“Just for Today”: Living the Reiki Precepts
The two words "just for today" sit at the front of each of the five Reiki precepts, and they change how the whole set works. Instead…
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99 articles totalGassho Meditation: The Two-Hands Practice in Reiki
Gassho meditation is one of the simplest practices in Reiki: you bring your two palms together in front of your chest, sit quietly, and rest your…
Reiki for Beginners: What to Know Before You Start
If you are completely new to Reiki and trying to decide whether to receive a session or take a class, the most useful thing to know…
How to Choose a Reiki Teacher or Class
Because Reiki is not a licensed or government-regulated field, the person teaching it matters more than any title on a certificate. There is no official board…
What Is Animal Reiki? An Introduction
Animal Reiki is the practice of offering Reiki, the Japanese-origin relaxation tradition, in the company of an animal rather than a person, usually in a quiet,…
The Meaning of “Rei” and “Ki”: Where the Word Reiki Comes From
The word "Reiki" is built from two Japanese components, "rei" and "ki," and is most often glossed in English as something like "universal life energy" or…
Hand Positions for a Full-Body Reiki Treatment
A full-body Reiki treatment is a single continuous session in which the practitioner moves through a sequence of hand positions from the head all the way…
Building a Reiki Practice: Common First Steps
People who set out to build a Reiki practice usually start with a small, repeatable set of first steps rather than a grand launch, and those…
Reiki and Personal Growth: How Practitioners Frame It
Many people who stay with Reiki for a while describe it less as a treatment and more as a path of personal growth, a steady practice…
Reiki vs. Acupuncture: Comparing Two Energy-Based Ideas
Reiki and acupuncture are often grouped together because both draw on an old idea of a vital "energy" that flows through the body, called "ki" in…
Reiki vs. “Energy Healing”: How the Two Terms Relate
The cleanest way to state the relationship is this: Reiki is one specific named practice that falls under the broad, loosely used umbrella of "energy healing."…
What Does the Research Say About Reiki? An Honest Look
The honest headline is short: scientific research has not clearly shown Reiki to be effective for any specific health condition, and there is no scientific evidence…
Reiki “Side Effects”: What People Sometimes Report
The phrase "side effects" is a little misleading for Reiki, since Reiki is a light-touch relaxation practice rather than a drug or a medical procedure, and…
What Is Reiki? A Plain-English Introduction for Complete Beginners
Reiki is a Japanese-origin relaxation practice in which a trained practitioner places their hands lightly on or just above a clothed person, with the stated goal…
What to Do After a Reiki Session: Aftercare Basics
In the first hour after a Reiki session, most people simply ease back into their day: they sit up slowly, drink some water, and give themselves…
Reiki and Grief: A Gentle, Non-Medical Perspective
If you are grieving and wondering whether something like Reiki could help, the most caring answer is also an honest one. Grief is a natural human…
Is Reiki a Religion? How Practitioners Describe Its Spiritual Side
If you are wondering whether trying Reiki would mean joining a religion, adopting a creed, or worshipping anything, the short answer most practitioners give is no:…
Why Scientists Are Skeptical of Reiki’s Energy Claims
Scientific skepticism about Reiki is often described as if scientists are simply hostile to the practice, but the real picture is narrower and more careful than…
Karuna Reiki: An Overview for Curious Beginners
Karuna Reiki is an advanced, branded branch of the Reiki family developed by William Lee Rand and the International Center for Reiki Training (ICRT) in the…
Does Reiki Hurt? What Beginners Worry About
No, Reiki is generally not painful. A typical session involves a practitioner resting their hands lightly on the body or holding them just above it, with…
Reiki and Children: How Families Approach It
Parents who come across Reiki and wonder whether it has any place with their child are right to approach the question carefully, and this article is…
The History of Reiki: From Early-1900s Japan to Today
Reiki's history spans roughly a century, from its founding in Japan in the early 1920s to its present-day presence in wellness settings around the world. The…
What Is a Reiki Attunement and What Does It Involve?
A Reiki attunement is a short ceremony, performed by a Reiki Master, that practitioners say "opens" a student to channel Reiki. It is the defining ritual…
Dai Ko Myo: The Master Symbol, Explained
Dai Ko Myo is the fourth of the traditional Usui symbols and the only one not taught at the second level. It is the master symbol,…
Is Reiki Compatible With My Religion?
Whether Reiki is compatible with your religion is, in the end, a personal question that only you and your own faith tradition can answer. There is…