Animal Aches

My animal pain relief and conditioning/recovery practice is based on the healing art of Reiki, which was a standard part of patient care at over 800 hospitals across the United States in 2007 (according to the American Hospital Association).

I work with all kinds of animals, particularly horses and ponies involved in equestrian sports. My work often involves leg pain, back pain (common in performance horses), and arthritis pain (common in senior horses). I also keep my door open to humans, especially riders suffering from back pain, in memory of a friend who took her life due to severe chronic pain.

Although I don't claim to treat or heal diseases, research shows that simply reducing pain (one of Reiki's strongest capabilities as verified by medical research), can in and of itself speed the healing process. Studies at the University of California-Davis and Washington State University found that horses who received strong painkillers after colic surgery healed significantly faster and better than those who did not.

The U.S. Army and Veteran's Administration has also found Reiki to assist in recovering from combat wounds and related issues. General George Casey (US Army Chief of Staff) recommends that Reiki be used across the military to help soldiers strengthen and recover from the injury, pain and stress of combat. At the "Warrior Resilience" program at Fort Bliss, Reiki is used in the Army's Hepatitis C treatment program. Military OneSource's Health Library says that Reiki can increase wellness, as well as "treat diseases of all types."

(Please note: I want to be clear that I do not treat diseases or any medical conditions, but it is true that Reiki can be useful in many ways. But I don't claim to treat or cure health problems; only licensed physicians can legally do so).

To check on my current availability for sessions, you can reach me by email at: animalaches@gmail.com, or call me at (510) 275-4777 in the San Francisco bay area. I look forward to hearing from you.

If you're unable to afford a session right now, please still contact me, as I do offer short free distant sessions as a part of my spiritual practice.

Reiki practitioners charge fees comparable to massage and acupuncture professionals (although touch is often not involved, especially in animal Reiki). I charge $75 (US) to work with any animal, not counting travel costs. Sessions for people take longer for comparable results than sessions for animals, and so cost $115 (US) plus travel costs.

Distant Reiki sessions are less expensive, since they save on time and travel expenses, and are nearly always as effective as in-person Reiki. (In-person Reiki is often practiced without touch anyways, especially with animals, so the location of the practitioner isn't relevant). Distant sessions are half price: $37 (US) for distant Reiki sessions for animals, and $57 (US) for distant sessions with people.

If you're unfamiliar with Reiki at a distance, it's a standard second degree Reiki skill, which I recommend for nearly everyone. It might seem a bit like magic, but even if you're not on the same page with the omnipresent nature of spiritual healing, Reiki fits in with principles of quantum physics and the proven concept of nonlocality [Wikipedia definition], which proves that distance is not relevant in entangled energy states. (In case you're wondering, I've been trained through the third degree of Reiki, the Master/Teacher degree.)

Every Reiki practitioner is unique, weaving his or her own Reiki practice with other healing skills and modalities, as well as inborn spiritual gifts.

I've been practicing energy medicine for nearly 20 years. Besides being a Reiki Master/Teacher, I've been professionally certified in healing systems like Matrix Energetics (link) and Hawaiian Ho'oponopono (link), both of which have enhanced my Reiki practice immeasurably.

I also draw on healing insights from the Balians (traditional healers) of Bali, as well as my own Cherokee ancestors.

I've also been trained in the intuitive art of Remote Viewing by Major Edward Dames, Training Officer for the U.S. Army's Stargate Project (link). (Stargate was a successful, 20-year psychic espionage program at Fort Meade, Maryland.) Among other things, remote viewing is helpful in working with medical issues and is fully integrated with my Reiki practice.

I'm also a non-denominational Christian minister, with Celtic Christian spirituality especially informing my relationship with nature and my practice of Reiki. There are many other Christian Reiki practitioners, including Roman Catholic nuns, despite the recent Catholic ban on Reiki. (The founder of Reiki, Mikao Usui, was said to be a Christian minister, although little historical evidence has been found to prove this).

(You may also wish to refer to the Catholic Controversy page for more about the Reiki ban by bishops in the United States.)