Reiki FAQs

Reiki is a Japanese healing practice based on the understanding that there is a life force, or energy, flowing through and around every living being. In Japanese, **“Rei”** can be understood as universal or spiritual, and **“Ki”** refers to life force or vital energy—the same concept found in other traditional healing systems under different names.

The basic idea behind Reiki is that this energy is part of what keeps us alive and supports our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. When we move through life, we can become depleted, overwhelmed, emotionally burdened, or disconnected from ourselves. Reiki is a practice of bringing gentle, focused attention to this energy with the intention of restoring a greater sense of balance and harmony.

As a Reiki practitioner, I don't force energy into your body or try to manipulate it. I act as a channel for Reiki, using my hands either lightly on the body or just above it. The practice is gentle and non-invasive, and you remain fully clothed throughout.

You can think of Reiki as creating a quiet space for your whole system to pause—to step away from the constant doing, thinking, and responding of everyday life and allow yourself to simply receive. The intention isn't to control what happens or to “fix” you. It is to support your own process of coming back into balance.

Reiki is also not a religion, and you don't need to follow a particular spiritual belief system to receive it. It is a practice that can be approached from a deeply spiritual perspective, a more intuitive perspective, or simply as a way of creating intentional space for yourself.

At its heart, Reiki is about connection, balance, and receiving—working with the subtle energy that Reiki traditions understand as an essential part of being alive.

If you'd like the longer version, I've written it up on What is Reiki?

Reiki can feel different for everyone, and there is no right or wrong way to experience it.

Some people feel warmth, coolness, tingling, gentle waves of sensation, heaviness, lightness, or a subtle feeling of movement through the body. Others notice their breathing naturally becoming slower and deeper, their muscles softening, or a profound sense of stillness. You may become very relaxed or even drift into sleep.

For some people, Reiki feels deeply emotional. You might notice feelings, memories, or sensations rising to the surface that you weren't consciously thinking about. You might laugh, cry, sigh, or simply feel a sense of release. And sometimes, you don't feel anything particularly noticeable at all—which is completely okay.

Reiki isn't something you have to “feel” for it to be meaningful. You don't need to concentrate, visualize, meditate, or try to make something happen. There is no experience you are supposed to have.

The best way I can describe it is as an invitation to become deeply present with yourself. You get to step out of the noise of everyday life for a while and simply receive, allowing whatever your body, mind, and emotions are ready to experience in that moment.

Every session can feel different—even for the same person. Your experience isn't something you need to perform or get right. You can simply lie back, breathe, and let the experience unfold.

No. You don't need to believe in Reiki, understand how it works, or consider yourself a spiritual person to receive it.

Reiki isn't dependent on having a particular belief system or convincing yourself that something is happening. You can come to a session curious, skeptical, open-minded, or somewhere in between. There is nothing you need to believe, visualize, or “get right.”

In fact, I often encourage people to simply set their expectations aside and experience Reiki for themselves. Rather than trying to decide beforehand whether you believe in energy, you can approach the practice with curiosity and notice what you experience.

You also don't have to interpret your experience in a particular way. You might experience Reiki as an energetic or spiritual practice, while someone else may simply describe the experience as deeply calming and restorative. Both perspectives are welcome.

My role isn't to convince you of anything. I'm here to create a supportive space and facilitate the Reiki practice; you get to have your own experience and make your own meaning from it.

If you're curious enough to try Reiki, that's more than enough.

Not at all. You don't have to be spiritual, “good at energy,” or convinced that Reiki is going to do anything. You can be completely skeptical and still receive Reiki.

You also don't need to know what you're supposed to do. There isn't a special way to lie down, breathe, meditate, or respond. You don't have to talk about your energy, share anything deeply personal, or pretend you're feeling something that you're not.

If you're lying there thinking, “I honestly have no idea what's supposed to be happening right now,” that's completely okay. You can be curious without being convinced.

I won't try to persuade you that you felt something you didn't, and I won't tell you what your experience is supposed to mean. My job is simply to hold a calm, welcoming space and guide you through the practice.

And honestly, skepticism can be a wonderful place to start. You don't have to take anyone's word for what Reiki is like. Come with an open mind, notice what you notice, and decide for yourself.

No pressure. No performance. No pretending.

Reiki is a very gentle, non-invasive practice. You remain fully clothed, and there is no manipulation, pressure, stretching, needles, or anything being physically forced or altered in your body.

Reiki is not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace medical or psychological care. I don't diagnose conditions or ask you to stop medications or other treatments. Instead, Reiki can be received alongside the care and support you already have.

You are also always in control of your experience. If you don't want to be touched, I can work with my hands just above your body instead. You can ask me to move my hands, change your position, pause, or stop at any point.

Because Reiki can be a deeply relaxing and sometimes emotionally meaningful experience, you may notice sensations or emotions that feel unexpected. You never have to push through something that doesn't feel right. We can always slow down and talk about what you're experiencing.

Ultimately, Reiki is not about forcing your body or mind to do anything. It is a gentle practice of receiving, with your comfort, boundaries, and sense of safety always coming first.

Yes. Reiki can be a beautiful complement to physical and medical care, particularly when you're moving through pain, injury, illness, recovery, or feeling physically depleted.

Within the Reiki tradition, we understand the body as more than its physical form. Your physical, emotional, mental, and energetic experiences are interconnected, and the energetic body is considered an important part of your overall well-being. From this perspective, physical experiences can have an energetic dimension that may exist before they become something we recognize physically.

This is one reason Reiki looks beyond the symptom itself. Rather than trying to force a physical issue to change, Reiki works with the energetic aspect of your experience with the intention of bringing greater balance and harmony to the whole person.

At the same time, I don't view Reiki as a replacement for understanding or treating what is happening physically. Pain, injury, and disease can have complex biological causes, and appropriate medical care is important. Reiki can be received alongside that care as a complementary practice and a way of supporting yourself through the experience.

I don't diagnose conditions or promise that Reiki will cure disease, heal an injury, or eliminate pain. Instead, I create space for you to work with the deeper energetic layer of your experience while your physical body receives whatever care it needs.

Yes — please let me know ahead of time if you're pregnant, have epilepsy, have a pacemaker, have had recent surgery, or are managing a serious medical or mental health condition, so we can make sure the session is right for you. It also helps to know about injuries, sore spots, or any area you'd rather I didn't work near. Nothing is too small to mention.

You'll be fully clothed and comfortably settled. I work gently with energy, either with light touch or hands hovering above the body, depending on your comfort level. Sessions are calm, unhurried, and tailored to what you need that day.

We talk first, then you settle and I begin, then we come back together at the end to talk about what came up.

Plan for about an hour on the table, with time to talk before and after. Come a few minutes early if you can, so you're not walking in out of breath — sessions end at the scheduled time either way.

You stay fully clothed the entire time. Wear whatever you'd be comfortable lying still in for an hour — soft layers are ideal, since body temperature tends to drop as you relax. Socks are a good idea. You're welcome to take off your watch, jewellery, or anything that digs in.

Only if you want me to. I work either with light, still touch or with my hands hovering just above your body — your choice, and you can change your mind partway through without explaining yourself. If you'd rather have no contact at all, that's completely normal and the session works exactly the same.

No. We chat at the start so I know where you're at, and again at the end — but the session itself is quiet. You don't need to explain your life story, narrate what you're feeling, or fill any silences.

Then you needed the sleep. Falling asleep doesn't stop the energy from landing, and it's incredibly common — plenty of people drift in and out the whole way through. I'll bring you back gently at the end rather than snapping you out of it.

It's welcome but not required. Some people arrive knowing exactly what they want to put down; others have no idea, and that's just as good — the energy goes where it's needed whether or not you can name it. If you want a starting point, ask yourself what you're ready to stop carrying.

There's genuinely nothing you have to do. Drink water, eat something light an hour or two before, and go easy on caffeine and alcohol. Everything else is in Before Your Session.

In Reiki, energy isn't understood as something that has to travel through the air from my hands to your shoulder — it's treated as something distance doesn't bind in the first place, which is why distance work has been part of the practice since long before video calls existed.

What I won't do is hand you a physics paper. What I can tell you is that clients who've had both in person and virtually with me routinely can't tell the difference from the inside. There's much more detail on the Virtual Reiki page.

We're on a live Google Meet call together for the whole session — it isn't a recording, and it isn't me working on you quietly from across the city while you wonder if anything's happening. We start face to face and talk, you settle, I work, and we come back to each other at the end. You're welcome to turn your camera off once we begin.

A quiet, private space where you can lie down undisturbed, a stable internet connection, and your phone or laptop propped where I can see you at the start. A blanket helps, headphones help if they settle you, and Do Not Disturb is non-negotiable. No candles, no crystals, no preparation.

For the great majority of people, yes — and a meaningful number prefer it, because your nervous system is already home and you don't have to come down from a session on the TTC. The one thing in person offers that virtual can't is physical presence. If that's the part you're craving, come see me in Toronto. If you're unsure, book a free consultation call and we'll work it out together.

Only for in-person sessions, which run out of my home studio in Toronto. Virtual sessions are available worldwide — if you've got a quiet room and a wifi signal, we can work together.

People often report feeling relaxed, lighter, or more grounded afterward. Some notice emotional clarity or a sense of ease over the following days. Each session is unique, and effects can unfold gradually.

Completely. In the first day or two you might notice tiredness, vivid dreams, emotional waves, or a sudden urge to cry. That's not a setback — it's usually the thing finally moving. Drink more water than you think you need and keep the day soft. The full guide is on After Your Session.

Most people feel a session for one to two weeks. For general wellbeing, once a month works well. If you're moving through something big — grief, burnout, a transition — weekly or fortnightly for three or four sessions, then spacing out, tends to serve people better. If you're not sure, ask me.

Please do. I offer a free consultation call for exactly this — whether you're nervous, unsure which session type suits you, or just want to hear a human voice before committing. There's no pitch and no pressure. Book a call here.

Your appointment is requested, not confirmed, until payment is received. After booking online, send an e-transfer to magicmairaa@gmail.com or PayPal to paypal.me/magickmaira to lock it in. Once it's received you'll get a confirmation email with the address, arrival instructions and a short disclaimer form. Full details are in the booking policy.

With 48 hours' notice you can reschedule or take a full refund, your choice. Inside 48 hours a session is non-refundable, though it can be moved once for a small rebooking fee. Life happens — just tell me as early as you can. The full policy is here.

Out of my home studio in Toronto. The full address and arrival instructions come by email once your spot is confirmed, so keep an eye on your inbox.

Nervous first-timers are my favourite people to work with. You don't have to arrive calm, spiritual, or prepared — frazzled and skeptical is a perfectly good place to start from. Ask me anything beforehand; there's no question too small or too strange.