Close-up of Reiki practitioner’s hands during an energy healing session, wearing rings, positioned above a client’s body in a peaceful healing space. — *Reiki practitioner channels universal life force energy through their hands during a healing session.*

Reiki: Tapping Into the Universal Life Force

There is a quiet current that flows through everything.

It moves through your breath, hums beneath your skin, and pulses in every leaf, wave, and heartbeat. In Japanese, this energy is called Reiki: rei meaning “universal” and ki meaning “life energy.” And when this current is strong, we feel aligned, alive, and at peace. When it’s blocked or depleted, we may feel disconnected, anxious, or unwell.

Reiki is more than a healing technique. It is a remembrance—a way of returning to the flow of universal life force that is always within and around us. Through gentle touch or intention, Reiki helps us clear what’s in the way of that flow, creating space for healing, peace, and wholeness to return.

What Is Reiki?

Reiki is a form of energy healing that originated in Japan in the early 20th century, founded by Dr. Mikao Usui. It’s based on the idea that an unseen life force energy flows through all living beings. When this energy is high, we’re more capable of being healthy, resilient, and joyful. When it’s low or blocked, we’re more likely to get sick, feel stressed, or feel out of balance.

Practitioners use their hands—either placed gently on the body or held slightly above it—to channel energy. It’s not their own energy they are using, but rather the universal life force, which they have been attuned to through a series of trainings and initiations.

Reiki may support the following:

Supports a regulated nervous system
Support emotional release
Supports mental clarity
Supports spiritual connection
Supports the body's natural ability to balance and restore

It is safe, non-invasive, and can complement any other treatment or modality.

Reiki Feels Like...

Many people describe Reiki as deeply relaxing. Some feel warmth, tingling, or gentle waves of energy. Others simply feel held, calm, or quietly reconnected to themselves. Even if no physical sensation is felt, that doesn’t mean it isn’t working. Reiki meets each person exactly where they are.

It’s not uncommon for people to report:

Supports emotional clarity or release
Vivid dreams or insights
A sense of connection to something greater
Supports relaxation and ease in the body
Deep sleep after a session

There’s no right or wrong way to experience Reiki. The energy flows where it’s most needed, even beyond conscious understanding.

A Personal Story: My Introduction to Reiki

I first heard the word "Reiki" in the early 2000s during my life coaching training. Two fellow students were Reiki practitioners, and their calm, grounded presence intrigued me. One weekend, while visiting them, they offered me a session. I said yes, not knowing what to expect.

What followed was a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in years. As I lay there with their hands gently placed above my body, I felt warmth and spaciousness. A sense of being held by something beyond the physical. I couldn’t explain it, but I knew something profound had happened.

Although I intended to be attuned right then, life had other plans. A year later, I received my first Reiki attunement at a yoga center in Chester. During our practice, I experienced something unexplainable: I felt hands on my feet, even though my partner had moved up toward my chest. When I peeked, there were no hands there—but the sensation remained.

My teacher explained that Reiki often invites unseen support—guides, angels, ancestors, or Reiki masters in spirit. That moment cracked open something in me. I knew I was working with something sacred.

Becoming a Reiki Teacher

From that point, I continued my journey through Reiki Levels 2 and 3 with another teacher, eventually becoming a Master Teacher. When I opened The Art of the Heart in Chester, I invited my friend Leona to co-teach with me. Together, we attuned many students and witnessed their unfolding.

One of our students once described Reiki as an “accelerator.” That stayed with me. Reiki doesn’t just heal—it opens doors. It raises vibration, reconnects us to our truth, and strengthens our inner compass. I later co-taught with Leslie, and the joy of passing Reiki on to others continues to be one of the greatest gifts of my life.

Reiki Today: From Spiritual Practice to Global Healing

What began as a spiritual practice in Japan is now offered around the world—in homes, wellness centers, hospitals, and hospices. Research shows Reiki can support:

Supports a balanced response to stress and anxiety
Supports the enhancement of immune function
Supports restful sleep
Supports relief from discomfort
Supports the body’s natural recovery process

Hospitals including Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic, and many integrative medicine centers now offer Reiki as part of patient care. Reiki is gaining recognition as a valuable tool in whole-person wellness.

But its power isn’t only in clinical settings. Reiki supports the everyday moments—when we place our hands on our heart to calm anxiety, when we send loving energy to someone in need, or when we simply sit in stillness and invite the energy in.

How to Invite Universal Life Force Energy Into Your Life

You don’t need to be a Reiki practitioner to benefit from this energy. Universal Life Force Energy is available to all of us. Here are a few ways to begin working with this energy today:

1. Place your hands over your heart.
Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Intend for healing energy to flow. You may feel warmth or peace. Stay here for a few minutes.

2. Practice meditation.
Visualize light flowing in through the top of your head and gently filling your body. Let it flow to any place that needs healing.

3. Receive a session.
Find a certified Energy Healer/Reiki practitioner in your area or explore distance sessions (yes, Reiki and Energy Healing can work across space and time!).

4. Learn Reiki.
If you feel drawn, consider taking a Reiki Level 1 course. You’ll learn how to connect with the energy and practice on yourself and others.

Reiki Is a Sacred Partnership

Reiki isn’t something you “do.” It’s something you allow. The practitioner is not the healer—the energy is. We are simply conduits, bridges between heaven and earth, through which healing flows.

And in that way, Reiki reminds us: we are not separate from the divine. The same life force that moves the tides and spins the stars moves through you. You are not broken. You are a vessel of light.

In every moment, you can return to that knowing. You can reconnect. You can remember.

Final Reflection: Trust the Flow

Since 2009, I’ve had the joy of attuning many students, witnessing their awakening, and walking with them on their journey of healing and service. Every session, every class, every quiet moment of presence reminds me: Reiki is love in motion.

If you’re seeking balance, peace, or a deeper connection to yourself, Reiki is a beautiful place to begin. Not as a fix, but as a remembering. Not as a technique, but as a path home.

This week, try placing your hands on your heart. Close your eyes. Breathe. Let the light flow.

You don’t have to do it alone.

Ready to Explore Reiki More Deeply?

If you're feeling called to experience Reiki firsthand or deepen your understanding, I offer both private sessions and training at all levels:

Book a Reiki Session – Receive gentle, energy-based support tailored to you.
Explore Reiki Training – Learn to connect with universal life force and support others on their path.

Let Reiki guide you back to balance, clarity, and your sacred inner light.