What Is Reiki? The Science and the Soul
Reiki belongs to two worlds. One of mystery and lineage, the other of clinical research and care settings.
People often come to Reiki at a crossroads. Curious, perhaps a little unsure, and drawn to something they don't quite understand. Maybe someone they trust mentioned it, or they've simply reached a point where the usual ways of coping aren't enough.
If that's you, this is for you.
I want to share what Reiki actually is: the science behind it, the soul of it, and what you might genuinely feel in a session.
What you read may surprise you.
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a Japanese energy healing therapy founded by Mikao Usui in the early twentieth century. The word itself holds its meaning: Rei, universal, and Ki, life force.
It is a gentle, non-invasive practice that works with your body's own energy to restore balance and a genuine sense of ease and wellbeing. There is nothing you need to do, nothing you need to believe, and nothing is asked of you but to rest and receive.
Usui Reiki is the lineage I am trained in, and the practice I now bring into every session at Moja Wellbeing.
The science
Reiki is often described as mystical, but there is a growing body of research that grounds it in something far more measurable. One way to understand how it might work is through the physics of resonance.
All living things have a life force flowing in and around them. When a practitioner attuned to the Reiki frequency works with a client, the two energy fields begin to influence each other — much like a string plucked on one instrument will set a string vibrating on another instrument nearby. This is resonance. In physics, a steady, stable frequency will naturally draw a less stable system into alignment with it. The famous metronome experiment is a perfect demonstration of spontaneous synchronisation or entrainment.
Stress, trauma and illness can tip the nervous system, and the body out of balance. Theory suggests Reiki offers a steady energetic presence that the body can respond to, gently supporting it back towards a state of ease.
As Einstein's physics showed, everything is energy. So the idea that energy can influence the body is less strange than it first sounds.
We are all energetic beings. Bioelectrical activity drives our nervous system, heart, and brain, generating measurable energy fields that constantly interact with our environment.
Clinical research
How Reiki works exactly is still being explored, but the outcomes have been observed again and again. Peer-reviewed* clinical research shows Reiki is associated with a shift of the autonomic nervous system into a parasympathetic state, the state in which the body's natural regenerative processes can finally do their job.
And Reiki is no longer confined to candlelit rooms on the fringes of healthcare. It is offered in over 900 hospitals worldwide, including Johns Hopkins, the Mayo Clinic and multiple NHS trusts, particularly in oncology, palliative care and surgical settings.
The research is growing too. A recent meta-analysis found Reiki reduced anxiety across pooled studies, and a randomised controlled trial reported improvements in sleep and menopausal symptoms**. These findings sit among the highest tiers of clinical research.
An observational study of cancer patients receiving Reiki alongside chemotherapy*** reported reduced pain and distress, and a programme offering Distance Reiki to frontline healthcare workers in the UK**** was associated with reduced stress, anxiety and pain, and improved wellbeing and sleep.
The research is still young, but that's part of what makes this such an exciting field to be in right now.
* Independently vetted before publication
** PMID 40802410: Baransel & Uçar (2025)
*** PMID 39613272: Dyer et al. (2024)
**** PMID 37614464: Dyer, Baldwin, Pharo & Gray (2023)
The soul
And yet…
There is a part of this work that no study has measured, and perhaps never will.
The dreams, the signs, the visions, the messages, the unexpected tears, and release. The feeling that we are not alone.
I have sat with that mystery in almost every session I've given, and in every Reiki treatment I have received, and although I grappled with it to begin with, the eternal pragmatist in me has stopped needing to resolve it.
Perhaps not knowing is okay.
What a Reiki session is actually like
If you've never received Reiki, the unknown can be a barrier, so let me walk you through it.
We begin with a conversation before our sessions even start. I'll ask how you're doing, what's going on in your life, and what you'd like from the session.
Then you lie down, fully clothed, on a warm and comfortable treatment table with blankets and cushions for support, and close your eyes or soften your gaze. I connect to the energy, and to you. Some people feel warmth or a fizzy, tingling sensation in their bodies, a sense of pleasant heaviness or lightness. Some people see colours. Many drift into a state somewhere between waking and sleep. Others feel very little or nothing at all in the moment, and notice the shift over the following days.
Afterwards, we talk through anything that came up, and I'll share aftercare guidance and often a practice or two you can take home with you.
You leave with more than an hour of rest. You leave with tools.
Ways to receive Reiki
One of the things I love about this work is how versatile and adaptable it is.
In-person Reiki
I offer 1:1 sessions in Palmerston North and Wellington, New Zealand, in a warm, prepared space where you can fully switch off. Many people find adding instruments to the session supports them in feeling more relaxed. As a trained sound therapist, this is something I feel pairs beautifully with Reiki. Himalayan bowls played on and / or off the body, crystal bowls and monochord, even voice.
Distance Reiki
Distance Reiki doesn't require you to be in the room. The UK study I mentioned before was a Distance Reiki programme: frontline healthcare workers received sessions remotely, and reported less stress, less pain, and better sleep. I offer distance sessions worldwide, from your own bed or sofa, at a time that works for you.
“Since our sessions I’ve slept through almost every single night, when usually I’d wake several times and never really reach deep sleep. I fall asleep straight away now, without my usual overthinking — it’s been incredible. I’d been holding on to so much, and for the first time I felt completely at peace with it — not giving up, just no longer carrying it every day. That’s something I found through our sessions. This was exactly the calm I needed.”
For someone you love
Reiki can be a gift too. If someone in your life is unwell or recovering, you can arrange a distance session for them, always with their knowledge and consent. For those who cannot consent, such as a loved one in palliative care who is no longer able to communicate, we talk it through together first and proceed in a way that honours them.
This is something I hold with great care. Reiki is offered in many hospitals and hospices across the UK, particularly in palliative care, where it sits alongside medical treatment to support comfort and calm — for the patient, and for those around them.
Seasonal self-care
A single session can be a beautiful reset. But like most good things the effects of Reiki can build over time.
Clients who come regularly tend to notice the changes reaching further into their lives: improved sleep, a quicker return to calm, increased motivation and confidence, and notably less resistance and pain. My four-week journey, The Unfolding, and seasonal bundles are built around exactly this.
“The healing space Ola created with her sound therapy and Reiki has been truly transformative. Not only did her treatments bring me peace and comfort when I needed it most, but the beautiful visions during our reiki sessions created such a profound and meaningful experience. Those moments of connection and insight have given me strength and hope during some of my darkest days.”
How can Reiki support you
Universal life force (Rei + ki) is already within reach. It's in the food that nourishes you, in sleep, movement, connection, time outside, laughter, sunlight, purpose.
These are still some of the most powerful medicines we have. Reiki is simply another way of drawing on that same life force. You are never broken, and Reiki is not a fix. It's a chance to stop searching and remember how capable you already are, and how much of a gift life is.
Wellbeing doesn't live outside of you, waiting to be handed over by a practitioner. My job is to hold the space while your own system does what it has always known to do, and return to a state it naturally thrives in.
When the body and the soul are in their most natural state (and that varies for everyone), the benefits are endless. Improved sleep, physical recovery, emotional release, clarity and inner calm, and overall wellbeing. You would be amazed at what your own body is capable of.
Reiki works beautifully alongside other forms of care — medical, psychological, or otherwise — and I'll always encourage you to keep those in place. It is never a replacement for professional medical advice. I also work alongside other incredible practitioners, and sometimes may refer you if I feel that would support you.
Come and find me
Hello, I’m Ola — a CNHC-registered Usui Reiki Master Practitioner and a BAST Advanced Sound Therapist, with a BSc in Psychology and a background working in a clinical rehabilitation setting.
I offer 1:1 Reiki, sound therapy and sound experience sessions, group sessions in Wellington and Palmerston North, and remote sessions worldwide.
You can book a session, read more about me and my offering, or simply get in touch — I'm always happy to answer questions.
Everything I offer is shaped by my own journey, my commitment to continuous training and research, and a deep belief that real and lasting change is possible for everyone.
A sliding scale is also available for those facing financial hardship alongside a health challenge or caring responsibility.
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