What actually is Reiki?

I get asked this a lot. Often with a pause, or a half-smile.

“Isn’t it a bit… woo-woo?”

So let me explain it in a way that is hopefully simple.

At its core, Reiki is about working with universal energy.

The same energy that exists all around us, all the time. It’s not something mystical that appears only

in a treatment room. It’s already there.

Reiki practitioners like myself are attuned to work with this energy. That attunement allows us to

channel it and pass it on, so the body can receive it and use it however and wherever it needs.

There’s no directing from me, and no effort required from you. Your body is always in charge.

I often say to clients:

You can think of me like a mobile phone charger.

You don’t need to understand electricity.

You don’t need to tell your phone where to send the power.

You just plug it in.

The phone takes what it needs, recharges in its own time, and stops when it’s full.

Reiki works in much the same way.

Another way I sometimes explain Reiki is through the idea of resonance.

Resonance is a well-established principle in physics, sound and vibration. It describes what happens

when systems interact and begin to influence one another, gradually moving towards

synchronisation. Things find a shared rhythm.

When someone is under stress, overwhelmed, or carrying trauma, the body can fall out of balance.

The nervous system stays switched on. The body tightens. Thoughts race. Over time, the system

forgets what regulation feels like.

Reiki offers a steady, coherent state for the body to respond to. Nothing is forced. Nothing is fixed.

The body simply begins to recognise that steadiness and, over time, naturally moves back towards

balance.

This is why belief isn’t required.

You don’t have to be spiritual.

You don’t have to understand how it works.

You don’t even have to do anything.

Reiki isn’t something being done to you.

It’s how your energetic system naturally responds when it’s given the right support.

Most people experience Reiki as deep rest. A slowing down. A sense of being held. Sometimes

emotions move. Sometimes nothing dramatic happens at all, just a quiet feeling of coming back into

yourself.

What about distance Reiki?

This is often where people feel most sceptical, and that’s completely understandable.

Distance Reiki works with the same principles. Energy isn’t limited by physical space. Just as Wi-Fi,

radio waves or a phone signal don’t require wires, Reiki doesn’t rely on physical touch to be

effective.

During a distance Reiki session, the same universal energy is channelled with intention and presence.

Your body receives it in exactly the same way as it would in person, responding according to what it

needs at that time.

Clients often tell me they feel just as relaxed, sometimes even more so, because they’re in their own

familiar space. Some notice warmth, heaviness, emotional release, or deep calm. Others simply

sleep better or feel more centred afterwards.

Again, nothing is forced.

Your body leads.

The energy meets you where you are.

Whether in person or at a distance, Reiki is about creating the conditions for your system to settle,

regulate, and remember what balance feels like again.

So if Reiki has always sounded a bit woo-woo to you, that’s okay.

You don’t have to label it or analyse it.

All you really need to know is this:

When life has drained your battery, Reiki creates the space for you to plug back in and recharge.