A Special Retreat in Celebration of World Animal Reiki Day

February 7–8, 2026 • Presented by the Shelter Animal Reiki Association (“SARA”)
Join SARA for a two-day celebration of compassion, connection, and the animals who teach us how to live with open hearts. Your registration supports rescued animals at CARE and SARA’s mission in shelters around the world.

Price: $97 with 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the The C.A.R.E. Foundation

Register Today

Compassion in Action: Awakening the Heart of Animal Reiki

A Special Retreat in Celebration of World Animal Reiki Day

Every February since 2016, the Shelter Animal Reiki Association (SARA) has honored World Animal Reiki Day—a day created to celebrate the animals who guide, teach, and inspire us.

This year, SARA invites you to a two-day virtual retreat devoted to the heart of our Animal Reiki practice: compassion in action.

This retreat is both a celebration and an act of support. Your registration fuels compassion in action—supporting the everyday care of rescued animals at CARE while also supporting SARA’s outreach to shelters worldwide.

The CARE Foundation in Apopka, Florida, cares for more than 200 rescued animals—including monkeys, lemurs, tigers, exotic birds, a bear, and many others. With rising costs and decreased donations, CARE needs the community’s help more than ever. By joining this retreat, you help ensure these animals continue receiving the safety, nourishment, and compassion they deserve.

At the same time, you’ll be stepping into two days of deep learning, connection, and transformation.

Price: $97 with 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the The C.A.R.E. Foundation

Register Today

What This Retreat Is About

Animals show us what compassion looks like in its purest form—steady, open-hearted, and without judgment. Across four teachings led by SARA Directors and Board Members, you’ll explore how compassion becomes a lived practice, shaped by presence, tools, meditation, and inner clarity.

Each session includes instruction, guided meditation, interaction, and time for questions.

Retreat Schedule

Saturday, February 7

9:30 AM PT — Opening Ceremony

A warm welcome, intention setting, and grounding meditation.

10:00–11:45 AM PT — Session 1 with Kathleen Prasad, SARA Co-Founder and President

Compassion as Wholeness: Three Layers of Profound Healing Practice

Kathleen will guide you through the three layers of compassion—self, others, and the world—and show how this progression shapes the healing space we offer animals. Through the teachings of the Let Animals Lead® method, you’ll explore how compassion influences safety, trust, and the connection animals feel in your presence.

In this session, you will:
Discover how compassion expands naturally from the inside out, learn practices to return to compassion in challenging moments, explore how to “see with Reiki eyes,” and experience how grounded presence creates a wider field of peace that animals immediately recognize.

You’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of how compassion deepens trust and connection with animals, along with simple practices that help you return to compassion in any moment. You’ll also gain renewed confidence in your ability to hold grounded, healing space, both in your Animal Reiki practice and in your daily life.

15-minute break

12:00–1:45 PM PT — Session 2 with Kelly McDermott-Burns, SARA Director 

Living the Compassionate Path Through the Six Pillars of the Let Animals Lead® Method

If you’ve ever wondered how to make compassion practical—something you embody, not just believe in—this session offers the path. Kelly will guide you through the Six Pillars of the Let Animals Lead® method, showing how they create a foundation of safety, dignity, and authentic connection with animals.

In this session, you will:
Explore how presence replaces pressure, learn why honoring boundaries builds trust, understand the importance of seeing wholeness instead of wounds, discover how meditation becomes the method itself, and open to the wisdom animals offer when we let them lead.

You’ll walk away with a strong grasp of how the Six Pillars make compassion practical and sustainable, giving you a framework you can rely on in any environment. You’ll also feel more confident, steady, and aligned in the way you show up for animals—whether at home, in shelters, or in challenging emotional settings.

Sunday, February 8

10:00–11:45 AM PT — Session 3 with Leah D’Ambrosio, SARA Co-Founder, Vice President and Chairman of the Board

Living a Compassionate Life: How the Precepts Anchor Compassion

Compassion is built through practice. In this grounded, tool-focused session, Leah will show you how the Reiki Precepts can shift your energy, your reactions, and your clarity—even in difficult situations. You’ll explore how the Precepts become real in the body, not just concepts on a page.

In this session, you will:
Learn a 60-second Precepts Reset, discover a compassion check-in method, practice a grounding meditation, explore how to use the Precepts with animals without “fixing,” and create daily micro-practices that help compassion feel more steady and accessible.

You’ll walk away with tools you can use immediately to shift your body, energy, and reactions, helping you meet challenging moments with greater steadiness and compassion. You’ll also leave with a clear personal plan for using the Precepts every day, so compassion becomes easier, more accessible, and more embodied.

15-minute break

12:00–1:45 PM PT — Session 4 with Nicholas Pearson,SARA Director 

Embodied Compassion: Invoking the Bodhisattva

Nicholas will introduce the Bodhisattva of Compassion—known as Avalokitesvara, Kannon, Guan Yin, and Chenrezig—and explore how this archetype has shaped Reiki’s origins. Through story, chant, and blessing, you’ll discover how compassion becomes a lived expression in your spiritual and everyday life.

In this session, you will:
Explore the history and meaning of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, learn how Kannon’s teachings appear in traditional Reiki, practice sacred chants that invoke compassion, and receive a special blessing connected to Mt. Kurama.

You’ll walk away with a deeper appreciation for the role of compassion within Reiki’s origins and simple practices to help you cultivate that compassion in your meditation and daily life. You’ll also feel inspired and grounded as you bring these teachings into your relationships with animals, people, and yourself.

2:00 PM PT — Closing Ceremony: World Animal Reiki Day Prayer

A collective moment of reflection and gratitude to honor the animals who guide our practice.

Chat will be open throughout every session for participation and live questions.
Each session includes approximately 45 minutes of teaching, 15 minutes of meditation, and time for Q&A.

Price: $97 with 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the The C.A.R.E. Foundation

Register Today

Who This Retreat Is For

Animal Lovers

If animals steady your heart or serve as your greatest teachers, this retreat will help you deepen that relationship. You’ll learn practices you can use to stay calm, grounded, and compassionate in everyday life.

Reiki Practitioners

Whether you’re new to Animal Reiki or experienced, you’ll gain:

• A deeper understanding of how compassion shapes Animal Reiki
• Tools to support animals ethically and without overwhelm
• Confidence in the Precepts, the Pillars, and the spiritual roots of Reiki
• Clarity about how to hold space for animals with dignity and presence

This retreat strengthens both your practice and your lived experience of compassion.

Your Registration Includes

• Full retreat recordings
• Audio files of each meditation
• Transcripts of all meditations
• Raw transcript of the entire retreat
• Printable retreat journal
• Bonus Video: BrightHaven’s Gail Pope & Carol Hulse — Supporting Animals Through the Dying Process with Compassion
• Invitation to SARA’s private February gathering to reconnect and continue integrating

Why This Retreat Matters

Animals show us compassion not as an idea, but as a way of being.
This retreat helps you return to that grounded, open-hearted place with more clarity and more confidence.

And with your registration, you’re helping sustain the CARE Foundation’s rescued animals while supporting SARA’s mission of uplifting animals and caregivers in shelters worldwide.

Register Today

If you’re ready to deepen your connection with animals, strengthen your compassion, and celebrate World Animal Reiki Day with a community devoted to making a difference…

Register today and support compassion in action.
Price: $97 with 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the The C.A.R.E. Foundation

Register Today