia. Reiki Precepts and the National Code of Conduct. reikiaustralia.com.au </li><li>Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Health Council (2015). National Code of Conduct for Health Care Workers. </li><li>BMJ Supportive &amp; Palliative Care (2018). Reiki Trained Nurses: Integrating Energy Therapy into Palliative Care. Eden Valley Hospice, Cumbria, UK. </li><li>St John of God Health Care (March 2026). Murdoch Team Recognised for Outstanding Patient Experience. sjog.org.au </li><li>BMC Palliative Care (2024). Therapeutic Effects of Reiki on Interventions for Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis. Vol. 23, Article 147. </li><li>Systematic Reviews / Springer Nature (2025). Effects of Reiki Therapy on Quality of Life: A Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. Vol. 14, Article 72.</li></ul>

Reiki, Palliative Care, and the Case for Healthcare Integration

<h2>Geisha &amp; The Gift of Ki: How a Rescued Dog Led Me to Reiki</h2> By Lainey Bowler | Elaine Bowler Reiki &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; There are moments in life that quietly redirect everything. A door opens — not with a bang, but with a soft nudge, a pair of oversized paws, and a pair of dark-rimmed eyes that look straight into your soul. For me, that moment arrived in 1999, and her name was Geisha. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A Puppy, a Promise, and a Second Chance She was tiny. Impossibly tiny — a small white bundle of fluff whose enormous paws and oversized ears hinted at the much larger dog she was destined to become. She was a mixed breed, that much was clear, though whatever she was crossed with remained one of life's lovely mysteries. What was no mystery was where she was headed before I found her: she was moments away from becoming part of a backyard breeding operation, her life reduced to a cycle of reproduction before it had even truly begun. &nbsp; I adopted her. &nbsp; She had dark, striking markings around her eyes — a natural kohl that reminded me of the elegance of Japanese Geishas — and so her name chose itself. Geisha. &nbsp; I didn't know it then, but in choosing her, I was also choosing a path. A path that would lead me through animal rescue, energy healing, and ultimately to the ancient art of Reiki. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Learning to Listen Without Words From the very beginning, Geisha and I communicated differently. There were no commands barked and obeyed — there was something quieter, something more intentional. After attending a check-up at 6 mounths, Geisha was diagnosed with a hearing impairment, and we undertook additional support with a specialist and gentle vibration collar. Through our daily training walks, mindfulness exercises, and what I can only describe as shared meditation, we began to develop a language that had nothing to do with sound. &nbsp; I would sit with her and send love from my heart to hers. Deliberately. Consciously. Breath by breath. &nbsp; It sounds simple. In practice, it asked everything of me — my patience, my presence, my willingness to slow down and feel rather than think. Over months of daily practice, we built something profound: an unspoken channel of communication rooted in energy and intention. Animal communication, at its most elemental. &nbsp; This is what many practitioners now recognise as the foundational principle of energy healing — the understanding that living beings are not just physical bodies, but energetic ones too, constantly transmitting and receiving. Geisha seemed to have always known this. She was simply waiting for me to catch up. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Nanny Dog: A Healer Before I Had a Name for It As my rescue work grew, so did Geisha's role in it. She became what I can only describe as a bomb-proof dog — steady, gentle, unshakeable. Animal after animal came through my care, traumatised, shut down, or shut off from humanity, and Geisha would simply be with them. No agenda. No pressure. Just calm, consistent, loving presence. &nbsp; She was a nanny dog in the truest sense — soothing frightened cats, grounding skittish dogs, offering comfort to creatures who had every reason not to trust a human again. She modelled trust so that others could find it. &nbsp; When I became pregnant with my first child, Geisha adapted without hesitation. She watched my growing belly with quiet curiosity and then, when my daughter arrived, stepped seamlessly into her new role as gentle guardian. Devoted protector, she remained within 2 feet of my daughter at all times, carefully watching over her, every breath, and every miniscule noise. Remarkably, despite her own profound hearing loss, Geisha would stir and alert at the sound of my daughter's cry — long before I'd heard it myself. I believe she felt the emotional frequency of distress before the sound even reached her. The Japanese have a word for this kind of bond: Kokoro — the unity of heart, mind, and soul. is what Geisha and I shared.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Three Times She Fought. Three Times She Stayed. Geisha was diagnosed with cancer — not once, not twice, but three times across the course of her life. Each diagnosis brought with it the crushing weight that every pet owner knows: the fear, the treatment decisions, the quiet negotiations with time. &nbsp; We pursued veterinary treatment each time, and each time she fought her way back. But it was during one of her recovery periods that our holistic veterinarian made a suggestion that would change my life forever. &nbsp; "There is an animal blessing day at a Tibetan monastery," she said. "You might consider taking Geisha." &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Monastery and the Moment Everything Shifted I arrived at the Tibetan monastery not entirely sure what to expect. What I found was stillness — a quality of silence and presence I had never encountered before in such concentrated form. The monks moved with intention. The air itself felt different. &nbsp; That day, as part of the animal blessing ceremony, I was introduced for the first time to the formal concepts of energy healing: ki, the life force energy that flows through all living things; mindfulness, the deliberate anchoring of awareness in the present moment; and breath as a vehicle for healing. &nbsp; Everything I had been practising intuitively with Geisha — the heart-to-heart connection, the energetic attunement, the silent communication — suddenly had a framework, a lineage, a name. &nbsp; Reiki. &nbsp; I understood in that moment that I had not stumbled onto something new. I had been remembering something ancient. The monastery visit didn't plant a seed — it revealed the tree that had already been growing. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A Gentle Passing, and the Final Gift Geisha walked alongside me for almost 14 years. Through rescue work, through motherhood, through her own battles with illness, she remained my steadiest companion — gentle, wise, and wholly present. &nbsp; When the time came to say goodbye, we chose a vet-assisted passing at home. It was peaceful. It was dignified. And Reiki was there — flowing through my hands, holding the space, offering her the same loving energy she had spent her whole life offering others. &nbsp; I like to think she felt it. I know she did. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Why Rescue Animals and Reiki Belong Together Geisha taught me something that I carry into every session I now facilitate: healing begins with presence. Rescued animals, in particular, often carry the energetic imprint of fear, abandonment, and loss in their bodies long after the physical wounds have healed. They need more than food and shelter. They need to feel safe at a cellular, energetic level. &nbsp; Reiki offers exactly that. It is non-invasive, gentle, and requires only willingness — from the practitioner, and from the animal receiving it. It does not force. It does not impose. It simply offers, and allows the recipient to take what they need. &nbsp; This is what drew me to Reiki, and this is why I have dedicated my practice — as a Reiki Master Teacher, certified practitioner, and holder of a Certificate III in Animal Studies with specialised training in Equine and Animal Reiki — to supporting rescued and rehabilitating animals and their human companions. &nbsp; Because sometimes a tiny white puppy with enormous paws and dark-rimmed eyes can change the entire direction of your life. And sometimes, if you're very lucky, she stays for fourteen years and shows you who you were always meant to be. &nbsp;<figure id="figure-6mvqib261mmnejaj5w"><img id="6mvqib261mmnejaj5w" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/bO8YA4smf5b9nsLU3BQ5pR7hcyN4norGMiVJ8HVlFTCxQ1LvWKORcRt8v2FoI6wq.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="1:1" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/bO8YA4smf5b9nsLU3BQ5pR7hcyN4norGMiVJ8HVlFTCxQ1LvWKORcRt8v2FoI6wq.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;"></figure> &nbsp; &nbsp; Lainey Bowler is a Reiki Master Teacher and certified Equine &amp; Animal Reiki practitioner based in Ballarat, Victoria. She offers onsite and remote consultations throughout the City of Ballarat and surrounding areas. To enquire about a session for your animal companion, contact Lainey at ElaineBowlerReiki@outlook.com or call 0425 778 292. &nbsp;

Geisha - the rescue dog that led me to Reiki

a horse grazing in a field with other horses in the background

<h2>The Road Through the Forest —&nbsp; A Reiki Guided Synchronicity&nbsp;</h2> By Elaine (Lainey) Bowler — Reiki Master Teacher, Ballarat, Victoria &nbsp; There are experiences that defy neat explanations. Moments where the sequence of events is so precisely, so tenderly arranged, that the only honest response is stillness — and gratitude.This is one of those moments. And it began, as so many meaningful things do, with a winding road and a willingness to trust.&nbsp; Guided From the Start It started with a family emergency in 2024— a flight to the UK, unplanned and heavy. And yet even in that weight, I carried what I always carry: Reiki. I grounded myself, set my intentions, and asked the energy to flow for the highest good.It was during that period abroad that I found myself attending an equine Reiki immersion training with Equine Reiki, Scotland, UK —at the Medicine Pony Tribe — a soul-nourishing experience that aligned beautifully with my work in animal healing and rescue.&nbsp;While researching that booking, a name caught my eye: Path of the Horse. I bookmarked it. Life moved on. The name settled quietly inside me, and I forgot.Or so I believed.&nbsp; The Nudge Late last year, unprompted and unexplained, that name rose to the surface again. After further research, I found myself writing an email to Dean Mighell — Psychotherapist, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy practitioner, and founder of Path of the Horse — simply asking about his work, following a pull I couldn't fully articulate. In Reiki, we learn to honour the nudge.Dean replied immediately. He invited me to visit — just days later.&nbsp; Into the Forest I prepared as I always do. I placed a Reiki energy bubble around myself and my car, set my intentions clearly — safe travel, timely arrival, for the highest good — and downloaded offline maps. I breathed into the journey with an open and trusting heart.And then the GPS had other plans entirely.Somewhere between Trentham and Ballarat, my navigation pulled me off the sealed road and drew me deeper and deeper into the Wombat State Forest. The bitumen gave way to gravel. The gravel narrowed further still, until I found myself travelling along a forest management track — a thin, rutted fire trail barely wide enough for my car — winding through dense bush with no signage, no reception, and no clear way forward.Several minutes passed before the full reality of my situation landed. I was lost. Properly, completely lost. Deep in a state forest, on a track entirely unsuitable for my vehicle, with no phone signal and no idea how far I had come from the main road.I felt the panic begin to rise — that cold, contracting feeling that wants to take over and make everything worse. And in that moment, I did the only thing I know to do when the ground shifts beneath me.I stopped. I breathed. I returned to Reiki.Slow, deliberate Reiki breath. In through the nose, softening the belly, letting the exhale carry the panic with it. I placed my hands on my heart and I asked — quietly, sincerely — for Reiki to flow. To the situation. To the car. To me. For the highest good, whatever that looked like from here.And then, steadied, I began to carefully reverse my way back along the narrow track — slowly, patiently, one careful metre at a time — back through the trees, back toward what I hoped was the main road.&nbsp; A Quiet Miracle — The Winery&nbsp;I cannot tell you exactly how long it took. Time moves differently when you are navigating by breath rather than by GPS. But eventually — finally — the track widened, the trees thinned, and I found myself back on a sealed road.And there, almost immediately, was a winery.Glowing quietly in the afternoon light, entirely unassuming, entirely perfect. I pulled in, and the moment I did — one bar of mobile reception flickered to life on my phone.Before I called Dean, I paused. I sent Reiki ahead — to the situation, to Dean, to whatever conversation was about to happen. I asked that it flow for the highest good, that any awkwardness or frustration be softened, that what needed to happen next would find its own ease.And then I called him. Over an hour late. Apologetic, flustered, quietly laughing at the absurdity of it all — lost in a forest on the way to visit a healing sanctuary, sacred land — and genuinely uncertain whether he would still be waiting.He was unhurried. He was kind. He didn't miss a beat."Don't worry at all," he said. "Where are you? I'll come and find you."He came to meet me — and when he did, I discovered I had been mere minutes away from his gate the entire time. The forest track I had wandered down had taken me in an almost complete circle around the very property I was trying to reach. I had been so close. And yet without that winery, without that bar of reception, without Reiki steadying my hands enough to reverse out of a track I had no business being on — I might not have found my way at all.I cannot help but wonder, even now, whether something was gently ensuring I arrived ready rather than simply on time. Whether the detour was, in some quiet way, the point.Seven minutes behind Dean's ute along a dirt track, we crested a long driveway — and the world opened up.&nbsp; A Place That Knows You Twenty-nine acres of hilly acreage, held within the arms of the Wombat State Forest. Rolling hills. Ancient bush. A silence so alive it almost breathes. The moment I stepped out of the car, I felt it — not merely the beauty of the place, but something older and deeper. A resonance my body recognised before my mind had words for it.This is a healing place. A powerful and sacred sanctuary.I was drawn instinctively toward one particular area of the property. I didn't understand why. I simply followed it — the way you follow an impression in a Reiki session that you cannot yet name but know to honour.&nbsp; The Name on the Wall Dean spoke of his work as a Psychotherapist and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy practitioner — his dedication to veterans navigating complex PTSD, to the horses as healers and mirrors, to a vision rooted in compassion and presence. I listened, moved and inspired.And then I saw it — a beautifully framed poem, a blessing of the land. And beneath it, a small, simple plaque bearing a name that stopped me completely.I knew that name. I couldn't explain how.Dean told me gently: his dear friend had passed away a few years ago. She had loved this land with her whole being. Her final wish had been to have her ashes scattered here, at Path of the Horse — the place where she felt most at peace.Her name was Klaudia Hochhuth.&nbsp; The Sacred Thread For those within the Australian Reiki community, that name carries profound weight.Klaudia Hochhuth was a Reiki Master initiated by Phyllis Lei Furumoto — the granddaughter of the beloved Hawayo Takata, who brought Usui Reiki from Japan to the Western world, and who became the lineage bearer of the Usui System of Natural Healing after her grandmother's passing.&nbsp;Klaudia's initiation placed her in direct sacred lineage with the very source of our tradition. She was among the first Reiki Masters in Australia, and in 1991 — when Reiki was barely a whisper in this country — she organised Australia's very first conference for Usui Reiki Masters. She initiated countless practitioners whose lineage flows through the hands of current Reiki Australia members to this day.She had supported and encouraged Dean to follow his soul calling, and to build his vision. She had believed in Path of the Horse before it fully existed.&nbsp;And she had chosen to rest there — her ashes within the land, beneath the trees, in the hum of a place that heals.The area I had been silently drawn to when I arrived — before I knew any of this — was near where she rests.I had not planned this. No one could have.&nbsp; What Reiki Knows Standing there, in the quiet of that extraordinary place, I thought back to the forest track. To the panic. To the breath. At that moment I sent Reiki ahead before picking up the phone — doubting myself completely, over an hour late, wondering whether I had somehow missed the moment entirely.And I thought: what if I hadn't been late at all?What if the winding, the getting lost, the reversing slowly out of a fire track in the Wombat State Forest — what if all of it was simply the long way around to arriving exactly when I was meant to? Humbled. Softened. Quiet enough, finally, to feel what that land wanted me to feel the moment I stepped out of the car.I do not believe I found Path of the Horse by accident. And I do not believe I was alone in that forest, uncertain and an hour behind, wondering whether to give up and turn home.I believe, with great gentleness and without any need to prove it, that Klaudia was there. That something of her — her warmth, her humour, her deep and abiding love for that land and for Reiki — steadied me when the doubt crept in. Guided me back from the forest track to the main road, to the winery. Kept Dean patient and unhurried on the other end of the phone. And drew me, without my knowing, toward the very place on that ridge where her ashes were scattered, a tranquil place where her soul found a deep peace.Reiki does not operate on our schedule. It does not care for tidy arrivals or downloaded maps. It cares for alignment. It cares for the moment when the right people are in the right place, open enough to receive what has long been waiting.I didn't go looking for her. But I believe, with my whole heart, that she helped me find my way.And I am so deeply grateful that I followed the nudge.&nbsp; If Dean's work resonates with you, I warmly invite you to visit and offer your support. Join The Badger Coffee Club - a small recurring donation of $5 per week to Path of the Horse — a simple, accessible gesture framed around community care and Klaudia's legacy. Less than a coffee and makes a lasting impact. To support the amazing work they do as a charity check out their website at <a data-mce-href="https://www.pathofthehorse.com.au" href="https://www.pathofthehorse.com.au">Path of the Horse</a> website. Donate now at <a href="http://www.pathofthehorse.com.au/donate" data-mce-href="http://www.pathofthehorse.com.au/donate">www.pathofthehorse.com.au/donate</a> Lainey Bowler is a Reiki Master Teacher and certified Equine &amp; Animal Reiki practitioner based in Ballarat, Victoria, offering onsite and remote sessions for animals and their human companions. 📧 ElaineBowlerReiki@outlook.com | 📞 0425 778 292

The Road Through the Forest —  A Reiki Guided Synchronicity

<h3>The Sacred Gift of Reiki for Animals in Their Final Journey - Holding Space at the Rainbow Bridge&nbsp; </h3><figure id="figure-0r21m12e1fmmufdtck"><img id="0r21m12e1fmmufdtck" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/2dLUeUYlqeTrVeB540CoWV34Jxbw89LI6UqGRHKrp2woJGbIE5hwzlOjDtgicnQ9.jpg" alt="reiki for animals" title="reiki for animals" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 100% 0%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="100%" data-positiony="0%" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/2dLUeUYlqeTrVeB540CoWV34Jxbw89LI6UqGRHKrp2woJGbIE5hwzlOjDtgicnQ9.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 100% 0%;"></figure><h2>Tippy's Story</h2>There is a moment, in the quiet stillness between a heartbeat and a breath, where words fall away entirely. Where the only thing that remains is presence. Pure, unconditional presence. It is in these sacred moments that Reiki reveals one of its most profound gifts — the privilege of holding space for an animal as they prepare to cross over to the Rainbow Bridge.This is Tippy's story. And in many ways, it is also mine.<h3>A Shy Soul From a Hard Road</h3> In 2013, I fostered — and later adopted — a Aussie shepherd cross Australian Kelpie who had been surrendered from a farm and found herself at a high-kill rural pound. She was pulled to safety by the rescue organisation where I volunteered, and the moment she arrived in my care, I knew she was extraordinary.I named her Tipstar. Tippy, for short.She was deeply shy and timid, carrying the weight of a rough start with every cautious step. She flinched at sudden movements, shied from outstretched hands, and viewed the world through eyes that had seen too much uncertainty too soon. As a foster carer who specialised in rehabilitating traumatised animals, I had worked with many frightened souls — but Tippy reached something in me that no animal had before.Rebuilding her trust was not a process I could rush. It required patience, consistency, and a willingness to simply be with her — without expectation, without agenda. This is where Reiki became our shared language.<figure id="figure-0ddq54korcmmufdy7n"><img id="0ddq54korcmmufdy7n" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/f2kWYkWfVEuvNTFJ9FaF3KDmNDA18l153RsvjdRBEhZMavd27tI5XH6EQ6StMZR7.jpg" alt="labrador reiki session" title="labrador reiki session" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 25% 30%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="25%" data-positiony="30%" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/f2kWYkWfVEuvNTFJ9FaF3KDmNDA18l153RsvjdRBEhZMavd27tI5XH6EQ6StMZR7.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 25% 30%;"></figure><h3>How Reiki Supports Animal Transitions</h3>Reiki is not only beneficial for the animal but also for the caregivers. It provides a space for reflection, acceptance, and healing. Practitioners work with both the animal and the family, creating a harmonious environment that respects the sacredness of the animal's journey.For those interested in exploring Reiki for their pets, it is essential to find a reputable practitioner experienced in working with animals. The process is gentle and non-invasive, making it suitable for animals of all sizes and temperaments.<h3>When the Heart Speaks — Reiki and the Body's Wisdom </h3>When Tippy was later diagnosed with a heart condition, our Reiki sessions took on a new and deeply moving dimension.Animals in Reiki sessions will often reposition themselves to direct healing energy to the places they need it most. Tippy had her own way of asking. During our meditations together, she would lean gently into me — pressing her body, her ribcage, directly against my hands. She was telling me, with quiet certainty, exactly where she needed the healing to flow. There was no hesitation in her. No doubt.I have sat with many animals in Reiki sessions over the years. But Tippy taught me something I will carry always: that animals possess a deep, innate wisdom about their own bodies and their own healing — and that Reiki creates the conditions for that wisdom to be expressed and honoured.<h3>The Gift of a Graceful Farewell</h3>The day came — as it always does, if we are fortunate enough to love deeply — when Tippy told me she was ready.Not in words, of course. But those of us who have loved an animal fully will understand exactly what I mean. There is a communication that transcends language. A knowing that passes between souls when the time has come.At the veterinary clinic, as we said our final farewell, I held a Reiki vigil at her side. I sat in the stillness of that sacred space, hands gentle and steady, channelling healing and love and peace — not to hold her here, but to ease her way forward. To let her know, one last time, that she was safe, that she was loved, and that she had given me more than I could ever express.I believe, with everything in me, that Reiki helped ease her passing. That the peace in the room that day was palpable. That she left surrounded by love and light, held in the energy we had shared together for so many years.<h3>Beyond the Veil — Kokoro, and the Heart-Soul Bond That Continues </h3>Grief, when you lose an animal companion, is a love that has nowhere left to go in the physical world. It is real, it is valid, and it deserves to be honoured.I miss Tippy greatly. Every single day.And yet — she has not truly left. In my Reiki practice, when I sit in stillness and open myself as a channel for healing, I feel her presence. Tipstar now assists me from the Spirit, her energy woven into the healing work I offer to animals and their humans. She is part of every session.In Japanese, the word kokoro (心) speaks to something that cannot be fully translated — it encompasses heart, mind, and soul as one unified essence. The bond Tippy and I share is kokoro — a heart-soul connection that does not end at the physical threshold. I offer Reiki to her still, across that loving space, and I feel it received. <figure id="figure-dcl7ccnnibmmufe9d4"><img id="dcl7ccnnibmmufe9d4" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/1b4pfJ7VkW5UPDrEGOhbb9rMYLwk9QuRvEBO7hA5knBqF2dUqGFeFNLoVrRtfaME.jpg" alt="reiki practitioner animals" title="reiki practitioner animals" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 50% 30%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="50%" data-positiony="30%" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/1b4pfJ7VkW5UPDrEGOhbb9rMYLwk9QuRvEBO7hA5knBqF2dUqGFeFNLoVrRtfaME.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 50% 30%;"></figure><h2>The Benefits of Reiki at End of Life — For Animal and Human Alike </h2><h3>For the animal, Reiki at end of life can:</h3><ol><li>Reduce anxiety, restlessness, and fear in the final days and hours 2. Ease physical discomfort by promoting deep relaxation at a cellular and energetic level 3. Support a sense of safety and peace when the environment feels unfamiliar or clinical 4. Allow the animal to communicate their needs and readiness through the heightened sensitivity of an energy session 5. Create a dignified, loving transition — surrounded by calm, healing intention<h3>For the human companion, Reiki at end of life can:</h3></li></ol>1. Transform an experience of helplessness into one of active, loving service 2. Provide a channel for grief and love to flow, rather than be suppressed 3. Foster a sense of deep connection and presence in the final moments 4. Support emotional and energetic release — for both the practitioner and the animal 5. Lay a foundation of peace from which healing grief can begin <h3>You Are Not Alone in This </h3>If your beloved animal companion is approaching the end of their journey, know that you do not have to face it feeling helpless. Reiki offers you the profound ability to do something — not to fight against what is natural, but to honour it. To hold space with love, with grace, and with the quiet certainty that the bond you share is eternal.I offer remote and in-person Animal Reiki sessions throughout the City of Ballarat and surrounding regions, and I understand, deeply personally, what it means to walk this sacred road alongside an animal you love.If you would like to explore how Reiki can support your animal companion — at any stage of life, and especially at the threshold — I would be honoured to hold that space with you.Tippy's story is a beautiful reminder of the sacred gift that Reiki can offer to animals in their final journey. It provides comfort, alleviates pain, and strengthens bonds, ensuring that their last days are filled with love and peace. For families seeking a compassionate way to support their beloved pets, Reiki offers a path of healing and connection, today, forever and always.Tipstar, the brightest star in the sky.&nbsp;<figure id="figure-npziz8gslkmmug1rq6"><img id="npziz8gslkmmug1rq6" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/dpJW1Uap6BmPA0gd7KZDTniIFnKJZFcQTlniMFiVldb11vszVss3HhTJ1KJ6UaJd.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/dpJW1Uap6BmPA0gd7KZDTniIFnKJZFcQTlniMFiVldb11vszVss3HhTJ1KJ6UaJd.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure>

Tippy - The Sacred Gift of Reiki for Animals in Their Final Journey: Tippy's Story

Bailey — A Story of Love, Presence, and the Gift of a Life Well Lived, Bailey's Bucket list

Elaine Bowler

Hi, I'm Lainey, a Reiki Master Teacher, certified Reiki energy healing practitioner, based in Ballarat, Victoria. With a Certificate III in Animal Studies and specialised training in Equine and Animal Reiki, and a background in animal rescue & rehabilitation, I am dedicated to supporting the well-being of rescued pets and horses, and their human companions.

Blog- Informative Articles

Kokoro- Heart Soul Spiritual connections

Reiki, Palliative Care, and the Case for Healthcare Integ...

Geisha - the rescue dog that led me to Reiki

The Road Through the Forest — A Reiki Guided Synchronicity

Tippy - The Sacred Gift of Reiki for Animals in Their Fin...

Bailey — A Story of Love, Presence, and the Gift of a Lif...