Now What?
You’ve learned what Reiki is. You chose a practitioner, prepared as much as you chose, and experienced a peaceful time. What’s supposed to happen now?
You may notice any, all, or none of the following. It is not necessarily an indication that Reiki isn’t working for you, or that you’re not with the right Reiki healer. Each of us comes to the table with different needs. More subtle shifts in energy will likely be more noticeable than larger ones, in a twist no one expects! But note any of these – it will help both you and your practitioner to be prepared or know where to focus for next time.
You May Feel Sleepy
This is maybe the most common easily-noted effect of Reiki treatments. Many people prefer to schedule their appointments for a time when they are able to go home and sleep or nap immediately afterward.
You May Feel Energized
In a previous article, I briefly discussed that your Reiki experience will be personalized to your needs. In some cases, an individual opens emotional or physical healing that has them leaving the table feeling lighter, more capable, or stronger.
This is not a result of the Reiki itself. If Reiki just gave people physical energy, it would be far more popular than coffee. It isn’t. No practitioner can just personalize their practice to give you some pep. But when a client is able to release heavy emotions, or find a great reduction in physical pain, they may feel a surge of energy. Yay!
You May Feel Thirsty
Reiki can boost the body’s natural digestion and detox. In order to detox, your organs need water. Ideally, they need it all the time! As your body is aligned to a place where it wants to eliminate waste, your thirst is telling you to help it do that job.
Don’t make your body tell you this. Just drink plenty of water before and after your Reiki session.
You May Feel Empowered
If you have come to your session full of stressors and questions, you may find some clarity with Reiki. Use this carefully! Don’t make any major decisions, like quitting a job or moving cross-country, for a day or two after your session.
You May Feel Healed
Be careful! I mean, yay! For real, Reiki is amazing and some people have shown dramatic improvement in physical ailments after receiving Reiki. This is the goal! But there’s a “but” …
Minor issues such as a strained muscle or tension headache might, in fact, be rendered healed after Reiki. When it comes to more serious ailments, however, please take a beat before making decisions.
Before you stop taking any medication on the basis that you feel better, please check with the doctor who prescribed the medication. You may wish to have testing completed, or to ease off the medication slowly to avoid detrimental side effects. Before you go ahead and do some kickboxing with your torn rotator cuff, make sure it IS good and doesn’t just FEEL good right now.
Reiki is healing. It is just important to remember that, as with any medicine or healing modality, you sometimes want to make sure things are OK rather than just making that assumption.
See More on Reiki
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out:
“Finding a Reiki Practitioner“