Reiki is used for stress reduction and relaxation and promotes healing. It is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one’s “life force energy” is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.
During a Reiki session, the patient usually lies down on a table, similar to a massage setup. The practitioner places their hands lightly on or over specific areas of the head, limbs, and torso using different hand shapes, for between 2 and 5 minutes. The hands can be placed over 20 different areas of the body.
Practitioners say that the energy can feel like a warm sensation or tingling in the body. If there’s a particular injury, such as a burn, the hands may be held just above the wound to avoid causing further discomfort.