The methods below describe distant sessions for a consenting human recipient. For an animal, see using Reiki on animals; the caregiver's agreement and the animal's freedom to move away matter, and veterinary care must never be replaced. Practitioners describe distant practice as carrying the same depth as a hands-on treatment; it takes less time, but does demand attention, so find somewhere calm and undisturbed for around twenty minutes. Obtain the recipient's informed agreement first.
A Standard Distant Treatment
- Get ready to deliver the treatment. You should sit somewhere peaceful and comfortable where you will not be disturbed—turn off the phone, ask your family to leave you alone for half an hour, and so on. If you want, you can light some incense or burn some aromatherapy oil while listening to soothing music in the background. Spend a few minutes meditating; in the tradition, starting with Hatsurei-ho is described as cleansing your energy field.
- Imagine the person you'd like to send the Distant Reiki treatment to. You can picture them or use a photograph or put their name and address on a piece of paper. You can also utilize a "correspondence," which is something you might use to symbolize the person. Assume that whatever you're utilizing as a correspondence is a human, and spend a few moments deciding which part of their body, legs, and so on represents their head, body, and so on.
- Over the photograph, paper, or body of the message, say the Distant Symbol's mantra three times, the person's name three times, and their location once (either their entire address or just the town, area, or nation they are in, if you don't know precisely where they are). Consider the Distant Symbol as a massive bridge between you and the individual you're sending a distant treatment to.
- Then, over the photograph, paper or object, draw the Power Symbol, recite its mantra three times, the person's name once, and their location once. Picture a large Power Symbol above the person, gently descending until it surrounds them, and imagine its energy flowing through them during the session.
- After that, state that this Reiki is offered with love and light for the highest and best good. (You may also quietly hold in mind any situations you know need attention and ask that the Reiki support them if this is possible at this time; however, the tradition holds that the person's Higher Self determines how the energy is used, so try not to hold specific expectations. This spiritual belief never replaces the recipient’s own permission or right to stop.)
- You can then perform a standard treatment by placing your hands in each of the 12 standard hand positions, either directly on the material (a pillow is particularly useful because it is long enough to accommodate your hands) or in the air above an image, etc. Start with the first hand position, which is over the eyes, and hold it for three minutes, then move on to the next hand position, which is on the head and body, for one minute, and any other hand positions you want to do, such as the arms, legs, and feet, for one minute.
- When you are done, smooth the person's aura with your hands (in the air or over the pillow, for example), then draw a Power Symbol over their body beginning at the head, repeating the mantra three times, with the purpose of closing the connection and concluding the session.
- To show respect and mentally thank the Reiki, I like to end with my hands in the prayer posture (Gassho), and then strongly clap my hands together (typically three times) to dissolve the energy connection. After that, I meditate for a few minutes before doing some self-cleansing—either the Reiki Shower or Dry Brushing technique, or the entire Hatsurei-ho.
A Mental/Emotional Distant Treatment
- Prepare in the same manner as in steps 1 and 2 of the standard distant therapy.
- When you are ready, place your nondominant hand beneath the photograph, paper or object (whichever part you have chosen to represent the head), and draw the Distant Symbol in the air above it. Say the Distant Symbol's mantra three times, followed by the person's name three times and their location once, and direct your attention to whatever represents the recipient's crown.
- Draw the Harmony Symbol, repeat the phrase and the person's name three times, and direct the energy to the person's crown.
- Draw the Power Symbol, recite the chant three times, focusing its energy on the person's crown, and intend and state that this deep Reiki connection is being offered with love and light, for the highest and greatest good of the recipient (name of person).
- Hold the person in mind, using the imagery, and keep your attention on them rather than letting it wander. This is a contemplative exercise, not a way to assess their mental state. After this, draw a Power Symbol and repeat the mantra three times over whatever represents the person's crown, intending that this part of the session is complete. Bear in mind that it is critical to appropriately conclude this phase of the treatment. After that, you can refocus your attention for the remainder of the treatment.
- Then perform a reduced version of the regular distance therapy, limiting the duration of each hand position on the head and body to 1 or 2 minutes. (If necessary, the shorter standard treatment can even be removed; however, it is certainly preferable to include it whenever possible.)
Finally, smooth the aura, invoke the Power Symbol to conclude the therapy, and do your own cleansing.
Using A "Correspondence"
Using a "correspondence," you can place your hands on something that acts as a physical representation of the person you're treating and "as if" you were treating the individual. Even a pillow or some other cuddly item could be used. The tradition holds that when you use an object with clear intention, it can stand in for the other person during the session. This is a symbolic and imaginative practice; the idea that "everything is energy" is a spiritual metaphor, not a scientific explanation.
As a comparison, you don't need an item. Photos and names scribbled on scraps of paper are also useful correspondences. In your mind, you can visualise a person as life-size, as small as a pillow, or as large as a human being. When you've done this, you can use imagination to envision your hands in various positions on the body, or you can imagine the person being held between two enormous hands so that all of their body parts are receiving Reiki simultaneously.
Try not to picture the person turning over, and do not physically move them. If you become restless or feel an urge to move, simply pause and let it pass; the session can continue when you are settled.
Sending Distant Reiki Healing To Several People Simultaneously
Some people, such as friends or family who are unwell, may ask you to offer distant healing regularly. Get each person's permission first — a request from someone else is not consent — then write their names on a sheet of paper with the towns or districts where they are located. For each person's name and location, chant the Distant Symbol's mantra three times and draw a circle in the air over the paper. Then draw the Power Symbol, repeat the mantra three times, state that Reiki is offered to these people for their greatest good, and hold the list in your hands for five to fifteen minutes. When you have finished, repeat the mantra three times while drawing the Power Symbol, and clap or shake your hands to close. Keep the list private and dispose of it securely.
In this lineage the Harmony (Mental/Emotional) Symbol is not used when several people are held in one session; it is reserved for focusing on a single individual.
Programming A Distant Treatment For Later
If you are unable to agree on a specific time, you can program distant Reiki treatment to go to the recipient either at a specific time agreed between you or while they are asleep, similar to setting a video recorder to record a programme at a particular time. Follow the standard or mental/emotional distant treatment above, and when you reach the step where the connection is stated, add an instruction such as: "This Reiki is to be received by (name) at (agreed-upon time)," or "while they sleep tonight," or even "when it will be most useful."
You may also use the same technique to pre-programme a mental/emotional distant treatment. For a repeating schedule, say: "This Reiki will be given to (name) at the agreed-upon time or while they are asleep, and for the following six days (or nights)." If the same need persists after a week, you can either resume the daily distant treatment or reprogramme the treatment for another seven days. The tradition describes the Distant Symbol as working beyond ordinary time and space; treat that as a belief, and keep any scheduled offer within what the recipient has agreed to.
If someone is critically ill, unconscious, or in some other life-threatening situation, their medical care must continue, and any Reiki they receive should be offered alongside it as comfort and support rather than on a schedule.
Related topic: Distant Reiki, Ethics of distant healing, Reiki distance attunement, Reiki into the past and the future, Sending to several people at once.