I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to introduce Reiki to many first-time receivers of Reiki treatments, and over the past few years, I have found a way to prep everyone for a session whether they are skeptics and have no idea what Reiki is or they are Reiki Masters and have received many, many sessions.

It all comes down to mindset and easing expectations.

The key is to go into observation mode for the session. Let go of any judgment or analysis of what you observe, and simply notice what you experience with a sense of curiosity as to what you feel, see, or hear during the treatment. Become an observer of three areas in which Reiki may show up: the body, the mind, and the emotions.

In terms of the body, you may experience different sensations in a session including but not limited to temperature changes, pulsations, tingles, twitches, belly gurgles, pain*, relaxation of muscles, pins and needles, etc.

Again, notice without analysis. Attempting to figure out why or how it's happening will only take you out of the experience. Just relax into it and watch the sensations come and go.

(*One thing to be aware of if a sensation of pain begins to arise in the body is that it may intensify over some time. For the clients who have experienced this, they report that the intensity builds almost to a point where they can't take it anymore, and then... poof! It disappears.)

Observing the mind can be a challenge for those who are not used to long periods of quiet time or do not have experience with silent meditation.

My understanding of how to prepare someone for this area came after many clients told me about their experiences during the treatment that tended to keep them from being present in the session. I have also had my own experiences in receiving treatments where the Reiki tended to work more on the mental plane rather than the physical, and so I can speak from experience that the following suggestion will help your ability to be present in your Reiki session.

During the session, as you observe the body, expand your awareness to notice, and yet do not judge or analyze, the thoughts that appear in your mind.

Do not try to clear your mind. That is a waste of time and a losing game.

Instead, just watch the thoughts come and go like you are watching a television that someone is changing the channels on. No need to figure out why a particular thought showed up in your awareness. Simply acknowledge it and watch it either stay or leave on its own.

Thoughts tend to go in one of two directions. More often than not, thoughts morph into other thoughts and ramble about without rhyme or reason possibly grabbing your attention and pulling you into a dreamlike state or getting you to fall asleep. You might wake up later and realize you have no idea what happened over the last few minutes.

That is a nice experience when you know that your body dropped in so deeply that your mind had to follow it into a deep, yet brief, sleep.

The other direction that the mind may go is to stay fixated on an unsettled thought or situation in your life that is not at peace. This may be something that has been challenging you or that you don't have answers for.

Again, don't try to get it out of your mind. Just stay with it with a sense of curiosity like, "Hmm, that's an interesting thought to be there right now."

As the Reiki works and relaxes the body, it also helps the nervous system relax and in turn, affects the brain. As the neurons in the brain fire, the thoughts around the situation in your mind may begin to offer different perspectives and insights on the situation that you may not have thought of before. When these new ideas come to mind they tend to provide a feeling of relief which I refer to as mental healing.

After that, you might feel your body relax more deeply and feel lighter. You might even fall asleep because you can let go more than before.

The last area to observe is the emotions. Sometimes when we take time to get quiet and still, emotions that had not been fully expressed when first experienced may show up and provide an opportunity for you to fully feel them.

As human beings, we are emotional beings. We cannot avoid our emotions, and they need to be expressed.

Sometimes we avoid expressing them because it is not appropriate to display them when they show up or because we have been taught to keep them down.

The reason for not expressing them is not important. What is important is that if any emotion shows up during a Reiki treatment, allow yourself to feel it, express it, and heal from it.

Emotional healing happens after the expression of an emotion.

The good news is that ANY emotion could show up in a session, not just the sad ones that make us cry. I have had several clients burst into laughter during sessions, so whatever emotion you feel, feel it fully. You will feel better after.

What has been helpful for you to be a better receiver of Reiki?

Leave a comment below or send me a message with your answers and suggestions.