What to Expect in a Reiki Session
If you’ve never had Reiki before, the internet makes it sound like everything from an out-of-body trip to a full emotional exorcism.
Here’s the truth:
Most people don’t know what to expect — and that’s okay.
A Reiki session isn’t about performing healing.
It’s about regulating your nervous system, clearing energetic interference, and returning you to yourself.
Below is exactly what happens in a session so you can walk in relaxed, prepared, and grounded.
1. You’ll lie down fully clothed.
There’s no massage and no undressing.
Sessions take place on a massage table or zero-gravity chair with blankets, eye pillows, and comfortable supports.
Your only job: breathe and let your body soften.
2. Your nervous system is guided into a “descent.”
Before any Reiki begins, your practitioner helps your system shift out of hypervigilance.
This may include:
slow grounding touch (feet, shoulders, or ankles)
gentle guided breathing
a soundscape designed to down-regulate your system
warm compresses or soothing weight on the back
intentional energy techniques to help your field settle
Most people feel their thoughts slow down and their body get heavy — in a good way.
3. You may feel heat, pulsing, tingles, or nothing at all.
Reiki moves through the nervous system and subtle field.
People typically report:
✓ warmth or cool waves
✓ tingling
✓ heaviness or lightness
✓ emotional release
✓ muscle twitches
✓ deep stillness
✓ feeling like you’re floating
✓ falling asleep
And all are normal.
Feeling “nothing” is also normal — your system may be processing quietly.
4. The practitioner works through the field, not just the body.
Reiki isn’t physical manipulation.
It’s energetic — meaning the practitioner works with:
emotional patterns
mental fog
dense energy
overwhelm
stress held in the body
old impressions that need dissolving
Most of the real work happens in your field, not just at the physical touchpoints.
5. A session often brings clarity — not chaos.
Reiki doesn’t force emotional upheaval.
It doesn’t “make” you cry or collapse.
Instead:
It lowers noise, reduces interference, and helps your internal signals come through more clearly.
Clients typically leave feeling:
✓ lighter
✓ clearer
✓ grounded
✓ less reactive
✓ more themselves
That’s the actual point of healing: returning to your baseline, not performing a breakthrough.
6. After the session, you’ll integrate for 24–72 hours.
What “integration” can look like:
deeper sleep
vivid dreams
emotional softening
lighter breathing
mental clarity
fatigue (your body is recalibrating)
hydration cravings
desire for quiet
Nothing should feel alarming.
Your system is simply reorganizing itself into a more regulated state.
7. How to prepare for a Reiki session
You don’t need crystals, sage, or rituals.
Just:
wear comfortable clothes
avoid alcohol and substances 24 hours prior
stay hydrated
eat light
come with an open mind, not a script
You don’t have to know what to ask for.
Reiki meets you where you are.
8. Who Reiki is for
Reiki is ideal if you’re feeling:
overwhelmed
energetically heavy
stressed
emotionally tangled
mentally foggy
disconnected
overstimulated
at a breaking point
like you want a reset
It’s also perfect for beginners who have never tried energy work before.
9. What makes this different at Lumina Alchemy
Your sessions include:
✓ intentional nervous system descent
✓ field clearing techniques
✓ guided breathwork
✓ warm compress options
✓ immersive soundscapes
✓ grounding oils
✓ intuitive energy work (beyond Reiki alone)
✓ a safe, sealed container
✓ after-care guidance + integration support
It’s not a surface experience.
It’s field-level work with real impact.
10. The most important thing to know
There is no “right way” to experience Reiki.
Your body does exactly what it needs:
release, recharge, regulate, or realign.
Your job is simply to show up.
Want to try a session?
THE WINTER THRESHOLD — December 14 (Mount Laurel, NJ)
A one-hour, in-person Reiki + field clearing session designed to help you clear fog, reset your nervous system, and anchor your direction before the season “sets.”
Booking opens December 3 at 7 PM.
(Link in bio)
