In MysticMag’s exclusive interview with Melanie from Human-Nature, we delve into her fascinating journey into the world of Reiki and animal communication. Discover how Melanie’s personal experiences led her to embrace Reiki, explore animal communication, and empower others through healing energy.
How did you get into Reiki and what sparked your interest in it?
I think you could say that Reiki kind of found me. In 2019, a dear friend, who was about to retire, wanted to teach Reiki to a few women who would happily carry on the lineage. Although I didn’t know much about Reiki at the time, it somehow felt like the right opportunity. I soon found that being attuned to Reiki energy positively affected my life so I continued my studies to the Master/Teacher level and later completed my Animal Reiki certifications.
What are the benefits of Reiki?
We humans are more capable and powerful than we realize. At its most fundamental level, Reiki helps a person to reach a state of deep relaxation. In this state, we are capable of so much self-healing! Excess stress hormones like cortisol, for example, can dampen our immune response. This reduced immunity can lead to illness, disease, and chronic inflammation. To put it simply, when you’re stressed your body can’t as effectively fight off outside threats (like pathogens) or inside threats (like autoimmunity or cancers) which means you could end up feeling more sick, more often. Relaxation is crucial to maintaining a healthy, functional body and Reiki is a great way to promote that.
While amazing for adults, I have also developed a practice around teaching basic Reiki to children. Reiki can help kids relax and makes a calming bedtime routine. It teaches mindfulness skills which promotes focus and concentration, it teaches kids to recognize physical and emotional signs of stress, which empowers them to self-advocate and reduces anxious feelings, and it supports self-regulation skills. In this way, Reiki can not only benefit our physical bodies, but our emotional bodies as well. It is my mission to help empower future generations to take health and healing into their own hands.
How much is animal Reiki different from “human” Reiki?
Animal Reiki is not too different from “human” Reiki, except in approach. Animals often prefer a hands-off method, while most of my human clients prefer hands-on. Animals also gravitate towards short bursts of Reiki, rather than long sessions. I think that they feel the energy more intensely than we do and can assimilate it more quickly.
You also communicate with animals. What can you tell me about that part of your work?
One thing that all animals have in common is the ability to communicate nonverbally through energy. Most people have largely lost this ability, and it continues to erode as we age. I would maintain that telepathic communication is actually the most evolved, yet we humans dismiss it as unreliable or non-credible because we’ve become so bad at using it. Animals, on the other hand, instinctually know that words are insufficient and inadequate to convey true meaning and intent.
I think that in this regard, the animals have been my teachers. I have always felt a kinship toward them and have cared deeply for animals from a young age. When I began keeping bees, I noticed that I was able to pick up on the health and mood of the hive just by being present with them. They even began sending me messages in my dreams! Likewise, when my precious dog passed away, she too sent me special messages in my dreams. I became intrigued by the ability of animals to communicate telepathically, which sparked my interest in developing my abilities in animal communication. Learning Reiki just enhanced my intuition even further. I am passionate about helping people understand their pets and to deepen their bonds with their animal family members!
Do your Reiki classes offer certification and what do they entail?
Yes, as a Reiki Master Teacher, I am able to provide classes that meet the requirements toward certification in most jurisdictions. However, potential Reiki practitioners who want to practice professionally should research the requirements where they live because some areas have additional regulations (e.g., obtaining a massage therapy license, or certification as a health practitioner).
Most of my clients learn Reiki to benefit themselves and their families. I personally love teaching someone to regain their power and inspire them to take charge of their own healing. This is why I prefer teaching classes to offering one-off Reiki sessions (although I do provide sessions to clients upon request).
Level 1 Reiki classes teach students to connect to life-force energy and use it to bring balance and relaxation to their own bodies. We also learn various meditations and visualizations to enhance their personal Reiki practice. Reiki Level 2 enables the student to broaden their knowledge and skills and is recommended for anyone wishing to further their own personal development or for people who wish to practice Reiki in a professional context. At this level, students also learn how to send Reiki energy from a distance (remotely). The Reiki Master/Teacher class is an intensive certification for those who want to work professionally or develop advanced skills. This level also allows graduates to be able to teach others.
More information can be found on my website www.human-nature.ca or we can also connect on Substack (@humannature).
