What to Expect in a Reiki Session

If you have never received reiki before but have been wanting to give it a try, knowing exactly what happens during a session may help you feel more comfortable about finally scheduling an appointment. So, look no further, this is what you can expect in a reiki session...

Intake Process

Just like any other therapy or doctor's office, when you arrive at your first appointment you will need to fill out paperwork that usually consists of an intake health form and a confidentiality contract. Your reiki professional may want to ask a few questions to clarify what you said on your forms so both you and your practitioner are on the same page.

 Once your reiki professional feels confident in what your goals are for receiving reiki, they will then have you lay on a reiki table (or massage table) face up and fully clothed-you will never need to undress for a reiki session. You will then be asked if you prefer hands on or hands off-more about this next. Every practitioner is different but at this point I like to tell my clients to close their eyes and simply listen to their breath during the healing. This is when the healing session begins.

The Healing

Every healer has a slightly different approach and routine. How the practitioner does your healing also depends on your goals as the receiver, but they will start with an energetic scan of your energy, set an intention and activate the reiki energy-not necessarily in that order but if you are laying there with your eyes closed not knowing what's going on, this is what they're doing! This part does not involve any hands-on work. I also like to use crystals during my client's healings so I will place those on the seven main chakra points at this time.

Personally, I start the healing with the head and work my way down to the feet, because energy flows downward. If the client asked for a hands on session, then I simply just place my hands on their chakra points. There is no rubbing or massaging involved. However, even with a hands-on session there are still chakra points that are better left untouched such as the crown, throat, and root chakras. A hands-off session is when the healer either hovers the hands over the chakras or draws the reiki symbols in the air with their hand and activates them into each chakra. Again, you won't feel any physical touch if they do it this way, but you may feel something energetically. Everyone is different.

Whether hands on or off, balancing a chakras energy could take several minutes or not at all. Once your practitioner feels like the energy is balanced at one point, they will move on to the next chakra. If you are receiving reiki for physical rehabilitation, then they will probably focus more on physical parts of the body or a combination of your energy channels and physical body since they are connected energetically.

The picture below shows the seven main chakra locations.

Once the chakra points on the front of the body have been balanced, your reiki healer may then have you turn over to balance them on the back side of your body. But again, not every practitioner will do this, and it also depends on your goals and the intention of your healing.

During your healing you may experience different sensations and/or emotions and this is ok! I have had clients tell me they feel tingling all over their body, deep relaxation like they've never experienced, black smoke releasing from their body, and some feel nothing at all. During my very first reiki healing years ago I felt like I was floating off of the table and at one point thought I was going to fall! Some will also feel an emotional release, and if you do, your reiki practitioner will encourage you to let it out. Emotions are not meant to be held on to so let it go.

The Closing

Once the healing is over, your practitioner will gently and quietly let you know. They will give you a few moments to gather yourself and help guide you to a sitting position on the table but only if needed. After the session some healers may tell you what they found during the healing, others may not. The important thing is that you are balanced. If the aftereffects of a reiki session were not included in the paperwork you filled out before the session, then your practitioner would then let you know that some people experience an energetic detox in the following days up to two weeks after your session. This could be experienced as mood swings and/or a physical detox that appears as cold symptoms. There is nothing special you need to do other than treat your symptoms accordingly and just let it pass. Your body just went through something it has never experienced before, so it's important to give yourself a little extra grace at this time. I went through an energetic detox once I became attuned to reiki by my teacher. Thankfully, it only lasted a few days.

So, this is what to expect during your first reiki session. Easy-peasy right? It's also beneficial to know that every healing you have will be slightly different because our energy is always changing. Reiki is just like any other therapy in the sense that to experience any lasting change you need to keep going. Your reiki professional will be able to tell you how often is necessary depending on your goals.

For now, I hope this provided some clarity and even made you schedule your first ever reiki session! For any other questions or to schedule an appointment always feel free to reach out to me.