Reiki isn’t about fixing you. It’s about supporting your nervous system when it’s been carrying too much for too long.
Many mental health challenges aren’t caused by a lack of insight or effort, but by a nervous system that has remained in a state of stress or protection for extended periods of time. When this happens, rest stops feeling restorative, emotions feel muted or overwhelming, and the body holds tension even in stillness.
Reiki works by creating conditions of safety in the body.
During a Reiki session, the nervous system often shifts out of sympathetic “fight or flight” activation and into parasympathetic states associated with rest, repair, and regulation. This can show up as slower breathing, softened muscles, changes in brainwave activity, or a sense of calm and internal space.
What makes Reiki particularly supportive for mental health is that it is non-verbal and non-demanding. There is no need to explain, relive, or make sense of what you’re experiencing. For systems that are overwhelmed, shut down, or hypervigilant, this gentleness matters.
From an energy perspective, Reiki supports the flow of life force through the body, helping release areas of holding created by prolonged stress or protective patterns. From a scientific lens, this aligns with reduced stress hormones, improved interoceptive awareness, and increased vagal tone.
These are not competing explanations, they are different languages describing the same regulation process.
Reiki is not a replacement for therapy or medical care. It is a complementary practice that supports the body in settling, the mind in clarifying, and the system in remembering how to rest.