How can I prepare for my energy healing session?
First, we have to say congratulations on embarking on this new healing journey!! Reiki, a Japanese healing technique is an amazing way to restore balance to your body and soul, while encouraging your body to heal itself. Coming prepared for a session, regardless if it is in person or remote, will only ensure that you get the most out of your session. Showing up with the intention to heal, defining a specific issue or trauma you want to focus on and being ready to release anything that stands in the way of your healing is absolutely imperative.
The Distance Reiki technique is either 30 minutes or 1 hour long, but can continue longer if you like. We will schedule a time and date with you for the distance Reiki session. By setting up a specific time, you can be in a receptive state (such as lying down or meditating during the treatment.)
In advance of the session, we will also ask you to email us a photo of yourself, along with your name, age, location and any intention you have of what they want the session to support (e.g. a physical or health issue, goal, or challenge). Having these details will help to deepen the connection.
Wherever you are in the world, you can follow these steps to help you prepare to receive the healing energy.
Show Up with the Intention to Heal. As with all healing work, your intention to heal matters. When you embark on any new healing journey, showing up authentically wanting to heal is absolutely necessary. This intention signals your body and energetic field to get ready to heal and most importantly, to get ready to receive the healing and intelligent energy of Reiki. You might even find that the days leading up to your session, synchronicities start happening to further prepare you to receive this energy.
Treat this time like a meditation, or your yoga practice. If you enjoy baths, I would suggest enjoy a nice warm one before you lie down for your Reiki session, this helps get you into a wonderfully receptive state.
Get a good nights rest the night before.
It is common to experience unexplained symptoms prior to Reiki, some have flu like symptoms of nausea, anxiety and other mild symptoms as the body prepares for Reiki.
Drink water. It’s a good idea to avoid alcohol or recreational drugs for at least 24 hours prior to your session, as they alter your consciousness.
Although a remote Reiki Session is no different than an in-person session from an energetic strength perspective, the biggest difference is that you get to set the environment for your session. Use this to your advantage. If you’re at home, sit in your favourite meditation space, a beautiful spot in your backyard, or lie on your bed if you feel like a rest.
Make the space comfortable with cushions and a blanket if needed, use your crystals, or essential oils to create atmosphere.
Feel free to clear and balance your space with natural (organic) incense, and you may also wish to have a light music playing in the background.
Sit, or lie comfortably, and make sure you won’t be too cold. Wear loose, nonrestrictive clothing, turn off any phones, close the computer.
Set an intention for your session. Who’s presence do you wish to call in? What do you want to heal? What are you ready to release? What are you ready to manifest? This doesn’t have to be an elaborate process. Simply write down the first few things that come to mind. State your intention to receive the healing energy being sent your way. That is all you need to do. Forget concepts of time according to the clock, your timezone in the world, and your current physical location. Just trust that whatever you need, is coming to you right now, at the perfect time for you. This may seem a bit hard to believe, but suspend your doubts and skepticism for this time.
Trust that you will receive exactly what you need in that moment.
Close your eyes and take several deep, slow breaths to relax. No-one needs you right now, you have no-where else to be, just here. Bring your focus to the sounds around you, if thoughts or questions or ideas come into your mind, just let them be there, and then go. Don’t latch on and go down that path. If you feel your attention wander, just return to following your breath in and out.
If you are new to Reiki, begin your Distant Reiki session with an open mind. If you lay there thinking, “When’s it gonna start?”; “I don’t feel anything?” or, “Is this stuff for real?” then you are not allowing or in the best frame of mind to relax and enjoy the best experience. Reiki energy is Universal Life Force Energy. It is only positive and can never harm. The energy you will receive does not come from the Reiki Master, but rather through them, emanating from Source. It’s okay to wonder what it might be like if you’ve never experienced it before, but it’s impossible to tell you beforehand what and how you will experience your Reiki session. As everyone is individual, experiences are also very individual. Reiki has its own intelligence and always works for the recipient’s Highest Good, no matter what they physically feel during the session. Whatever happens, happens and it is right and perfect for you at that moment in time.
Be ready to release anything that no longer serves you. While undergoing Reiki, you are receiving healing and intelligent energy from the source. This can be extremely powerful for meditative work and we always recommend for clients to do some sort of meditation to further empower the Reiki. This is where being ready to release anything that is no longer serving you is important. When receiving Reiki, it’s a great time to connect with your higher self to gain further understanding of what habits, beliefs and/or reoccurring thoughts need to be released in order to maximize healing. An easy way is to imagine your soul going on a journey to meet your higher self and them what you need to release.
If you have chosen to do a live zoom session: Set up your camera, phone or computer in a position that shows your entire body.
Here are a few meditations that you can use to prepare yourself for the session.
After your session, we will set up a 15 minute zoom or phone call with you to discuss anything we found during the session.
Note from Shannon:
Each session, I will cleanse your aura, balance and give Reiki each of the main 7 chakras. Often and more times than not, time permitted I will assist in identifying and removing of negative energy and check for cords.
Sessions may vary in intensity. You may or may not feel anything during a session. In some sessions as the negative energy comes to surface this can bring out deep wounds and strong emotions, this is the release of unprocessed life experiences and emotions and more than often a common occurrence. Letting these emotions freely release is encouraged as this is part of the healing process. Healing, doesn’t mean the pain never existed, it means that the damage no longer controls you or your life.
Reiki is not meant as a substitute for medical, or psychological, diagnosis and treatment.
I am truly honored to be able to share Reiki with the world, and look forward to meeting with each new client, to assist in their healing and their spiritual growth.
How can I continue the healing after my session?
You may journal about your session and make notes of how you felt. Did you receive any messages? What is ready to heal on a deeper level?
Clear your schedule, you will feel very relaxed afterwards, give yourself a little time to reflect.
Notice any changes in perception. Do you see any person or situation differently than prior? What is the quality of your thoughts like?
Notice any changes in your physical body. How does your breath flow?
Continue drinking water to flush out any toxins that may have been dislodged from your system. It is common to experience unexplained symptoms after Reiki, some have flu like symptoms of nausea, anxiety and other mild symptoms as the Reiki energy continues working with releasing what the system does not need.
Try to stay away from foods that are bad for your system and refrain from drinking alcohol for at least 24 hours
As you go about your day, take note of anything that comes up; you might think of a particular situation or person, something that’s been bothering you that you are ready to address, or you might have some ideas and inspiration drop in.
Lastly, feel free to reach out with questions that arise. We’re here to support you. Be patient with yourself in the healing journey. Try not to judge anything that comes up. Be willing to witness yourself with compassion.
What are the benefits of Reiki?
1. Relieves pain, anxiety, and fatigue
From Healthline
According to a review of randomized trialsTrusted Source, reiki may help to reduce pain and anxiety, though more research is needed. It may also help to reduce fatigue.
A 2015 studyTrusted Source found that people being treated for cancer who received distant reiki in addition to regular medical care had lower levels of pain, anxiety, and fatigue. These levels were significantly lower than the control group, who only received medical care. Participants had 30-minute sessions of distant reiki for five days.
In another 2015 study, researchers looked at the effects of reiki on women following cesarean delivery. They found that reiki significantly reduced pain, anxiety, and the breathing rate in women 1-2 days after having a cesarean delivery. The need for and number of analgesic pain killers was also reduced. Reiki didn’t have an effect on blood pressure or pulse rate.
A 2018 studyTrusted Source compared the use of reiki to physiotherapy for relieving lower back pain in people with herniated disks. Both treatments were found to be equally effective at relieving pain, but reiki was more cost-effective and, in some cases, resulted in faster treatment.
2. Promotes Harmony & Balance
Reiki helps to promote harmony and balance. It is an effective, non-invasive energy healing modality that enhances the body’s natural healing ability whilst energizing and promoting overall wellness. Reiki works directly on restoring balance on all levels and works directly on the problem and condition instead of just masking or relieving symptoms.
3. Creates deep relaxation and helps the body release stress and tension
Reiki provides a space where you can be more aware of what is going on inside your body and mind. To learn to listen to your own body and make wise decisions regarding your well being from this place. Being more present means you are in your body, which helps you to access even more that inner knowing and wisdom that we all have!
4. Dissolves energy blocks and promotes natural balance between mind, body and spirit
Reiki treatments can bring about a calmer and more peaceful state of being, in which a person is better able to cope with everyday stress. This mental balance also enhances learning, memory and mental clarity. Reiki can heal mental/emotional wounds and can help alleviate mood swings, fear, frustration and even anger. Reiki can also strengthen and heal personal relationships. Because Reiki enhances your capability to love, it can open you up to the people around you and help your relationships grow.
5. Assists the body in cleansing itself
We spend so much time in stress-reactive fight/flight phase that it becomes our ‘norm’ and our bodies literally forget how to return to balance. Reiki reminds our bodies how to shift into parasympathetic nervous system (rest / digest) self-healing mode. It allows you to sleep better and digest better which is important to maintaining health and vitality. The more you are in this space, the more you can be active and productive without being stressed, exhausted or burntout.
6. Clears the mind and improves focus, helps to “Gound”
Reiki can support you in staying centered in the present moment rather than getting caught up in regrets about the past or anxieties about the future. It can strengthen your ability to accept and work with the way events are unfolding even when they don’t follow your desires or timetable. You begin to react to situations, people and yourself in a supportive way rather than acting our of habit.
7. Aids better sleep
The number one outcome of receiving a Reiki session is relaxation. When we’re relaxed, we sleep better, our bodies heal better, we think more clearly, and we relate to each other more genuinely. Often clients will experience deep relaxation during their Reiki session and sometimes a deep sleep during the session as well.
8. Accelerates the body’s self-healing ability as you start to return to your natural state
Reiki healing quickly returns you to your natural state, or at least gets your body moving in the right direction. That means your breathing, heart rate and blood pressure improve. Breathing deeper and easier is one of the first things to happen during a self-practice or treatment received from someone else. When we breath better, our minds naturally settle. Science supports that. As your respiration deepens your body moves into parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) dominance i.e. the rest/digest phase. Your body was made to function primarily in the rest/digest phase rather than the more commonly experienced fight/flight phase.
9. Helps spiritual growth and emotional cleansing
You do not need to be into spirituality to enjoy the benefits of Reiki. Yet, for many they receive Reiki treatments to support themselves through their self healing journey i.e. spiritual growth / personal development. Reiki addresses the whole person, rather than targeting individual symptoms. It can create profound, often subtle shifts from deep within your own being. What does that look like? Guidance about what to do around difficult situations can come more easily. Or it may inspire a change in attitude or belief about your situation. Suddenly, you see your condition from a fresh perspective and are able to deal with it in a more positive way. Or it might direct you to the right kind of action needed which is guided from within.
10. Compliments medical treatment & other therapies
Reiki is a wonderful compliment to conventional medicine and helps relax patients on the levels of the mind and physical body. When a patient is relaxed the healing process is accelerated. People sleep much better and are calmer following Reiki treatments. The beauty of Reiki is that it is non invasive and is administered in a very gentle manner. The Reiki practitioner can give Reiki without touching the body in cases where patients have burns or major injuries. Reiki is safe to use if you have medical conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes or heart conditions. You may receive Reiki treatments if you are undergoing chemotherapy. Pregnant woman can have Reiki treatments to support them through all stages of the pregnancy. Reiki is for everyone!
11. You can learn Reiki yourself
Many clients will learn Reiki for themselves by attending a Reiki Level 1 course (in which they can self-treat) so they can boost their own energy levels on a daily basis. Some are drawn to Reiki to support their physical healing, some want to delve deeper into their personal development and most have experienced the benefits of reiki and wish to be able to support themselves that way regularly.
Frequently asked questions
How Does Reiki Work?
We are alive because life force is flowing through us. Life force flows within the physical body though pathways called chakras, meridians and nadis. It also flows around us in a field of energy called the aura. Life force nourishes the organs and cells of the body, supporting them in their vital functions. When this flow of life force is disrupted, it causes diminished function in one or more of the organs and tissues of the physical body.
The life force is responsive to thoughts and feelings. It becomes disrupted when we accept, either consciously or unconsciously, negative thoughts or feelings about ourselves. These negative thoughts and feelings attach themselves to the energy field and cause a disruption in the flow of life force. This diminishes the vital function of the organs and cells of the physical body.
Reiki heals by flowing through the affected parts of the energy field and charging them with positive energy. It raises the vibratory level of the energy field in and around the physical body where the negative thoughts and feelings are attached. This causes the negative energy to break apart and fall away. In so doing, Reiki clears, straightens and heals the energy pathways, thus allowing the life force to flow in a healthy and natural way.
Do All Healers Use Reiki?
All healers use life force or Ki, but not all use Reiki. Reiki is a special kind of life force that can only be channeled by someone that has been attuned to it. It is possible that some people are born with Reiki or have gotten it some other way. However, most healers who have not received the Reiki attunement from a Reiki Master are not using Reiki but another kind of life force. People who already do healing work consistently report an increase of at least fifty percent in the strength of their healing energies after taking the Reiki training.
This was verified for me when I first began teaching Reiki. There were two clairvoyant healers I knew who had highly developed abilities. They could easily see the life force flowing through a person's body, as well as see the aura and chakras. They could also communicate with a person's guides and Higher Self. They were adept at moving negative psychic energy out of the body as well as channeling healing energies. In my twenty years of metaphysical work, they were the most accurate and effective psychic healers I had met.
They told me later they had doubted there was anything I was teaching they couldn't already do, but that they took the Reiki training anyway, simply to support me in my new work. After the attunement, they were amazed at the difference they could feel between the healing energies they had been using and Reiki. They said the Reiki energies were more powerful and of a much higher frequency. They noted also that Reiki didn't have to be guided like the other healing energies they were using, and that the Reiki energies began flowing without having to enter an altered state. They also indicated the attunement process itself was a powerful healing experience, releasing restrictions relating to their healing work they had unknowingly acquired when they were healers in past lives. They were very pleased they had taken the class.
Reiki Can Never Cause Harm
Because Reiki is guided by the God-consciousness, it can never do harm. It always knows what a person needs and will adjust itself to create the effect that is appropriate for them. One never need worry about whether to give Reiki or not. It is always helpful.
In addition, because the practitioner does not direct the healing and does not decide what to work on, or what to heal, the practitioner is not in danger of taking on the karma of the client. Because the practitioner is not doing the healing, it is also much easier for the ego to stay out of the way and allow the presence of God to clearly shine through.
Energy is Never Depleted
Because it is a channeled healing, the Reiki practitioner's energies are never depleted. In fact, the Reiki consciousness considers both practitioner and client to be in need of healing, so both receive treatment. Because of this, giving a treatment always increases one's energy and leaves one surrounded with loving feelings of well-being.
How is a Reiki Treatment/Healing given?
In a standard treatment Reiki energy flows from the practitioners hands into the client. The client is usually laying on a massage table but treatments can also be given while the client is seated or even standing. The client remains fully clothed. The practitioner places her/his hands on or near the clients body in a series of hand positions. These include positions around the head and shoulders, the stomach, and feet. Other, more specific positions may be used based on the clients needs. Each position is held for three to ten minutes depending on how much Reiki the client needs at each position. The whole treatment usually lasts between 45 and 90 minutes. In an online/distance treatment, the client would sit or lay down in a comfortable position and prepare to receive Reiki via distance. The treatment usually lasts between 45 and 60 minutes.
Are there any side effects?
Most of the time a person will feel relaxed and uplifted by a Reiki treatment. However, sometimes a person will have what is called a healing crisis. As a person’s vibration goes up, toxins that have been stored in the body will be released into the blood stream to be filtered by the liver and kidneys and removed from the system. When this happens, sometimes a person can get a headache or stomach ache or feel weak. If this happens, it is a good idea to drink more water, eat lighter meals and get more rest. The body is cleansing as part of the healing process so this is a good sign.
Is Reiki a Religion?
Although Reiki energy is spiritual in nature, Reiki is not a religion. Practitioners are not asked to change any religious or spiritual beliefs they may have. They are free to continue believing anything they choose and are encouraged to make their own decisions concerning the nature of their religious practices.
Can children learn Reiki? (and be treated?)
Yes, Reiki can be taught to anyone. I recommend that a child be old enough to understand what Reiki is and that the child request to receive Reiki.
Reiki Energy - What is it? How does it heal?
The word Reiki is composed of two Japanese words - Rei and Ki. When translating Japanese into English we must keep in mind that an exact translation is difficult. The Japanese language has many levels of meaning. Therefore the context the word is being used in must be kept in mind when attempting to communicate its essence. Because these words are used in a spiritual healing context, a Japanese/English dictionary does not provide the depth of meaning we seek, as its definitions are based on common everyday Japanese. As an example, Rei is often defined as ghost and Ki as vapor and while these words vaguely point in the direction of meaning we seek, they fall far short of the understanding that is needed.
Where does Reiki energy come from? What does it feel like?
Reiki energy is a subtle energy. It is different than electricity or chemical energy or other kinds of physical energy. Reiki energy comes from the Higher Power, which exists on a higher dimension than the physical world we are familiar with. When viewed clairvoyantly, Reiki energy appears to come down from above and to enter the top of the practitioners head after which if flows through the body and out the hands. It appears to flow this way because of our perspective. However, the true source of Reiki energy is within ourselves. This does not mean that we use our personal energy when we do Reiki, but that the energy is coming from a transcendental part of ourselves that is connected to an infinite supply of healing energy.