How to meditate with animals
Because it's better than going at it alone. Leah D'Ambrosio, a Let Animals Lead teacher, shows us the way
My meditation skills and habits are mediocre at best.
Actually, they’re practically non-existent. I’ve never been a huge fan of meditating and doing anything mindful.
Not that I have anything against meditating. I know it’s beneficial. It’s just that my idea of meditating is daydreaming and watching a nice Asian drama.
Oh, and spending time with my dogs.
That’s why the idea of meditating, if it’s with animals, appeals to me. I’ve written about it before with Kathleen Prasad of Animal Reiki Source and Shelter Animal Reiki Association (SARA). SARA is a US non-profit animal organisation established in 2008.
But now I think I need to step it up a notch (what with everything that’s happening in the world at the moment) – which is why I got Leah D’Ambrosio, a co-founder and chairman of the board of SARA, to help me.
Leah is a Let Animals Lead teacher and speaker, and a certified mindfulness and meditation teacher too. Let Animals Lead is a method based on the Japanese principles of reiki, and uses meditation techniques to create a calming atmosphere for animals in stress. The Let Animals Lead techniques help to support animals’ emotional needs, which is something they need in shelter, rescue and sanctuary environments.
So if there’s anyone who can refresh my memory and get me to pursue this practice further, Leah would be it.
7 steps to animal meditation
“In the Let Animals Lead method of animal reiki, we have pretty definite guidelines when it comes to meditating with animals,” Leah says.
“The good news is you can use any meditation that brings deep relaxation to you. There aren’t any special or magical animal meditations. You just want to make sure the meditation allows you to relax and keep your focus on you.”
Let’s begin.
Step #1: Make sure you are in a good place mentally
“Animals are more sensitive than humans,” Leah notes.
“They communicate through energy, so they are much more in touch with subtle shifts in energy. They are also more in touch with our energy when we approach them. We can be calm on the outside, but if our mind is racing and we are worried, our energy is like a tornado. It is big and chaotic and not appealing at all.
“So we have to be very mindful of where our minds and hearts are when we sit with an animal. We always want to bring joy into our hearts before we sit with an animal.”
Side note: What is smiling meditation?
“If you aren’t feeling joyful, there is a simple meditation you can do that literally only takes one minute: smiling meditation. This is guaranteed to help you turn your mood around and get into the space of love,” Leah promises.
1. Take a couple of cleansing breaths
“Breathe in deep into your belly and then release your breath out forcefully through your mouth. With your out-breath goes all the tension you are holding on to in your body.”
2. Once you are relaxed, allow yourself to think of something you love
“It could be a person, an animal or a place like the beach, or even something like ice cream! Whatever brings immense love to your heart, focus on it. Allow yourself to sink deeply into that feeling of love.”
3. Open your eyes
“Now you are ready to start your meditation with an animal.”
Step #2: Ask the animal’s permission to sit with them in meditation
“You can say something like, ‘I would love to sit with you and meditate, and would love for you to join me if you would like. It’s completely up to you.’ Feel free to say this out loud or in your mind,” she says.
“By asking for permission, we are letting the animal know that we honour and respect them. This step is very important.”
How so? “We humans have a tendency to think we know what’s right for the animal at all times,” she answers.
“We rarely give them a choice. By asking their permission, we are allowing them to choose whether or not they want to join us, and that simple step creates trust.”
She adds: “Another thing you can do is to ask for their help. Tell them you are new to meditation and if they are open to it, could they help support you? Animals love it when we ask for their help. And when we do, they always say yes by joining in!”
Step #3: If the animal isn’t growling or showing signs of aggression, you can sit with them
“We never want to face the animal directly, as that can be interpreted as you being aggressive,” Leah points out.
“Sit with your back to them or sit sideways so you’re not facing them.”
Step #4: Get comfortable
“You want to make sure you are comfortable during the meditation so that any physical discomfort doesn’t take you out of the session early.”
Step #5: Once you are comfortable, set your intention
“At the beginning of each meditation, we set our intention for a certain purpose,” she says.
“Your intention could be anything you want for the meditation as long as it’s not an attachment to a certain outcome. For instance, you can set your intention that you are: 1) open to receiving whatever it is that you need most at this moment in time; 2) open to holding space for all sentient beings; 3) open to holding space for your animal; 4) open to being the light of love and compassion; or whatever you feel guided to intend.
“We just want to make sure our intentions aren’t tied to something, like for the animal to heal. When we do that, we are putting our wants and needs into the meditation and that is the opposite of what we do in the Let Animals Lead method. It also limits the possibility of the meditation.”
Step #6: Now start your meditation
“As I said above, you can use any meditation. Choose one that will help you go into a deep, relaxed state. And during the meditation, make sure to keep your focus on yourself. Don’t think about the animal or turn your focus onto them. Your energy is huge and that is what they are connecting to – the calm, peaceful energy you are creating through the meditation.”
Step #7: Stay in the meditation for at least 20 minutes
“When you are finished, be sure to thank the animal for joining you!”
How will we know if we were “successful”?
“There are so many signs an animal gives us that they have accepted the meditation space, but here are a few you can look for: You were able to stay in the meditation longer; you felt more deeply relaxed than when you meditated by yourself; the animal yawned, laid down, stretched, fell asleep and/or went farther away but is deeply relaxed.”
How often should we meditate with animals?
If we go by Leah’s habits, it would be every day. And why not?
“I am blessed to have animals around me in my home, so I am never without support,” she admits.
“But during the times when I travel, I try to get outside somewhere where I can sit and meditate. I’ll set my intention that my meditation is open to anyone who wants to join me, and then I just let go.”
There are some surprises and drawbacks to it, though.
“I will say that one of the negatives of meditating out in nature – and this is really a personal issue – is that insects will want to join you. And I’m very scared of spiders! When you meditate in nature, the insects are just as attracted to the energy as the animals. I try to avoid sitting too close to bushes as the spiders love to come out! I also tell them, ‘I would love for you to join me, but I need you to join at a distance because of my fear.’ I always want to share that it’s me and not them!
“Meditating in nature is a really wonderful way to restore and rejuvenate your mental well-being,” Leah continues.
“And when I say ‘meditating’, that doesn’t mean you have to sit quietly and remove all thoughts. It means quieting your mind and being present with your surroundings. Taking notice of all the sounds of nature, the smells, the visual of the trees, grass, birds, insects – whatever it is you see and have a deep appreciation and love for this space you are sharing with nature.”
The benefits of helping animals
Or should we say lessons? There’s a lot to learn about yourself and animals when you’re around them and meditating with them. Leah has and is proof.
#1 You live in the moment and forgive easily
“Animals are always present with us. They aren’t thinking about what they did yesterday or what they are going to do tomorrow,” she says.
“We humans are almost always distracted. We have so many thoughts running through our heads that it’s hard to stay focused, and that keeps us out of the present moment. Animals have taught me that when I am present with them, I actually get clarity about situations going on in my personal and business life.”
#2 You get relief
“When I take the time to really be with them and feel love and joy, it helps me throughout my entire day,” she observes.
“Animals are here to teach us how to be better humans, but we rarely take the time to sit with them and learn. In the Let Animals Lead method, we meditate with animals to help bring peace to them when they are stressed out. But the side effect of that is we also find peace in those moments.”
#3 You let go of the negative
“For instance, if your animal is sick or dying, they need you to dig deep and be strong and not focus on what’s wrong, but focus on the moment of just being with them. Focus on their love for you and your love for them. Focus on your happy memories together because that is what is healing. When we focus on the problem, we make the situation worse, because we bring in the energy of worry and fear. The energy of love and joy is so much stronger and healing to the animal.
“It’s hard for us humans to put our emotions away and just be with an animal when it’s sick,” she muses.
“But when we can be calm and stay in the energy of love and gratitude, it actually helps our animals. They don’t wallow in their sickness like we do. They might feel bad, but they aren’t focused on it. They need us to be happy and positive around them because it allows them to forget their discomfort for a moment.
“Imagine if you were sick and you have two friends who want to come and visit,” she cites.
“Both friends are very dear to you but they approach illness differently. One friend frets and worries about your sickness. The other friend reassures you that all is well and focuses on making you laugh and forget your illness for a moment. Who is the friend you are going to invite over?
“It’s the same with animals. They need us to be happy and joyful. Remember, stress is contagious, but so is joy, so is laughter, so is peace. We owe it to animals to be light and joyful. And by being mindful of this, our lives change for the better! They are leading us to a better life for ourselves.”
There’s animal meditation – so what is animal reiki?
And how does animal reiki compare to the Let Animals Lead method of animal reiki?
If you think they’re interchangeable or mean the same thing, here’s a refresher.
“We have to distinguish the two because the majority of people who are practising animal reiki are using human reiki techniques and adapting them for animals,” Leah stresses.
For instance, she tells us that:
#1 The Let Animals Lead method of animal reiki does not incorporate human techniques such as hands-on healing or focusing on the problem
“Ours is a meditation-based method where we use the reiki precepts to help us release anger, worry and fear. We use the traditional Japanese meditations to help bring us into a balanced, energetic state, where our energy is appealing to animals. And then we just sit in the space we create through meditation and invite the animals to join us in a loving, peaceful space.
“Animals are attracted to us when we are peaceful and happy. When we are worried, we are sharing the energy of fear. When we are focused on what’s wrong with them, we share the energy that they are broken and we need to fix them. Even though we may not mean it, that energy can be one of domination – that we are above them and not equal to them. The message we are sharing is, ‘You are broken and I need to fix you.’
“We are all broken but when we come together in a beautiful space of love, we are all equal and connected at our heart. In this space there is no fixing or healing.”
#2 The Let Animals Lead method of animal reiki is a meditative system that supports the animal in a loving and non-judgmental way
“Our method provides a safe, loving space without judgment or attachment to an outcome. We offer love and peace as a way to support the animal’s emotional needs.
“What’s so different about our method is that it is one of the few modalities that supports the animal’s emotional well-being.”
#3 There are misconceptions about reiki, and therefore animal reiki
“First, I rarely say I do animal reiki. I say I meditate with animals,” Leah counters.
“Even though what we are doing is called reiki, it’s really meditation-based. If I say I do animal reiki, people have a lot of different reactions depending on their experience with reiki. Some people think it’s witchcraft. Some think it’s woo-woo and wacky. Some think it’s dangerous. It really depends on their experience with reiki.
“Most people who know about reiki immediately think we are doing hands-on healing – which we are not. And then there are the people who don’t know what reiki is and they aren’t usually open to it just based on the name. When someone uses a word that doesn’t make sense to you – like ‘reiki’ – if you’ve never heard of it before, there is a tendency to stop listening. Like if I said I do animal gobbledygook.
“Your mind would stay fixated on the word you don’t understand and not on what I’m trying to share. So by saying, ‘I do animal meditation,’ I almost always get a positive response. People know what meditation is. They understand the benefits so they immediately see it as a positive for animals.”
Examples of successful animal meditations
Leah shares her favourites here, and you’ll be impressed by the results – enough to maybe try it out for yourself.
• A cat named Smokey
“Kathleen taught a class at Best Friends in Utah back in 2009, and I went with her to talk about SARA and to invite her students to join. While we were there, we were able to spend some time with the resident animals and share animal reiki. One of the places we went to was a cattery, where there were probably about 15 cats living. One of the cats, Smokey, was this scrawny, little, grey, long-haired kitty. He looked older and seemed very frail. He sort of skirted around the walls and seemed very unstable on his feet.
“I decided I would sit and meditate with him if he was open to it. I sat on the floor and just went inward. After a while, Smokey got interested and started to come close. At one point it hid behind a dresser and decided to lay there and share the reiki. After a few minutes, he came and laid right in front of me. The sun was shining, the space was warm, and we both let go and enjoyed this beautiful space of love and peace.
“The next day Kathleen and I went in to see how Smokey was doing, but we couldn’t find him. We were worried that maybe he had passed away – that’s how bad he had looked the day before. We asked one of the staff where he was and she pointed up to the rafters where some of the cats were hanging out.
“We were shocked – he was a different cat! His eyes were bright and shiny, and he obviously had energy and his balance back because he was in the rafters. It was a miracle! What was so funny was the staff just took it like, ‘Yeah, this happens all the time,’ but we knew that wasn’t the case.
“The lessons I learnt that day were miracles can happen, peace is powerful, and not to get attached to anyone noticing the healing. That was a huge lesson for my ego. But most importantly, the lesson for me was it doesn’t matter what the situation is, what the diagnosis is: When we let go and just share love and light, that is when true healing occurs – however that looks like to the animal.”
• A stressed-out baboon (and monkeys too)
“I was at a wildlife sanctuary in Arizona to teach a class to the staff with SARA director Kelly McDermott Burns. The day before the class, the managers gave us a tour. When we got back to the private office on the property, we were told to stay back because there was a baboon that lived by the office and he hated strangers. When people he didn’t know came to the back, he would scream and throw rocks and get horribly agitated.
“Kelly and I stayed back and the sweet baboon did get a little agitated, but nothing like he usually did. The managers thought this was pretty strange.
“The next day we held the class and had some amazing encounters! I made a video about it for World Animal Reiki Day (a day Kathleen created in honour of her dog Dakota, who brought her to animal reiki) that you can watch here. The animals were so zen after two days of class.
“One of the sessions we did was with the monkeys. We went to the back of their enclosures, but didn’t see the little baboon was also back there. We shared a really beautiful space with the resident monkeys, and then on our way out, we saw the little baboon. He was at the front of his enclosure soaking up the energy. He wasn’t agitated. He was completely relaxed. In fact, a staff member gave him her hair so she could show us how he flossed his teeth! He was so mellow. As we were leaving, the staff remarked how calm he was and how he usually would be screaming and throwing rocks. He definitely understood what she said because he picked up a few rocks and sort of threw them about a foot in front of him. Zero anger or frustration. More like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m supposed to do that but I really don’t want to.’
“It was so wonderful seeing him blissed out and without anger. We were complete strangers to him, yet he didn’t react as expected. It was such a wonderful lesson in realising: a) We don’t need to know what’s wrong with an animal to help them; b) Our loving energy can help support huge shifts and release negative energy; c) We don’t need to be focused on an animal in order for them to connect to our energy – in fact, we don’t even need to be aware of them; d) When we let go and just allow our energy to flow, any and all around can easily connect with us; and e) Focusing on what’s wrong with an animal is not healing!”
• A former racehorse named Willie
“When people first experience an animal reiki session with us, they are surprised at the passive nature of what we are doing.
“A few years ago, I was trying to bring this method to a very small, private horse rescue. Bill, the man who owned the horses, wasn’t interested in animal reiki, but one of his friends convinced him to let me come and do a session with one of his horses who was cribbing (biting the fencing – which is not good for a horse’s health). I came out one Sunday and talked to Bill and told him a little about how the session was going to look and what the horse might do. Bill was very sceptical but took me over to Willie so I could start my session.
“I said hi to Willie who wasn’t interested in me. I sat outside his stall, with my back turned away, and started to meditate. Bill interrupted me and said, ‘Aren’t you going to go in with him?’ I told him no; it was up to Willie to decide whether or not he wanted to join me. If I went into his stall, I’d be forcing myself on him and that’s not what we do in this practice. We allow the animals to lead and direct the session.
“I could tell Bill was having trouble processing this. He fully expected me to ‘do’ something, but also liked the fact that his horse wasn’t being forced into anything that could make his condition worse. So Bill stood a few feet away and just watched. Pretty soon Willie came close to me and hung his head in a very relaxed position. He yawned and closed his eyes and started to doze off. We stayed like that for about 30 minutes and then I ended the session.
“I thanked Willie and walked over to Bill. He was in shock. Willie had been cribbing for months. They couldn’t get him to stop. He was an ex-race horse and was always pacing. He couldn’t believe Willie was so relaxed and had actually started to fall asleep standing next to me. Willie also didn’t like strangers, so his acceptance of me shocked Bill.
“Bill was so happy with the process and the results, he had me train him in both Level 1 and Level 2 Animal Reiki. He loved that our method honours animals’ sensitivities and works with them, instead of forcing them to do what we want them to do.
“Sometimes it’s easier for people to understand what we do when we show them.”
How is animal reiki used in shelters?
Here’s what Leah and SARA have done and still aim to do. It might inspire you if you also happen to work or volunteer in one too.
#1 Support both the animals and caregivers through meditation
“The shelter can be a very loud and uncomfortable experience for animals. If they can’t acclimate and stay stressed, the chances of them being adopted are lowered,” Leah says.
“When we sit with them and meditate, we help them reconnect to their natural inner peace. Animals can connect with their inner peace much more quickly than humans.”
#2 Offer treatments and free classes
“These help staff and volunteers at the shelter combat compassion fatigue and burnout,” she adds.
“Animal caregivers are notoriously underpaid and overworked. Through our techniques, they can find ways to alleviate stress, have better interactions with co-workers, and find joy in their work.
“Our goal for shelters is to offer a non-intrusive way to bring peace and calm to an otherwise very stressful environment. In all of the shelters that are incorporating our techniques, we’ve never had a complaint or an issue. Our method is very easy to use and is incredibly effective!”
So how can we use animal reiki with our own pets?
A recap, a few more reminders and tips wouldn’t hurt. “You can easily offer a quiet, calm space to your animals,” Leah says.
#1 Focus on letting go of any anger, worry, fear or frustration
#2 If you can’t, ask your animal for help
“Here’s the magical part of what we do. They love to be of help to us. Say to your animal, ‘I’m learning meditation and animal reiki, and would love for you to help me understand it better. If you’re willing, will you help me?’”
And just to be clear: “This isn’t animal communication. You’re not waiting for an answer. We are just letting them know what we are doing.”
#3 Make sure you are comfortable and that all distractions, like your phone, are removed
“Then just sit and do the meditation I shared above, or you can just focus on your breath and repeat the mantra, ‘All is well.’ Take a breath in and on the out-breath, say ‘All is well.’ Repeat until you start to feel your body relaxing. Also, keep your breath slow and even. When your breath slows, your mind will follow,” she advises.
“Do this whenever you are feeling irritated, when you take your animal to the vet, when something happens that creates stress in the home, or just when you want to have a relaxing moment with your animal. With this simple meditation you will always have a way to help and support all animals – no matter the circumstances!”
Meditating as a human vs meditating with animals
Like I mentioned at the start, I wasn’t really into meditating, and that the possibility of doing it with animals is what interests me more.
It turns out there’s “a huge difference” between meditating as a human and meditating with animals, according to Leah. (And here I thought it was a silly question.)
“It’s not a silly question at all! It’s actually an important one,” she says.
“When we meditate with people, we can’t be sure they aren’t thinking of something else. We have no idea if their mind is focused on the meditation or on their shopping list for dinner. So when we meditate with others or meditate by ourselves, it really doesn’t matter if our mind wanders. There’s no one there to catch us.
“But when we meditate with animals, it is much different. Animals know when our mind wanders.
“Now, if during the meditation you start thinking about your grocery list, the animal will feel it. They may decide that you’ve changed your mind about meditating and are now moving on to something else. After all, the beautiful meditation space you started to create is now gone, because you’re focused on your grocery list.”
If you can, try meditating with horses… and tigers? “Horses are wonderful meditation teachers because if they sense your mind has wandered, they will move away from you,” she relates.
“The good news is, when you bring your focus back to your meditation, they will usually come back and join you. I’ve been with tigers that weren’t so generous.
“I was in this deep meditative space with two rescued tigers,” she recounts.
“I was relaxed and they were relaxed and it was so wonderful! Then my mind went somewhere else and they looked at me and jumped off their perch and started pacing. In their mind the meditation was over. They would not come back even when I went back into the meditation space and stayed there. It was a very disappointing experience, but one where I learnt a valuable lesson about letting my mind wander during meditations with animals!”
The moral of the story?
Practise the animal meditation steps and tips Leah listed above, so you can stay centred – and you and the animals will reap the benefits. I would.
Interested in SARA and the Let Animals Lead method of animal reiki?
To become a member, to get certified or to know more, check them out here and on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
SARA started with 29 members and two shelters. Today, they have over 400 members and 85 shelters. “We support members through monthly meetings, guest speakers, and a private membership site full of resources about animal reiki,” Leah says.
“To date, we have supported thousands of animals worldwide and donated to numerous shelters over US$500,000 in volunteer time and financial support from our classes. We are the only organisation in the world that offers this service.”