What Is Reiki?
Reiki (Ray-key) is a Japanese healing practice developed in the early 20th century by Mikao Usui. The word combines "rei" (universal/spiritual) and "ki" (life energy/chi/prana) — translated roughly as "universal life energy." A Reiki practitioner acts as a channel, placing their hands lightly on or just above the recipient's body in a series of positions, with the intention of facilitating the flow of healing energy. Unlike massage, Reiki involves minimal or no physical pressure — the work is primarily energetic rather than physical.
What Happens in a Session
A typical Reiki session lasts 60-90 minutes. You remain fully clothed, lying comfortably on a treatment table. The practitioner moves their hands through a series of positions over the body, spending several minutes at each location. What recipients report varies widely: some feel warmth, tingling, or pulsing at the practitioner's hands; some feel deep relaxation or sleepiness; some experience emotional releases or imagery; some feel almost nothing during the session but notice significant shifts in the following days. Post-session effects often include: profound relaxation, improved sleep, reduced anxiety, and increased sense of wellbeing.
The Research
Research on Reiki is growing but methodologically complex (difficult to blind properly). Multiple systematic reviews conclude that Reiki consistently produces effects significantly greater than placebo for: anxiety reduction, pain perception, fatigue, and quality of life in cancer patients. Hospital-based Reiki programs are now used in numerous hospitals including Yale-New Haven, Brigham and Women's, and Cleveland Clinic — primarily as a complementary therapy for pain, anxiety, and procedural stress.
Learning Reiki Yourself
One distinctive feature of Reiki: it can be learned by anyone through a relatively brief training process. Level 1 Reiki training (typically a weekend) attunes students to work with Reiki energy for themselves and others. Many people find that learning to practice Reiki on themselves becomes a valuable daily self-care and meditation practice, independent of whether they practice on others.