Healing with Reiki is a process of channeling universal life force energy, not a projection of the practitioner’s personal energy. A practitioner who has received a Reiki attunement acts as a conduit, allowing this energy to flow through their hands to the recipient. The energy then activates the recipient’s own natural healing processes, working to restore balance on physical, emotional, and mental levels. A typical session is a passive experience for the client, who lies fully clothed while the practitioner places their hands in specific positions.
The Reiki Healing Process
The process of healing with Reiki is based on a cooperative relationship between the practitioner, the recipient, and the universal life force energy itself.
The Role of the Reiki Healer
The practitioner’s primary role is to be a clear, passive, and non-judgmental channel. After receiving an attunement, their energy system is “tuned” to the Reiki frequency. During a session, they do not push their own energy, will, or intention into the client. Instead, they get their own ego out of the way and simply allow the intelligent Reiki energy to flow through them. The energy is then drawn by the recipient’s body to the areas where it is most needed. In a way, the practitioner is a facilitator, not the healer per se, as it’s the universal life force that performs the healing.
The Experience of the Recipient
For the recipient, the primary experience is one of deep relaxation as the parasympathetic nervous system is activated. Common sensations include:
- A feeling of deep, radiating warmth from the practitioner’s hands.
- Subtle tingling, pulsing, or a “pins and needles” sensation.
- Seeing colors or images behind closed eyelids.
- A feeling of floating or, conversely, of being very heavy and grounded.
- Sudden emotional releases, such as crying or laughter, as stuck energy is processed.
These experiences are all normal. The body is simply responding to the influx of balancing energy and beginning its own innate healing work.
What a Typical Reiki Session Looks Like
A professional Reiki session is a structured, non-invasive experience. The client remains fully clothed and typically lies face-up on a massage table in a quiet, peaceful room.
- Consultation: The session begins with a brief, confidential conversation about the client’s health and their goals for the session (e.g., stress reduction, pain management, emotional balance).
- Preparation: The practitioner will center and ground themselves, set a clear intention for the highest good of the client, and mentally “scan” the client’s energy field (Byosen scanning).
- The Treatment: The practitioner will gently place their hands in a series of positions on or just above the client’s body. This usually starts at the head and moves down the torso, covering the major chakras, organs, and glands. The practitioner may also be guided to spend more time on specific areas of imbalance. There is no muscle manipulation or pressure.
- Completion: After the main treatment, the practitioner may “sweep” or “comb” the client’s aura to clear any remaining energetic debris and ensure the energy field is sealed and balanced.
- Post-Session: The practitioner gently rouses the client. The client may be encouraged to drink water, and there is a brief discussion about the experience.
The Function of Reiki Hand Positions
The use of hand positions is a foundational part of the Usui Reiki system, but it is often combined with intuitive guidance as the practitioner gains experience.
Traditional Hand Positions
In the Usui system, practitioners are sometimes taught a set of standard hand positions. These positions are not arbitrary; they are systematically designed to deliver energy to the entire body. They correspond directly to:
- The seven major chakras.
- Key endocrine glands (pineal, pituitary, thyroid, thymus, adrenals, etc.).
- Major internal organs (brain, lungs, heart, liver, stomach, kidneys).
Following these positions ensures a complete, “whole-body” treatment, even for a beginner who may not yet be confident in their intuitive abilities.
Intuitive Hand Placement
As practitioners become more experienced, they develop a heightened sensitivity to energy. They learn to use techniques like Byosen Reikan-Ho (scanning the body with their hands to detect imbalances) and Reiji-Ho (allowing their intuition to guide their hands to the exact spot that needs healing). This intuitive placement does not replace the traditional positions but augments them, allowing for a more targeted and dynamic session. A practitioner might be guided to spend 20 minutes on a client’s shoulder or knee instead of following the standard 3-5 minutes per position.
Learning Reiki: The Role of Self-Study
It is possible to learn the theory of Reiki on your own. You can read books and watch videos to understand its history, the Five Precepts, the chakra system, and the traditional hand positions. This intellectual knowledge is a valuable supplement to your practice.
However, you cannot learn to practice Reiki from a book. Reading a manual on swimming does not teach you how to swim. This knowledge is purely informational. It does not open your energy channels or connect you to the Reiki source. The ability to channel Reiki is not a skill learned through study; it is an ability either developed through practice or transmitted energetically.
The Necessity of the Reiki Attunement
The single most important, non-negotiable element in the Usui Reiki traditional system is the attunement. This is a sacred ritual performed by a qualified Reiki Master-Teacher, where the Master passes the attunement to the student, permanently connecting the student’s energy system to the source of Reiki.
This energetic initiation is what separates Reiki from intuitive forms of energy healing. While general energy healing, in theory, can be practiced by anyone with an innate skill, Reiki is a specific “system.” Practicing Usui Reiki requires being part of that system.
An individual who has not received an attunement but who claims to practice Reiki is generally seen as engaging in an informal or unauthorized practice. Most professional, certified Reiki healers will not view such a person as a legitimate Reiki practitioner. Furthermore, clients are increasingly knowledgeable and will ask to see credentials and a verifiable lineage (the line of Master-Teachers back to Mikao Usui). A “self-attuned” healer will likely be distrusted, as it goes against the foundational tradition of the practice.
While it is true that no one “owns” universal life energy, an unattuned healer is far better served by calling themselves an “energy healer,” “bioenergy therapist,” or “energy medicine practitioner.” If they possess the conviction and skill, they could even establish their own school or system (like Ole Gabrielsen, for instance). They cannot, however, in good faith, claim to practice the traditional, lineage-based system of Usui Reiki Ryoho.
