Restoring Balance Between Your Mind, Body & Spirit

Reiki & Energy Work

When you participate in a Reiki healing session, you open yourself to the universal life force that flows through all things—including your body. In doing so, you allow your body to heal itself in the most natural way possible.

What is Reiki?

Reiki is a Japanese-based spiritual healing practice that enhances wellness by gently encouraging balance throughout the entire system: body, mind, and spirit.

What does Reiki mean? The word reiki is a Japanese word for “universal life force energy.”

The Japanese Kanji alphabet defines Reiki as

  • Rei: Universal, transcendental, spirit, essence, or spiritual consciousness.

  • Ki: Vital life force energy which flows through all beings.

Reiki was originally taught according to the Japanese tradition of the sensei (teacher), who passes the knowledge to the student through attunement. This initiation ceremony is thought to help open the student’s energy channels to facilitate the flow of healing energy. Once opened, these channels remain accessible to the practitioner for the rest of their life. You should always work with a professional when participating in a Reiki healing session.

Reiki focuses on your body's seven main energy centers, called chakras. The energy should flow freely through your chakras for you to be spiritually, physically, and mentally healthy.

Reiki comes from the idea that we all have our own healing energy, and physical and emotional imbalance can develop when it becomes weak or blocked. Reiki practitioners help restore that balance. A Reiki practitioner uses this type of therapy to guide energy throughout the body and promote a person's self-healing abilities.

Most commonly, a Reiki treatment is associated with projecting healing energy through the palms of a practitioner. But each practitioner tailors a specific healing plan in alignment with their client’s needs. Just like meditation or exercise, the effects of Reiki are cumulative. While one session can work wonders, Reiki can be incorporated regularly for self-care as it supports physical and emotional health.

FAQs

  • A typical reiki session will last for about an hour (however, the makeup of the session can vary greatly depending on your needs).

  • Relax your body and mind. Notice and make a mental note of any special places in your body or mind that need special attention in your session. Remind yourself that your reiki session is being performed for the highest and greatest good.

  • Wear clothes that feel most comfortable to you. You will stay completely clothed during the entire session. At the beginning of the session, I will discuss more about Reiki and give you a chance to ask any questions. Feel free to ask any questions during the session. Breathe in easy and relaxing breaths during your session. After the session, please drink lots of water.

  • Generally, we start by speaking for a while, similar to a therapy session or counseling. Then you may do some healing exercises such as breathwork before lying down on a massage table (fully clothed) for the Reiki portion of your session. I usually reserve time afterward to chat through some of the things that came up during the session or answer any of your questions.

  • Each person is very different in how they feel and experience Reiki energy. However, feelings of deep relaxation are usually felt by all. Many feel a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and surrounds them. As the Reiki energy encourages one to let go of all tension, anxiety, fear, or other negative feelings, peace and well-being are experienced. Some drift off to sleep, report floating outside their bodies, or have visions and other mystical experiences. At the end of the treatment, one feels refreshed with a more positive, balanced outlook.

    This practice will also continue to shift and change and feel slightly different every time, similar to meditation. Trust that your experience is exactly what it needs to be that day.

  • As little or as much as you would like. I try not to prescribe people a certain number of sessions as I believe each person knows intuitively when to come.

  • Not at all. While many people come in for sessions because they are experiencing things like pain, a sense of overwhelmedness, energy depletion, or anxiousness, Reiki can support us in so many other aspects of life. I love working with clients who just want to receive Reiki with no intention or expectation, as it allows us to freely explore energy. If there is something specific you want to address in a session, it's essential to let me know that upon booking your appointment, so I can make sure to connect to it during your session.

  • A 60-minute private Reiki session (In person or remote) is $90. Packages are available, as well as add-on services. Most people notice a significant difference after the first Reiki treatment, and the benefits grow with repeated sessions as the energy starts to stabilize higher vibrations.

  • When giving a Reiki treatment, energy flows through the practitioner before leaving the hands and flowing into the client. As the Reiki energy flows through the practitioner, she/he will feel more relaxed and uplifted. Spiritual experiences sometimes take place. The practitioner sometimes receives insights about what the client needs to know to heal more deeply.

  • Reiki has not been found to have any adverse effects. Because there is nothing about a Reiki session that can interfere with conventional medical care, Reiki has no known contraindications and can be used concurrently with any medical intervention.

    The touch of Reiki is very light on or even off the body. The recipient is not required to ingest any substances, so there are no concerns about mixing substances (such as herbs) and prescription medications.

    Reiki will not override the action of medical interventions but rather support the patient while he or she goes through them, restoring balance in body, mind, and spirit to the degree possible.

    Always tell your doctor if you are using an alternative therapy or if you are thinking about combining an alternative therapy with your conventional medical treatment.

    Remember that it is up to you to be responsible for your own medical care and seek appropriate help. Please do not go to your Reiki practitioner for a diagnosis (unless he or she is also your healthcare provider), and do not avoid recommended medical tests or treatment.

  • Reiki supports women through the ongoing physical, emotional, and spiritual changes of pregnancy; this process helps to prepare them for childbirth. Many moms-to-be report feeling more centered, rested, and grounded after a treatment. This gentle, healing energy can, therefore, greatly benefit the mother and her developing baby. Reiki can safely be used at any stage of pregnancy and in conjunction with conventional medicine and complementary therapies, including prenatal massage, prenatal yoga, and chiropractic care.

  • Reiki is relaxing and healing, so your mental chatter tends to quieten down during a Reiki treatment, but you may notice that your mind remains active.

    Reiki treatments reveal how balanced you are physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. If you notice your mind is busy during your treatment, practice noticing the busyness without judgment.

    During your treatment, you also receive practical relaxation techniques to incorporate into your day to experience greater peace.

What are the Health Benefits of Reiki?

  • Promotes Relaxation

    The most well-documented benefits of Reiki revolve around the relaxation response, which invokes the body’s natural healing process.

    We spend so much of our daily lives in ​fight-or-flight mode—Reiki stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and transports us to a ​‘rest and relax’ mode, allowing time for our mind and body to reset and heal.

  • Eases Physical Pain

    Reiki can help a variety of physical conditions, such as chronic pain or fatigue. It can also be beneficial in cases where there is an underlying energetic imbalance causing physical symptoms.

    Studies have shown that Reiki can support pain alleviation after common surgeries such as knee surgery, improve the range of motion in injured shoulders, and support post-cesarean section recovery. Reiki also provides comfort for those living with chronic illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, or lupus or patients undergoing various cancer treatments.


  • Supports Mental Health

    Reiki can help with anxiety and depression. By restoring balance in the body’s life force energy system, Reiki can help alleviate feelings of stress and worry while promoting a sense of calmness and clarity.

    Additionally, it can be beneficial for those who have experienced trauma or have difficulty sleeping as it helps open up blocked pathways in the body, allowing for a better flow of energy throughout the body, leading to a greater sense of relaxation.

  • Provides Emotional Healing

    Many people live with anxiety and depression or suffer from feelings of loneliness. Experiencing any of these feelings can be unsettling, which is where Reiki sessions can help.

    The process works by helping people reconnect with their inner selves so they can gain clarity about their emotional states and learn how to move forward in a positive direction rather than staying stuck in unhelpful patterns of thinking or behavior.

Reiki in Conventional Cancer Care

Cancer patients often experience anxiety and distress. Reiki can support the delivery of conventional medical care by helping to relieve anxiety and provide a sense of safety. Reiki is increasingly offered as an adjunctive treatment in hospitals and cancer centers. Reiki is increasingly offered to patients in local hospitals, community centers, cancer support groups, and at leading cancer treatment facilities such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York, New York), Dana Farber Cancer Center (Boston), and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston).

Patients may use Reiki to bring healing into their often-rigorous cancer treatments, seeking relief from symptoms such as pain, anxiety, fatigue, nausea, and depression, and to improve their quality of life, reduce feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, and regain a sense of control.

The best reason for a patient to receive a Reiki treatment is simply that Reiki helps them feel better, relieving symptoms such as anxiety, pain, fatigue, nausea, and insomnia and imparting a sense of centeredness. Additionally, research supports anecdotal reports that Reiki can help patients recontextualize their illness in a way that empowers them to heal. Reiki treatment can enhance the patient’s ability to address the challenges and uncertainty of a cancer diagnosis with a clearer mind and a stronger sense of self. Conventional cancer treatments are often called a war against the disease, in which the body becomes a battlefield. The balancing effect of Reiki treatment can help the person recover from the collateral damage of treatment without compromising the effectiveness of conventional protocols. At a time when so much hangs in the balance, Reiki treatments can help support the patient in their cancer journey.

References cited

 “I have been seeing Mary for 1 1/2 years as she helps me navigate my cancer diagnosis. Mary invites spirit guides and angels to join in at each healing session. There have been times I have been able to feel their presence. Mary uses their energy, in addition to the energy that comes through her, to help clear away the “gunk” from my energy field left by the chemotherapy. She aligns my chakras and restores the flow of energy throughout my body.  After each healing session I feel more balanced and less fatigued. I look forward to my time with Mary each week. She truly is one of my earthly angels.” - Terri H., Client

Reiki restores you to a state of balance by unlocking your natural healing abilities.

Reiki restores you to a state of balance by unlocking your natural healing abilities.

Distant Reiki Healing Session

Receive Reiki treatment from the comfort of your home or office. Distant Reiki has the same benefits as in-person Reiki. It’s a perfect option if you’re unable to receive Reiki treatment in person due to physical distance or physical, mental, or emotional conditions that have you housebound. The recipient must receive in a quiet, relaxing environment for full benefit. You can receive Reiki from a distance via Zoom, telephone, or in person.

Mary supports residents of Connecticut, as well as those living throughout the country and internationally.

Cancellation Policy: Please let me know at least 24 hours in advance if you need to cancel your appointment. Cancellations within 24 hours of your appointment will be charged at the full appointment rate. Cancellations a minimum of 24 hours in advance of your appointment will not be charged, and we will aim to rearrange your appointment within 14 working days.