I’m what some folks would call a “Moonbat Girl”: someone who lives in dreaming, someone who is drawn to crystals and sage and the alternatives. And when it comes to trying out different wellness practices — like using a sauna every day for a month or hiring a psychic medium to communicate with my dead mother — I’m no stranger to it. So naturally, when I heard about Reiki (and the practice of Reiki massage) it piqued my interest.
I don’t know if it comes from growing up in Southern California or having parents who were always willing to try out new alternatives in wellness, but I’m most drawn to trying out wellness and self-care practices that originate outside of traditional Western medicine, and the ancient practice of Reiki definitely falls into that category.
Plus, the benefits of Reiki that I’d heard from the internet and friends who tried it were pretty compelling. I learned that it could positively affect one’s mental health, improve focus, and provide an overall sense of calm after just one session. So, I decided to see if it was actually worth the hype. Here’s what I found.
What Is Reiki?
“Reiki is a Japanese healing practice that focuses on channeling universal life energy through the hands of a trained practitioner to promote healing on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels,” Crystal Riley, a certified level I/II Reiki practitioner tells PS.
Reiki, pronounced “ray key,” literally translates to “universal life energy.” According to Riley, the practice was developed by a man called Mikao Usui in the early 20th century and is based on the belief that energy flows through all living beings. When this energy is blocked, it can lead to stress, illness, and other kinds of physical and emotional discomfort. The goal of Reiki is to bring back the natural flow of energy, so a person can become more balanced and have better overall wellness. Think: acupuncture without the needles.
For most folks, Reiki is akin to a gentle massage for the soul, focusing on balancing energy rather than manipulating muscles. Many believe that Reiki can provide stress relief and pain relief, improve sleep, promote emotional healing, boost the immune system, and even improve your focus and mental health.
“It’s used most often for reducing stress and increasing deep relaxation, which can be helpful for people who are trying to manage anxiety or difficulties with sleep,” Riley tells PS. “It’s also used in pain management for chronic conditions, injuries, and even after surgery. Many hospitals and other healthcare facilities have started incorporating Reiki as a part of their treatment plans. Others also use Reiki for emotional healing, since it can help release emotional blockages and promote a sense of clarity and balance.”
Beyond all of those benefits, though, Reiki is thought to be a helpful tool to form a deeper connection with the inner self for folks who are on a path of spiritual growth.
Why I Wanted to Try Reiki
I am someone who is willing to try most wellness practices at least once. But my interest in Reiki came about because I was looking for ways to cope with my ongoing depression and anxiety.
I’ve struggled with symptoms of major depression and bouts of anxiety throughout my life, but I react poorly to medication. Instead, natural alternatives like talk therapy, meditation, and honing in on my spiritual journey have stepped in as helpful alternatives. Reiki and Reiki massage seemed like something else I could add to my toolbox of options to improve my mental health.
My Experience Trying Reiki
I had heard of Reiki massage but had never tried it, so I booked a deep-tissue massage at a studio that offers spiritually-based practices, like aura readings. When I signed my forms and prepared for my session, the practitioner asked if I’d ever done Reiki and if I’d like to try it out in combination with my normal massage. I agreed to try it out.
At first, I didn’t really have any expectations. I tried to go in with an open mind because I had heard that it helps to go into an energy space calm and willing to receive. The practitioner explained that she would spend about an hour on my normal massage and then add on 45 minutes of Reiki. At most, I hoped to feel relaxed and calm after the session.
Because I was also getting a normal massage, I wasn’t fully clothed, but typically Reiki massage is done fully clothed. Once I laid on the table, my practitioner asked if she could also use crystals during the practice. “Anything that you think would benefit,” I responded.
I felt relaxed after my normal deep-tissue massage, and then my practitioner said that she’d begin the Reiki treatment. As I laid on the table on my back, she placed four crystals on my body — amethyst, rose quartz, citrine, and clear quartz — and explained that all four help to relax, clear energy, and promote better mental health. Then she dove into the actual practice of Reiki massage.
I had my eyes closed the entire time but she started by hovering her hands over my body from head to toe. Often, she’d lightly touch different points, such as my forehead, cheek bones, shoulders, stomach, and even my feet. I could tell when her hands were hovering over my body (as opposed to touching me) because I felt a faint tingling. Sometimes it was even a pulling sensation. At one point, I noticed that my breathing became shallow and my body felt hot, but that quickly went away. It was surprising that, even in the moments of not being physically touched, I felt something still touching me.
My Results From Trying Reiki
After 45 minutes the treatment was over, and the Reiki practitioner asked me to get dressed before meeting her in the main lobby room to debrief on the session.
She asked how the experience was for me, and at that moment, I felt very calm but also oddly emotional. She explained that this is totally normal and that emotional release is very common after Reiki. This is due to the release of blocked energy during the practice, which can cause deeply held feelings to bubble up to the surface. I even started to tear up as I sat with her but I couldn’t fully understand why. I felt lighter somehow, which explained the feeling of release, and glad to know that my tears weren’t out of the ordinary.
She also explained that, in the weeks afterward, I might feel intense emotions but that I’d be able to work through them faster than usual, which I found to be true. I felt more sensitive, but also more grounded and at peace with who I am. I became more focused on the tools I already have — meditation, talk therapy, mindfulness and deep breathing — that help me manage my inner world.
Would I Recommend Reiki?
So, after my experience, would I recommend Reiki massage to someone (or try it again myself)? Yes, absolutely. As humans, we can get into a space of being hyper-critical, and we can question different modalities of healing and relief that we aren’t familiar with, even though many folks may use those modalities to find relief from chronic pain, insomnia, mental health challenges, and more.
But my approach (and something I’ve always loved about myself) is that I am always open to trying something once. If it isn’t for you, that’s OK. But if you try it out and Reiki does end up feeling helpful, then I’d call that a win. Overall, trying the practice gave me a sense of peace and calmness, and made me feel grounded and back in my body (which depression and anxiety can take away from me sometimes).
There are many ways to address mental health issues, and it’s always nice to feel like you have several options for when you need to feel better. Since this first experience, I’ve added Reiki to my list of tools for when I feel particularly down, anxious, or stuck, and I’m happy to have an additional coping mechanism.
Hayley Folk (she/her) is a freelance writer, editor, and podcast host based in New York City. She is the host of the “Naked Folk” podcast — a sexual wellness and relationships podcast — and she writes for major publications about the LGBTQ+ community, travel, lifestyle, sex, and wellness. In 2022, she received her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from The New School.
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