Reconnecting to life force

Reiki is often described as universal life energy: the natural, intelligent force that flows through all living things.

If that language doesn’t land, think of it this way: our bodies are made of energy. From heart rhythms to brainwaves to the electromagnetic fields generated by every cell, we are constantly pulsing with electrical activity. If we use machines to measure brainwaves (EEG) and heart rhythms (ECG) using electrical signals, isn’t that already proof we’re energetic beings?

As a Level 3 Reiki Practitioner, my experience with this work over the years has been less about belief, and more about the direct felt-sense.

It was one of the first modalities that showed me how much the nervous system responds to presence, intention, and subtle energy. Over the years, I’ve seen it support shifts in pain, mood, sleep, and emotional release — often in ways that are more felt than understood.

The gentle power of reiki

Supporting the body's return to balance

Reiki is a gentle, energy-based practice that helps to calm the nervous system, ease emotional overwhelm, and create the conditions for healing.

When we’ve experienced trauma or long-term stress, the body can remain in survival mode: hyper-alert, shut down, or disconnected. Reiki offers a non-invasive way to support regulation from the inside out, often without needing to speak or process cognitively. It’s especially helpful when the system is already holding a lot and needs space to soften and feel safe again.

Reiki works gently with the body’s biofield (the measurable electromagnetic field around the body) helping to bring the system back into a more coherent state.

Reiki in modern healthcare

Increasingly, Reiki is being recognised within the UK’s healthcare system. Several NHS hospitals and hospices now offer Reiki to patients undergoing cancer treatment, palliative care, and to staff experiencing burnout or chronic stress. Pilot programs, such as Connecting Reiki with Medicine, are exploring how this subtle yet profound practice can complement clinical care and support holistic wellbeing.

Whether used alone or alongside other modalities, Reiki invites a return to inner coherence, restoring flow where it was once blocked, and helping the body remember what it feels like to be at ease.