Author Nancy Crowe

Let Animals Lead®: A specialized form of Reiki rooted in meditation

Nancy Crowe
Dolly, left, and Maggie after a Let Animals Lead® session.

You may hear me talking more about meditation than Reiki these days. That’s because the animal Reiki method I practice, Let Animals Lead®, works through meditation. It’s different from what you may know as Reiki.

Let Animals Lead® was developed by Kathleen Prasad, founder of Animal Reiki Source and co-founder of the nonprofit Shelter Animal Reiki Association, to which I belong. Let Animals Lead® is a specialized form of Reiki, a Japanese stress relief modality: “Rei” stands for spirit or higher power, and “ki” (sometimes seen as “chi”) is the energy that animates every living thing.

Reiki was developed a century ago by Mikao Usui. It was essentially meditation; subsequent teachers added hand positions. These hand positions are used with a human client seated in a chair or lying on a massage table. That was how Kathleen and tons of other practitioners, including me, learned Reiki. Today, Reiki promotes relaxation and healing in spas, private clinics, hospitals and other settings.

As time went on, Kathleen found that “people Reiki” wasn’t always effective with animals … despite the best intentions of the practitioner. Because animals are much more sensitive to energy, touch generally isn’t needed. Animals who have experienced abuse, trauma or illness may even shy away from touch.

Kathleen saw this most acutely when her beloved dog Dakota was sick. He wouldn’t sit still for traditional Reiki, but when she sat quietly in meditation, he settled beside her.

Creating a peaceful space where animals are free to share on their own terms turned out to be a game changer. Thus Let Animals Lead® was born.

I had taken one or two of Kathleen’s earlier classes and practiced animal Reiki, but training with her as a Let Animals Lead® practitioner and teacher allowed me to offer animals and their people something better. It is my honor to see creatures from mice to rescued draft horses join with me and take the lead in their own healing — whatever that means for them.

Is it still Reiki? Yes. Is it more accurately and recognizably described as meditation? Also yes.

In a world where so much seems murky, talking about a discipline that makes animals’ lives better can be clear.

Straight from the retired race horse’s mouth

Nancy Crowe
Photo by Nancy Crowe

What do off-track thoroughbreds remember about their racing days? Belle, pictured above, once told me she used to run like mad without understanding why. One or two other OTTBs I’ve known have pictured a person that could have been a groom or jockey. One showed me a huddle of human decision makers.

What they tell me most often is how glad they are to have made it to a life beyond the track, because not all of their stablemates did. Horses are acutely aware of comings, goings and breakdowns.

Even with increased horse safety awareness, too many race horses suffer and die. Twelve horses died at Louisville’s Churchill Downs last year. That’s horrible anywhere, but having lived in Louisville and seen what the Kentucky Derby means to folks, it especially tears at my heart. Could horse racing survive if it put horses ahead of money?

I can’t answer that. But if you want to place a winning bet, make a donation to a horse rescue.

Horse sense for the eclipse

Nancy Crowe 2 Comments
A secure barn or paddock — maybe even with lunch — is the best place for horses during the April 8 solar eclipse.

My corner of the world will experience a “deep partial” solar eclipse April 8. Though we’re not in the path of totality, animals — especially horses — will likely notice. Noticing anything out of the ordinary is their strength.

A horse may simply go into nap mode as the sky darkens and be mildly confused when “nighttime” ends after a few minutes. Or he may become restless, even agitated, if he thinks something awful is happening.

Due to darkness and extra traffic, the Indiana Board of Animal Health advises horse owners not to be on the road during the eclipse. A secure barn or paddock is a much better place for our equine friends that afternoon.

I’ve been telling the horses I work with that in the middle of the afternoon in a few days, something different will be happening. The light may look a bit dimmer and the air cooler for a short time, and then it’ll be back to normal in a short time. It won’t yet be nighttime and it’s nothing bad – just something nature does once in a while.

I’m appealing to herd leaders to help everyone else stay calm and also let them know what humans will be around that day. I picture everyone taking note of the changes, remembering that it’s OK, and going on with their day.

So far, none of the horses are too concerned. One off-track thoroughbred told me he’d seen an eclipse before. Two senior mares, while appreciating the heads up, were of the opinion that life holds more perplexing occurrences. Duly noted, ladies.

In any case, I plan to be home during the eclipse and remotely send them all reminders and reassurance. Whatever the weather, we will all just absorb what’s happening from wherever we are.

To paraphrase Psalm 19, the heavens tell a greater story.