How Reiki Transformed My Life—and Can Transform Yours Too

Let’s say you wake up in the morning fully energized after a good night’s sleep. You start your day on a positive note, feeling good. Your vitality level is high.

Then, a series of things may happen:

• You check your phone first thing, and a stressful email or news headline immediately shifts your mood.
• A conversation with a loved one leaves you feeling frustrated or emotionally drained.
• You sit at your desk all day, barely moving, forgetting to breathe deeply.
• The to-do list keeps growing, and no matter how much you check off, it never feels like enough.
• You spend your day taking care of everyone else’s needs, with no time left for yourself.

Or maybe it’s something bigger—navigating uncertainty, carrying emotional burdens, or dealing with a major life transition.

That’s life, right?

There is a cost to living with constant demands, stress, overstimulation, and uncertainty.

The result?

We leak life force energy—leaving us exhausted, disconnected, and out of sync with our natural flow.

The solution?

We need a way to recharge our internal battery and reconnect with the universal energy that is always available to us.

But what if, on top of all this, you’re dealing with a physical or emotional imbalance—chronic pain, anxiety, depression, or deep grief? The energy drain becomes even greater.

That’s why having a daily practice to replenish your life force energy is essential.

It’s something I didn’t know years ago when I was carrying a lot of grief from the pregnancies I lost. I was heartbroken and depressed, yet I kept going through the motions of life, unaware that my energy was depleted. I didn’t realize that I needed a way to heal, to restore myself, to reconnect with something greater.

That’s when Reiki found me. And it changed everything.

My Unexpected Reiki Story

My love story with Reiki began on an ordinary Friday afternoon as I casually flipped through a local magazine in Israel. I saw an advertisement for a meditation weekend retreat. Unknowingly, my Soul was seeking comfort, and my intuition immediately urged me to attend.

Little did I know that during this getaway weekend, I would meet a spiritual mentor who would later become my Reiki master. With no prior knowledge of Reiki or meditation, I dove into the retreat experience. Just three weeks later, I found myself participating in a Level 1 Reiki class—a class that ultimately changed my life.

During the class, as my Reiki Master guided me through the attunement process, I experienced an opening in my heart and a sense of lightness unlike anything I had ever felt.

Discovering Reiki at that moment in my life was truly a blessing. Between raising two children, maintaining my job, and fulfilling my duties as a wife, mother, daughter, and business owner, I lacked real happiness. I was merely battling to get past my depression and cope with the sorrow of losing six out of my eight pregnancies.

Within a few weeks of treating myself with Reiki, the heavy burden of grief lifted, and the joy I believed was lost to me returned to my life. Astounded by the results, I continued my Reiki journey and completed the training to the Master level.

What surprised me most was that Reiki didn’t just erase my grief and depression—it changed my relationship with them. I realized that I could simultaneously experience challenging emotions, such as sadness and grief, while embracing hope, joy, and relief.

Years of therapy helped me process my pain, but Reiki did something unique—it allowed me to make space for complex emotions, to ease my suffering without bypassing the pain. Reiki didn’t ask me to push my grief away. Instead, it allowed my pain to become a doorway to healing.

What started as a simple healing practice to support my heart and Soul became a solid spiritual foundation that I have relied on daily since that first class. Even after becoming a Reiki Master, I had no intention of teaching Reiki professionally.

While it was never my plan, it was Reiki’s plan.

Fast forward to today—thousands of people have gone through my Reiki training, many of them now Reiki Masters themselves, sharing their light in the world and empowering others to do the same.

If you’re a bodyworker or healthcare professional curious about incorporating Reiki into your practice, read my previous blog: 7 Reasons Why Healthcare & Wellness Professionals SHOULD Learn Reiki.

If you are an individual on a journey of personal growth, and you ask yourself if Reiki can be beneficial for you, read my previous blog: Can Reiki really help you heal stress and find peace?

Now, let’s take a step back and explore what Reiki is and why I love it so much. Shall we?

What Is Reiki?

Reiki, a term that originated from Japanese, is a combination of two words:

• “Rei” – which can signify the Soul and spirit, but it can also mean something miraculous or mysterious.
• “Ki” – similar to chi or prana in other traditions, representing energy or vital force, often considered the most refined form of matter.

Together, they form the concept of Reiki, which can be interpreted as a spiritual, mysterious, or miraculous manifestation of energy. In simple words, Reiki is a spiritual life force energy.

Reiki is widely recognized as a gentle healing technique involving the laying on of hands. This healing process can occur either with direct contact or without, by holding hands approximately two inches above the recipient’s body. It can be described as a ritualistic form of bodily intimacy, where hands are gently placed on various parts of the body, or energy is channeled from a short distance above these areas.

There are two primary ways to experience Reiki’s benefits:

1. Receiving it – either virtually or in person – from a Reiki practitioner.
2. Learning to perform it on oneself for personal healing and balance.

Although Reiki is frequently practiced informally through self-treatments and sessions with family and friends, it is also commonly used in professional therapeutic environments, including private clinics, spas, and hospitals.

However, Reiki extends beyond the simple act of laying hands. It is a tangible vehicle for individuals to connect and align with universal energy.

In essence, Reiki is not just a healing practice—it is a spiritual discipline that provides a direct, accessible way to recharge, restore, and reconnect with life-force energy.

Exploring the Depths of Reiki

• Reiki is a holistic healing method that promotes the wellness of body, mind, and spirit using hands, breath, gaze, and visualization techniques.
• It’s a natural ability awakened through a spiritual initiation or blessing from a Reiki master, which is deepened through regular practice.
• Reiki is entirely harmless and always operates for the individual’s highest good. Even when the results are not immediately noticeable, the healing process initiated by Reiki is profound and deep-seated. It often works subtly over time, addressing the root causes of issues rather than just the symptoms, resulting in long-lasting healing and well-being.
• Reiki practitioners don’t possess extraordinary power in their hands, nor are they the healers. They serve as clear conduits, allowing the pure universal healing energy to flow through them. In this process, the energy itself performs the healing, guided by the innate wisdom of the recipient’s body and mind.
• Reiki isn’t a religion but can enhance any religious belief. It’s often classified as a Self-Provided Non-Religious (SPNR) practice, which includes activities individuals engage in to boost their well-being, regardless of their religious beliefs. If you practice Christianity and you’re asking yourself if Reiki conflicts with your religion, watch one of my graduates, Samantha, who shares how Reiki became a way of strengthening her faith in God.
• Reiki is taught at graduated levels of proficiency. Advanced students learn sacred symbols and mantras that enable them to conduct distant healing sessions.
• Reiki practitioners follow five “precepts” or “ideals” to foster personal and spiritual development.

Living the Reiki Way

Reiki’s five precepts, or principles, serve as a guide for living a fulfilling and balanced life. These ideals are not commandments but gentle reminders to be mindful in our daily lives.

There are numerous translations of the Reiki precepts, and I’m presenting the version that has resonated with me and guided my practice since 1996.

Just for today, do not anger.

Just for today, do not worry.

Honor your teachers, your parents, your neighbors, your friends.

Just for today, live honestly.

Just for today, be kind to all living things.

These principles are not only the foundation of the system of Reiki but also the outcome of practicing Reiki. I can humbly say that what started as a healing technique and shifted into a spiritual practice became a way of life. I often talk to my students about the meaning of “living the Reiki way.”

My interpretation of living the Reiki way is embracing the Reiki lifestyle, which involves acknowledging the presence of anger, worry, and other challenging emotions. It’s about creating a space to recognize and feel these emotions, owning them, and undertaking the necessary inner work to heal. This is crucial as holding onto these challenging emotions over time can lead to their manifestation in physical form in the body.

The “just for today” principle encourages us to connect daily with Reiki and practice mindful living. While the Reiki precepts are phrased negatively (do not…), they serve as a gentle invitation to handle our emotions with self-compassion and kindness. They encourage us to live in the present, fostering our emotional well-being through self-understanding and kindness.

Penned in the early 20th century, one could speculate that if these precepts were written today – when there’s heightened awareness around the impact of positive and negative language – they might be framed more positively. Nevertheless, these precepts carry a timeless invitation to cultivate self-awareness.

Ready to Experience Reiki for Yourself?

Reiki is not just a healing practice—it’s an invitation to reconnect with yourself, cultivate balance, and embrace a way of life that nurtures your mind, body, and spirit.

When I first discovered Reiki, I had no idea how profoundly it would transform my life. What began as a personal healing journey evolved into a deep spiritual practice and, eventually, a calling to guide others on their own Reiki path.

If you feel drawn to Reiki—whether as a tool for self-care, emotional balance, or spiritual growth—I invite you to join me for my Virtual Reiki Class.

In this class, you’ll learn how to:

?? Channel Reiki energy for self-healing and well-being

?? Use Reiki to support loved ones on their journey

?? Integrate Reiki into your daily life as a grounding and centering practice

?? Experience the beauty of Reiki’s gentle yet powerful transformative energy

Reiki has been my guiding light since 1996. If you feel a pull toward this practice, perhaps it’s Reiki’s plan for you, too.

Click here to learn more and sign up for my upcoming Virtual Reiki Class.