top of page

What is the Meaning of Physical and Emotional Reiki Sensations: A Guide for Clients and Practitioners

Updated: Jan 30

Understanding the Meaning of Physical and Emotional Reiki Sensations: A Guide for Clients and Practitioners

Reiki is a profound energy-healing modality that often evokes physical and emotional sensations in both the client and the practitioner. These experiences can be deeply personal, yet they carry universal elements that help us understand energy flow, healing, and connection. This guide explores the physical and emotional Reiki sensations experienced by clients and practitioners, offering insights into their meanings and significance.


1. Emotional Sensations: Overwhelm of Emotion

During a Reiki session, it is common for clients to experience intense emotional releases. They might feel an overwhelming urge to cry, laugh, or both simultaneously. This emotional outpouring often signifies the release of stagnant or suppressed energy, promoting healing on a deeper level.

  • Crying: Represents emotional cleansing and the release of grief or unresolved trauma (Wlodarczyk et al., 2020).

  • Laughing: Indicates joy or relief as blocked energy begins to move freely.


2. Visual Sensations: Colors, Darkness, and Faces

Clients often report vivid visual experiences while their eyes are closed during a Reiki session. These can include colored shapes, blackness, or even seeing faces or animals. Each of these experiences has potential meanings:

  • Colored Blobs (Like a Lava Lamp): These often align with the chakras and their corresponding colors:

    • Red: Root chakra, grounding, and security.

    • Orange: Sacral chakra, creativity, and emotions.

    • Yellow: Solar plexus chakra, personal power, and confidence.

    • Green or Pink: Heart chakra, love, and compassion.

    • Blue: Throat chakra, communication, and expression.

    • Indigo: Third eye chakra, intuition, and insight.

    • Violet or White: Crown chakra, spiritual connection.

  • Darkness or Space: Represents the infinite, offering a sense of stillness and potential (Brennan, 1993).

  • Faces or Animals: These may symbolize guides, ancestors, or messages from the subconscious mind.


3. Physical Sensations: Heat, Pressure, and Waves of Energy Physical sensations during Reiki are profound indicators of energy movement and healing:

  • Heat: Clients often feel warmth emanating from the practitioner’s hands, even when no direct contact occurs. This signifies energy flow and healing (Miles & True, 2003).

  • Residual Pressure: Some clients feel as though the practitioner’s hands are touching them, even when hovering above a completely different area of the body. This sensation reflects the transfer and presence of energy.

  • Waves of Energy: Many describe feeling energy sweeping through their body, from head to toe or vice versa. This wave-like movement signifies alignment and the clearing of blockages.


4. Practitioner’s Sensations: Tickles, Itches, and Specific Energy Points

Reiki practitioners often experience physical sensations while channeling energy. These sensations can guide the session and provide valuable insights:

  • Tickling or Itching: Commonly felt on the face, scalp, jawline, or upper back, these sensations indicate areas of energetic focus or release.

  • Localized Sensations: When a specific body area tingles or warms, it often reflects energy imbalances in the client.

  • Energy Flow Feedback: Practitioners might feel a pulse or vibration in their hands, signaling effective energy transmission (Wardell & Weymouth, 2004).


5. When No Sensations Are Felt

It’s important to note that the absence of physical or emotional sensations does not diminish the efficacy of Reiki. For clients, this may indicate a subtle or gradual healing process. For practitioners, it suggests the energy is flowing naturally without resistance.


Why Do These Sensations Happen?

Reiki sensations occur due to the movement and realignment of energy within the body’s biofield. Energy flows through chakras, meridians, and the auric field, addressing imbalances and promoting harmony. For clients, these experiences reflect the body’s receptivity and healing process. For practitioners, sensations offer feedback on energy flow, blockages, and areas needing attention.


The Energy Exchange: Client and Practitioner

Reiki is a two-way exchange of energy, creating a symbiotic relationship:

  • Clients: Receive healing energy that revitalizes their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

  • Practitioners: Act as conduits, channeling universal energy. They often feel a sense of renewal and balance after sessions.


Reiki and Its Impact on the Gut-Brain Connection

Reiki fosters relaxation, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system—the body’s rest-and-digest mode. This process improves gut-brain communication, lowers blood pressure, and promotes healing (Peters et al., 2015). Aligning the body’s energy flow enhances both physical and emotional resilience.


6. Theta Brain Waves and Deep Relaxation

At the start of a Reiki session, the combination of deep breathing exercises and calming energy helps the body and mind transition into a deeply relaxed state characterized by Theta brain waves. These brain waves occur during light sleep or deep meditation and are associated with creativity, intuition, and emotional healing (Takahashi et al., 2005).

  • What Are Theta Brain Waves? Theta waves operate at a frequency of 4-8 Hz and are often described as a bridge between the conscious and subconscious mind. In this state, the mind becomes more receptive, enabling profound relaxation and access to deeper emotions and memories.

  • How Breathing Enhances This State: Slow, intentional breathing activates the vagus nerve, reducing stress and promoting a state of calm (Gerritsen & Band, 2018). This prepares the client for the Reiki energy to flow more freely.


The Impact of Theta State on Reiki Sensations

When the body and mind are in the Theta state, Reiki sensations become more pronounced. Clients often report heightened awareness of heat, tingling, or energy waves as their energy systems become more receptive to the healing process. Additionally, this meditative state encourages the release of tension, emotional blockages, and mental clutter, amplifying the overall benefits of Reiki.


For practitioners, the Theta state allows for greater focus and attunement to the client’s energy field, enhancing their ability to identify imbalances and direct healing energy effectively. The shared state of relaxation fosters a deeper energetic connection, amplifying the healing experience for both parties.


Conclusion: Embracing Reiki Sensations

The physical and emotional sensations experienced during Reiki sessions are profound expressions of energy movement and healing. Whether you’re a client or a practitioner, understanding these sensations can deepen your connection to Reiki and its transformative potential.


Embrace these experiences and book a reiki healing treatment with www.reikisandyford.com in Dublin as part of your journey toward balance, healing, and self-discovery.






bottom of page