About Reiki
“Reiki is a safe, gentle, non-intrusive hands-on healing technique for use on yourself or with others, which uses a spiritual energy to treat physical ailments without using pressure, manipulation or massage; however, it is much more than a physical therapy. It is a holistic system for balancing, healing and harmonizing all aspects of the person — body, mind, emotions and spirit — and it can also be used to encourage personal and spiritual awareness and growth.” - Penelope Quest, Reiki for Life
What Is Reiki?
Reiki is a holistic wellness practice that promotes relaxation, balance, and overall well-being. It originated in Japan in the early 20th century and is based on the concept that the body has an innate ability to restore and maintain health when given the right conditions. It works on every level of the self — physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
During an in-person Reiki session, gentle energy is directed through light touch or hands held near the body. The goal is to encourage deep relaxation, calm the nervous system, and support the body to shift out of stress mode — helping our natural healing processes function more effectively. Many people report feeling lighter, more centered, and deeply at peace after a session.
It’s gentle, non-invasive, and complements both conventional and alternative approaches to wellness. Reiki is practiced in hospitals, wellness centers, and private settings around the world as a supportive therapy for stress reduction, emotional well-being, and general health maintenance.
Distance Reiki
Reiki is unique in that it can be shared remotely — a practice known as distance Reiki. This approach is based on the understanding that energy and intention are not limited by physical space. Through focused attention and established techniques, a Reiki practitioner can connect with a recipient and offer the same calming and restorative benefits as an in-person session.
In distance sessions, clients often relax in their own quiet space while the practitioner sends Reiki energy from another location. Recipients commonly describe sensations of warmth, tingling, or a sense of calm, similar to what they experience during hands-on sessions.
From a practical perspective, distance Reiki provides access to support when physical space, commuting or scheduling make in-person sessions difficult. Whether you’re across town or across the world, the essence of Reiki remains the same: time to pause, reset, receive energy for your highest good and allow your system to restore balance — wherever you are.
What to Expect
Every Reiki experience is unique. Some people notice physical sensations or emotional release during a session, while others simply feel relaxed and refreshed afterward. The effects may be subtle or develop gradually over time.
Reiki meets you where you are, supporting your body’s natural ability to regulate and heal. It’s a gentle reminder to slow down, reconnect, and allow the mind and body to return to a state of ease.
For more personal accounts of what Reiki with Andrea feels like, navigate to customer testimonials.
Reiki and Research
A growing body of research suggests that Reiki may help reduce stress, anxiety, and support overall well-being. For example, a meta-analysis of 13 peer-reviewed trials involving 824 adults found that short Reiki sessions significantly reduced anxiety levels (Guo et al., 2024). Another randomized controlled trial demonstrated that combining Reiki with massage led to greater reductions in stress and anxiety compared to massage alone (Thrane & Cohen, 2014).
Additionally, a systematic review published in Frontiers in Psychology found evidence that Reiki provides measurable benefits for mental health symptoms beyond placebo effects (Zadro & Stapleton, 2022). Broader reviews of randomized controlled trials also report improvements in relaxation, pain management, and quality of life (Liu et al., 2025).
While more large-scale studies are still needed — particularly on remote or distance Reiki — current evidence supports Reiki as a gentle, low-risk complement to conventional approaches for stress relief, emotional balance, and holistic wellness.