Reiki Treatment – FAQs

Here are some of the more common questions usually asked about a Reiki treatment. If this gentle holistic healing method has created some curiosity for you and you would like to find out more please feel free to contact me here.

How does Reiki work?

We all have a life force energy (also known as ki, chi, prana) which flows throughout our body and around our body in our energy field known as the aura.

Our energy field responds to our thoughts, emotions, anything we are experiencing in everyday life, the positive and the negative.  When we experience the lower energies/negative vibrations such as sadness, anger, grief, negativity, trauma, our energy field responds to this by becoming disrupted and blocked.  If this stagnant flow is not cleared and dispersed it can manifest into physical illness.

Reiki is spiritual in nature and has a very high vibration.  It is able to flow though the aura and the physical body, raising the level of vibration with positive energy.  This strengthens the body’s own natural healing ability of self-healing.  It pacifies any negative emotions and has an immediate effect of calming any stress and tension.

Is Reiki religious?

Reiki is not linked to any religion and to experience a Reiki treatment it isn’t necessary to belong to any particular belief system.  Reiki is a simple system and is suitable for anyone’s individual beliefs.  It can in fact be a support for any religious practices.  As well as the hands on healing Reiki is moreover associated with encouraging mindfulness, being present along with supporting spiritual development. 

Is Reiki always safe?

Reiki is non-invasive, it involves no manipulation of the physical body and is very safe during pregnancy and for children.  Reiki works with the body’s own healing ability and it has a non-dualistic vibration as opposed to a dualistic one.

A dualistic form of energy can be used both in healing and in a harmful way depending on the intention. We can see this in martial arts – the chi (the energy) can be used to strike someone or the same energy can be used to heal an injury.  The Reiki energy and system do not have this flip side to it, it always works for the higher good.

What will I feel during a reiki treatment and are there any side-effects?

What you will experience does vary from person to person but usually a feeling of calmness, deep relaxation and a feeling of serenity is felt. The reiki energy helps you to let go of any anxiety, tension and stress giving you a feeling of overall well-being. During a reiki treatment the majority of recipients usually “drift off” gradually and fall asleep. This is beneficial in helping the treatment along because when the mind and body are very relaxed greater healing can take place. Sometimes the person can feel a little warmth from the practitioners hands or they may experience a sinking or floating feeling. However, the experiences are subtle and gentle with no dramatic side-effects.

How is the reiki treatment given?

The recipient lies fully clothed on the couch or is sometimes seated. The practitioner will connect with the reiki energy, The reiki energy flows from the practitioners hands into the recepient.  Some reiki practitoners will scan the energy field first (I usually do this to see if there are any particular areas to work on). The practitioner places their hands in a series of hand positions directly on the body or sometimes just above in the energy field (the aura).  The hand positions are held for a few minutes each time. The hand positions will vary from person to person and based on that particular recipient's needs.  Positions include, around the head area, shoulders, torso, limbs and feet. A standard reiki treatment usually lasts about an hour.

How is Reiki different from other healing energies?

Not all energy healers use Reiki.  There are several types of energy healing, as well as Reiki, there is Pranic healing, Spiritual Healing, Qigong, Shamanic healing, Theta healing and there are many, many more.  The difference is in the procedure of connecting to the energy and the method of treatment.  Within other energy systems the learning process is longer, the student needs to learn how to access it, store it and learn how to direct the energy. And usually they are using their own personal energy, their own Ki.

Reiki is unique in the fact that the attunement process from Reiki Master to student enables the reiki energy to be accessed immediately.  Once attuned reiki practitioners can access the life force energy instead of using their own personal energy or Ki.  This can be used for self-healing or to facilitate the healing of others.  During a Reiki session their own personal Ki is protected.

There is so much more to Reiki than just the hands on healing, so if you have any other questions on Reiki please feel free to contact me here.