12/09/2025
What Reiki Is — and What It Is Not
A clear, grounded guide for anyone curious about energy healing.
Reiki is one of the most gentle, supportive healing modalities I’ve ever encountered — and after nearly a decade of practicing, I’ve found that people are often deeply curious but also a little unsure of what it actually is.
So let’s clear that up.
Here’s what Reiki is, and just as importantly, what it is not.
🌟 What Reiki IS
1. A gentle, non-invasive energy healing practice
Reiki works with the body’s natural energy system. Practitioners channel universal life force energy through the hands to support balance, grounding, and restoration. It can be done in-person or at a distance — energy is not limited by physical space.
2. A complementary wellness modality
Reiki is meant to support, not replace, medical or psychological care. Many people pair Reiki with therapy, physiotherapy, massage, or medical treatment to help reduce stress and support the body’s own healing processes.
3. A practice that encourages the body’s natural healing wisdom
Reiki doesn’t force anything. It gently encourages the nervous system to downshift from stress-mode into rest-and-repair mode, supporting clarity, resilience, and emotional release when you’re ready.
4. Safe for all ages and stages of life
Reiki is safe for children, adults, elders, and even animals. Because it’s non-invasive and intuitive, the energy meets each person exactly where they are.
5. A spiritual practice — not tied to any religion
Reiki has spiritual aspects, because it works with energy and intention, but it is not a religion and it does not require any belief system to be effective. People of all backgrounds benefit from it.
6. A deeply relaxing experience
Many clients report sensations like warmth, tingling, release, peace, emotional lightness, or simply a sense of “deep exhale.”
Some even fall asleep — which is perfectly normal.
❌ What Reiki IS NOT
1. It is not mind control, manipulation, or psychic intrusion
Reiki cannot force emotions, thoughts, or behaviours. It works with your energy, not on you.
2. It is not a substitute for medical or mental health treatment
Reiki practitioners do not diagnose, prescribe, or treat medical conditions. Reiki supports the whole person, but it doesn’t replace professional care.
3. It is not about giving away your power
Reiki actually strengthens your own inner clarity and alignment. It doesn’t make decisions for you, it simply helps you return to yourself.
4. It is not harmful or invasive
There is no manipulation of muscles, no force, and no energetic “pushing.” Reiki flows gently and only goes where it is welcome.
5. It is not tied to a particular belief system
There’s no dogma, no conversion, and no required spiritual identity. Reiki is universal, grounding, and accessible to anyone.
6. It is not woo-woo magic or “just placebo”
While research into energy healing is ongoing, studies consistently show benefits in stress reduction, nervous system regulation, emotional balance, and overall well-being. Reiki doesn’t require belief — it simply works with your body’s natural biology.
Why I Practice Reiki
For me, Reiki has always been about healing, empowerment, and remembrance — helping people reconnect with the part of themselves that already knows how to heal.
Over the last ten years, I’ve watched clients find peace in chaos, clarity in confusion, and softness where there was tension. I’ve used it on myself when I felt untethered or overwhelmed. I’ve used it for distance sessions, supported by my trusty proxy bear, Clyde.
Reiki reminds us that healing doesn’t have to be forceful.
Sometimes, it’s gentle.
Sometimes, it’s quiet.
Sometimes, it simply invites us back into our own bodies.
If you’d like to experience Reiki — my messages are always open. 💛✨
Send a message to learn more
