In a fast-paced world filled with stress, anxiety, and constant distractions, many people turn to alternative practices for healing and balance. One such practice is Reiki—a gentle, non-invasive energy healing technique that aims to restore harmony to mind, body, and spirit.
But what is Reiki exactly? How does it work? And can it really improve your well-being?
Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a Japanese energy healing technique developed by Mikao Usui in Japan, in the early 20th century. The word Reiki comes from two Japanese words:
It is a healing technique based on the principle that the therapist can channel energy into the patient to activate the natural healing processes of the patient’s body and restore physical and emotional well-being. Reiki practitioners believe that when your life energy is low or blocked, you’re more likely to experience illness or emotional stress.
Mikao Usui was a well-travelled martial artist and Samurai living in Japan in the early part of last century. He was well versed in the scriptures of various religions, was knowledgeable in psychology and the arts and was also a lay preacher.
Reiki ‘came to him’ after he had undertaken 21 days of fasting and meditation under a sacred tree at the top of Mount Kurama north of Kyoto. At the end he stated that a great energy appeared over his head and he received the gift of Reiki. Once he returned home, he started to practice it on family and friends and realised that he could also teach others how to use it. He opened a training centre in Tokyo and travelled all over Japan teaching and healing. He taught 22 people to the level of master before his death in 1926. Many of his students opened their own clinics and training centres and by the mid 1940’s there were training centres all over Japan.
One of his students, Dr Chujiro Hayashi was a senior officer in the Japanese Navy and had also trained in Western and Chinese medicine. He trained 13 students to Master level. One of them was Mrs Takata who was a Japanese lady living in Hawaii who had travelled to Japan in 1935 to receive Reiki for a serious illness from Dr Hayashi. She was completely healed and therefore trained to master level. She went on, over the next 30 years to run clinics and teach in the United States and most Western Reiki practitioners stem from her lineage. After Japan lost WWII, the Americans outlawed alternative practices and Reiki went underground. While practitioners in Japan are gaining recognition, even today many in Japan are unaware of Reiki’s benefits.
Usui’s grave is just outside Tokyo and is regularly visited by Reiki masters to pay their respects.
A Reiki session typically involves a practitioner placing their hands lightly on or just above the client’s body. The client remains fully clothed and usually lies on a massage table in a calm, meditative environment. It is a completely non-invasive, holistic therapy that is practical and safe.
A Reiki treatment is generally a very relaxing experience. It is a great way to reduce stress, relieve pain, release emotional blockages and accelerate natural healing to create homeostasis. It can also be used in conjunction with other alternative treatments or allopathic medical treatments.
There is no massage or physical manipulation.. Practitioners act as conduits for universal life force energy, which flows through their hands into the client’s energy field or chakras.
During a session, you might:
A Reiki treatment can feel like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. It treats the whole person, body, mind and spirit and many have reported incredible results.
While Reiki is not a substitute for medical treatment, many people use it as a complementary therapy to support their health and healing. Some reported benefits include:
Balancing chi energy allows the chi to circulate throughout the entire body without disruption, smoothly, removing any disruptive blockages.
If you’re curious about what to expect, here’s a quick overview:
The beauty of Reiki is its universal accessibility. It’s safe for everyone, including:
Because Reiki is non-invasive and gentle, it poses no known medical risks. It can be practiced alongside traditional medicine or therapy and can even be used on animals.
Though rooted in spiritual principles, Reiki is not a religion. You don’t have to believe in anything specific to benefit from it. Whether you see Reiki as energy medicine, prayerful intention, or guided meditation, the effects are often personal.
Reiki is spiritual but not religious and has no dogma, there is nothing you have to believe in order to practice it. It is a wonderful life enhancing skill and something you can offer to those you love or even those you don’t.
Some practitioners may also use crystals, sound healing, or chakra balancing—but Reiki itself is simply about presence and energy.
Becoming a Reiki Practitioner
Reiki is typically taught in three levels:
Anyone can learn Reiki. No special skills or beliefs are required. In order to practice Reiki on yourself or others, you take one of the courses outlined above where you receive ‘an attunement’. An attunement is a bit like an initiation where the teacher opens up the student’s energetic pathways and passes on the connection to Reiki allowing the energy to flow freely around the body. Some students report attunements that feel like some form of spiritual experience. Once you have been attuned, the Reiki energy is with you for the rest of your life.
The form and essence of Reiki is passed on only through a person to person relationship with a Reiki Master involving verbal and non-verbal communication and energetic transmissions. Today there has been some dilution of the practice of Reiki and there are therefore many variations on how a practitioner works. However the energy is the same and it can be received by everyone and once attuned, can be practiced by anyone of any age or background.
Let’s clear up a few misconceptions:
In a world that prioritizes productivity over presence, Reiki invites us to slow down, breathe, and tune in. Whether you’re seeking relief from pain, clarity during emotional upheaval, or simply a quiet space to reconnect with yourself, Reiki can offer meaningful support.
As with any holistic practice, the best way to understand Reiki is to experience it. Whether you book a session or take a class, the journey into energy healing can open new doors to peace, balance, and self-awareness.