Every Reiki practitioner is different. Not every Reiki practitioner does distance healing, some have not received the right attunement for it, others just don’t resonate with it. This primer will help you understand how different Reiki practitioners might approach their sessions. This is useful not only for you if you are receiving Reiki at a distance; if you are a practitioner interested in adding Reiki at a distance, you should learn about the different ways it can be shared, and see what fits and what you can adapt to work for you.
It is really important to understand that no matter what method a Reiki Therapist uses, if this method resonates for them, you will feel Reiki energy during your session. They vary in terms of how they work, how much intake they do, how long they work and how the after-session transition is handled.
HOW DOES YOUR PRACTITIONER WORK
- The “chalk outline” method: The most space efficient way to practice Reiki at a distance is by using a sheet of paper with the outline of a human body printed on it. This allows the practitioner to sit at a desk, take notes and do Reiki at a distance.
2. Use your own body: Another method to share distance Reiki is for the practitioner to use their thighs, arms, abdomen as “stand ins” for your physical body. It can be a great method if you are a tactile healer or you get a lot of information from touch. When I describe this method to my students, I usually caution them to first be very clear in intention that the Reiki is not for themself, and to check in throughout the work to keep that channel clear.
3. Guided Imagery and Directing The Receiver: This is an interesting and interactive method where the practitioner speaks on a phone or video link to the receiver and guides them with meditation to place their own hands on different areas of their own physical body. At the same time, the Reiki practitioner is visualizing and tuning in to the receiver’s energy, sharing Reiki as they guide the receiver. This is a wonderful practice because you receive the benefit of meditation and Reiki in the same session. In addiiton, it is also a good somatic exercise to help you get more comfortable feeling your own body, you body’s energy and the more subtle flow of life and sensation in your body, and be empowered by using your own “healing hands”
4. Stuffed animals: Yes, this is a thing, and yes, it works. Using a teddy bear or any other stuffed toy or doll that has a head, arms legs and a torso can be used in place of your receiver. It gives the practitioner a 3 dimensional experience, allowing for placement of hands under the receiver, for example.
5. Laying Out Clothing: This is the method that I use. That said, it involves laying out clothing, say a pair of pants, socks and a long sleeve shirt and perhaps a small pillow to approximate the shape of a person. It can be done on a massage table, couch, bed or the floor. The advantage is that the practitioner is working to scale, and although it is a fairly 2 dimensional experience, there is the ability to hold fabric between the hands and to feel very specific areas of the body. As I have a massage table and the room to set up, and I work best when I can feel and see a shape, I have found this to resonate most with me as a practitioner.
Session Length
Remote sessions can last anywhere from 20 minutes to 90 minutes. In my experience, 20 minutes is sufficient but the ideal length is about 45 minutes. Most people “pop out” of the meditative space at that point, unless something unusual happens in a session, that is about the length of time needed to share Reiki effectively. Sometimes, a session can go longer than this, but it is usually when there is an unusual situation, or if your practitioner uses multiple methods like channeling, journeying or shamanic healing.
Degree of Interaction
This varies greatly, and there are advantages to each way:
- How much intake does your practitioner do and what does it mean.
- Little or no intake or contact before the session: some practitioners do not require much in the way of intake or personal contact with a receiver. Their reasons vary but from what I have personally experienced, it can be that the practitioner actually connects better when they have less information to fill in gaps, as the human mind tends to do. As a receiver, you may also wish to have some degree of anonymity for your distance session. You may only wish to experience Reiki and do not wish to form a therapeutic relationship at this point. Working with a practitioner that does sessions with little contact might be a good fit in this case.
- Intake, informed consent and perhaps even a pre-meeting: many practitioners are committed to working with their clients to support them for more than a single session, and for this purpose, completing and intake form is appropriate. In addition, responsible practitioners carry insurance and participate in professional associations, and therefore have an obligation to share their code of conduct and seek informed consent before working with a receiver. Although Reiki can never do harm, any time you work with any wellness professional from personal trainer to massage therapist to psychologist, you are interacting with another human and there should be boundaries. If you are seeking the support of a Reiki therapist on a more ongoing basis to support you as you go through transition, be sure to keep an eye out for this level of engagement.
- How long do sessions last
- A distance Reiki session can last anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour. If you include conversation before and after, the session could last as long as 90 minutes.
- Expect shorter sessions to have little interaction before or after.
- “Standard” length Reiki sessions are usually 45 minutes. Most of the time, this is sufficient time for the practitioner to share Reiki thoroughly and address any additional energetic blocks or attachments they may notice. It is not unusual for a Reiki practitioner to offer to share impressions with their client, and to elicit any feedback the reciever wishes to share afterward. The purpose of this is to help the receiver understand the dynamics of the session and to anchor that into their memory
- Some practitioners also offer a channeled reading, an oracle card reading or some other add on to the session which could extend the length of the session beyond an hour. If time is ever an issue, let your practitioner know at the beginning so you can decide together what to do.
- What do you do during the session?
- Some practitioners tell you that you can do anything you like. While Reiki at a distance would work in any circumstance, I see this as a missed opportunity, and possibly counterproductive. In person Reiki sessions afford the receiver the opportunity to stop the usual pace, spend some time engaged in nourishing self-care and receive the benefit of human empathy and touch in addition to Reiki. Reiki at a distance can offer nearly all these benefits. If your practitioner doesn’t encourage or require you to lay down and receive, that could be counterproductive. Can you ever imagine receiving a massage while at the grocery store or driving to the post office? The same can be said of Reiki in any form.
- I recommend laying down, getting comfortable and warm, use the restroom before the session and take the opportunity to relax your body mind and spirit. I also work with my clients by video link so they can see me before hand and can “check” any time during the session to see what I am doing. I also spend about 10 minutes at the beginning of the session leading my clients in a guided imagery meditation to help them get relaxed and grounded. The more relaxed you are in your Reiki session, the more you benefit.
- After your session: So afterwards, there is a also some variation in what your practitioner will offer. Some offer very little follow up. The true value in Reiki happens during the session, in your own body and experience. Discussing what happened may not be enlightening or helpful for some. In addition, any feedback your practitioner shares must be delivered mindfully – anything we notice or feel during a session is an impression not an absolute truth. It is filtered through your practitioner’s nervous system and subconscious mind and will carry their own meaning-making. If a practitioner is unaware of this inherent bias, there is the risk of unintentionally misleading or misinforming a receiver about the experience they just had. When dealing with trauma, it’s important to learn to articulate and understand your experience. A trauma informed Reiki practitioner can help you understand the experience without injecting their own “story” or bias. Oracle cards or some other form of divination can be a useful tool. These cards are subjective images that you can interpret for yourself.
Reiki at a distance can be a fulfilling, nourishing and balancing self-care option. Whenever you work with a practitioner of any kind, you are engaging in a relationship on some level. Understanding broadly how different practitioners work will help you choose the right one for you and your goals.