What is Reiki?

What is Reiki?

I get a lot of questions from people when I tell them what I do, so I thought I'd write a series of blog posts to address each one. 

Today I'm sharing a bit about how I got into Reiki, what it is, and my understanding of how it works. 

If you'd like to learn more about the amazing benefits I have seen and experienced in myself, my clients, my students and my loved ones as a result of Reiki, look out for the next blog in the series!

Let's dig in...

What brought you to Reiki?

I read about Reiki well over 20 years ago in a lovely little book series called 'Don't Sweat the Small Stuff - and it's all Small Stuff!' I must've read that book 20 times or more. It was written by Richard Carlson and the foreword is by the great Wayne Dyer. I just love the Don't Sweat the Small Stuff series as a reminder to not take life too seriously and instead to focus on the things that really are important. If you haven't read it yet, I recommend you do!

At the time I heard about it, Reiki really wasn't something that was as available to me as it is now. It sounded cool and mysterious but I didn't really know anything about it and to be honest, I didn't really think about it too much until I came across it again almost 20 years later.

What I did do around the time I first read that book 20 or so years ago, was start practicing yoga. A daily yoga practice led me to meditation. Meditation led me to mindfulness. Mindfulness led me to explore other ways to achieve alignment. I got really into personal development. I read many many books, found teachers and attended many seminars that taught me more about myself and how the mind works - and how the universe works. They are pretty much the only books I read these days! 

As well as studying personal development, I also tried out other modalities like Tai Chi and Qi Gong. In each of these practices I noticed a feeling of holding energy in my hands. A sort of tingling, static feeling; like when you're holding a balloon or holding the wrong end of magnets together and you feel that sort of push or bounce-back. There was nothing physical 'there' that I could see, but I could still feel it in my hands somehow. 

I did some online research to try to understand what that feeling was - and when I say I did 'online research', I mean I opened my laptop and typed something like 'feeling energy in hands' into Google. That Google search brought up multiple references to Reiki and one of these mentioned a course to learn more about it. So, I signed up!

I still hadn't ever experienced Reiki for myself and I still didn't really know much about it, so I was really excited to join the course and learn more. My goal was really just to expand my knowledge. I went prepared to take a lot of notes and ask a lot of questions (which I did). 

What I hadn't really considered was that we would be learning to do Reiki on each other! I did not feel ready by any means when we were asked to stand up and practice Reiki on each other in class, but I did it anyway and I was just blown away by how simple, how gentle, and yet, how powerful it was. 

I was amazed, both at the sensations I felt in my hands while giving Reiki, and the sensations I experienced in my body while receiving Reiki. What was more amazing, was that the feedback we shared (between 'giver' and 'recipient') after each mini Reiki session correlated with what the other person had felt. It was incredible and it was not like anything I had experienced before. 

Not only that, I found that Reiki put me into a sort of meditative state. I felt immediately relaxed and at ease - like I had put on a magic pair of noise cancelling headphones, but instead of quieting outside noise, they quieted my mind - and in most cases, the practitioner had never even laid a finger on me!

So, what is Reiki?

The Japanese word ‘Reiki’ (ray-key) literally translates as ‘universal life force energy’. 

You may be familiar in particular with 'ki' - also known in other languages and cultures as 'chi', 'qi' and 'prana.' In Reiki we, as practitioners, tune into that universal life force energy and use it to promote balance, healing and relaxation in the recipient.

Reiki is a non-invasive complementary therapy, and it's one of the only complementary therapies that has no contraindications whatsoever, which means that any person (or animal or object), at any age, and in any state of health can benefit from it.

Reiki is also an intelligent energy and it goes where it is needed for the highest good of the recipient. It works on all levels; emotional, mental, physical and spiritual. 

I have witnessed the transformative power of Reiki and the countless benefits of regular Reiki sessions over and over again - in myself, in my loved ones, and in my clients and students, so I need no convincing that it works, but I completely understand that many people are skeptical. Like many things in life, the only way to really understand what it is all about, is to try it for yourself!

What is energy?

We've all studied this at school at some level but it was nowhere near to being fresh in my mind when I was first introduced to Reiki. 

I knew about energy and the chakras in yogic terms and I knew from my own experience that I felt better in myself and more energised after yoga. I recognised that I felt more calm, balanced and ready to face whatever life threw at me after a yoga session or a meditation - and even better after both!

It was the scientific explanation that I was missing and that was what really helped me to understand more about how Reiki works. 

To be clear though, much like electricity, Wi-Fi or your mobile phone, you don't need to understand how Reiki works to be able to use it and benefit from it.

The building blocks of life

The human body is a marvel of complexity, composed of approximately 37 trillion cells. Within each cell lie trillions of molecules - from DNA to proteins - all formed by atoms. These atoms, in turn, are structured around subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons, the universal "ingredients" of all matter. 

At the most fundamental level, everything we see and touch is built from these particles, bound together by energy fields like electromagnetism. Energy is not just present here, it’s the currency of existence. It governs how particles interact, bond, and even emit light when electrons shift between states.

Energy: The invisible force of life

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one state to another. 

From the quantum jitter of atoms to the electrical impulses in our nerves, energy drives every process in living systems and the cosmos. Without it, cells couldn’t synthesise proteins, hearts couldn’t beat, and stars couldn’t shine. 

In essence, energy is the bridge between particles and life itself.

Vibration, frequency, and wellbeing 

At the quantum level, nothing is ever truly still. Atoms vibrate perpetually, and even "solid" objects hum with imperceptible motion, each at unique frequencies. 

That sounds logical to me, but how does the Reiki practitioner help?

Some holistic practices, like Reiki, propose that raising the vibrational frequency of our cells - a metaphorical tuning of the body’s energy - can enhance wellbeing. 

Reiki practitioners act as conduits, channeling high-frequency energy to promote balance and healing. So, your next question might be; 'what sets Reiki practitioners apart from other humans?'

In a word: Attunements

When you study Reiki, you receive multiple in-person 'attunements'. The more levels of Reiki you study, the more attunements you receive. 

Attunements happen in-person and must be carried out by a Reiki Master Teacher. I like to think of the attunements as a sort of tuning in/ clearing process. The Reiki Master 'tunes you in' to the Reiki radio station (as it were!) and makes sure you have clear reception. 

Every attunement makes the reception clearer and clearer.

You could also liken the Reiki practitioner to a tube, a hose or a 'channel'. 

Through the attunements, the Reiki Master Teacher hooks the practitioner's 'hose' up to Reiki energy (or the Reiki tap!) and clears it out to make sure the Reiki energy can flow through the practitioner to the recipient. 

Every time you have an attunement, your tube/ hose/ channel gets wider and clearer, so the energy that flows through it becomes more and more powerful. Therefore, Reiki from a Reiki Master will be more powerful than from a level one Reiki student (for example).

The important thing to note here is that Reiki does not come from the Reiki Practitioner, but flows through them. 

When I give you Reiki, it is not my own energy, it's 'Reiki' (universal life force energy) flowing through me to you. I am literally acting like a hose that's hooked up the Reiki 'tap', spraying you with beautiful loving energy!

What's great about this? 

Well, firstly, it means that when you give a Reiki treatment as a practitioner, you also receive a Reiki treatment, as the energy is passing through you to get to the recipient. It's a win-win!

Secondly, it means that absolutely anyone can do Reiki - yes, even you! Cool, right? If you're curious about becoming a Reiki practitioner, head over to the Reiki Courses tab to take a look at the Reiki courses I offer.

Thirdly, it is empowering; contrary to popular belief, the healer does not do the healing. 

As we've learned, the practitioner simply acts as a conduit for Reiki - high vibrational energy that aligns with the frequency of the healed state. 

By maintaining focused presence, setting clear intention, and creating a supportive, nurturing environment, the practitioner holds space for healing to unfold. 

The rest is up to us, the recipients. 

We get to decide, and we get to participate. It’s our willingness to receive, to release, and to align with healing that ultimately initiates transformation. Reiki reminds us that the true power to heal lies within.

If you'd like to learn more about what Reiki can do for you and hear examples of what it has done for others, take a look at the next blog in this series, get in touch with me - or maybe book a 1:1 Reiki session (or even sign up for a Reiki course) to experience it for yourself!

Have a wonderful day, my friend,

Amy 💜🤟

Reiki | Sound | Coaching

✨1:1 Reiki sessions - experience Reiki for yourself!

✨Reiki courses & workshops - learn how to use Reiki for self-healing and to help loved ones and pets

✨Sound healing & sound bath experiences - experience Reiki mixed with sound for a profoundly relaxing and restorative experience.

✨1:1 & group life coaching sessions - uncover limiting beliefs, set meaningful goals, and take aligned, empowered action to create the life you truly want. Fly high; I'm here to help.


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