People new to Reiki might first wonder what Reiki energy feels like.

The thing is that there is no one answer that could satisfy their curiosity because receiving (and sending Reiki) is a very personal experience.

Some might feel tingling coming out of their hands, or places where they are gently touched by a Reiki practitioner. Others might feel warmth coursing through their bodies, or pulsating sensations can be gently felt in their heart area. Others may feel nothing during the session.

The thing is that there is no one answer that could satisfy their curiosity because receiving (and sending Reiki) is a very personal experience.

In this article, we will explore a bit about the nature of Reiki and what subtle, spiritual energies are, why some people experience more intense sensations than others and how Reiki can speak to you through feelings or even symbols.

I will also talk about how to approach each encounter with the Reiki energy to make the best out of the experience.

So, let’s begin.

What It Means to Feel Reiki Energy

Understanding Subtle Vibrational Energy

Reiki, being a subtle vibrational energy, is usually not felt in loud and dramatic ways. Because it is subtle, you may miss it the first time you expose yourself to it and are unfamiliar with the world of subtle energies.

That is why it is important to learn how to relax and turn your attention to what your body feels rather than trying to figure things out.

Sensitive people are more open to the Reiki energy because their sensitivity results from their energy field being more open and flowing than the average person.

Reiki, being a subtle vibrational energy, is usually not felt in loud and dramatic ways.

That doesn’t mean that you must be a sensitive person to receive Reiki. I mention this to shed some light on why some can feel Reiki more intensely than others, and people who were born with the inclination to sense the subtle world or have been training to achieve this state of sensitivity are part of this group.

Reiki as a tool for understanding your energetic nature

You can kick start sensing subtle spiritual energies by adopting a high vibration life (I am discussing more on how to be a high vibration person in my article The Most Telling Common Traits of High Vibration People), a lifestyle where you are cultivating behaviors like being present at the moment, being grounded, meditate, etc.

You can kick start sensing subtle spiritual energies by adopting a high vibration life…

Reiki can help you with that, too. It can become a companion to your journey in remembering your birthright to connect with the depths of your being, your soul, and the unseen and subtle world around you.

In my life, when I doubted this spiritual dimension even existed, Reiki would remind me of the validity of the existence of this dimension in a very tangible and almost visceral way, by simply laying my hands either on my heart or my stomach and let the energy flow.

5 Ways You Might Experience Reiki Sensations (and More) and What They Reveal About Your Energy

1. No Two Reiki Sessions Feel the Same

Every Reiki session is different, and Reiki will meet you where you are at.

If you are open and grounded to the present, it is more probable that you will feel this energy flow through you. If you are tense or stressed, energy is going to be more subtle with the intention (in my experience) to relax your nervous system first and calm you before you experience something deeper.

Every Reiki session is different, and Reiki will meet you where you are at.

For me, Reiki has been both stable in its expression in my life and has manifested in subtly different ways when receiving it. I have felt it in a range from being a gentle warm wave to pulsating involuntary movements of my limbs.

Your energy shifts all the time, so every exposure to the Reiki energy can feel familiar yet unique at the same time.

Do not compare your experiences to what others have felt during a Reiki session and trust that whatever comes your way is the right thing for you.

2. Feeling Heat, Pressure, or Vibration

I talked above about how unique each person’s experience with Reiki is, but that is not the complete story. There are some common things that people have reported after receiving Reiki.

People have felt heat, tingling sensations, pressure in certain parts of their body, and even emotions well up.

But again, this is just a general guideline for what one might or might experience when working with Reiki.

Also, Reiki is not bound to the traditional energy models of the human aura concerning chakras and meridians.

People have felt heat, tingling sensations, pressure in certain parts of their body, and even emotions well up.

Reiki goes where it needs to go, and the less time someone spends analyzing the intellectual connection between our energetic anatomy and Reiki, the more profound will be their association with this energy.

3. Hearing Sounds or Sensing Smells and Tastes

Reiki is not just an energy healing tool, but also a spiritual discipline that can help people open up to their subtle senses.

Many people might hear, smell, or taste things during a session. They might also see images in their minds as I have when receiving my first Reiki attunement.

Reiki is not just an energy healing tool, but also a spiritual discipline that can help people open up to their subtle senses.

These experiences might mean something to the recipient or make no sense to their rational mind at all, but will definitely be felt by their soul.

If you come across these “messages” from spirit during a Reiki session, try to approach them as symbols, as if you had a dream and you are not trying to make a rational sense out of it but more of what these signs imply.

In the end, whether you understand these signs or not, accept them as gift from the spirit and as an encouragement to continue following your path.

4. Entering Altered States Like Sleepiness or Lightheadedness

When receiving Reiki, your body might enter such a deep state of relaxation that your brain waves will slow down, resulting you entering an altered state of consciousness that might feel dreamy.

This altered state is another way that Reiki can bypass the analytical mind’s resistance and thus help you open your energy body and thus release what no longer serves you.

Therefore that after a session, it is important that give yourself sometime for your brain to re-acclimate to its usual function before engaging in anything that needs your strict attention, like driving.

For some people that are sensitive to subtle energies, it is more likely for them to come out of a session feeling a little disorientated.

When receiving Reiki, your body might enter such a deep state of relaxation that your brain waves will slow down, resulting you entering an altered state of consciousness that might feel dreamy.

If you are a sensitive to the subtle energies person, I would recommend that you practice any type of grounding technique like counting your breaths for a brief period, or even standing up and imagining roots coming out from the soles of your feet into the core of the earth and let her grounding energy fill you up bringing you back to your body and the here and now.

5. Feeling Nothing at All, And Why That’s Still Something

There is a chance for you not to feel anything during a Reiki session. That doesn’t mean that Reiki is not working, or that something is wrong with you.

You need to understand that Reiki can act in a very subtle way that you might not feel because you haven’t reached a state of sensitivity to feel this subtleness. Again, this doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you, but that your journey differs from the ones that feel things and that you should embrace whatever stage of that journey you are at.

There is a chance for you not to feel anything during a Reiki session.

Many people who have felt nothing during a session have reported shifts taking place in their lives afterwards, like feeling calm for the first time or having a more positive outlook in life than they had before.

They might also feel the desire to discover their life’s purpose and how they can be of service to their fellow human beings.

One very practical way to put your analytical mind at ease is to keep a journal writing any shift you might experience after a Reiki session (or a series of sessions), from the most elusive to the most profound ones and then put the journal aside not giving a thought about during the rest of your day.

After some months have passed, pick it up and compare how your life is at present from when you started your relationship with the Reiki energy. You might be amazed by the results.

Key Takeaways and Encouragement to Embrace Your Personal Experience

Each Reiki session you welcome to your life is an opportunity to experience something unique.

This could vary from sensations like heat, pulsing, tingling to visions, or deep insights. Even if you do not feel or experience anything of the above, know that Reiki is taking care of you by clearing your energy field, raising your vibration, and opening you up to experience life in a more profound way.

Each Reiki session you welcome to your life is an opportunity to experience something unique.

No sensation or experience when receiving Reiki is more ‘valid’. What matters is to learn to listen to your body deeply and to surrender to the moment in whatever shape or form this will take.

Let yourself feel whatever comes your way, and whatever does not come your way the way you expected it. Remember, cultivating your relationship with Reiki in a meaningful matter, without expectations and by trusting, is the best way for you to embrace the gift that this energy really is.

Conclusion

Reiki sensations vary from the recipient of this energy to another. Each session reflects the state you are in, and can manifest in ways such as deep relaxation, having ‘aha’ moments, emotional release, etc. Wherever you are on your journey of cultivating your relationship to Reiki, know that every experience you have with it serves only your highest good.

The important thing is to stay open, stay curious, and always follow your inner wisdom.