4 Things No One Warned Me About When I Began Reiki

Outside, the east winds gather momentum, and as the creeping chill of Winter’s retreat guides us inward, I find myself reflecting on my first seven months as a professional Reiki healer...

Like most of my callings, I came to Reiki quite by accident. People had reached out on social media, suggesting I explore it because of the energy work I was sharing through nature. It took many years before I finally relented and took the plunge, eventually turning up at my Level 1 training with almost no idea what Reiki was – much to my teacher’s bemusement.

I continued my energy healing journey much as I did when it was solely rooted in nature: by looking inward, trusting my own experience, and staying true to my authenticity. Even during my training, my questions were few and I preferred to learn through the experience rather than through my teacher’s own knowledge.

With this slow, drawn-out approach to learning comes a high level of naivety. When I eventually created my Reiki business, I expected the few words I had read about Reiki – references to serenity, stillness in the body and balanced chakras. Instead, I found myself in the thick of grief, intuition, spirits, and the slow return of my own vitality.

Here are four things no one warned me about when I began my job as a Reiki Practitioner:

1.     Reiki is a prominent grief-healing tool.

Reiki is often introduced as a gentle practice in stress reduction, deep relaxation, and in supporting the body’s natural healing abilities. Other practitioners spoke of calm nervous systems, softened minds, and energy settling into balance, but no one warned me about grief and the level of emotion I would end up carrying for my clients.

It is not uncommon for those who book an energy healing session with me to experience waves of deep emotion in the first couple of meetings, as we allow grief to rise, to be witnessed, and to be gently returned to the earth.

Reiki has a way of finding the hidden places deep within us that need tending - where memories are buried, feelings are swallowed, and words have long gone unspoken. My clients generously put their trust in me as we explore the many different forms that grief takes: the loss of a loved one or a relationship that never truly healed… a life that unfolded differently from the one once imagined… the passing of time and the painful changes we didn’t ask for - abandonment, ill health, chronic conditions, and the private challenges of menopause.

I have learned that in Reiki, nothing is forced and there is no expectation of an outcome. We simply meet in sacred space and invite the Reiki energy of nature to merge with the energetic body, making way for truth and healing - and somewhere within that merging, I quickly recognised that grief-healing is quietly woven into my soulful signature.

2. I’d discover that I'm actually quite psychic.

From the very beginning I was privy to visuals and an astute intuitive sense for what my clients needed. In the early days, I feared these gifts were only showing themselves because I knew the people I was practising on. But as my skills and confidence grew alongside my client base, those trepidations were soon put to bed. I went on to hold space for complete strangers and experienced the same deep, subtle readings.

I spent years practising my energy work outdoors with nature long before I trained formally in Reiki. Hidden within a private sanctuary of fields and trees, I connected with the beating heart of the land and the echoes of wild women of old before me, growing a keen sense for the energetic story of each season, as well as the life force of local plants and trees. In hindsight, it makes sense that this sensitivity would cross over into the human story; energy speaks in the same language, no matter its form.

During sessions I often pick up on the colours and emotions my clients encounter - the visuals and landscapes they drift to behind closed eyes. Through this same awareness I have also been able to pinpoint pain and discomfort within the body, and occasionally glimpse small snapshots from their day-to-day lives - memories and hobbies half-forgotten, subtle truths waiting for light.

3. Spirits will occasionally gatecrash Reiki sessions.

From pockets of static energy in the corners of the room, to gentle nudges and the unmistakeable presence of lost loved ones, I’ve had to grow accustomed to unexpected visitors. Admittedly, I found this slightly alarming at first, and I’m still learning to navigate the strange etiquette of these intrusions.

But my Reiki healing draws upon my own Celtic roots and the Celtic Chakra system - a tradition that honours the heart as the true centre of our being. From this place I offer love to whichever spirit steps forward, and in return, I am sometimes honoured with a glimpse of my client through the eyes of someone who cherished them; a quiet blessing that feels both intimate and humbling.

4.      Reiki would give me physical and cognitive energy.

It is no secret that I have dealt with chronic illness since childhood, and because of this I have always struggled with physical and cognitive energy. I won’t pretend to have found a miracle cure - I still rest far more frequently than the average person - but compared to the earlier years of my adulthood, there is now an ease in how I navigate life, and an internal spark I had never witnessed in myself until now.

No longer does my cup sit half empty. It feels half full, steady in my hands. I trust my ability to be mostly reliable for the first time, and that trust builds confidence, nudging me to aim a little higher, and step a little further.

Some say this shift comes from returning home to myself and to the purpose I was born to lead. Others believe it’s Reiki lending me a small dose of vitality each time I work with a client or stand in communion with nature. I tend to feel it’s both - two forces working together in quiet union, braided just like the energy that moves through my sessions.

If any of these discoveries resonate with you, know that Reiki can offer the same gentle guidance and quiet shifts in your own life. Whether it’s easing the weight of grief, awakening your own intuitive self, or opening space for new beginnings, each session invites you to reconnect with your inner essence and find a deeper sense of calm.

I hold space for this with every client, weaving the current energy of nature, the Chakra system, and my own soulful signature into each session. If you feel called, you are welcome to explore a session with me, and see how your own journey might unfold.

With love,

From my heart to yours,

Jemma x