When we think about healing, we think about modern-day medicine, our PCPs, big pharma... the things that have only been around the last hundred or so years.  It wasn't until after WWII that modern medicine really expanded.  What did people do before then?  They relied on holistic healing methods... herbalism, acupuncture, mindfulness practices such as meditation and breathwork, sacred plant medicine... and of course, energy healing modalities such as reiki. 

 

So, how does it work?

Reiki is a Japanese form of energy healing that focuses on activating the parasympathetic nervous system.

It involves a practitioner channeling Life Force Energy (Ki - also called Qi, Chi, Prana, Biofield Energy) through their hands into the receiver's body. This is done by lightly laying their hands directly on or just above the body to restart the body's natural healing processes to work correctly and effectively.  Reiki helps bring self-awareness to the forefront, allowing one to embrace self-accountability and find inner peace, heightened intuition and mental clarity.  Reiki aligns the energy centers of the body (chakras) and bring a flow of energy from Source to clear energy blockages, release emotional baggage, and foster a sense of deep peace and connection to the "higher self" and the universe.  These things ultimately help guide  individuals towards clarity, purpose, and spiritual growth.​​

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Does it hurt?

 Absolutely not.  Reiki is an extremely relaxing process for most individuals.  While each session will feel different from one person to the next (and even one session to the next for the individual), the most common ways people describe reiki is feeling a "glowing warmth that flows through and around you", "'water flowing through your body" and "feeling like you're floating".   It can be an emotional experience for some people, especially if they have energy or emotional blockages, but it is usually a very wonderful, and necessary, release.  Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing in the long run.

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Does it replace modern healthcare?

 It does not replace.  Reiki can however be used as a complementary alternative therapy to use alongside that care.  Receiving energy during a reiki session activates the body's parasympathetic nervous system which calms the 'fight or flight' and stress responses.  Reiki is best understood as a non-invasive relaxation and nervous system regulation practice. While it is not a medical treatment and does not diagnose or cure disease, its effects overlap with well-documented physiological responses.

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🌿 Nervous system regulation

Reiki sessions consistently place people into a parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) state.

Observed effects:

• Decreased heart rate

• Lower blood pressure

• Reduced cortisol (stress hormone)

• Increased vagal tone (vagus nerve activation)
   

This matters because chronic stress keeps the body in sympathetic overdrive, which is linked to:

• Anxiety and depression

• Immune suppression

• Inflammation

• Digestive disorders

• Sleep disturbances

• Chronic pain
   

Reiki functions similarly to other evidence-backed relaxation therapies like meditation, guided imagery, and therapeutic touch.

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🌼 Pain modulation

Reiki has been shown in clinical settings to help with pain perception.

Mechanisms include:

• Activation of the body’s endogenous opioid system (natural painkillers)

• Reduced muscle guarding and tension

• Improved circulation and oxygenation

• Decreased stress-related pain amplification

This is why Reiki is often used alongside conventional care for:

• Post-operative pain

• Cancer-related pain

• Fibromyalgia

• Migraines

• Chronic musculoskeletal pain

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♥️ Trauma and emotional regulation

Trauma is stored not only cognitively but physiologically.

Reiki:

• Encourages body-based safety

• Reduces hypervigilance

• Helps regulate the limbic system (emotional brain)

• Supports interoception (the ability to sense internal body states)

This makes it useful as an adjunct for people in therapy, especially those doing trauma-informed or somatic work.

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😴 Sleep and fatigue

By lowering sympathetic activation and cortisol, Reiki can:

• Improve sleep onset

• Increase sleep depth

• Reduce stress-related insomnia

• Improve daytime energy through better rest quality

This is particularly relevant for people with burnout, caregiving fatigue, or chronic illness.

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🌟 Immune and inflammatory response

Stress is a known contributor to immune dysfunction and inflammation.

Reiki’s relaxation response has been associated with:

• Reduced inflammatory markers

• Improved immune cell activity

• Faster recovery times in hospital settings (when used as complementary care)

Many hospitals include Reiki under integrative or complementary medicine, not as a cure, but as a supportive modality.

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Reiki is not witchcraft, nor is it evil, it is just about moving energy through the body to keep it at it's very best.