Today we’d like to introduce you to Christiane Mikles.
Hi Christiane, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began my journey with Reiki in 2003 while managing a pet bathhouse and boutique in Seattle, WA. I had no idea what reiki was but when I saw an ad for the class with Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing that said it was for all species, I knew it was where I needed to be. I founded Circle of Life Reiki in Seattle in 2004 and then in Custer, (near Bellingham) WA.
In 2006, while volunteering with injured and orphaned wildlife through Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation and the Whatcom County Marine Mammal Stranding Network, I felt called to learn more about animal anatomy and physiology to better support my reiki practice with animals. I earned my Veterinary Assistant Certification from Bellingham Technical College in Washington State. I graduated at the top of my class, earning Phi Theta Kappa honors and placement on the President’s List. During this time, I also began playing the musical saw—a creative and devotional practice that I now recognize helped to inform my relationship with sound, listening, and subtlety.
I later returned to Colorado to pursue my new goal of veterinary school, continuing my wildlife rehabilitation work with WildKind and the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program. I earned an Associate of Science with a concentration in Biology from Front Range Community College in 2009, again graduating with Phi Theta Kappa honors. I went on to complete pre-veterinary studies and a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in Animal Anatomy and Physiology, along with a minor in Biomedical Science, from Colorado State University in 2013. This scientific training continues to inform my work, particularly in caring for senior animals, those with special needs, and situations that require careful observation and patience.
While living in Colorado, music and movement were central to my life. I sang and played musical saw in multiple bands and became a roller derby official with the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. This led to extensive travel for concerts and officiating major tournaments, including international playoffs and the Women’s Roller Derby World Cup—experiences that deepened my capacity for adaptability, presence under pressure, and community care.
In 2014, I moved south of Sun Valley, Idaho, where I managed a dairy goat farm startup and worked part-time in a local veterinary clinic, further grounding my work in hands-on, relational animal care.
In 2015, I relocated to the Verde Valley to be closer to family and continued working as a veterinary technician before transitioning into full-time professional pet sitting. In 2019, I founded The Traveling Petsitter LLC to provide full-time, in-home pet care that supports animals in remaining comfortable and regulated in their own environments. My work includes senior pet care, medication administration, special-needs support, and care for a wide range of species. Through this work, I’ve come to understand how profoundly steadiness, routine, and respectful nonverbal communication support wellbeing.
Alongside my animal care work, my study and teaching of meditation developed naturally from this same attentiveness. I hold a Meditation Teacher Training certification (MTT-200) and offer meditation as a practical, accessible practice rooted in everyday life. My teaching emphasizes working with what is already present—cultivating clarity, steadiness, and awareness rather than striving for particular outcomes or altered states.
As a Reiki practitioner teacher for over 20 years, my understanding of the practice has been shaped by long-term study within both western and traditional Japanese Reiki lineages. From this perspective of the latter, Reiki is not something applied to others, but a practice of self-cultivation grounded in simplicity and presence. The emphasis is not on fixing or correcting, but on gently peeling back layers of conditioning so that natural responsiveness and wholeness can emerge.
My recent work with the collaborative project Vorticia integrates sacred sound, energy healing, meditative, and elemental ritual practices rooted in animistic and nature-based traditions. This work reflects my ongoing relationship with the Earth, sound, and source, and continues to deepen my intuitive capacity to support both humans and animals on their own healing paths.
Whether I am working with people or animals, I bring the same orientation: careful listening, respect for consent and context, and a belief that meaningful change arises through relationship rather than force. Sit Stay Healing exists as a home for this integrated work—bringing together meditation, Reiki, and professional in-home pet care under a shared ethic of presence, humility, and care.
The intention is not self-improvement, but a return—to what is already here, met with clarity, reverence, and respect.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
During my undergraduate studies, the increasing needs of my then senior dog, Darwin, led me to pause plans for veterinary school. This pivotal experience reshaped my understanding of care, commitment, and listening.
We’ve been impressed with Sit Stay Healing, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Sit Stay Healing is a presence-based practice offering meditation, Reiki, and in-home animal care as interconnected forms of attentive, relational support.
What Sit Stay Healing means to me:
💠Sit reflects the practice of meditation—cultivating stillness, awareness, and presence.
💠Stay reflects steadiness and reliability, expressed through live-in, in-home pet care that supports animals in their own environments.
💠Healing reflects Reiki as a practice of cultivation, integration, and gentle return to wholeness.
At the heart of my philosophy is a belief in our innate capacity for healing from within, guided by a deep respect for the Earth and her citizens of all species. My intention is to illuminate the quiet process of uncovering inner radiance, supporting others in remembering their natural connection to all life and their inherent capacity for wellbeing and vitality. This work is rooted in presence, relationship, and listening deeply to what is already here.
Sit Stay Healing brings together my life’s work in professional animal care (The Traveling Petsitter LLC), meditation, and Reiki (Circle of Life Healing Arts, and previously Circle of Life Reiki). While these paths may appear distinct on the surface, they are unified by a simple, consistent approach: showing up fully, listening carefully, and meeting each being—human or animal—exactly where they are. Whether I am caring for a senior dog, guiding meditation, or offering Reiki, the orientation is the same: attentive presence, respect for individual rhythms, and care rooted in calm, embodied awareness.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
My connection with animals began early. Growing up in Colorado, I helped my family care for neighborhood stray cats and dogs, as well as orphaned or displaced wildlife. Alongside the usual companions, I found myself caring for everything from salamanders and tarantulas to squirrels and raccoons. These early experiences taught me how much animals communicate without words and how essential quiet attentiveness and respect are to building trust across species.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://SitStayHealing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sitstayhealing
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@sitstayhealing
