My First Reiki Session (and Why I Became a Practitioner)
The first time I had a Reiki session, I had no idea what to expect. A friend told me it made them feel "really relaxed and good," and that was all the endorsement I needed.
During my session, I did feel relaxed, but I also felt connected to something divine and magical. I saw images of animals, colors, and people I didn't know. I noticed sensations in my body I had never felt before. For months afterward, I had insights that felt like messages from outside myself. I felt changed.
Learning That I Wouldn't Be "Performing" Anything
I wanted to learn how to "perform" Reiki for others. At my training, I was humbled to learn that as a practitioner, I wouldn't be performing anything at all. I wasn't unlocking some sacred witchcraft (as I had secretly hoped :), but learning to act as a channel for an energy that's already all around us: life force energy, called ki in Japanese (you may also know it as qi).
In Reiki, we understand ourselves as energy, affected by the energy around us. Sometimes our systems get bogged down or stop flowing as naturally as we'd like. Reiki is meant to gently support us back toward our natural state of balance.
What Happens in a Session
In an in-person session, you lie down, fully clothed and cozy, while I move around you, focusing on areas like your forehead, shoulders, belly, and feet, holding space quietly at each one. No pressure, no poking, nothing to "do" on your end except be there. You're simply open to receiving, and I'm acting as a conduit.
Everyone experiences it a little differently. Some people feel warmth or gentle tingling. Some cry, in the good, releasing kind of way. Some don't feel much of anything. Sometimes the shift shows up more in the days after than in the moment. All of it is normal, and I trust the process. I believe the energy shows up exactly as it needs to.
Wait, You Can Do This From Far Away?
Yes! Because life force energy is everywhere, Reiki can happen in person or at a distance. This is usually where people raise an eyebrow, so let's talk about it.
In a distance session, we both hold the same intention and follow the same process we would in person. You just get to stay in your own space. Many of my clients tell me distance sessions feel just as restful, and some actually prefer them. There's something lovely about not having to drive home afterward.
What People Often Notice
Most people describe Reiki as deeply relaxing, though every experience is its own.
Stress and trauma don't just live in our thoughts. They show up in our shoulders, our jaw, the way we brace before we even know why. Reiki offers the body a quiet, safe space to soften and let go, without needing to talk anything through.
Reiki is a complement to therapy and medical care, not a replacement for either.
Come As You Are
In person or from wherever you're curled up on your own couch, come as you are. Bring whatever beliefs you already have, or none at all. Reiki meets you wherever you're standing (or lying down, no judgment).
