Reiki is the practice developed in Japan by Mikao Usui in the early twentieth century. In the tradition, it rests on the idea that we are guided by a shared life force, understood as supporting physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Practitioners describe energy as flowing more freely in some conditions than others, and the tradition has linked constriction to factors such as stress or difficult experience. This is a spiritual framework, not a medical or psychological explanation of illness.
Today we will learn how to give Reiki sessions with ART and Reiki master tools.
Reiki Sessions With ART And Reiki Master Tools
- Prepare the room by including music, candles, and Reiki symbols on the walls, ceiling, floor, and at the room's center. Consider preparing the table by sketching a Fire Serpent or other symbols.
- Prepare by placing the power symbol over your trunk and smaller ones on each chakra.
- Ask about the client's aim for the session (what they hope to gain), and tell them what you will do. Agree together what touch, if any, is welcome, and make clear that they can pause, adjust or stop at any time.
- Consider the three-step protocol offered in this lineage (a healing attunement, an aura cleansing and a full Reiki session). Explain what it involves, and let the client choose whether they want it. In the tradition it is described as supporting deep relaxation; choose your tools carefully so as not to overwhelm someone in a first session. Follow the instructions on the handouts for these tools.
- If you are giving a regular session without the three-step procedure, you may follow your judgement and activate two to six Reiki symbols on your own hands, or on the client's hands if they have agreed, by drawing or visualizing them.
- Scanning by Byosen
Byosen Scanning Procedure
a. Hands in front of heart - prayer for Reiki to be activated and assist the client; invoke Spiritual Source; leave aside ego; be a clear and open channel for Reiki (see Prayer/Statement of Intention handout).
b. Hands to brow - a prayer to be guided to where the person most needs the practice
c. Scan with your hands, noticing areas of heat, coolness or tingling that the tradition calls "byosen". These are personal impressions, not signs of disease: this is not a diagnosis, and you should never use it to tell someone what is wrong with them.
- Offer Reiki to the areas where you notice a sensation, beginning at the top and moving down toward the body as the feeling eases, or use the aura-cleansing method with the client seated or on the table. Sometimes, when the sensations feel stronger, I ask the client whether they would prefer to move to a chair; alternatively, you can work on one side before the other. Ask before each change of position, and let the client decide.
- Perform a series of hand positions or rely on your intuition.
- Sweep
- An optional closing prayer can express the hope that the person continues to feel settled after the session. Seal the client's trunk by drawing the Power symbol over it during or after the prayer. Some practitioners draw the Fire Serpent across the body to connect the chakras; you can work from head to feet, feet to head, or chakra to chakra. To ground someone, begin at the top and work down.
- Cut the connection using a cutting motion or Kenyoku.
When you offer Reiki to a partner or another adult, remember that many people are not used to noticing bodily sensations and may feel little or nothing. That is completely normal. If they say they cannot feel the energy moving, do not treat that as a problem or insist that it must be working; let their experience be their own.
If you work with children, explain what you are doing in age-appropriate words, and only with a parent or guardian present and their explicit agreement. A child's agreement matters too: offer them choices, keep any touch brief and on a hand or shoulder, and stop immediately if they seem uncomfortable or say no. Do not describe Reiki to a child as a treatment for anything, and never let it delay medical or psychological care. Some families also teach children simple self-Reiki as a calming routine; that is a family decision, not a therapy.
A session from arrival to close
The ritual tools are only one layer of a session. The rest is ordinary hospitality and clear communication.
Before the session. Confirm the time, the address and what the person should wear. Ask whether they have any accessibility needs, whether they want music or silence, and whether they are comfortable with touch. Have water and tissues available. Put your phone away.
At the start. Sit down and ask what they hope to get from the session. Explain what you plan to do, including the parts that involve touch, scent, sound or symbols. Agree on how they can stop. If they have come for a specific health concern, be clear that Reiki is not a diagnosis or treatment and that they should keep any medical appointments.
During the session. Move slowly, keep your hands relaxed, and check in briefly if the person's breathing or expression changes. Do not narrate every symbol. If you use Byosen scanning, remember that your impressions are subjective and are not a reason to tell someone what is wrong with them. A change of position, a cushion or a pause is often more useful than a dramatic technique.
At the end. Step back, let the person take their time, and offer water. Ask how they feel without fishing for a particular answer. Mention anything they should do practically, such as standing up slowly. Do not promise that a symptom will improve.
Afterwards. Make a brief note of what you did and any preferences they expressed, store it securely, and follow up only if that is your agreed practice. If something felt outside your scope, say so and point them toward appropriate care.
When the client feels nothing
Many people do not notice warmth, tingling or movement, especially in a first session. That is not a failure of the client or the practitioner. Some people notice relaxation, some fall asleep, and some spend the session thinking about their shopping list. The practice does not depend on a sensation.
If someone says they felt nothing, resist the urge to explain it as a blockage or to insist that the energy was working anyway. You can say that experiences vary and ask whether they found the session comfortable. Their answer is more useful than a theory about what should have happened.
Adapting the sequence
The list of tools above is a menu from one lineage, not a requirement to use everything at once. A first session might include only a short conversation, a few hand positions and a quiet close. A regular client might prefer no scanning at all. Someone who finds symbols meaningless may still value the quiet and the routine.
Choose fewer tools when the person is anxious, unwell or new. Choose more only when you can explain them clearly and the person has agreed. The quality of attention matters more than the number of steps completed, and a shorter session that respects the person is better than a full sequence that overrides them.
Related topic: Levels and attunements, Advanced Reiki training, Reiki Level 2 course, After the third degree, Attuning your students.