Reiki, Benefits, How it Works & Precautions

Reiki is a safe complementary therapy that may offer several benefits, such as easing stress and anxiety, improving sleep, and helping reduce certain types of pain. It’s often used to support overall well-being by encouraging relaxation.

During a session, a Reiki practitioner places their hands lightly on or just above the body to help balance energy. This process is believed to promote a sense of harmony that can positively affect emotional and physical health.

It’s important to keep in mind that Reiki does not cure medical conditions and should always be used as a complement to evidence-based medical care, not as a substitute.

Common benefits

Some of the benefits and uses of Reiki include:

1. Decreases symptoms of stress and anxiety

Reiki often incorporates breathing and meditation techniques, which can help ease feelings of stress and anxiety.

This practice encourages deep relaxation, supports emotional balance, improves mood, and helps reduce restlessness.

2. Helps with depression treatment

Reiki may support depression treatment by promoting deep relaxation and reducing feelings of sadness.

Some people believe Reiki helps expand awareness and encourage self-reflection, which may assist in releasing emotional tension or unresolved feelings.

However, Reiki should only be used as a complementary approach and not as a replacement for treatments recommended by a doctor.

3. Improves sleep quality

The deep relaxation associated with Reiki may help improve sleep by easing symptoms that interfere with rest, including anxiety, stress, and agitation.

4. Reduces pain

Reiki may help relieve pain, such as lower back pain, headaches, foot pain, or discomfort experienced during cancer care or after surgery.

These effects are thought to occur because deep relaxation may increase the release of feel-good hormones, such as serotonin and endorphins.

5. Supports pregnancy and postpartum recovery

In Brazil, Reiki is recognized as an integrative and complementary health practice that may be helpful during pregnancy and after childbirth.

Because Reiki promotes relaxation and reduces stress and anxiety, it may help lower the risk of maternal or fetal complications.

It may also help reduce pain and stress during labor, ease pain after a C-section, and support postpartum depression treatment.

6. Improves quality of life

Reiki may help improve overall quality of life by encouraging mental and physical relaxation and easing symptoms like stress, anxiety, insomnia, and pain.

How it works

Reiki is considered an energy therapy in which the practitioner uses their hands to channel “universal life energy.” The goal is to balance a person’s energy and promote a healing response.

The therapy is performed with the person fully clothed, either lying down or sitting comfortably.

The Reiki practitioner places their hands in specific positions over certain chakras or areas of need, such as the head, knees, or feet. The hands may rest lightly on the body or hover just above it.

Reiki practitioners also use specific symbols, which are activated through visualization or drawing and are believed to help open the flow of energy.

During the session, the person receiving Reiki is encouraged to reflect on the five guiding principles:

• Do not anger

• Do not worry

• Be grateful

• Work diligently

• Be kind

Main precautions

Because Reiki is a complementary therapy, it should never replace medical treatments that are scientifically proven. This is especially important in conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, or asthma.