Before your Reiki session begins, your therapist should have a short chat with you. This is to check in about how you're feeling that day, whether you prefer a hands-on or hands-off approach for your treatment, and any special requests you might have (like if you need to stretch or keep your eyes open).

 

Remember - you're in control, so if there are specific areas you'd rather avoid (for example, maybe you'd prefer not to have your feet worked on), just let your therapist know. You should also be able to bring a friend or carer along whether it's for safety, logistics, or just reassurance. If you choose to do this, it's a good idea to let your therapist know, ahead of time, so that they can make any arrangements necessary for seating etc, for the person accompanying you to be in the treatment space. 

 

This chat is also your chance to ask your therapist questions or for clarification, or to share any concerns you might have. Your Reiki therapist is there to make this experience as smooth and tailored to you as possible, so don't be shy!

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During the treatment itself, you'll typically be comfortably lying or sitting down, fully clothed but having removed your shoes, coat, glasses and any heavy jewellery. You'll perhaps be covered with a cosy blanket; and in a space free of harsh lighting. Soft, soothing music (if you'd like) sets the scene for your relaxation and comfort.

 

You should feel free to hit the pause button or halt the treatment anytime you wish. This will not impact negatively on your treatment in any way, and Reiki can stop and start as many times as you need it to. 

 

Reiki has a way of gently releasing and clearing blocks on various levels, which might manifest as a strong emotional response like laughter or tears, subtle movements in your limbs, or even a cough (especially if a throat chakra block is shifting). If you find yourself surprised or concerned about these reactions, or if you just need a moment to regroup before continuing, take a breather whenever you'd like. You're in the driving seat, and you're best placed to know what you need, so don't worry that it's being rude or difficult - quite the contrary! 

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Experiencing responses like those described above, is completely normal and often occurs as a natural outcome of the Reiki energy working to restore a healthy balance and flow of qi in the body.

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A Reiki treatment will usually be a full body treatment from head to foot; sometimes lying on the back, sometimes in side position or lying on the front. This really depends on any physical requirements you might have, your own preference/comfort, as well as the Reiki professional’s intuition (i.e. a Reiki practitioner may not need or may choose not to ask a client to move onto their front or side, as Reiki can be used to reach those areas without the client having to move).

 

However, please don't feel you have to go along with what's ordinarily done, and remember - the practitioner is there for you, not the other way around. So if you have a preference, a professional Reiki practitioner should welcome you sharing that. Don't be shy - you're helping them to help you get the most from the treatment - and that's what it's all about!

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Your Reiki practitioner will often also ask whether there’s a particular outcome or goal you'd like the Reiki treatment to help with; because although the outcome expected should not be fixed, it can be empowering and helpful for you to create a mantra, or set an intention in your mind, to take into the treatment with you.

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Each Reiki treatment will be experienced differently by each individual person, and you are likely to experience different treatments with the same practitioner, differently. It’s a dynamic process, and how someone receives and experiences Reiki will depend on how they are feeling, and how their energy is, on that particular day.

 

In a way, how different people experience Reiki is a bit like listening to music! How the music makes you feel, and how much you feel affected by it will vary, depending on how you’re feeling, the weather, what’s just happened in your day and how much sleep you got last night - as well as who's performing the music.

 

If Reiki doesn't feel the way you're expecting it to, or the way you've felt it before, that's nothing to be concerned about. Reiki always works, and it always has a positive effect. The way we experience it can be really vivid and "good weird" (as many people have described it to me, after their first session!) but this can actually be a distraction from the healing itself. One way you could look at it, is that your brain is trying to interpret the energy and understand it - and this can give the images and colours/sensations which some people experience. The healing itself happens just the same, whether or not there are any other aspects or interesting things we experience. And seeing colours/people etc doesn't always have a deeper meaning. See whether you can step back from trying to understand or engage with any "weird" experiences you might be having (or not) and just accept whatever the body and brain goes through as just one layer. You could maybe instead, see whether you can tune into the deeper healing that's going on, and notice what happens then...

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Some of the most commonplace responses/experiences that people have during a Reiki treatment are:
 

• Temperature changes (in all or part of the body);

• Tingling sensations, or feelings of an increase in air pressure;

• The feeling that their body is very heavy, or very light;

• Seeing colours or images/people/dreaming;

• Not knowing whether they’re awake or asleep;

• The feeling that more than one person is giving them Reiki;

• Deep relaxation;

• Busy thoughts continuing, but still feeling very relaxed;

• Sudden insight or realisations about their own lives;

• Feelings of deep reassurance/wellbeing/feeling uplifted.

 

After a treatment, you may feel a little light-headed or “spacey”, and so you should be given the chance to come round slowly. Your practitioner should then let you sit for a few minutes and offer you a drink of water or tea, so that you can reground properly (come back into the here & now, and feel fully back in your body), before you leave.

 

There are also some things you should try to do after receiving Reiki, so that you can reap the maximum benefit from your treatment. I

• stay well hydrated after a Reiki treatment,

• take things easy - try to avoid high-intensity exercise on the same day as your treatment;

• avoid stimulants. This is purely because the Reiki energy will still be in your body, still doing its job, for a couple of days after treatment – and you’ll reap more benefits from it if you follow these guidelines.

There are also some mild post-treatment symptoms that you might experience:

 

• feeling a little more emotional, as stuck emotional blocks or experiences come to the surface and are released (like a holistic Reiki detox);

• feeling a little under the weather – from the physical detoxification effects of the treatment – mild cold symptoms, for example. This should only last a day or two, and will only be very mild;

• Feeling thirsty;

• Needing the toilet more often;

• Having memories or ideas surfacing or resurfacing, or "big dreams" (try not to worry or try too hard to figure them out - writing down what you experience/remember can be useful as you'll be able to revisit and make more sense of these things afterwards, when you have a little more distance and clarity.

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If you have any more serious symptoms, please see a healthcare professional, as any post-Reiki symptoms will be mild and short-lived. And if you have any concerns or questions, your Reiki professional should be available for you to get in touch to talk to.