What Does Reiki Feel Like?

In a world filled with constant noise and distraction, finding a moment of stillness and connection is rare. For those who practise the system of Reiki, these moments take the form of profound and often subtle sensations. But what does Reiki, the energy, feel like, and how can we tune into it amidst the chaos of daily life?

A Subtle Nature

This Japanese healing art is renowned for its ability to bring us back to an innate remembering of balance and wholeness. On occasion, when we are aligned to taking a step far greater than that of everyday humankind, this can be life-altering. Yet, its effects are more often experienced as delicate and nuanced, far from the dramatic fireworks some might expect. This subtlety is not a limitation but rather a testament to its profound depth.

A Connection

When you practise the system of Reiki, you are in fact living each moment through a practice that invites you to pause and reconnect with the world around you. In the midst of a hectic life, this practice becomes a refuge—a gentle reminder to stop, breathe, and listen until you are ready to move together in sync. To enact this organic feat of magic, the five elements of the system of Reiki are waiting at your fingertips to be put to work. 

The Elements

The system of Reiki was created by Mikao Usui, the founder, in the early 1900s. From his worldly experiences, he sourced different elements to support different people in experiencing and, consequently, consciously living Reiki. He understood that we are all unique in how we interact with our worlds. Therefore one or more of the different elements will appeal and ‘work’ for different people. There is hands-on healing (tenohira), symbols and mantras (shirushi and jumon), meditations, precepts, and a spiritual blessing called reiju. It is with the precepts that our body, heart and mind ultimately rest, and the other elements draw us into this understanding. 

A Sensation

When we work with these elements things start to shift and move. Just as there are different elements for different needs, each response is also unique. A moment offers the potential for a unique experience, never to be repeated, even by the same person. This works against an often human craving to re-experience moments or simply to have THE moment. A desire for phenomena permeates our superficial world. But does it make something better? Surely, the question should not be, “How does it feel?”, but rather, “How do I feel?”. It is our well-being that sits above all else, that is the sensation of the highest order. 

Sensing the Essence of Reiki

While this system may not necessarily announce its presence with a grand fanfare, it offers countless opportunities for us to sense its essence. Here are some short, yet meaningful, ways to work with the elements of the system of Reiki when life gets in the way and yet you need the reminder of that touchstone of inner connection.

1. Self-Healing Sessions: Why not incorporate some hands-on healing into your life? The regular practice of self-healing can gradually deepen your sense of connection to yourself energetically. Sometimes the subtlety of Reiki’s effects can be overshadowed by the stress and exhaustion of daily life. Just place your hands on top of your head or at your heart centre or your Hara for a minute or two once you’re in bed and you’ve turned out the light and first thing in the morning when you wake up. Stop looking for sensations, take comfort and acknowledge that self-care is a beautiful space to be in. 

2. Mindful Meditation: The benefit of meditation is that our minds and therefore our nervous systems are given some peace and it allows them to get back into a more healthy rhythm together which supports us in every aspect of being human. Meditation sometimes sounds stressful because it takes time and asks “something” of us especially when we are busy. But just stopping, breathing down into the Hara with focus for a couple of breaths is a beautiful beginning and even solo practice. As you sit in stillness, no matter how momentary, allow Reiki, spiritual energy, to envelop you. Pay attention to any shifts in your awareness, however subtle. It might manifest as a feeling of inner calm, a sense of unity with all things, or a gentle expansion of consciousness. Be aware of how it feels to do this. Can you notice a difference before and after the breaths?

3. Journaling: Keep a Reiki journal to document your experiences. Write down any sensations, emotions, or insights that arise during or after your Reiki practice and your day. Over time, patterns and subtle shifts may become more apparent. Start a Reiki journal just for a week or two (how about 21 days?). Writing down your daily experiences, feelings, and any subtle changes you notice before and after any of your practices can help you track your progress and might reveal subtle shifts that you haven’t consciously been aware of.

4. Connecting with the Reiki Community: I would recommend joining me every second week for the Online Reiki Coaching Group and/or the weekly Reiju group. It is great to be with other people and to join in conversations of experiences. Allow support into your life, it can be enlightening.

5. Healing with Others: Sometimes it can be really beneficial to do a treatment on someone else, even if it is only short and even if you are just a beginner. It will build your confidence and help you to learn more about this concept of ‘letting go’. See if you can let go and not be invested in whether you are making anything happen. Just be open and calm and loving. To be with others with an open hand is to invite the flow of love/energy between yourself and the world.

6. Patience and Compassion: It’s important to remind ourselves that everyone’s life is unique. The ideas above are not too difficult and are beautiful ways to support yourself, and be supported, in life. The system of Reiki is really just that – a way of life. As energy shifts and moves in our lives it can be subtle with the benefits not immediately apparent, but patience and compassion for yourself can open you up to the blessings that are waiting to know you.

The Unceasing Flow of Reiki

Remember that Reiki is not confined to structured sessions; it is a continuous flow that permeates our lives, all lives. Even when we are not actively practising the system, the energetic world keeps shifting and moving around us, and we are an integral cog in its workings. The issue is, that we often don’t see or feel this and may even find ourselves working against it. 

In the moments when we pause to sense our inner selves, we see our place in this vast, intricate web of existence. We may not always know it as grand gestures but in the subtleties and nuances of life’s everyday moments. Remembering the exquisiteness of being fully present in a moment, which the Japanese call Mono no Aware, is a blessing that the system of Reiki directs us into.

Being Reiki, in its quiet and unassuming way, invites us to become more aware, compassionate, and present. It is a path of connection, a journey into the heart of existence, and a reminder that life, like this system, opens us up to the beautiful, intricate dance of spiritual energy.