One of the reasons I was drawn to Reiki, first as a recipient and eventually as a practitioner, is the profound sense of restoration I experience through energy work.
As I shared in my first blog post, there was a time in my life when I sought out Reiki because I felt exhausted and drained from my work life. Reiki became a deeply nourishing source of warmth. A once empty cup was beginning to fill again.
Now, as a practitioner, I have the privilege of witnessing how individual each person’s experience with Reiki can be. While no two sessions are exactly alike, clients often describe feeling deeply relaxed, grounded, peaceful, or restored following a session.
So, what are some of the potential benefits of Reiki, and why are people interested in incorporating practices like Reiki into their overall approach to well-being?
Creating Space for Deep Relaxation
We live in a world that asks a great deal of us.
Our minds are often moving from one responsibility to the next, while our bodies carry the physical and emotional effects of busy schedules, relationships, work, caregiving, uncertainty, and the many other demands of daily life.
A Reiki session offers something very different: an opportunity to stop doing and simply receive.
During a session, a Reiki practitioner places their hands lightly on or just above the body. As a practitioner, I see myself as a conduit through which Reiki energy flows. Rather than directing the energy where I think it should go, I open to the greater intelligence of Reiki, trusting it to guide the energy where it is needed.
For many recipients, this quiet environment creates an opportunity to settle into a state of deep relaxation. Clients may experience warmth, tingling, a release of tension, a sense of grounding, or simply an opportunity to become very still.
Sometimes, creating that space for ourselves is valuable in its own right.
Supporting Emotional Well-Being
The benefits people describe after Reiki are not always physical.
Clients may come to a session feeling emotionally depleted, overwhelmed, distracted, or simply disconnected from themselves. Following Reiki, some describe feeling calmer, lighter, more centered, or better able to reconnect with themselves.
We don’t even necessarily need to arrive at a session knowing exactly what needs our attention.
As a practitioner, my role is to create a safe, nurturing environment, serve as a conduit for Reiki, and allow the recipient the time and space to receive.
Reiki as a Complementary Practice
Reiki is considered a complementary health approach. The word “complementary” is important.
Reiki is not intended to replace conventional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Instead, it may be used alongside traditional health care and other wellness practices as another way of supporting a person’s overall well-being.
Reiki has also found a place within hospital and clinical settings as part of complementary and integrative approaches to patient care. The International Center for Reiki Training has documented the use of Reiki in hospital programs, including its use alongside conventional medical treatment to support patient comfort and relaxation.[1]
More recent clinical research continues to explore Reiki’s potential benefits. A 2025 meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials involving 661 participants found a statistically significant positive effect of Reiki on quality of life.[2] A 2025 randomized controlled study involving cancer patients reported significant reductions in pain, anxiety, and stress following Reiki,[3] while another randomized controlled study of patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation reported significantly improved pain scores in the Reiki group on the first and second days following transplantation.[4]
Research has also explored Reiki in surgical settings. In a randomized controlled study of patients undergoing laparoscopic gallbladder surgery, patients receiving Reiki had significantly lower surgical fear and anxiety scores compared with participants who did not receive Reiki.[5]
For me, the continued interest in studying Reiki is meaningful. It reflects a broader interest in understanding how complementary practices may support comfort, rest, emotional well-being, and quality of life alongside conventional medical care.
What I Have Witnessed as a Reiki Practitioner
Research is one way of exploring Reiki. The experiences of individual recipients offer another perspective.
Throughout my Reiki training and professional practice, I have been grateful to witness many different responses to Reiki.
People have expressed appreciation for feeling grounded, relaxed, and cared for. I have witnessed moments of emotional and energetic release and have seen recipients enter a session carrying the weight of their day and leave feeling calmer and more centered.
I never approach a Reiki session with the expectation that a particular outcome must occur. Reiki is highly individual, and each recipient’s experience is their own.
That is part of what continues to make this work so meaningful to me.
Giving Yourself Permission to Receive
Many of us, particularly women, spend a great deal of our lives doing.
We work, care for others, manage responsibilities, solve problems, anticipate what needs to happen next, and carry concerns that require our energy and attention.
Reiki provides an opportunity to step away from that “doing” for a period of time.
You don’t need to accomplish anything during a Reiki session. You don’t need to quiet your mind perfectly or arrive in a particular emotional state. You are simply invited to rest, receive, and allow yourself to be cared for.
Whether you are drawn to Reiki because you are navigating a particularly demanding season of life, looking for greater balance, or simply seeking a restorative addition to your wellness practices, your reasons for coming are your own.
Sometimes, the most meaningful thing we can do for our well-being is give ourselves permission to pause. Reiki offers that space: time to quiet the demands of everyday life, receive care, and reconnect with ourselves. My hope is that each session leaves you feeling supported, restored, and more deeply connected to the sense of balance and well-being that already exists within you.
Sources & Further Reading
[1] William Lee Rand, “Reiki in Hospitals,” International Center for Reiki Training.
[2] Liu K, et al. “Effects of Reiki therapy on quality of life: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” Systematic Reviews. 2025;14(1):72.
[3] Oz Kahveci S, Engin E, Goker E. “The Effect of Reiki Applied to Cancer Patients on Pain, Anxiety, and Stress Levels: A Randomized Controlled Study.” Seminars in Oncology Nursing. 2025;41(2):151807.
[4] Bektas Akpinar N, et al. “The Power of Reiki: Its Effects on Pain and Biochemical Parameters in Patients Undergoing Bone Marrow Transplantation: A Randomized Prospective Controlled Study.” Pain Management Nursing. 2025;26(1).
[5] Şişman H, Bildirici Ç, Akçam Atılgan T. “Effect of Reiki on Surgical Fear and Anxiety in Cholecystectomy Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Journal of Holistic Nursing. 2026;44(2):137-145.