What is Reiki?
My Personal Journey Beyond Healing
I have been asked one question more than any other during the past twenty years. "What is Reiki?"
Every time I answer it, I realise my answer has changed.
Reiki is not only a way to support healing for ourselves and others. It is also a way of living. It begins with the acceptance that there is something bigger than us, something we do not fully understand and control, but can learn to trust and work with.
For me, Reiki is the understanding that everything in the World we live in is connected. People, animals, the Earth, every living being. What happens in one place does not stay completely separate from everything else. Our thoughts, our intentions, our care, and our willingness to help all matter.
This is why Reiki has never felt to me like a technique that belongs to one person, one teacher, or one school. It is an energy that exists already. We do not create it. We learn how to connect with it, how to respect it, and how to become clear enough to let it flow through us.
My own path with energy began long before Reiki. When I came to Reiki, I was not looking for something fashionable or mysterious. I was looking for another way to understand the energy I had already felt and worked with for many years.
This is the view I want to share here - my personal understanding of Reiki, shaped by experience, practice, attunements, distance healing, colour frequencies, and many years of listening to what energy actually does.
Reiki Attunement is about connection, not status
One of the biggest misunderstandings I see is around Reiki attunements.
Sometimes they are presented as though they make someone special, or as though Reiki belongs only to those who have been initiated by a particular teacher or organisation. That has never felt right to me.
I see an attunement in a much simpler way.
Think about an old-fashioned radio. The music is already there. Radio stations are broadcasting all the time, whether we listen to them or not. The purpose of the radio is not to create the music. It is to tune into the right frequency so it can receive what already exists.
For me, a Reiki attunement works in much the same way.
The Universal energy is already there. It surrounds us all the time. The attunement is not about receiving something that was unavailable before, and it certainly isn't about becoming part of an exclusive group. It is about tuning ourselves so we can recognise, connect with and channel consciously that energy.
That is also why I have never seen Reiki as something that belongs to one person, one lineage or one organisation. Every teacher passes on what they have learned, just as their own teacher did before them. We are all part of the same tradition, but none of us owns it.
Like sunlight dancing on water, Reiki is not something we create. It is something we learn to connect with, respect and experience.
In-person, or distance Reiki attunements?
I received my first Reiki attunement in person in 2009. Between 2009 and 2015 I got the 3 attunements in person and became USUI Ryoho Reiki Master Teacher in 2015.
Over the years, I witnessed the passionate discussions about in person vs distance attunement. Rather than relying on someone else's opinion, I decided to experience both for myself. In 2022 I got attuned as Reiki Master for the second time with distance attunement. I wanted to know whether I would experience the energy differently.
I didn't.
For me, there was no difference in the quality of the connection or in the way I experienced the energy. That confirmed something I had already come to understand through years of distance healing.
Energy is not limited by physical distance in the way our bodies are.
What matters far more is the intention behind the attunement and the openness with which it is received. Two people can sit in the same room and have completely different experiences because each person brings their own expectations, willingness and readiness. In the same way, a distance attunement can be a deeply meaningful experience when both teacher and student come together with clear intention and mutual trust.
That is why I have always felt comfortable offering distance Reiki training. I simply see it as another way of connecting with something that is already present everywhere.
For me, the question has never been whether Reiki can travel across distance. If Reiki is not limited by distance during healing sessions, it makes sense that the same principle applies to attunements.
Reiki attunement is just beginning, not the destination
An attunement is a beautiful experience, but it is only the first step.
Sometimes people speak about receiving a Reiki attunement as though they have reached the finish line. I see it differently. For me, the attunement opens the door. Walking through that door is a lifelong journey.
This is one of the reasons I always encourage my students to learn about Reiki before they receive their first attunement. I ask them to read my beginner's guide or spend time doing their own research. Not because there is an exam to pass, but because I believe curiosity is a sign of respect.
Reiki is the universal life energy. If we are about to invite something so profound into our lives, it feels natural to first pause, learn, ask questions and understand what we are saying yes to.
An attunement is not something to collect. It is the beginning of a relationship.
The first person that relationship should transform is you.
Before we think about helping family, friends or clients, we need to become familiar with our own energy. We need to notice where we feel balanced and where we don't. We need to experience how Reiki supports us through stress, illness, emotional challenges and the ordinary ups and downs of daily life.
I believe this personal experience is one of the greatest gifts a Reiki practitioner can have. It brings humility. It teaches patience. It reminds us that we are not separate from the people who come to us for help. We continue learning every day, just as they do.
This is why I often say that self-healing is not something we complete before we begin helping others. It becomes part of the way we live. Even after many years of practice, Reiki continues to show me new lessons about myself.
The twenty-one days following an attunement are an important part of that journey. Many traditions describe this period as a time of integration, when body, mind and energy begin adjusting to the new connection. In my experience, those weeks are every bit as important as the attunement itself, because they are where practice becomes part of everyday life.
If you would like to understand why I place so much importance on this period, you may enjoy reading my article Why the 21 Days After a Reiki Attunement Matter More Than the Attunement Itself.
Receiving an attunement is a wonderful beginning.
Living Reiki is what gives it meaning.
Receiving a Reiki attunement opens the door. The real journey begins afterwards, through daily practice, self-healing and personal growth.
Reiki gave me the foundations. Experience taught me the rest.
One of the things I love most about Reiki is that it continues to grow with you.
The principles stay the same, but your relationship with the energy deepens through experience. Every session teaches you something new if you are willing to observe rather than simply follow what you have been taught.
When I received my second Reiki Master attunement, something unexpected happened.
I began experiencing Reiki together with colour frequencies. At first I wondered whether I was imagining it.
This wasn't something I had learned during my Reiki training. They simply became part of the way I experienced the energy. Certain colours appeared naturally during healing sessions, and over time I realised they were not random. They reflected the current energetic state of the person and often pointed towards the frequency that would help restore balance.
Instead of ignoring these experiences because they were not written in a Reiki manual, I chose to become curious.
That curiosity has guided my whole journey.
It led me to study Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Five Elements more deeply. It led me to radiesthesia, multidimensional energy assessment, and the many connections that exist between different healing traditions. Little by little I realised that these systems were not competing with Reiki. They were helping me understand it from different perspectives.
Today, Reiki remains the foundation of every healing session I offer. Everything else helps me understand where the person has lost balance and what may be standing in the way of their natural ability to recover. Reiki is the energy that supports the process. The assessment simply helps me listen more carefully before the healing begins.
This is also why I encourage my students to stay curious.
Practise with respect and be open for whatever experience comes.
Give yourself time to build confidence and experience. Allow Reiki to become your own teacher.
You do not need to copy every practitioner you meet or measure your experiences against someone else's. We all perceive energy differently. Some people feel warmth in their hands. Others sense emotions, images, colours or simply know. None of these experiences is better than another. They are different ways of receiving the same conversation.
The most important thing is to stay humble enough to keep learning.
Even after all these years, Reiki still surprises me.
That is one of the reasons I know I am still a student.
The Five Reiki Principles Changed the Way I Deal With Stress
When people first discover Reiki, they are often drawn to the healing itself. They want to know how the energy works, how to place their hands, or how to support someone they love.
Yet, for me, the greatest gift Reiki offers is the way it teaches us to live.
The five Reiki principles are beautifully simple. At first glance they almost seem too simple.
Just for today, do not anger.
Just for today, do not worry.
Be grateful.
Work honestly.
Be kind to every living thing.
They are reminders that every day we have another opportunity to choose how we respond to life.
Of course, none of us lives them perfectly. I certainly don't. There are days when life tests my patience, when worries appear or gratitude is harder to find. The principles are not asking us to become perfect. They simply invite us to return to them, one day at a time.
That is why each one begins with the same words: JUST FOR TODAY
I have often thought that these five principles describe a beautiful harmony. When we worry less, we become more present. When we let go of anger, kindness comes more naturally. Gratitude changes how we see what we already have, and honest work gives meaning to what we do. Together they create an inner environment where healing can flourish, not only during a Reiki session but in everyday life.
Over the years, I have realised that the people who embrace these principles often experience the greatest transformation, because they become more at peace with themselves.
Perhaps that is the real teaching of Reiki.
The energy supports us.
The principles show us how to walk through life.
The Five Reiki Principles are the heart of Reiki. They are simple reminders to live with gratitude, honesty, kindness and peace, one day at a time.
How much Reiki costs? The Value of an Energy Exchange
One question that often comes up is why Reiki sessions and attunements are not free.
For me, the answer has never been about putting a price on Reiki.
Reiki itself cannot be owned, bought or sold. It is available to all of us.
What we value is something different.
Behind every Reiki session are years of learning, practice, self-healing, experience and continual study. Behind every attunement is a teacher who has dedicated time to understanding not only how to pass on Reiki, but how to support another person as they begin their own journey.
At the same time, I have never felt comfortable with the opposite extreme, where Reiki is presented as something exclusive, available only through expensive VIP programmes or luxury experiences. That doesn't reflect what Reiki has taught me either.
Reiki reminds us that we are connected.
Connection should never become a privilege.
For me, the right energy exchange is one that honours both the teacher and the student. It allows the teacher to continue sharing their knowledge while asking the student to make a meaningful commitment to their own journey.
Because when we invest in something, whether with our time, our effort or our financial resources, we naturally value it more. We show up differently. We practise more consistently. We take responsibility for our own growth.
The exchange is never about paying for Reiki.
It is about honouring the journey that makes sharing Reiki possible. If you are interested in understanding more about the Reiki Attunements and Certifications, please what I offer, as a teacher.
Reiki Changed the Way I See the World
When I look back over the years, I realise that Reiki changed far more than the way I work with energy.
It changed the way I see life.
It taught me to notice the connections that exist between people, animals and nature. It deepened my respect for every living being and reminded me that even the smallest act of kindness creates a ripple we may never fully see. The Reiki Principles are my anchor during turbulent times. Whenever life feels overwhelming, I return to those three words: Just for today. They remind me to stop carrying tomorrow before it arrives.
Reiki also taught me humility.
The longer I work with Reiki, the less I feel I have all the answers. Every healing session teaches me something new. Every client, every animal and every student brings a different lesson. I see it as one of the greatest gifts Reiki has given me: the freedom to remain a lifelong student.
That curiosity has led me to explore many other healing traditions over the years. Rather than replacing Reiki, each one has helped me understand it more deeply. They have shown me that there are many different ways of describing the same underlying reality.
Today, Reiki is still at the heart of everything I do. It reminds me that healing is never about trying to control another person's journey. It is about creating the conditions where balance can return naturally, in its own time and in its own way.
If there is one message I hope you take away from this article, it is this.
Reiki is not something you simply learn. It is something you live.
And the more you live it, the more it changes the way you see yourself, the people around you and the world you share together.
Every healing session I perform begins with a prayer. It reminds me that I am not the source of healing. I am simply asking to become the clearest channel I can be, always for the highest good. That understanding has kept me humble throughout my journey, and I hope it always will.
If my perspective on Reiki resonates with you, I'd be honoured to accompany you on your own journey. You can learn more about my Reiki Attunements and Certifications and how I support students before, during and after their attunement.
May God bless your journey.
Every journey begins with hope. Mine began with curiosity and continues each day with gratitude, prayer and a willingness to keep learning.
FAQ
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Reiki is often described as universal life energy, but to me it is much more than a healing technique. It is a way of living that reminds us we are connected to something greater than ourselves, to each other, to nature and to every living being. Healing is one expression of Reiki, but not its only purpose.
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No. Curiosity is enough.
Many of my clients begin with questions rather than beliefs. I encourage people to experience Reiki with an open mind and then decide for themselves. Throughout my own journey, experience has always been my greatest teacher.
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Yes.
After receiving both in-person and distance Reiki attunements and working with distance healing for many years, I have found no difference in the quality of the connection. What matters most is the intention, trust and openness between practitioner and recipient, not the physical distance between them.
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For me, an attunement is like tuning an old-fashioned radio. The energy already exists. The attunement simply helps you connect with it consciously.
The attunement is not the end of the journey. It is the beginning of your relationship with Reiki.
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Because I believe the first person Reiki should transform is you.
Working with your own energy teaches humility, patience and understanding in a way that no textbook can. The more you experience Reiki in your own life, the more naturally and authentically you can support others.
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Absolutely.
In my own practice, Reiki is the foundation of every healing session. Over the years, I have also integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine, radiesthesia and multidimensional energy assessment. Rather than replacing Reiki, these approaches help me better understand where balance has been lost and how Reiki can best support the body's natural ability to restore it.
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No.
Reiki is a spiritual practice, but it is not a religion. It does not ask you to give up your own faith or beliefs. People from many different religious and cultural backgrounds practise Reiki. In my own work, every healing session begins with a prayer, because my Christian faith is an important part of who I am. Others may express their gratitude differently. Reiki welcomes sincere intention rather than requiring a particular belief system.