You dress for your comfort, and you stay fully clothed during a Reiki session. You simply lie on the cushioned table (or in your own bed, if it’s a distance Reiki session), get into a relaxed state, and keep yourself open to receiving Reiki energy.

During the session, energy is simply flowing from the practitioner to you. You're allowing life force energy to come in and heal; I am merely acting as a channel or a bridge for the energy. I use Usui Reiki hand positions and intuitive hand placements—with my hands on or above your body during in-person sessions—to channel energy to you. Sessions are usually silent, but I’ll share any intuitive messages or questions that come to me while I work.

Most people experience Reiki as a deep sense of relaxation. They sometimes go into a deep meditative state or simply fall asleep — that’s often the quickest path to getting the conscious mind out of the way to allow intuitive healing. Because we remove our egos and our consciousness in sessions, the Reiki can free flow to the places you need it most.

It varies! Some people, especially as they begin their Reiki journey, feel like they took an expensive but luxuriously restful nap. Other people feel energized and walk out on cloud nine. Because Reiki can be working to clear energy blockages in the body, clients can feel emotionally exhausted or agitated, even days later, because the Reiki targeted something uncomfortable that your conscious self needs to work on and heal.

It’s important to pay attention to the thoughts and feelings that came up during your session; Reiki has brought them to the surface for a reason. Even the uncomfortable feelings are for your greater good — and they show up where some of the most important healing needs to take place.

I get Reiki every two weeks, but it’s a personal and intuitive choice about how often Reiki sessions are right for you. It depends where you're at in life and what you're trying to achieve. Reiki can never do any harm, so you can receive Reiki as often as you want, on a regular schedule as self-maintenance, or on a one-off basis as you feel you need it.

Reiki falls into the “woo-woo” category, but don't knock it until you try it with an open mind! Researchers continue to build a wealth of data that supports the power of the mind in driving our well-being. Bessel van der Kolk’s seminal book The Body Keeps the Score details the ways unresolved trauma and emotions manifest physically; the energy of the mind can create physical pain, and energy can help to heal that pain too. Medical Reiki studies done in major hospitals during surgery and recovery show noticeably better outcomes when Reiki is used as a complementary therapy.