If you are considering Reiki therapy, you might have some questions to ask beforehand.
A couple of questions you might be keen to ask are, firstly, “Do you have to undress for Reiki??”, and “Does the Reiki therapist touch you during a session?”.
These are especially valid if you are of a sensitive nature or have suffered an experience that has had a negative effect on your trust and confidence.
It may be that you are just not comfortable with these ideas – and that’s ok.
These are perfectly reasonable concerns and you are quite right to ask.
The short answer to both of those questions is; no, you don’t have to undress for Reiki and you won’t be touched.
So you can stop worrying about those particular issues and look forward to your session.
To take it further, you can rest assured that at no point will a Reiki therapist ask you to remove your clothes, or otherwise force you to do anything that makes you stressed or uncomfortable in any way.
This is a complementary therapy method that aims to heal by helping the body relax through the manipulation of spiritual energies.
To make a client uncomfortable or distressed is to go against all the principles of this therapy.
If anyone claiming to be a Reiki practitioner ever does this, it is highly recommended that you leave the session immediately and cancel any others you may have planned with them.
The only time you might be asked to remove clothing would be if you were visiting a trained massage therapist who combined physical massage and Reiki healing together, in which case you would probably expect this to happen.
So, what to wear for Reiki?
It isn’t a fashion parade, and nobody is there to judge your appearance.
This is all about you, and your comfort and well-being.
Dress however you feel comfortable, ideally in light, loose-fitting clothes.
The practitioner will want you to feel as relaxed as possible, so feel free to make yourself at home.
Always bear in mind the season and the weather, and make sure you are prepared for highs or lows of temperature.
If the session is taking place at a dedicated clinic, the practitioner should really make sure that the room is comfortable enough for you.
If you do feel cold, though, don’t be afraid to ask for a blanket – the energies are quite powerful enough to work through the material.
You will either lie on a couch or sit in a special chair during your treatment.
It is a good idea to either remove most, if not all, jewelry.
Aside from it possibly causing discomfort while you lie down, certain types of metals or gemstones can interfere with the energies and make the session less effective.
Read next: Should I learn Reiki? And Is It Hard?
Does the Reiki therapist touch you during a session?
Before your first session, the practitioner will have a chat with you to get an idea about what you want and expect from the therapy, as well as to guide them towards the areas they feel need the most attention.
During this talk, they will tell you about the procedure and how they use their energy to unblock the points where your own natural energies have become locked up, either due to physical or emotional traumas and strains.
It doesn’t require them to actually touch you, but many therapists do prefer to place their hands directly on your body.
If you would rather they did not, simply let them know there and then.
They will not object to this, as the treatment will be just as effective if they keep their hands within an inch or two of your body, allowing the energy to be transferred to the points where it is needed.
If you are happy for the practitioner to lay hands on you, they should always communicate where they are about to touch you before doing so anyway.
The pressure is always light, and they don’t ever press their hands down hard, although some patients report that it sometimes feels as if the hands are actually sinking into their body,
which could be disconcerting.
Is there anything else I should know?
Reiki is an effective, natural way of realigning your natural energies and unblocking the chakra points in the body.
While it does receive a lot of negative comment from the mainstream medical world, the fact is that is has helped countless thousands of people around the globe, and is even available through various forward-thinking hospitals and clinics.
It is an invisible medicine, with visible results. The majority of patients feel a positive change within days or even hours of the first session.
What is important to remember is that the practitioner is not healing you. Whatever your condition or illness, the treatment is purely to allow your own energies to flow correctly, allowing your body to heal itself.
As with all medicines, whether mainstream, complementary or alternative, each patient can react in different ways.
Reports from around the world suggest that many people have found it to have cured them, but it is not guaranteed.
What can be said with certainty, though, is that you will find the sessions will relieve stress and make you feel incredibly relaxed, which is a great starting point for anyone suffering from any form of sickness or condition, whether mental, physical or spiritual.
Two final tips; visit the bathroom before the session, and don’t drink alcohol beforehand.
Conclusion
So, no – you will not be expected to remove any clothing, nor will the practitioner need to touch you during the treatment if that’s what you wish.
All that is required of you is that you arrive with an open mind. You can wear whatever you feel comfortable in, sit or lie back and allow the treatment to begin to work, aligning your energies correctly and getting your mind, body, and spirit on the right track to a healthier place.
