Reiki

Reiki is typically delivered through gentle hand placements and is grounded in the concept that an unseen life‑force energy flows through each person. When this energy is low, a person may be more prone to illness and stress; when it is balanced and strong, they are better able to maintain health and emotional resilience.

Reiki is a gentle, noninvasive energy-healing practice that can support well-being across all life forms! This includes adults (including pregnant women), babies, pets, and plants.

• Adults: Reiki sessions can help alleviate anxiety, improve sleep, and complement conventional medical care

• Babies: practitioners use soft, respectful touch or hands-off techniques to soothe fussiness and support calm development

• Pets: Reiki can ease fear, pain, and behavioral stress by working with their innate energy in a quiet, unthreatening way

• Plants: subtle energetic interactions are believed to enhance vitality and resilience.

Reiki is intended as a complementary approach, adapted to the needs and receptivity of each recipient, and practitioners emphasize consent, safety, and coordination with appropriate veterinary or medical care when needed.

Experiences of Reiki vary by person and session, but common sensations people report include:

• Warmth or gentle heat: Many feel a soft rising warmth where the practitioner’s hands are placed or in other body areas, as if a mild heat source is present.

• Tingling or pulsing: A light buzzing, pins-and-needles, or subtle pulsing sensation can occur in hands, limbs, or around the head.

• Deep relaxation: A pervasive sense of calm, heavy limbs, relaxed breathing, and the body sinking into the table or chair are frequent outcomes.

• Lightness or floating: Some describe feeling airy, buoyant, or as if their body is lighter than usual.

• Energy movement: People often notice waves, currents, or shifts of energy—sensations that travel through the torso, limbs, or along the spine.

• Emotional release: Unexpected emotions (tears, laughter, relief) may surface as blocked feelings shift or resolve.

• Visual or sensory imagery: Closed-eye visuals, colors, flashes of light, or vivid mental images can appear for some recipients.

• Physical shifts: Muscle looseness, reduced tension, or temporary stiffness as the body rebalances.

• Temperature contrasts: Cool breezes or cold spots contrasting with warmth in other areas; sudden localized chilliness is not uncommon.

• Nothing at all: It’s normal to feel little or nothing during a session and still experience benefits afterward.

Timing and intensity differ: sensations can be subtle or pronounced, localized or whole-body, immediate or appearing hours to days later.

There is a growing body of research on Reiki, examining its effects on stress reduction, pain management, sleep quality, and overall well-being. For those interested in credible studies, summaries, and continuing updates, explore the Center for Reiki Research to learn more!