What is Reiki? A complete guide to Reiki and how to become a practitioner
I believe Reiki has evolved and transformed since the time it was channelled by Master Usui in Japan. I believe that nowadays, Reiki activates the channel within the person seeking to become a Reiki practitioner. Once the student receives an attunement, energy will start to flow—and over time that energy will evolve according to the person.
In my experience, students experience Reiki energy differently. Some even stating that they feel what they channel is no longer "just Reiki" but something that is aligned to their own unique blueprint. I believe that.
In this blog you will learn about Reiki, what a session looks like, the path of the Reiki practitioner, and how to become one.
How Reiki found me
I was introduced to Reiki many years ago by my design boss back in Peru, she was a Reiki practitioner. Since I can remember I was interested in anything mystic, so I got into it straight away. Fast forward thirteen years and I was at my very first Reiki class in Sydney, Australia.
For me personally, learning Reiki was like a switch that activated a path of possibilities that later guided me into different energy healing modalities, coaching, and working with the energy of the Earth itself and nature spirits.
The Reiki attunement is a sacred initiation that clears the way energetically and for many, a portal into a more conscious way of being. Reiki is Universal Love. So being attuned to this frequency is deeply transformative and will help you on your path, regardless of what direction it goes in.
What is Reiki?
Reiki literally translates to mean Universal Life Force energy.
Rei—Universal. Ki—Life Energy.
This energy connects every living thing. It is pure and healing, and has been understood for millennia—you can find it in ancient scriptures all over the world. Ch'i in China, Ki in Japan, Prana in India, Ruach in Hebrew, you could go on and on describing the history of energy across various cultures.
Ki is an electrical type of energy that creates the body and determines the state of health. It is also the essential life force of the Earth, the planets, and the stars, these sources of energy affect the living body's Ki. Everything alive contains Ki and radiates it. It is the biomagnetic energy of the aura.
The history of Reiki
The traditional Reiki story begins in the 1800s in Japan with Mikao Usui — but Reiki was ancient even then. What is called Reiki today was known in India from the time of Gautama Siddhartha, and was partly described in the Buddhist Sutras.
Usui named this healing energy Reiki and brought the techniques of Reiki healing into form, passing them down through generations. The yogis, mystics, and shamans of the ancient world committed themselves to understanding as much as they could about this energy and its power to offer healing to everyone. Reiki as it is known today is through the teachings of Dr. Mikao Usui.
The five principles of Reiki
Reiki healing is Universal Love, it flows into all aspects of our lives.
Mikao Usui established key principles to keep in mind on our journeys in personal and spiritual growth:
Just for today, I will not be angry
Just for today, I will not worry
Just for today, I will be grateful
Just for today, I will do my work honestly
Just for today, I will be kind to every living being
These principles are grounding reminders that life is to be enjoyed, inviting balance, love, and a peaceful flow into all that we do.
How does Reiki work?
Ki is not drawn from the practitioner but directly from Source—life source itself. The practitioner is only a channel, a vessel, a conduit for energy to travel.
We are more than physical beings. We have a dense physical body that is immediately perceptible by touch and sight, but we also have three other bodies — non-visible, non-physical energy bodies that encompass the Ki. Healing cannot be physical alone; it must include these vibrational energy bodies.
Most metaphysical healers believe that all physical pain has non-physical roots in emotional trauma, negative mental patterns, or spiritual hopelessness. Reiki works on all of these levels simultaneously.
Curious how Reiki compares to Access Bars? Read the comparison here.
Reiki energy works in the quantum realm — for Reiki,there is no time or space, no past or future. This is why distance Reiki is just as effective as an in-person session.
Am I using my own energy?
Something a lot of people ask me—including my mum when I started doing Reiki—is whether I use my own energy to heal others, or whether the energy of others affects my energy. The short answer is no—it is not possible.
Universal life force is not drawn from the practitioner but directly from Source. The practitioner is only a channel. This is why Reiki is safe for both the giver and the receiver, and why what you send out returns to you multiplied.
Reiki can be used to heal people, animals, and plants—after all, we are all alive.
Students in class have also asked me if Reiki can be used to cause harm. My answer is that it is simply not possible. Reiki is a high-vibrational energy linked to the heart and Universal Love, so thinking lower-vibrational thoughts and directing them toward someone will not activate the energy. It simply would not work. The intention of the practitioner is always important: to align with the energy of Reiki, open the heart, and allow the energy to flow to the client.
Benefits of Reiki
Reiki relieves pain, speeds the healing process, deeply relaxes the receiver, and balances the body's chakra and aura energy. Breathing slows during a session and blood pressure lowers. This natural nervous system regulation is one of the most immediate and consistent effects people report—emotional calming occurs naturally.
People living with certain health conditions may find Reiki beneficial alongside their regular treatment. The gentle nature of Reiki therapy has a soothing effect on those who feel overwhelmed by invasive treatments, fear, or stress.
What can you expect in a session?
In my experience, people perceive Reiki in a range of ways. Some say the practitioner's hands become warm, others report a cooling sensation, and some feel pulsating waves. The most common reports are a release of stress and deep relaxation. Some people fall asleep straight away, describing a sensation of being fully present and also sleeping at the same time.
A session can be as quick as ten minutes or up to an hour. Professional practices usually offer a one-hour session. The receiver lies fully clothed, face up, and simply receives.
Distance Healing with Reiki
I’m often asked is: How can a Reiki session work if the practitioner and client are in different places?
It’s a very natural question. We live in a world where we’re used to things needing to be physically present or within our immediate surroundings to have an effect. So the idea of receiving energy work from someone who is somewhere else can feel difficult to understand.
From the perspective of Reiki, however, energy is not something that needs to travel through physical space in the same way that a physical object does.
There is also scientific research exploring what is sometimes called distant healing intention or non-contact healing. Studies have investigated whether focused intention may have measurable effects on people or biological systems at a distance. Some reviews have found interesting results, although the research is still developing and there are important questions around methodology and how these effects might be explained.
For me, this is where the experience of Reiki becomes fascinating.
When a Reiki practitioner has been attuned to Reiki, they become a channel for the energy. Through clear intention, the practitioner connects with the person receiving the session and allows the Reiki to flow.
The Science Behind Distance Reiki
The science behind distance Reiki is fascinating, and there is still much we don’t fully understand about how experiences like this work.
We know that the human body produces measurable electromagnetic activity. The heart and brain, for example, generate electrical activity that can be measured outside the body. Researchers are also exploring the idea of the biofield—a term used to describe the electromagnetic and other subtle fields associated with living systems.
Some researchers have proposed that these fields may play a role in how living systems interact and respond to one another. One idea is that something like biofield resonance could occur, where one living system responds to another through subtle energetic interactions.
There have also been studies exploring the effects of Reiki and other forms of energy healing, including research looking at stress, relaxation, pain and aspects of immune function. Some studies have reported positive effects, while others have found mixed or inconclusive results. So while research into Reiki is growing, science has not yet established exactly how distance Reiki works.
And this is where I find the conversation super interesting.
We often want spirituality to fit neatly into what we already know and understand. But there are still many things about consciousness, energy and the human body that science is exploring.
From the Reiki perspective, distance does not prevent the energy from being accessed. Once a practitioner is attuned to Reiki, intention is enough to create the connection.
For me, this is less about needing to prove Reiki and more about remaining curious about what we may not yet fully understand.
Sometimes we can experience something long before we have the language or science to explain it.
What happens during a distance Reiki session?
The experience for the person receiving the session can be very similar to an in-person session. You simply need to create a comfortable space where you won’t be interrupted. You might dim the lights, put on some relaxing music, light a candle and make yourself cosy.
I always recommend having a blanket nearby, as some people become deeply relaxed during a session.
Then, there is really nothing else you need to do.
You don’t need to concentrate, visualise anything or “try” to make the Reiki work. Your role is simply to become comfortable, quieten the outside world and be willing to receive.
What you may feel:
Some people feel warmth, tingling, heaviness, lightness, emotions or a sense of deep relaxation during a session. Others don’t notice much at all until afterwards.
To me is like a little like a massage for the soul.
Who can learn Reiki?
Reiki is always used for the highest good of all. Anyone who learns the technique can use it freely to help those who choose to receive its benefits.
Just as anyone can receive Reiki, anyone who wishes to learn it can. You do not have to be "special," chosen, or have any kind of gift to learn Reiki. Through Reiki, you are committing to your own healing work and to helping others — and that is something to honour.
How does one become attuned?
When you receive a Reiki attunement, your body's energy channels are opened and cleared of obstructions. You not only receive an increase in life energy or Ki for your own healing, but you become connected to the Source of all universal Ki.
This Source is called different names according to your beliefs—God, Goddess, Universe, Higher Self. Reiki is NOT a religion, nor is it affiliated with any religion. This life force energy is the source of life itself, and far older in concept than any religious philosophy.
Upon receiving the first attunement in Reiki I, the receiver becomes a channel for universal healing energy. The attunement is not a healing session—it creates the healer.
After each attunement, the Reiki practitioner spends 21 days in a spiritual cleanse to clear spiritual, emotional, and physical blockages, amplifying their practice.
The Reiki levels
I teach the Reiki lineage in four levels—some teachers combine Reiki III and Reiki IV into one class, but this is the way I was taught and I honour my teachers.
Reiki I — The student receives the first attunement. The practitioner can do self-healing and healing for someone else who is physically present.
Reiki II — An additional attunement adds considerable power to direct sessions and introduces the tools for distance healing.
Reiki III — One more attunement further deepens the practitioner's ability to channel Ki energy.
Reiki IV (Master level) — The student learns how to pass attunements on to their own students. A Reiki Master is simply a teacher—no ego or ownership is involved in the term. This energy is pure joy, oneness with life, and connection with Source.
Each degree's attunement increases the positive power and ability to channel Ki energy. This process must be passed directly from teacher to student.
Key takeaways
No harm can be done with Reiki. Reiki energy is always used for the highest good of all involved. There is no such thing as someone using Reiki to send low vibrations—it simply wouldn't flow. Reiki is pure loving energy from universal source.
Anyone can receive Reiki, from a baby to an elderly person, a plant, a pet, or even food.
A session can be as quick as ten minutes or up to an hour. Professional practices usually offer a one-hour session.
Distance Reiki is just as effective as an in-person session.
You do not need any special gift or prior experience to learn Reiki—only an open heart and the willingness to commit to your own healing.
Ready to experience Reiki for yourself? I offer Reiki sessions in Sydney and online—book a session here. Or if you feel called to learn, get in touch to find out about upcoming training.
Over the years as my work expanded, what it was only Reiki expanded to a combination of coaching, sound healing and Reiki, now I call it Deep Reset. If you feel called to experience an Energy Healing session, click below.
