Reiki supports the body’s natural healing abilities and promotes overall wellness of the mind, body and spirit
A gentle energy healing technique, Reiki aims to improve the flow of “ki” (life force energy) and clear blockages to that flow, similar to how acupuncture or acupressure work. Reiki therapy is typically very deeply relaxing, and can help with pain management, stress reduction, and other issues.
Reiki Practice – Life Principles
It is easy to cover up our true-self with anger, worry, fear, and judgment. By practicing the system of Reiki you start to peel back those layers of emotions, allowing for your own inner bright light to shine through. Which in turn shows our natural state of mind. Japanese Reiki utilizes the Reiki Precepts, chanting the mantras, meditating on the symbols, breathing practices, hands on/off healing, and performing/being a part of reiju (attunements). The Precepts are the foundation of Reiki and are guidelines for how to “be Reiki” in everyday life. By meditating on these, and living them as life principles, your entire being starts to shift.
– Teri Calandra, MSTOM, Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM)®, LAc, LMT, RMT, excerpted from “It’s All About That Ki,” (PDF download, 14.4MB), published in Acupuncture Today, August 2018
What is Reiki?
At its essence, Reiki is a system of teachings and practices for cultivating a way of being that is self-healing and healing of others. “Rei” can be translated as Spiritual and “Ki” means energy. Reiki is around 100 years old and has its basis in Buddhism. In the early 1900’s, there were many different types of energy medicine being practiced and taught in Japan.
The system of Traditional Japanese Reiki practiced and taught at CCHW is the Usui Reiki Ryoho of the lineage of the International House of Reiki.
Reiki energy therapy treatments
Reiki therapy can be effective at helping with stress relief, anxiety, pain management, trouble sleeping, and more. All Reiki sessions are 60 minutes.
Hands-on Reiki Healing Session
Hands-on, or in person, Reiki is used for pain relief, stress reduction, and better sleep. It may aid emotional healing and recovery from illness, and more!
What to expect
- Come to your in-person session wearing loose-fitting, comfortable clothing.
- You will relax on a heated massage table in one of our treatment rooms, with a blanket available if you wish.
- The session begins with a brief conversation to ask how you are feeling and if you have particular concerns for the session.
- Then, when you are ready, your practitioner will place their hands slightly above or gently touch you, guided by your energy as felt by your practitioner.
- Generally, areas of focus are head, throat, upper/mid chest, abdomen, hips, knees, ankles, and feet on both the front and back of the body.
- Please be sure to let your practitioner know if there are any areas that you feel uncomfortable about.
Combined Acupuncture and Reiki Treatments
The complementary benefits of combining Reiki healing with acupuncture treatments is an option we offer many of our clients.
What to expect
- Your session begins like a regular acupuncture treatment.
- Reiki healing is delivered while you are lying with the needles, usually during the last 30 minutes of the session.
- When used with acupuncture treatments, Reiki seems to enhance the healing process.
Distance Reiki Healing Session
There are situations where it is difficult for the practitioner and the client to be together in the same room. And, sometimes, it’s just more convenient!
What to expect
- Your distance healing session will be scheduled ahead of time with one of our practitioners.
- During your scheduled session, plan to be in a safe, quiet, comfortable place, preferably lying down. It’s good to have a blanket or covering handy in case you start to feel cold.
- At the beginning of your session, your practitioner will do a brief phone consultation with you, so you can relay any information you feel is relevant to the session. Once the call concludes, they will provide the distance Reiki therapy.
- An optional guided meditation is also offered to help you ease into your healing session. As in the phone consultation, once the meditation is over we will quietly hang up without disturbing you and continue to send the Reiki healing.
- We invite all Reiki distance sessions to follow up via email 24 hours after their Reiki session.
Let the healing begin!
We invite new clients to schedule a 15-minute complimentary phone consultation to ask any questions you may have about Reiki.
This call is not required! To schedule your first Reiki appointment with us, please contact us directly by phone (312-796-3965) or email us.
Teri was great and I really benefitted from the acupuncture and energy healing. Highly recommend!
– Benjamin via Google Reviews
Reiki FAQs
What conditions benefit from Reiki healing?
Reiki is used for many purposes. People seek it for pain relief, stress reduction, and better sleep. It may aid emotional healing and recovery from illness. After a Reiki energy healing session, people report experiencing many ongoing benefits which include:
- Reduction in pain, anxiety, fatigue
- Improved sleep
- Improved digestion
- Decreased pain
- Decreased stress, anxiety, depression, anger
- Decreased obsessive thoughts
- Lower blood pressure
- More rapid, less painful recovery after injury or surgery
- Overall improved well-being, a sense of calm, clarity of mind
- Increased resilience with life’s ups and downs
Further reading: Benefits of Reiki
- Healing Research by William Lee Rand
- Effect of Reiki therapy on pain and anxiety in adults – an in-depth literature review of randomized trials with effect size calculations, National Library of Medicine, authored by Susan Thrane and Susan M. Cohen, published February 2014
- The effect of reiki on pain, National Library of Medicine, authored by Demir Doğan M., published June 2021
- Immediate Effects of Reiki on Heart Rate Variability, Cortisol Levels, and Body Temperature (PDF, 201kb), Biological Research for Nursing, published November 2011
How does Reiki energy therapy work?
Through our own practice, we consider Reiki energy healing as an expansion of our energy to create an opportunity and invitation for a client’s energy to rise up to meet ours. The Reiki practitioner creates space for healing to happen. “Just let it rain” is a saying in Reiki, which means to let the body receive what it needs without judgment, and let go of the rest.
The benefits of Reiki therapy are thought to be the result of activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, causing measurable reductions in heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol, a stress hormone. Reiki healing works well in conjunction with other medical or therapeutic techniques. Some benefits may include shorter healing times after surgery, and improved ability to recuperate from stress and trauma.
What is Reiki distance healing and how does it work?
There are as many reasons to choose a distance or absentee healing as there are situations where it is difficult or impossible for the practitioner and the client to be together in the same room. Those who have enjoyed the experience of in-person Reiki here at CCHW might welcome the option of having a distance Reiki session where they are able to lie down at home and drift off to sleep for the night afterwards.
Over the years there has been research into how Reiki distance healing might work. William Bengston (researcher, author, and practitioner of energy healing) uses the term “resonant bond” for his hypothesis about how remote healing works. Others have used the term “macroscopic entanglement” for similar hypotheses to explain distant healing. The general concept is that living creatures can share an energetic bond by which they can influence each other’s health over a distance. When a healer performs a distance healing, they may use various techniques to create this connection, such as meditation, visualization, and intention-setting. The healer may also use their own energy body to sense the energy body of the person being healed, allowing them to identify areas of imbalance or disharmony.
If you choose to receive Reiki as a distant healing, it may be helpful refer to this distance healing article by Frans Stiene. It captures the idea that there is no “sending” or “receiving,” which aligns with Bengston’s hypothesis of a resonant bond.
Further reading:
- Distance Healing – In our Heart by Frans Stiene
- Distant Healing Intention Therapies: An Overview of the Scientific Evidence
- Resonance, Placebo Effects, and Type II Errors: Some Implications from Healing Research for Experimental Methods – Discusses hypothesis of resonant bond
- William Bengston and Energy Healing
What can I expect during a Reiki healing session?
During a Reiki session, the client will sit in a comfortable chair or lie on a table, fully clothed. The Reiki practitioner places their hands on or slightly away from the client’s body using a series of hand positions on the head, torso, legs and feet. A one-hour Reiki treatment session can feel as restful as three or four hours of deep sleep.
Common sensations during a Reiki session might include: warmth, cold, tingling, seeing colors, a feeling of peace, or a deep sleep.
When appropriate, and with prior consent, Reiki can be combined with Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET) and acupuncture. Please ask about these options when scheduling.
Who can practice Reiki?
Anyone can learn and practice Reiki to benefit from its self-healing techniques. However, only certified practitioners should provide Reiki treatments. At Calandra Center for Health & Wellness we teach and practice a form of Reiki taught by Frans Stiene, co-founder of the International House of Reiki.
Learn more about Reiki as a personal practice on our Wellness Education for Everyone page.
Do you accept insurance?
We do not accept insurance, but are happy to provide an itemized bill for submission to your insurance company. Not all services that we offer are covered by health insurance. View fees and insurance info on our fee schedule page.
Teri is a Certified Reiki Practitioner
At Calandra Center for Health and Wellness (CCHW), we practice Traditional Japanese Reiki.
Teri Calandra is a certified Reiki Teacher in the lineages of Usui Shiki Ryoho (2013), and Usui Reiki Ryoho (2017). Today, she only teaches the Usui Reiki Ryoho lineage.
Reiki Play Days: Try Reiki is a relaxed group setting
If you have never tried Traditional Japanese Reiki, join us for guided Reiki meditations and chanting in this supportive all-levels group. All are welcome!
Upcoming dates
Related Articles
Learn more in recent articles on our Be Well blog.
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We offer a safe place to cultivate well-being and heal the mind, body, and soul. We strive to empower you with the knowledge and tools to be proactive about your own health. We work with you and your other healthcare providers to help create a fully integrative healthcare experience.
New to CCHW? We invite you to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.