Reiki practice extends into the way you meet each day: how you respond to frustration, carry uncertainty, appreciate companionship, attend to responsibilities, and show kindness.
The Five Reiki Principles, often called the Gokai, offer a foundation for this everyday practice. They invite you to return to awareness again and again, bringing the spirit of Reiki into your relationship with yourself, other people, and animals.
For an Animal Reiki practitioner, these principles can become practical companions. They may guide you while sitting quietly with an animal, preparing for a session, or caring for a companion whose needs have changed.
You can begin exploring them now, before your attunement.
Introducing the Five Principles
English translations vary. A common rendering is:
Just for today:
- Do not anger.
- Do not worry.
- Be grateful.
- Work diligently.
- Be kind to others.
The explanations in this chapter apply these teachings to everyday life and Animal Reiki. They are invitations to reflection, rather than rules by which to judge yourself.
“Just for Today”: Begin Where You Are
The opening phrase makes the practice approachable.
You are invited to attend to this day, this encounter, and the next choice available to you. You do not need to promise that you will never become frustrated or worried again.
Perhaps the morning was difficult. You spoke sharply, hurried through a care routine, or became distracted by concerns. You can still pause and begin again in the afternoon.
With animals, this also means meeting the individual before you today. A familiar companion may want more space than yesterday. Their energy, interests, and willingness to interact may change.
“Just for today” invites you to notice what is present instead of expecting yesterday’s experience to repeat.
The First Principle: Do Not Anger
Anger can arise when something feels threatening, unfair, overwhelming, or beyond our control. Its appearance does not make you a poor Reiki student.
Working with this principle begins with recognising anger and choosing how to respond.
You might notice tension in your jaw, a hurried movement, or an urge to force a situation to go as planned. That moment of recognition creates an opportunity to pause.
In Your Relationship with Animals
Imagine that you have prepared a quiet space for Reiki, but your dog keeps getting up and moving around. You begin to feel frustrated because you expected a peaceful session.
Pause and notice the expectation.
Your dog does not need to perform stillness for you. You can adjust your position, allow movement, or choose another time to practise. If you feel too frustrated to remain attentive, take a break.
The same principle applies outside sessions. When an animal scratches furniture, makes noise, or disrupts your plans, you can attend to the situation while taking responsibility for your own response.
A Practice for Today
When irritation arises:
- Pause before speaking or reaching toward the animal.
- Notice where you feel tension.
- Allow a comfortable breath.
- Ask yourself, What response would be useful and kind here?
Sometimes the answer will be to give yourself a little space before continuing.
The Second Principle: Do Not Worry
Worry often grows from love and uncertainty. When an animal matters deeply to us, it is natural to want reassurance that they are comfortable and well.
This principle invites you to notice when concern becomes a repeating circle of thoughts. You can then return to the present and consider what is within your ability to do.
In Your Relationship with Animals
Before a Reiki session, you may wonder:
Am I doing this correctly?
Will I feel Reiki?
How will I know what the animal experiences?
You can acknowledge these questions without needing to answer them all during the session. Return to the steps you have learned, your intention, and your awareness of the animal.
When concern relates to an animal’s health or changing behaviour, identify the practical next step, such as contacting their veterinarian. Reiki can remain part of your spiritual care while you attend to that responsibility.
A Practice for Today
Write down one concern, then ask:
- What do I know from observation?
- What am I imagining or anticipating?
- Is there a useful action I can take now?
Take the appropriate action if one is available. Then give yourself permission to return your attention to the moment.
You can care deeply without requiring yourself to solve every uncertainty.
The Third Principle: Be Grateful
Gratitude invites you to notice what is already present and meaningful.
It may arise through something simple: an animal greeting you, the sound of quiet breathing, or the opportunity to share an ordinary day.
There is room for gratitude alongside sadness, fatigue, and difficulty. Even on a difficult day, you may find something to appreciate in an animal’s quiet company.
In Your Relationship with Animals
During Animal Reiki, gratitude can help you soften the need for a particular experience.
You might appreciate the animal’s company whether they rest close to you or choose another part of the room. You can be thankful for the opportunity to practise without expecting a visible response in return.
Gratitude also encourages you to see an animal as an individual whose presence has meaning beyond what they offer you.
A Practice for Today
Spend a moment noticing one specific thing you appreciate about an animal.
Perhaps it is their curiosity, their particular way of stretching, or how clearly they communicate a preference.
In your journal, complete this sentence:
Today, I appreciated…
Let the answer be ordinary and specific.
The Fourth Principle: Work Diligently
This principle is also expressed through translations that emphasise honest work or dedication to your duties.
In this course, you can approach it as bringing sincerity and care to what is yours to do.
Your Reiki learning develops through regular attention: reading thoughtfully, asking questions, practising what you have learned, and reflecting on your experience.
Diligence can be gentle. A short practice you can sustain may be more useful than an ambitious routine you find difficult to maintain.
In Your Relationship with Animals
Your responsibilities include everyday care as well as Reiki.
Preparing fresh water, maintaining a suitable environment, respecting established routines, and attending to an animal’s needs all give this principle practical expression.
As a student, diligence also means recording sessions honestly. You may have a meaningful spiritual experience, a distracted session, or an encounter that feels quiet and ordinary. Each deserves an accurate reflection.
If you are uncertain about something, make room to learn rather than feeling that you must already know.
A Practice for Today
Choose one manageable commitment:
- Read a section of the manual with full attention.
- Spend a few minutes in meditation.
- Complete a practice reflection.
- After your attunement, make time for self-Reiki.
- Give an everyday care task your unhurried attention.
Choose something that fits your actual circumstances, and follow through with care.
The Fifth Principle: Be Kind to Others
Kindness is central to how this course approaches animals.
It takes shape through your attention, choices, and willingness to respond to another being’s needs. It includes animals, caregivers, fellow students, and yourself.
In Your Relationship with Animals
Kindness may mean allowing an animal to choose distance, adapting your position, or leaving them undisturbed when they are occupied.
If an animal moves away during Reiki, allow them that freedom. You may continue offering hands-off Reiki while remaining attentive to their comfort. Physical distance alone does not tell you everything about their experience.
Kindness also asks you to avoid making an animal responsible for your reassurance. They do not need to approach, settle, or respond in a particular way to validate your practice.
Kindness Toward Caregivers
People may come to Reiki with hope, uncertainty, grief, or questions. Listen respectfully and explain your practice clearly.
You can hold your own spiritual understanding while allowing someone else to have a different perspective.
Kindness Toward Yourself
Learning includes moments of distraction and doubt.
When these arise, respond to yourself as you would to a sincere beginner: patiently, with room to learn. Rest and reasonable boundaries help you sustain the care you offer.
A Practice for Today
Ask yourself:
What would kindness look like in this particular moment?
Let the answer guide one small action.
Bringing the Principles Together
The principles often overlap.
Imagine that your cat moves from beside you to a favourite chair during a session.
You notice disappointment and pause before reacting. You release the worry that you must have done something wrong. You appreciate the shared time, continue attentively if appropriate, and respect your cat’s choice of space.
In a simple moment, you have explored all five principles.
They become familiar through experiences like this. Their meaning deepens as you return to them in different circumstances.
A Daily Reflection with the Principles
You can use this short practice in the morning, evening, or before studying.
1. Settle Comfortably
Sit in a comfortable position. Let your breathing follow its natural rhythm.
If comfortable, bring your palms together in Gassho, with your hands near your chest. You may also rest your hands in your lap.
2. Read the Principles Slowly
Begin with Just for today, then read each principle aloud or silently.
Allow a brief pause between them.
3. Choose One to Explore
Notice whether a particular principle feels relevant today.
You might choose patience when frustration arises, or gratitude during an otherwise busy day.
4. Form a Simple Intention
For example:
Just for today, I will pause and listen before responding.
Or:
Just for today, I will bring care to the responsibilities before me.
These are personal reflections inspired by the principles, rather than additional formal principles.
5. Return to Daily Life
Let your intention accompany you into an ordinary activity.
If an animal is nearby, they can continue whatever they are doing. This reflection does not require their participation.
Reflection
In your notebook or journal, consider:
- Which principle feels most natural to me?
- Which principle asks for more attention at this point in my life?
- What expectations do I bring to my time with animals?
- How can I practise diligently while remaining gentle with myself?
- What small act of kindness can I offer today?
You may return to the same questions throughout your training and discover different answers.
Continuing Your Journey
The Five Reiki Principles offer a daily foundation for your practice. Through them, patience, gratitude, sincerity, and kindness become choices you can return to throughout the day.
As your Animal Reiki learning develops, let these teachings accompany both your formal sessions and the ordinary moments of care between them.
In the next chapter, we will explore animals as partners in Reiki practice and what it means to allow their individuality to shape the encounter.
Next chapter: Level 1 Attunement & Self-Reiki