The Basics of Reiki

Reiki is like a brand name for energy work. There are lots of different modalities with their own back story, methods and belief in their energy source.

I found at least 80 different versions of energy work through out history with similarities to Reiki with the original being Laying on of Hands from over 3000 years ago to more niche modern versions like Celtic Reiki and Rihanna.

Reiki is the use of our hands to channel energy through into our own or someone else’s body to help them self-heal.

Everything in our world is made up of energy. Nothing is actually solid; all things around us, including ourselves, are vibrating on a microscopic level. Everything from a chair, water, and trees to our own bodies are made up of atoms which are constantly moving and being held together. Solid matter is really just these atoms and energy being packed together by forces so strong that they feel firm when we touch them.

When we focus our hands and thoughts on the body, the energy can be directed to help the body to go into a relaxed state known as our parasympathetic nervous system mode, it’s our Rest and Digest State.

This is the state we spend most of our time in when we are sleeping. This is when our body naturally heals itself, it’s relaxed enough to do the work it needs to do. It completes tissue repair, clears out any toxins or waste from the day and boosts the immune system.

In our busy worlds these days we spend a lot of time in our Fight or Flight modes, highly stressed and tired. This means we aren’t giving our bodies the time it needs to self heal and it can show up as tension, fatigue, difficulty thinking clearly and illnesses. Reiki is giving your body the chance to relax and begin working on those issues.

Setting an intention is the act of stating either out loud or clearly in your head exactly what you hope to achieve during your Reiki session.

It helps keep the session focused on a specific goal, such as releasing tension in a shoulder. You can choose to share your intention with your practitioner, or keep it as a private internal focus.

An intention isn’t a set in stone requirement. You can choose to set no intention at all and simply let the session be what it will be.

Reiki can help with so many things, but it should be used alongside self-care and professional medical care where needed.

It is fantastic for helping you to relax and take more time for yourself. This, in turn, can help you to sleep better and feel better, allowing your body to begin to self-heal with its natural process.

However, for Reiki to truly help long term, looking after yourself outside of your sessions is also required. Whether that’s going for walks, de-stressing, or making positive, healthy life choices.

Processing happens because our bodies hold onto the physical side of emotions. Even if we have talked it all out, the tension can still be held in our bodies. This can show up as muscle tension, inflammation, or other physical ailments.

Reiki helps release that tension, but if it is years and years’ worth, it can result in significant processing or a healing crisis as your body is beginning to bring those emotions to the surface to finally let them out. It can be difficult, but it is a sign that your body is healing.

Processing can show up as headaches, crying, strong emotions, zoning out and flu like symptoms.

Reiki feels different for each and every person. The feeling can also change for the same person in each of their different sessions, even if they go back to the same practitioner.

Often, it is really relaxing and soothing. It feels like you can finally trust to relax and let yourself just be. Imagine the feeling of laying down to go to bed after having a good day, you let go of any stresses, your mind is clear, and your muscles are relaxed.

It can also feel unlike anything you experience in your day to day life. For some, there can be big body twitches, heat, bright light, or colours. It is like your body comes to life. Even with these unusual sensations, it doesn’t feel scary.

Your Reiki Practitioner is there to support you when you feel these strong sensations or if you want to talk about what you experienced during your session.

Reiki is not just one type. From Usui and Angelic to Celtic Reiki, there are hundreds of variations.

We are taught different methods. Even within the same lineage, every Master Teacher brings their own lived experiences to the traditional teachings. This means it’s highly unlikely that even a small percentage of practitioners share the exact same style, methods, or knowledge.

We have our own unique history and values. Because of this human element alone, each Reiki session will feel different.

So, is Reiki always the same? Can it be? Our history, culture, and teachings, combined with our unique personalities, bring so much depth and uniqueness to each session.

While energy work gives your client a chance to relax and perhaps think more clearly, the same old stressors can start to come back in once they get home.

To keep feeling the benefits into the following days and weeks, it’s about making small, conscious choices in their daily routine. This will help their overall wellness.

If your client had an insight during their session, like needing to slow down or not taking on too much, it would be great for them to try to really listen to it.

Otherwise, it’s very easy to get stuck in a cycle of needing another session just to deal with the same stressors they had before. It’s more about not letting those old patterns take over again.

Spirit means whatever you want it to. It’s based on your own belief system, your upbringing, what you personally experience during your Reiki sessions.

Reiki isn’t tied to any religion, though for some people the two do overlap. For some it feels like a connection to something bigger than themselves.

Spirit can also mean your own spirit, your higher self and your connection to yourself.

For some people Reiki helps them tune into their body, their thoughts, and make positive changes in their life.

And for others, the Spirit part doesn’t mean anything at all. They just enjoy receiving Reiki!

We are not perfect, we are all human. But we can strive to be good examples of what we practice.

We have down days, which is a natural part of being human. We may lie low, do self care practices and be kind to ourselves, just as we would suggest to our clients on these days.

Some of us give up all material goods and unhealthy foods, but we don’t have to. Life works well as a balance of healthy things with some treats now and again.

“Rei” means spiritual. “Ki” means energy. Spiritual Energy. In English speaking countries it became known as Universal Life Force Energy.

But where does the Reiki energy actually come from?

With so many interpretations of what Reiki energy is and so little original documentation, we can only really go on how it feels to us as Reiki practitioners.

Most Reiki practitioners don’t feel tired or drained after giving Reiki. If anything, it can feel invigorating and soothing. This suggests the energy isn’t coming from us personally.

For some Reiki practitioners, the energy feels like it’s coming from within, through the heart, arms and into the hands. Perhaps from a deeper part of ourselves, what some might call our higher self.

For other Reiki practitioners, the energy feels like it’s coming from outside of them. For those who resonate with this, it may point to spirits, angels, or source itself.

Reiki can ignore your intention completely. And can be the best thing that ever happens to you.

Most people come to a Reiki session knowing exactly what they want to work on. And then the session goes somewhere completely different.

This is not the practitioner getting it wrong. Reiki is not led by the conscious mind. It is led by what is best for you at that time.

Our subconscious knows what our body needs to heal, whether physically, energetically or emotionally. And that is the part Reiki responds to first.

It communicates this through heat drawing the practitioner’s hands to a specific area, a gut feeling to stay somewhere longer, or a knowing that something specific needs worked on first.

Don’t just carry on your day as normal after your Reiki session.

Your Reiki session does not end when you leave your session. Reiki can keep working in your body for up to 48 hours after your session ends. Maybe even longer, although that is quite rare.

You may not feel like much happened during your Reiki session. But your body could be cleansing and working through the trapped energy that was released for hours or days afterwards.

After your session take time to relax and do things you enjoy. Go out in nature, go for a walk, drink some herbal tea, read a book. Be gentle with yourself.

Think of it as a really good excuse to have some time to yourself and be super nice to yourself for the rest of the day.

Reiki works by clearing energy blockages in the body. Blockages that in most cases have been building up for years, sometimes decades.

One session can begin to loosen them. But it is unlikely to clear them all at once.

This is one of the reasons why every Reiki session feels different.

One session might work on your heart centre and another might focus on your ankle.

Sometimes Reiki follows your intention and other times it naturally goes exactly where it is needed most.

Healing is not linear and it is not always instant. But every Reiki session is doing something incredible for you.

When you’re deeply relaxed during Reiki, your brain shifts out of beta waves into alpha and theta. Beta is the state you’re in most of the day when you’re alert, thinking, and busy.

When you’re in alpha and theta states, the prefrontal cortex becomes much less active. It’s not doing its usual job of tracking the minutes. That’s why time feels like it speeds up or disappears completely during a session.

Plus, Reiki is either extremely relaxing or super interesting and we all know how time can fly when we’re enjoying something!

We all experience energy in different ways. Some of us feel nothing and others can feel energy all around us, even outside of Reiki sessions.

Depending on how much energy is being released during your Reiki session, you may notice it more.

The sensations can also change depending on what area is being worked on.

During Reiki, you may feel soft pressure like something is pushing down on that area.

Sometimes the energy feels like heat spreading through the body.

Some even describe the energy as pleasurable.

Regardless of what the energy feels like during Reiki, it never feels scary or painful.

Experiencing the energy can make you feel so connected to the universe.

How fast you will begin to relax during a Reiki session will depend on things like how your day has been, how comfortable you feel in the space, and if you feel at ease around your practitioner.

A few things that can help you relax faster during your Reiki sessions:
Choose a practitioner you resonate with
Wear comfy clothes
Don’t eat a huge meal beforehand
Go to the bathroom before your session
Even if you don’t fully relax, Reiki still works and still helps you.

Although, there really is nothing like that feeling of coming back to yourself after being so deeply relaxed.

Reiki has a set of principles and techniques that practitioners are trained in.

But after training the Reiki practitioner is free to add their own systems to it.

Some Reiki practitioners work with chakras. Others work with the three diamonds.

Some use crystals, aromatherapy or sound.

Some work hands on. Others work hands off.

The variety of different Reiki sessions available makes it unique and interesting! You can choose a practitioner that uses a method you like and resonates with you.

Many of my clients’ stomachs gurgle during a session and so does mine when receiving Reiki.

There is no need to say sorry or be embarrassed, it’s actually a good sign that Reiki is working.

When we relax, our body naturally begins to digest. So if your stomach is gurgling during a Reiki session it is showing you that you are in a genuinely relaxed state.

Consent in Reiki isn’t just one question at the start, it’s ongoing

Before a Reiki session starts, it’s so important to check with your client if they’re happy with hands on or hands off.

Also, it’s good to ask if there’s anywhere on their body they don’t want touched, or even worked on hands off.

Checking in with your client around boundaries and consent means you can adjust their Reiki session to their needs.

Consent doesn’t stop once the session starts, it continues the whole way through.
If you notice a lot of energy is being released, that’s your cue to check in with your client that they are okay.

You can ask your client if they’d like you to move onto a different area, or continue where you are.