I get this question a lot. The simplest answer is that Reiki is energy healing. But Reiki is more than that, and also, what does that even mean?

Reiki is a method of bringing harmony and balance to the body and mind. Not just for us humans, Reiki is also amazing for plants, animals, spaces, things and events. Reiki is energy, and it is only good. Reiki is not religious and anyone can receive Reiki, they only need to consent to receive Reiki from a Reiki practitioner.

Reiki is universal life force/universal healing energy/love.

Reiki doesn’t diagnose or prescribe, yet it still heals. How? Because the Reiki practitioner simply sends Reiki to the recipient, it is the recipient’s body and mind that accept the Reiki and send it where it’s needed most. Reiki gently brings chakras and energy back into balance. Reiki only works with a recipient’s consent, and Reiki cannot harm.

Reiki balances chakras, meridians and all energy within a recipient. It heals where it is needed most. This can often be confusing, especially if you receive Reiki for a sore hip but notice your foot is tingling during a session – Reiki is going to the source of the imbalance!

Reiki is also useful for ‘things’ and events. Many Reiki practitioners use Reiki on their food, water, potted plants etc. I love to use Reiki on my jewellery and have even sent Reiki to the ute when it’s been playing up!

What happens during a Reiki Session?

A Reiki session is most often performed in person, with the recipient laying or sitting comfortably with their eyes closed while the practitioner places their hands lightly on or above them in various positions. Reiki can also be performed by distance, with the recipient on the comfort of their own home and the Reiki practitioner in a different place.

During a session the recipient should close their eyes and try and direct their attention inwards, to their body or breath. This isn’t always possible but simply attempting to is just as effective. The recipient might notice moving colours, hot and cold sensations, tingling, smells and sounds that don’t match the surroundings, pressure and release in different parts of their body, they might have an emotional release and laugh or cry, they might become very relaxed and they may fall asleep, or they may not notice anything. All of these things are valid, and are exactly what your body and mind choose at the time.

If you are the recipient of distance Reiki you should try and find half an hour of time in a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted. Some distance sessions are done via phone, Skype or zoom however I prefer to leave the timing open ended so you can tap into the Reiki whenever it suits you. When you are ready, sit or lay down and try to direct your attention inwards, exactly like an in person session.

Afterwards the recipient should drink some water if possible, and try and give themselves a bit of time to relax. Monitoring your emotions and healing is important afterwards, particularly if you have a health condition like diabetes as if your body has balanced itself and affected you physically you may need to adjust your medication levels.

How do you become a Reiki Practitioner?

A Reiki practitioner must be taught by a Reiki master and attuned to Reiki. It is not possible to teach yourself Reiki as you will not be attuned to Reiki energy – like a radio not quite tuned into the right frequency (am I showing my age talking about radios? IDK, I’m only 30 something lol).

There are 3 levels of a Reiki practitioner- level 1, where they learn the basics, level 2, which more complex including distance healing, and level 3 or master level which includes teaching and attuning Reiki. The first Reiki master was Mikao Usui in Japan, who was engulfed in light (Reiki) after meditating for weeks then discovered he could heal himself and others. All Reiki masters can (or should be able to!) trace their lineage back to Mikao Usui.

Studying Reiki is a pretty all encompassing endeavour, as it requires practical learning, academic studies, a whole lot of meditation and some very deep soul searching and healing work.

I hope this covers some of your burning questions about Reiki! I hope to write more in future but in the mean time send me a message if you’d like more info that I haven’t covered.