Thanks to the Internet, Reiki is becoming better and better known in the West, but a lot of people who have heard of Reiki still have not encountered Reiki. I’ve talked before about how Reiki can support our overall health, and my FAQ page provides information about what Reiki is and how it works. Today, I’m going to explain how I conduct an in-person Reiki session. (A distance session is slightly different, and that will be the focus of a future post.)
Before the Session
When you schedule your first appointment with me, you will have completed a health history form to give me an overall picture of your health. Before each Reiki session—either when we scheduled the appointment, when you came in for the session, or as you are getting comfortable in the Reiki room—we discuss your desired outcomes or focus for the session, including any new developments that may have come up for you since your last Reiki session.
When I conduct a Reiki session in a specially designated room, the room is as quiet and free of distraction as I can make it. I like to have soft ambient music or natural sounds playing in the background.
I give you the option of either lying down on a special table (think a massage table) or sitting in a chair. Either is fine; what matters is that you are comfortable and will be able to remain so for the duration of our session. Before we begin, I suggest that you remove your shoes, jewelry, and any restrictive items such as a belt, though this is completely optional. (You will remain fully clothed for the session.) Some people suggest that shoes, jewelry and restrictive items can hinder the flow of energy. I have never really encountered these things hindering the flow of energy in the etheric body (the aura), but they certainly can impede bloodflow, and the smooth flow of blood is vital to health. In addition, because the energy of Reiki is focused through my palms during a session, whatever part of your body that I am focusing on can get unusually warm or cold during a session, and as I’m sure you’re well aware if you’ve been in tight clothing on a hot day, that can become very unpleasant!
If you choose to lie down for the session, you will likely want to lie on your back. This is the “traditional” position for a Reiki session, chiefly because it’s comfortable for most people. You can also lie on your stomach if you choose. The energy from Reiki will go wherever it is most needed, so your positioning is important really only so you can be comfortable for the duration of our session.
During this time, I will also ask if you have a preference for touch or no touch in our session. Reiki does not manipulate the muscle tissues in any way, and if you choose touch, it will be very light, with my hands barely resting on your skin. It is important to remember that even if you choose to have light touch rather than no touch, I will never touch sensitive, private parts of the body.
Once you are comfortably settled in the chair or on the table, I take a few deep breaths to center myself, then offer a prayer and/or set the intention for the session, including asking Archangel Raphael and my healing guides for assistance during the session. I open myself to act as a vessel for Reiki to flow through so that the energy may go where it is most needed to do the highest good—in general and specifically regarding the intentions we discussed before the session.
During the Session
I begin the session by quietly tuning in a bit more deeply to your energy. I will have been doing this throughout our interactions so far, but that will have been getting acquainted on the surface level. At this point, I focus all of my attention on sensing your energy.
If I feel called to do so, I will “sweep” your aura, meaning I will start with my hands above your head and move my hands in a sweeping motion down toward your feet to sweep away any extra energy that is hanging loosely on but isn’t really yours. (Maybe the lingering effects of an unpleasant encounter on your drive in, for example.)
Finally, I begin by placing my hands at the top of your head, where your crown chakra is located. I envision and/or feel the Reiki moving through my hands and into your body. Generally, I then move down through the seven main chakras (third eye, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacrum, root) and to the knees and feet, spending about 3 to 5 minutes in each position. Sometimes, I will feel an energetic pull toward a certain part of your body, so I may make a detour from the head-to-feet path. To this point in my experience, however, every full session (meaning a session not intended to address only one pain, such as a migraine or an injured knee) I have ever conducted has begun at the crown chakra and ended at the soles of the feet.
At each position, I focus on the Reiki flowing through me and into your energetic balance. I stay in that position until the energy is flowing freely there or I feel drawn to another position. I may come back to a position that I have already visited in the same session.
Reiki will flow wherever it is most needed in your physical and energetic bodies, so technically, I could stay in only one position for the entire session, but the energy flow can become quite intense for you, and you may become uncomfortable or overwhelmed if I stay in one position for too long.
It is important in Reiki, just as it is in massage, that you let me know if you become uncomfortable in any way. Reiki is highly adaptable, and if the energy causes you to feel uncomfortable when my hands are over your heart, for example, I can move my hands to either side or your heart, or down to your solar plexus. No matter what, your body will use the energy in the way it most needs to for your highest good.
After the Session
When our time is coming to a close, I may sweep your aura, this time to help “smooth” any energies that may have become disrupted or unsettled during our session, and I will alert you that we are done. If you have fallen asleep (not at all uncommon), I will wake you gently. I will then leave the room to allow you some time to reorient yourself and gather your things.
You will have the opportunity to ask me any questions, to pay for the session if you haven’t already, and to schedule another session if you feel like doing so.
What You Can Expect to Experience During and After a Reiki Session
Everyone has different experiences during and after Reiki sessions—some feel energy shifts (for example, hot, cold, tingling) or experience shifts in their vision or hearing, and others experience nothing out of the ordinary. Some people also cry—gently, or in great sobs. Still others simply feel incredibly relaxed. Whether you experienced any or none of these, it is important to remember that the experience was exactly as it needed to be for you. Reiki acts for as long as it needs to act and in the ways it is most needed, and the shifts can be sudden and dramatic, or so subtle and slow as to be almost imperceptible.
Please be sure to drink a nice glass of cold water as soon after your session as possible, and be gentle with yourself. If you need to take a little more time than usual alone in the hours and days following a session, do so as much as possible. Self-care is very important during this time.
If you feel emotions come up over the hours, days, or weeks, after a session, it is best to allow them to come up to be healed, and make sure you are getting support and TLC if you need it. Always, always, always, do your best to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, as proper hydration helps the body process the emotions and energy that are moved and cleared via Reiki.
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To book a distance Reiki session with me, visit srsstringham.com/services/reiki-sessions.
If you live in the Crawfordsville, Indiana, area and want to schedule a Reiki session with me at Crawfordsville Massage Therapy at 1982 Indianapolis Road, call or text me at 765-307-0871.
If you want to experience an intuitive reading with me, click here.
My Other Services
Provide insight into how the energies of the next twelve months will affect you directly, through a personalized Year-Ahead Review
Sharing messages from other realms (for example, from spirit guides, angels, earth spirits, or deceased loved ones). Contact me.
Watch this video if you are curious about how I prepare for all of my readings and Reiki work, and how I perform readings and conduct conversations with Spirit.
Find Me Elsewhere on the Web
My Story: My Year of Shadow and Light
Audio/Video (YouTube)
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