A Reiki session involves a practitioner placing their hands lightly on or just above your body in a specific sequence of positions, typically starting at your head and moving down to your feet. You lie fully clothed on a treatment table while the practitioner holds each position for several minutes, and most sessions last between 20 and 90 minutes depending on the setting.
What Happens Before the Session
You don’t need to do much to prepare. Wear comfortable, loose clothing you can relax in, and remove belts or bulky accessories before the session begins. If you’re coming from work, some practitioners have a space where you can change. Dressing in layers is a good idea since your body temperature can shift during the session.
Some practitioners will have you fill out an intake form or do a brief health interview, especially if they have additional training in massage or another hands-on therapy. Many Reiki practitioners skip formal intake entirely, since Reiki developed as a folk healing practice rather than a clinical intervention. Either way, the practitioner will explain what they’re going to do and ask whether you have any specific concerns. If you’re pregnant or can’t lie flat, mention that beforehand. Most practitioners can accommodate you in a recliner or seated position.
The Hand Placement Sequence
Once you’re settled on the treatment table, the practitioner begins placing their hands in a series of positions that correspond to seven energy centers (called chakras) running from the top of your head to the base of your spine. The sequence moves from head to feet, and each position is held for a few minutes before the practitioner moves on.
The session typically starts with the practitioner’s cupped palms resting gently over your eyes, fingers on your cheekbones, without pressing down. From there, hands move to the sides of the head with palms on the temples, then cradle the back of the head so the base of your skull rests in slightly cupped palms. Next comes the throat, where the practitioner’s hands form a soft tent shape or rest lightly across both sides with fingers meeting at the center. Over the heart, hands are placed side by side on the breastbone. The sequence continues down the torso and ends at the lower abdomen, with hands resting just above the pubic bone.
After completing the front of the body, many practitioners will ask you to turn onto your stomach and repeat similar positions along your back. The session often finishes with hands held at the soles of your feet. Throughout all of this, the touch is extremely light. Some practitioners hover their hands an inch or two above your body rather than making contact at all.
What You Might Feel During Treatment
Most people describe sensations of warmth or tingling where the practitioner’s hands are placed. Some feel a gentle pulsing. Many people become deeply relaxed and fall asleep partway through. Others notice nothing in particular beyond the quiet and stillness, which is also completely normal.
Physiologically, research published in the Journal of Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that a single Reiki session increased heart rate variability and body temperature, which are markers of your nervous system shifting into its rest-and-digest mode. Compared to placebo, Reiki sessions showed reductions in resting heart rate and blood pressure. The working explanation is that the deep relaxation Reiki induces activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the branch responsible for calming you down after stress.
How Long a Session Lasts
There’s no single standard. In hospitals, hospices, or nursing homes, sessions often run 15 to 20 minutes. Private practitioners may offer sessions lasting up to 90 minutes. Most fall somewhere in between, with 60 minutes being common for a full treatment in a private setting. The University of Minnesota’s Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing notes that there is no set protocol or required length of time for a session.
What Happens After
When the session ends, the practitioner will let you know and give you a moment to reorient. Don’t expect a medical diagnosis or a detailed report on what they found. That isn’t part of Reiki practice. Some practitioners offer simple aftercare suggestions like drinking water and paying attention to how your body feels over the next day or two. Most people feel calm, sometimes slightly drowsy, and ready to go about their day.
Distance Reiki Sessions
Not all Reiki is done in person. Practitioners trained at Level 2 or higher learn a specific symbol used for sending Reiki remotely. The symbol is drawn from Japanese kanji characters, requires 22 brushstrokes, and is traditionally translated to mean something like “the spirit in me reaches out to the spirit in you to promote peace.” During a distance session, the practitioner may visualize you, hold a photo of you, or write your name on paper and direct energy toward it. Some practitioners schedule these at a set time so you can lie down and receive the session in real time. Others send it without coordinating timing.
Distance Reiki is also used for non-physical targets. Practitioners may direct energy toward a past event, a current situation, or a future goal using the same symbol and visualization process.
Practitioner Training Levels
Reiki practitioners train through a system of three levels, each involving a ceremony called an attunement. Level 1 focuses on self-healing and basic hands-on technique. Level 2 introduces the symbols used for distance healing and is considered the standard credential for treating others. Level 3, often called Reiki Master, qualifies someone to teach and attune new students. Each attunement is said to open the practitioner to channel a broader flow of energy.
There is no government licensure for Reiki in most places, so training quality varies. Some practitioners complete all three levels over a few weekends, while others train over months or years. If you’re choosing a practitioner, asking about their training background and how long they’ve been practicing is reasonable.
Reiki in Hospital Settings
Reiki is increasingly offered alongside conventional medical care. Abington Memorial Hospital in Pennsylvania, a Magnet-designated facility, runs a sustained Reiki program that includes treatments and classes for patients, healthcare providers, and community members through its Integrative Medicine Services Department. Many cancer centers, surgical recovery units, and palliative care programs across the country have added Reiki as a complementary option for managing pain, anxiety, and stress during treatment. In these settings, sessions are shorter and adapted to patients who may be in hospital beds, connected to monitors, or unable to change positions.