What Is Reiki Therapy? Benefits, What to Expect, and Where to Try It in Bergen County

What Is Reiki Used For?

Reiki is used for many different reasons and is not usually used as a single treatment. Instead, it’s most often layered into a broader care plan to support:

• Stress and anxiety reduction – one of the most commonly mentioned Reiki benefits
• Pain management, especially chronic pain or pain during the recovery process
• Better sleep – calms an overactive nervous system before bed
• Emotional processing after illness, loss, or a challenging diagnosis
• Overall calming and nervous system cleansing, as one would achieve through meditation or deep breathing
  
  

Here, it is important to note that Reiki is used to assist healing and is not a cure. It offers a non-invasive way to gently and naturally relax and heal the body – which is why it is being used in hospitals, and not instead of, but alongside treatment.

Reiki Therapy Benefits: What Does the Research Say?

Research with Reiki is still a young science, and most studies are small-scale. However, the evidence is clear and not in opposition. There have been several studies and pilot programs that report the following healing benefits of Reiki:

• Lower levels of self-reported stress, sometimes by a lot, after a few brief sessions
• Reduced reported levels of anxiety prior to and following invasive procedures.
• Greater patient satisfaction with pain management for chronic illness patients
• Improved sleep quality (self-reported)
• Overall improvement in wellbeing and emotional regulation 
  
  

Equally crucial point: the potential harm from reiki is very low. It doesn’t affect medications, surgeries, or other treatments; hence its increasing use as a complementary therapy, rather than a fringe treatment.

What Happens During a Reiki Session?

If you’re considering booking your first appointment, here’s what to expect:

1. A calm, private setting. This will be done while you remain fully clothed and lying down or sitting comfortably.
2. A short conversation first. Your practitioner may ask you what you hope to focus on- stress, pain, sleep, emotional strain, etc. so that you have a focus for the session.
3. Hands-on or hands-just-above positioning. The practitioner performs a series of positions, typically starting at the head and then progressing down the body, and holds each position for a few minutes.
4. Quiet and stillness. Sessions are usually 30-60 minutes long. Many people experience heat, tingle, or sense of profound relaxation, and others experience calm or even sleepiness.
5. A debrief afterward. You will typically share a word or phrase about what you saw or felt, and what you are thinking.
   
   

No hard work will be required of you; reiki is passive and low pressure and that is what makes it accessible to even those who are skeptical about it.

Reiki vs. Other Hands-On Therapies

One of the most frequent questions is what is the difference between Reiki and massage or other bodywork? Unlike a therapeutic medical massage, in which a practitioner is actively manipulating soft tissue, Reiki involves a minimal or non-tactile application of pressure, as it employs energy positioning, not muscle manipulation. Patients sometimes inquire about ‘reiki massage joint’ and are looking for a combination of the two, but generally it is offered as two separate modalities that complement each other rather than as a single treatment. Reiki is sometimes combined with hands-on massage or acupuncture for patients experiencing tension or joint discomfort at CITM, where the therapy also targets the energy meridians of the body by placing needles at specific points rather than positioning hands on the body.

Is Reiki for You?

Reiki often attracts those already on a mind-body path toward healing, yet it is surprisingly open to skepticism: You don’t have to believe anything to practice it, and you don’t have to have a medical condition to use it. When you’re not sure, there’s two things that help: learning a little about what existing research actually reveals (not the more magical marketing spin surrounding it) and coming with an open mind and ready ears to simply observe how your body reacts, not what you expect it to do.

Reiki works well for anyone already dealing with stress, anxiety, or chronic tension in some other way. Reiki is often used in conjunction with our stress management programs, or as one of a range of gentle energy-based techniques, such as Access Bars, used to support nervous system regulation. If you’re feeling stressed out in your body (clenched shoulders, shallow breathing, high cortisol), this article on biofeedback to balance your body works well as a supplementary read.

Why Reiki Fits an Integrative Medicine Approach

This is where the CITM approach is different from a single modality wellness studio. While Reiki alone can help you feel less stressed after a session of Reiki, it’s most effective as part of a larger program of care – particularly if the stress, pain or fatigue has a medical driver that also requires treatment. We are an integrative medicine center in Bergen County, and we have reiki, other energy based therapies, and the doctor practices conventional medical evaluation. We don’t miss anything. If anxiety is a main worry instead of stress in general, it’s also good to learn more about the difference between acupuncture for anxiety and stress relief as a complementary therapy.

How to Choose a Reiki Practitioner

Reiki, unlike any other service, is not regulated, which means that the training of the practitioner is more important than it is in other services. There are a few things to look out for before you make a reservation:

• Certification level. Reiki training is normally done in levels, usually referred to as Reiki I, Reiki II, and Master/Teacher. Inquire about the practitioner’s level and how long they have been practicing.
• Setting. If you’re within an integrative or medical center, as opposed to an unaffiliated storefront, you’re more likely to coordinate with the care you receive in the other location and to point out any issues that require medical attention.
• Clear expectations. A reputable practitioner will explain that reiki is an adjunct treatment and not a substitute for medical treatment, and will not dissuade you from attending your doctor for a chronic condition.
• Comfort and communication. Reiki is considered a passive experience that is based on trust, so it is not only important that the person guiding the session has appropriate credentials, it is also important that they are comfortable in their presence.

The Bottom Line

Reiki is not a panacea, nor should it be sold as one, but as a low-risk and evidence-backed means to enable your body to relax, cope with stress, and heal, it has a place within integrative medicine. If you’re wondering how reiki can fit into the care you’re receiving, our team at CITM in Paramus can discuss the various aspects of your health and their relationship with reiki.