What is Reiki and How Does it Work?

A Gentle Guide to Energy Healing and Inner Harmony

Ever found yourself craving a moment of peace? The kind that feels like the first deep breath you take beside Lake Superior at sunrise? You’re not alone.

Maybe your mind has been racing for weeks. Maybe your shoulders have crept up closer to your ears than you realized. Or maybe there’s that heaviness you can’t quite name, only feel. And perhaps, somewhere inside, there’s a quiet whisper asking:

There must be a softer way to feel like myself again.`

At Carnelian Mind Body Balance, we understand this feeling. And this is often the moment people discover Reiki. Not as a trend or a technique, but as a gentle invitation back into balance.

So today, let’s explore what Reiki is, how it works, and why so many people feel deeply restored after a session… all in a way that feels grounding, accessible, and comforting.

What Is Reiki?

Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a gentle, non-invasive form of energy healing that supports your body’s natural ability to restore balance. Often described as a soft, radiant current that brings warmth, ease, and emotional clarity.

The word itself comes from Japanese:

• Rei — spiritual wisdom

• Ki — life force energy

In many cultures, this life force energy is known as chi, prana, or qi. The subtle energy that animates all living things. The art of Reiki works by helping this energy move more freely, especially when stress, emotion, or everyday life has disrupted its natural flow.

You don’t need to “believe” anything for Reiki to work. You simply need to show up and allow your nervous system to soften — even a little.

How Does Reiki Work?

If you’ve never experienced energy healing before, this part can sound mysterious. But in truth? Reiki is beautifully simple.

A Reiki practitioner acts as a channel for universal life force energy, allowing it to flow through their hands to you—either with light touch or by hovering just above the body.

Think of it like this:

• When your phone is drained, you plug it in.

• When your energy is depleted, it helps “recharge” the natural flow.

During a session, your parasympathetic nervous system (your “rest and restore” state) awakens. Your breath deepens. Your muscles release. Your mind softens its grip.

Then, as your body relaxes, it becomes easier for stagnant energy, emotional heaviness, or inner tension to move. And that’s why many people describe Reiki as:

• a warm, glowing sensation,

• gentle waves of emotion releasing,

• tingling or soft vibration,

• or simply deep, peaceful stillness.

In this quiet space, your body remembers how to heal.

Reiki Healing Explained in Everyday Terms

You may be wondering, But what’s actually happening?

Your body holds energy in patterns. Some flow freely, others get stuck from:

• stress

• overwhelm

• grief

• chronic tension

• emotional suppression

• transitions or trauma

Reiki supports the dissolving of these energetic “knots.” Much like warm sunlight melts the last winter ice along the Bayfield shoreline, it encourages anything frozen or heavy within you to soften.

It isn’t forceful. It isn’t dramatic. It’s gentle, intuitive, and supportive.

Clients often leave feeling:

• lighter

• calmer

• emotionally clearer

• more grounded

• connected to their inner wisdom

As if a part of them that had been whispering for years finally feels heard.

What to Expect in a Reiki Session at Carnelian Mind Body Balance

If you’re new to Reiki, you might be wondering… What actually happens? Will it be weird? Will I feel anything?

Let’s walk through it! Slowly, simply, and without any pressure.

A Soft, Welcoming Beginning

When you arrive at Carnelian Mind Body Balance, you're welcomed into a warm, peaceful space inside the Bayfield Center for Well-Being. The room is cozy, softly lit, with gentle music playing and a sense of calm that feels almost like stepping into a different rhythm of life.

And before we begin, we talk—briefly and from the heart—about how you’re feeling and what you’re seeking. Some people come with specific intentions. Others simply say, “I need a reset.”

Both are perfect.

Settling In

You remain fully clothed the entire time. You lie comfortably on a massage table with blankets or bolsters if needed. Your only “job” is to breathe and receive.

Sometimes, I may offer grounding tools such as:

• aromatherapy

• crystals placed near your energy centers

• soft sound to support relaxation

Everything is tailored to what your system needs most that day.

The Reiki Experience

During the session, I place my hands lightly on or just above the body—moving across the energy centers, listening intuitively, and allowing the Reiki flow to guide the process.

You might notice:

• warmth

• tingling

• emotional waves rising and falling

• soft visions or colors

• or simply deep rest

And if you don’t feel anything specific? That’s completely okay. Reiki works whether the sensations are noticeable or subtle.

After the Session

Now, once the session concludes, many people sit up slowly with a soft glow in their eyes—like something inside has realigned.

You may feel:

• calm

• spacious

• grounded

• clear

• lighter

• surprisingly emotional (in a releasing way)

Everyone’s experience is uniquely theirs.

Why People Seek Reiki: Emotional, Physical & Spiritual Support

Reiki supports healing on many levels. Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Clients also often come to Carnelian Mind Body Balance when they are:

• carrying tension from chronic stress

• feeling emotionally drained

• moving through grief or transitions

• experiencing burnout

• seeking spiritual reconnection

• craving inner peace

• learning to trust their intuition

• ready to release what no longer serves them

Again, it doesn’t force change. It creates the space where change can happen naturally.

People often say it feels like their system finally exhales after holding everything together for too long.

Is Reiki Safe for Beginners? Absolutely.

One of its most beautiful aspects is its gentle nature.

It’s both safe and supportive for:

• adults

• seniors

• those with chronic pain

• individuals recovering from illness

• highly sensitive or intuitive people

• anyone overwhelmed or burned out

• those exploring healing for the first time

You don’t need prior experience. You don’t need to know anything about energy healing. You don’t need to meditate well or “feel spiritual.”

You only need the willingness to rest and receive.

The Spiritual Aspect of Reiki

Reiki is often described as a spiritual practice. But not in a religious or dogmatic sense.

It’s spiritual in the way a quiet forest walk is spiritual. Or the way the lake seems to speak in whispers when the wind settles. Or the way your heart knows when something feels right.

It helps you reconnect with that inner knowing—the intuitive, wise part of you that’s often drowned out by stress or noise.

Many clients say afterward:

• “I feel like I came home to myself.”

• “I didn’t know how much I needed this.”

• “Something shifted, and I can finally breathe again.”

Spiritual doesn’t mean complicated. It simply means connected—to self, to breath, to life.

Reiki and Life Force Energy (Ki or Chi): A Gentle Exploration

Earlier, we talked about life force energy. But what does this truly mean?

Here’s a simple way to imagine it:

Your energy is like a river. When it flows freely, everything feels vibrant. When it gets blocked or stagnant, you feel tired, tense, or overwhelmed.

Reiki acts like warm spring rain melting the ice, inviting the river to move again.

This flow creates:

• clarity

• vitality

• emotional ease

• inner alignment

• deeper awareness

Your body already knows how to heal. Reiki helps remove what gets in the way.

Common Questions About Reiki

“Do I need to do anything during a session?”

No. In fact, the less you do, the more your system can relax and receive.

“What if I fall asleep?”

Many people actually do. And it’s a beautiful sign that your nervous system feels safe.

“What if I feel emotional?”

You’re welcome to feel whatever arises. Emotional release is a natural part of energetic healing.

“Is Reiki connected to religion?”

No. Reiki is spiritual in nature but not tied to any belief system.

“Will I feel something?”

Possibly—warmth, tingling, calm, waves of emotion—but everyone’s experience is unique.

A Reiki Session as Nervous System Regulation

One of the most profound aspects of Reiki is its impact on the nervous system.

When you’re stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious, your body shifts into survival mode. Fight, flight, or freeze. It then gently invites your system into rest, repair, and restoration.

This can create lasting effects:

• improved sleep

• lower anxiety

• deeper emotional resilience

• clearer thinking

• reduced physical tension

It’s like pressing a soft reset button. Not forcing anything, simply reminding your body how to return to balance.

Whenever You’re Ready to Reconnect, Reiki Is Here

You don’t have to carry everything alone. And you don’t have to be “good” at relaxing to receive its benefits.

Reiki meets you exactly where you are. Gently, intuitively, compassionately.

Ready to step into a softer, more aligned version of yourself?

I’m here to hold space for you.

Book a Reiki session at Carnelian Mind Body Balance. Experience what’s possible when your energy feels supported, balanced, and heard.