Reiki is a Japanese energy healing practice developed in the 1920s by Mikao Usui. It works on the principle that a practitioner can support the body's own healing capacity by channelling life-force energy through light touch or near-body hand positions. That description alone puts some people off. But Reiki has a devoted following for good reason, and it's worth understanding what it actually involves before you decide whether it's for you.
Where Reiki comes from
Mikao Usui developed the practice in Japan after a period of intensive meditation on Mount Kurama in 1922. He described receiving an attunement to healing energy during that retreat, and he spent the rest of his life teaching the method. The practice spread internationally through Dr Chujiro Hayashi and then Hawayo Takata, who brought it to the United States and later to the rest of the Western world. Today, Reiki is practised in hospitals, palliative care settings, wellness centres and private clinics across Australia and internationally.
The word itself breaks into two parts: rei, meaning universal or spiritual wisdom, and ki, meaning life-force energy. It's the same underlying concept as qi in traditional Chinese medicine and prana in the Ayurvedic tradition.
What actually happens in a session
A typical Reiki session runs between 45 and 90 minutes. You remain fully clothed and lie down on a treatment table. The practitioner places their hands lightly on or just above specific areas of the body, moving through a sequence that usually starts at the head and works down to the feet. Each position is held for 3 to 5 minutes.
You don't need to do anything. There's no breathwork, no talking required, no movement. Most people feel warmth or a gentle tingling in the areas being worked on. Others notice a deep sense of relaxation that arrives within the first few minutes and doesn't fully lift until they've had time to settle after leaving. Some people feel nothing particularly distinct during the session and notice changes only in the hours or days that follow: better sleep, reduced muscle tension, a quieter mind.
It's common to feel emotional during or after a session. This isn't unusual. When the nervous system drops into a genuinely relaxed state, held tension often surfaces. Practitioners who are trained to hold space for this will normalise it rather than treat it as a problem.
What Reiki is used for
People turn to Reiki for a wide range of reasons. Stress and anxiety are the most common. Chronic pain, fatigue, grief, recovery from illness, and difficulty sleeping are also frequent motivations. Some people use it as a regular maintenance practice, in the same way someone might get a monthly massage. Others come to it during a particular period of difficulty and find it helps them process what's happening.
It's worth being clear about what Reiki doesn't claim to do: it isn't a medical treatment, and no reputable practitioner will suggest it can diagnose or cure a specific condition. It works well alongside conventional medical care, not in place of it. In palliative care settings in particular, Reiki has been used to reduce pain, ease anxiety and improve quality of life for patients who are nearing end of life.
If you're already working with other complementary approaches, Reiki pairs naturally with practices like sound healing, which also works with vibrational energy and the body's response to non-verbal input.
The three degrees of Reiki training
Reiki practitioners train across three levels, sometimes called degrees or levels. First Degree focuses on self-healing and introduces the basic hand positions. Second Degree introduces symbols used to direct energy and includes distance healing techniques. Third Degree, or Reiki Master, allows the practitioner to attune others and teach the method. When you're choosing a practitioner, it's reasonable to ask which level they hold and how long they've been practising.
In Australia, Reiki isn't regulated as a health profession, so quality varies. Look for someone with training through a recognised lineage, genuine Reiki practice hours, and professional indemnity insurance. The Australian Traditional-Medicine Society (ATMS) maintains a directory of accredited natural therapists, including Reiki practitioners, which is a useful starting point.
Distance Reiki: how it works and whether it does
Second Degree Reiki includes techniques for working with someone who isn't physically present. Distance sessions have become more common since 2020, when in-person appointments became difficult for many people. The session typically takes place at an agreed time, with the recipient resting quietly at home while the practitioner works remotely.
Whether you find this plausible depends largely on your existing framework for energy and consciousness. For practitioners and recipients who work with it regularly, the results feel consistent with in-person sessions. For sceptics, it remains the hardest aspect of Reiki to accept. It's fine to try in-person sessions first and form your own view before exploring distance work.
How to prepare for your first session
Wear comfortable, loose clothing. Avoid a heavy meal in the two hours before. Drink water beforehand, as the session can have a mildly detoxifying effect on some people. Arrive a few minutes early so you have time to settle rather than rushing in.
Tell the practitioner about any specific areas of concern or discomfort so they can spend more time there. You don't need to share more than you're comfortable with. A good practitioner will take a brief intake history and check in about your intentions for the session without pressing you.
After the session, give yourself at least 30 minutes before returning to anything demanding. Drink water. Don't be surprised if you feel unusually tired in the hours that follow. This is your body processing the shift, and it usually resolves after rest and sleep. Some people describe feeling lighter, more grounded, or more emotionally open for the day or two that follow. Paying attention to those subtler signals is part of how you get the most from the practice. It's the same attention that reading your body's signals requires when making any wellness decision.
Is Reiki right for you?
Reiki suits people who are open to non-invasive, hands-on approaches to wellbeing and who are looking for something that works quietly on the nervous system rather than demanding a lot of active participation. It's a good fit if you respond well to rest-based therapies or find that bodywork helps you process emotions you can't easily access through conversation.
It isn't a substitute for medical care, counselling or treatment for serious mental health conditions. If you're carrying significant emotional weight, it may be most useful as part of a broader approach. Many people who integrate Reiki into their wellness rhythm treat it similarly to how they treat other emerging holistic health practices: with curiosity, consistency and a willingness to notice what shifts.
One session won't tell you much. Three sessions, spaced a week or two apart, give you enough data to assess how your body actually responds. Start there.