Receiving Reiki Treatments
In this chapter, we dive into the experience of receiving a reiki treatment. Reiki works to deliver precisely what we need in each moment, and, thus, a reiki treatment is a highly personal experience. That said, there are some basic things that you can expect from every treatment, as well as things you can do, as the recipient, to get the most from your experience, which we’ll cover below.
Choosing a Reiki Practitioner
There is, it seems, endless variation in energy work practices, which can make it tricky to establish any sort of universal criteria for choosing the right practitioner, but here are some useful points to consider:
• What is their training?
• What is their general healing philosophy? For reiki practitioners in particular, how do they feel reiki works to create or support healing?
• What is the format of a typical session?
• How much do sessions cost?
• Do they offer an initial no-obligation session or do they require a multiple-session commitment?
• What is expected of you, the client?
• What results might someone with your issues and goals reasonably expect?
• Do they have prior experience working with clients experiencing similar issues?
• Are reviews available from past or current clients?
I wouldn’t advise working with practitioners who claim to provide the sole route to healing, for example, by requiring you to work only with them, or who recommend that you stop allopathic treatments. Energy work is meant to be a complement to any necessary medical protocols. In some cases, you and your healthcare team may decide that it’s okay for you to cease allopathic treatment, but this is not a decision to be made by the energy practitioner. It’s always good to work with a practitioner on a trial basis before signing up for any lengthy or expensive packages, since even the most experienced, highly recommended practitioners aren’t the best fit for everyone. You should feel comfortable asking the practitioner questions and receive direct answers. Ultimately, trust your intuition!
A Typical Reiki Session
While your experience will vary from practitioner to practitioner, it’s reasonable to expect all or most of the following from your treatment experience. When you first arrive for your session, there will be time to go over your health history, current issues, and goals for the session. The practitioner will give you an overview of the session format so you know what to expect and leave space for you to ask any questions you might have. You should feel safe and comfortable in the treatment room. Some practitioners will ask that you remove any jewelry or metal objects, but you should never be required to undress for a reiki session. As a massage therapist, I combine bodywork and reiki; thus, my clients are often undressed and under the massage drape, but for a reiki-only session, I never ask my clients to undress. Reiki can penetrate clothing just fine, so be wary of practitioners who claim otherwise. Hopefully this goes without saying, but reiki is entirely non-sexual in nature. There is no need for the practitioner to touch your private areas under any circumstances, nor should they make comments of a sexual nature. Even if you are experiencing health issues related, for example, to your reproductive system, reiki can affect these areas without direct contact. Practitioners should hover above areas of privacy or work via adjacent areas.
The treatment will be performed with you sitting in a chair or lying on the treatment table. If you’re on a table, you may have the option to use a sheet, blanket, and/or bolsters. Many clients close their eyes to bring their focus inward, but if you are uncomfortable doing so, you may leave your eyes open. Throughout the session, the practitioner will either place their hands on your body (excepting areas of privacy) over clothing or linens or hover their hands above your body. Some practitioners follow a sequence of set hand positions, while others follow their intuition.
To get the most benefit, I recommend setting the intention to receive whatever it is you most need in this moment, in accordance with your highest good. During the treatment, you may experience a variety of sensations, which can vary from session to session and from one area of the body to another. Some examples include temperature (hot or cold), tingling or mild “itching,” and pulsing or vibration. Sometimes you might not feel much at all, and this is not cause for alarm. When I am receiving reiki, either from myself or another practitioner, there are times when my energetic awareness ebbs and flows, yet I still receive the full benefit of the treatment. While it can be useful to be aware of the possible sensations you might feel so you’re not alarmed during your treatment, ideally you will go into each session without expecting a particular experience. Reiki initiates healing in the way that is best suited to your highest good in each unique moment, and preconceived ideas of what you “should” be experiencing can get in the way of receiving what is most needed.
After Your Session
Be sure to drink plenty of water (unless you have a medical condition for which this isn’t advised) to assist in moving energy through the body and flushing out unneeded energy. While it’s common to feel calm and relaxed after a session, it’s also possible to feel some discomfort. Reiki treatments can initially intensify or exaggerate any issues undergoing healing. If you were to undertake a physical detoxification process, there is often a period during which you feel worse before getting better, which can be caused by, for example, the die-off of harmful bacteria, which can release toxins into your system, or a release of toxins stored in body tissues. In a similar fashion, reiki can trigger the release of stored toxic energies (and, indeed, this can take the form of physical substances, which are also energy) that must be flushed out of your system.
I have noticed another aspect to this process, and that is heightened awareness. After a treatment, you may become more aware of an issue that, previously, was operating largely in the unconscious. For example, after a session you might see an unhealthy pattern that has been playing out in your significant relationship, and following the treatment, it might be very uncomfortable to continue engaging in this pattern. This necessitates learning a new way to respond in the relationship, such as setting clear boundaries or being more open about your feelings. The treatment provides a window of opportunity when our self-awareness is sharpened and our energy is primed to move in a new direction, but in large part, it is up to us to make the shift. If we go back to business as usual, we will reroute our energy to its former pattern. Thus, after a session, I like to spend some time journaling about any insights that arose and any changes that reiki has inspired, coming up with concrete ways to support these shifts in my body, mind, and soul.
Benefits of Receiving Reiki
Reiki supports healing on all levels, and it does so in a way that is specific to what the recipient most needs in the moment; therefore, specific results are impossible to predict. Most people enjoy a sense of calm and relaxation during the treatment, and these effects can linger for hours or days, particularly if the recipient consciously uses this opportunity to cultivate and prolong this state of being. One of my teachers explained that reiki works on the most current, surface-level issues first, followed by progressively addressing deeper and deeper layers, uncovering and healing the roots of current dis-ease that may extend far into your past. I think there’s a great deal of merit to this idea, although I don’t necessarily agree that reiki will always follow this format.
What I can say with confidence is reiki works best when we actively partner with this energy, rather than treating it like a magick pill that absolves us of responsibility for our well-being. There’s a mix of surrender and sacred duty involved: we must open to receive whatever it is we most need in the moment, surrendering the ego’s plans and preferences, while simultaneously acting on the guidance we receive. Reiki will illuminate where our soul expression is hampered, where our energy has been rerouted through confining or convoluted channels, and it will support us in freeing this energy via more authentic expression and remembrance of our True Self, but it is up to us to embody this change. Reiki can inspire and support us, but it cannot force our hand. We must make different choices, moment-by-moment, day-by-day. I have found that when I take actions that are aligned with my True Self, there is a powerful momentum aiding and guiding me, like I’m riding divine flow rather than paddling upstream. Reiki will support us, often in ways that seem downright miraculous, but reiki works through us, not for us.
How Often to Receive Reiki
I’m a big fan of giving myself reiki treatments daily, here and there throughout the day. Perhaps I’ll do a little jôshin kokyû hô (see page 230) in the morning and give myself reiki while I wait for my tea to steep, followed by mini reiki sessions whenever I have some time on my hands. If I’m reading or watching a movie, I’ll place my hands on my belly or any area that feels in need of a little TLC and let reiki flow. Can you do this even if you haven’t been attuned? I believe that you can, that every human being has the ability to transmit healing energy through their body, especially the hands. Others would disagree, though. In the end, follow your heart, and if you feel inspired to take a class and receive an attunement, go for it!
In terms of receiving reiki treatments from another practitioner, the recommended frequency varies. If this is your first treatment, I recommend doing two to three treatments no more than a month apart, ideally only one or two weeks apart, to gain the most benefit. If you are working with a more serious health issue, you might find that scheduling your first three treatments a week apart is best. As discussed earlier, reiki can temporarily intensify symptoms, and regular treatment helps to mitigate this. For general stress relief and relaxation, once a week to once a month works great. As a reiki master, I still enjoy getting treatments from fellow practitioners, as they will sometimes be drawn to areas that exist in one of my energetic blind spots. In calling my attention to these areas, they help me remember more of my True Self, so regardless of your level of experience with reiki, know that you can always learn from others.
In the next chapter, we’ll look at the various options for studying reiki and how to choose the right program and teacher for you.