A Real First-Time Experience with Reiki
It took six months of gentle nudging from my best friend before I finally agreed to try Reiki. She had experienced something profound — something that shifted her in a way she couldn't fully put into words — and she was certain I would, too.
But I hesitated. Not because I didn't trust her. Not because I wasn't open. I just worried I wouldn't feel anything. What if everyone else was having these powerful, emotional experiences… and I felt nothing? What if I walked away unchanged?
So I waited.
And that's exactly why I have so much compassion for clients who feel uncertain about booking their first Reiki session.
Maybe you're skeptical of something you can't physically see. Maybe you're anxious about what might surface during a session. Maybe you feel a little self-conscious because someone in your life dismisses it as "woo-woo."
You're not alone in any of that.
So, what is Reiki, exactly?
Reiki is an energy healing practice rooted in the understanding that the human body is more than its physical parts — it's also an energetic system. We are all comprised of energy. It surrounds us every day and cycles through our bodies. But because we're human — because we carry traumas, stresses, and the weight of daily life — that energy can get blocked.
A Reiki practitioner works to gently clear those blockages by placing their hands on different energy points throughout the body, similar to how an acupuncturist places needles. There's no pressure, no manipulation, and no discomfort. Just deliberate, focused touch at specific points — and the body's own intelligence doing the rest.
For the Science-Minded
There's actually a lot of quantum physics involved. The biofield — the electromagnetic energy that surrounds and permeates living systems — is measurable, and research into energy-based therapies has grown significantly in recent decades. Reiki isn't mysticism at odds with science. For many people, understanding the science is what finally makes them willing to try it.
A Real Experience from Someone Just Like You.
If you're unsure or skeptical, meet Ellie. By her own description, she is not a "woo woo girly." She likes science and things that are tangible. She went into her first Reiki session at The Light House Reiki Studio with a completely open heart and open mind — but no particular expectation that anything dramatic would happen.
Watch Ellie's full experience:
Ellie laid down on the heated bed with a weighted eye mask. Ana placed her hands on different energy points throughout her body. At first, it was just relaxing.
But as the session went on, Ellie felt a strange magnetic pull and a heaviness on her chest. She felt a gentle pressure on her right arm — and then noticed that the heaviness on her chest began to shift, moving to the left side of her body.
She got emotional and cried a little. Not from distress, but from something releasing.
Three hours later, she described feeling a boost of energy like she'd just worked out.
You don't have to believe anything to begin.
If you are curious, cautious, quietly wondering — you're in the right place.
You don't have to understand how energy healing works. You don't even have to know what you're hoping to get out of your first session.
You only have to be willing to show up.
Reiki isn't about performing, proving, or forcing an experience. It's about creating space — space for your nervous system to settle, for your body to soften, for your energy to rebalance. There's no "right" way to experience Reiki.
