Warmth and gentle heat
A soft warmth radiating from the practitioner's hands is one of the most commonly reported sensations.
What to Expect · West Hollywood
What to expect at your first reiki session
You booked your first reiki session and you are not entirely sure what happens next. That is completely normal. At our private Melrose studio in West Hollywood you lie down fully clothed on a padded table while a Certified Reiki Master Teacher guides a calm, unhurried session of reiki energy healing. Here is exactly what to expect, from the moment you walk in to the moment you head home.
60 to 75 minutes · Private Melrose studio · Certified Reiki Master Teachers
Certified Reiki Master Teachers
Usui lineage · married practitioner team
The Short Answer
What happens at a reiki session? The short answer
A reiki session is deeply restful and very low-key. You stay fully clothed the whole time and lie back on a padded table in a warm, softly lit room with quiet music already playing. After a short conversation, the practitioner rests their hands lightly on or just above your body and moves through a gentle sequence of positions while you relax. Most people feel warmth, a soft tingling, and a slow, spreading calm. Sessions run 60 to 75 minutes, and there is nothing you need to do except rest.
Reiki is a complementary practice. It works alongside medical and mental-health care, never in place of it, and it does not diagnose, treat, or cure any condition. What it reliably offers is a genuine drop into deep relaxation, which is exactly why so many first-timers book again.
Before We Begin
Your first reiki session starts with a conversation
There is no clipboard and no script. Before any hands-on work, your practitioner sits with you for a few minutes to understand what you are carrying today, whether that is stress, restless sleep, grief, or simple curiosity. This is also where you set your comfort with touch, and it quietly shapes everything that follows.
Fully clothed, always
You keep your clothes on for the entire session. Many people slip off their shoes, glasses, and belt so they can settle in and let go.
Your choice of touch
Reiki can be full hands-on with light touch, a mix of touch and hands-off, or completely hands-off. You choose before we start, and you can change your mind at any point.
A session shaped around you
What you share in the check-in guides where the practitioner focuses and how the session unfolds. No two sessions run the same.
Your Visit
How your first reiki session unfolds
1
You settle in
You lie down fully clothed on a padded table in a private, warm, softly lit room with curated sound already playing. There is nothing to do but rest. Tea if you want it.
2
A short check-in shapes the session
A brief conversation covers what you are carrying today and whether you prefer light touch or fully hands-off work. Both are equally valid in reiki, and the choice is always yours.
3
The reiki begins
Hands rest lightly on or just above the body, working head to toe through a gentle sequence. Many people feel warmth, a soft tingling, or a spreading heaviness as they drop into rest.
4
Integration before you leave
The session closes gently, never abruptly. Water or tea, a few quiet minutes, and time to reorient before you step back into your day. See what the hours after a session can feel like.
If you drift off, nothing is wasted. Falling asleep means your nervous system has fully let go, which is exactly what the session is working toward.
What It Feels Like
What you might feel during a reiki session
Sensations vary from person to person and session to session. These are the responses first-time clients describe most often, offered as a complement to medical or mental-health care.
A light tingling or pulsing
Many people notice a gentle buzzing or a soft pulse under the hands as the body begins to settle.
Deep stillness and calm
A quiet, spacious sense of peace is the sensation clients name most, the feeling of the mind finally going quiet.
A pleasant heaviness
A sinking, grounded heaviness in the limbs, the feeling of finally putting something down and letting the table hold you.
A floating, weightless feeling
Some people describe a gentle sense of floating or drifting as they move into a deeply relaxed state.
Emotion that surfaces and softens
Feelings held in the body can rise and gently release. A wave of relief, a few tears, or a deep exhale are all normal.
Reiki is complementary and does not diagnose, treat, or cure any condition. It works alongside medical and mental-health care, never in place of it.
This Is Normal
Feeling emotional during reiki is completely normal
Some people laugh, some tear up, and some feel a wave of relief or an old tension finally letting go. As the nervous system settles out of fight-or-flight, feelings that have been held quietly can surface and move through. You are safe the whole time, and there is no wrong way to respond.
You do not have to take our word for how restorative it can feel. A 2019 study of more than 1,400 reiki sessions found people reported meaningful improvements in stress, anxiety, and overall sense of wellbeing after even a single visit. Those are self-reported results and reiki is not a medical treatment, yet they line up closely with what we see in the room each week.
How to prepare for reiki
Good Questions
Your first reiki session, answered
Honest answers about what happens, what you wear, and how you might feel afterward.
You lie down fully clothed while a practitioner rests their hands lightly on or just above your body, moving through a gentle sequence of positions. You relax, often deeply, while soft sound plays. There is no manipulation of muscles and nothing invasive. For a full walk-through, see what happens during reiki.
Wear soft, comfortable layers you can fully relax in, the kind of thing you would wear to a yoga class or to rest at home. You stay fully clothed the entire time. Many people slip off their shoes, glasses, and belt once they are on the table. Our how to prepare for reiki guide covers the rest.
Only with your permission. Touch is light and consensual, and hands-off work is equally valid in reiki. You choose full hands-on, a mix, or completely hands-off before we begin, and you can change your preference at any time.
Sessions run 60 to 75 minutes. Afterward most people feel calm, clear, and a little slowed down, and some feel pleasantly tired or thirsty. We give you a few minutes to reorient before you leave. Here is more on the hours after a reiki session.
Both are completely normal. Some people feel a great deal on the first visit and more subtle shifts on the next, and some feel very little at first. Drifting off simply means your nervous system has fully let go, which is what the session is working toward.
No. Reiki is a complementary practice. It does not diagnose, treat, or replace professional medical or mental-health care. Many clients use reiki alongside talk therapy and medical treatment and find the combination supportive. If you have a complex medical history, please tell us before your first session.
Ready When You Are
Come feel what a reiki session is like
The clearest way to know what to expect is to experience it. Sessions run 60 to 75 minutes in our private Melrose studio in West Hollywood, with Certified Reiki Master Teachers. New client booking takes about two minutes online.
Keep Reading
More on reiki at Word of Mouth
Reiki Energy Healing
Hands-on and hands-off reiki with Certified Reiki Master Teachers in a private Melrose loft.
Reiki healing →What Happens During Reiki
A step-by-step look at a session from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.
See the steps →How to Prepare for Reiki
What to wear, what to eat, and a few small choices that help you settle in faster.
Prepare well →Book a Session
New client booking takes about two minutes. Private Melrose studio in West Hollywood.
Book now →