Short answer
Using Reiki means one of three things: receiving a session from a practitioner, practising on yourself, or, after Level 1 training, offering it to family and friends with their consent. Each is a light-touch relaxation practice and nothing more. The old version of this page suggested that regular practice “opens” psychic abilities and heals the “spiritual body”; there is no basis for either, and readers deserve a plainer starting point.
Start here
A 20-minute self-practice routine, the traditional hand positions, what training involves, consent for treating others, and what the evidence supports.
How to Do Reiki: A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Practice, Training and Limits
The three ways to use Reiki
- Receive it: a 30 to 60 minute clothed session with light or no touch. What happens in a Reiki session covers booking to aftercare.
- Practise on yourself: ten to twenty minutes daily with light hands; no training needed. Self-Reiki practice has comfortable variations.
- Offer it to others: after Level 1, with a consent conversation every time. Reiki for beginners explains the training and the boundaries.