How to Prepare for a Reiki Treatment Session

Preparing for a Reiki treatment session is one of the simplest things you can do. Many are confused as to what steps to take however, because every Reiki practitioner is different. Practices differ from person to person, however some general rules apply.

Take a shower. The morning or afternoon before your treatment, you should take a nice relaxing shower. The shower will help cleanse your body both physically and spiritually. A shower will also help remove any distracting smells from lotions or perfumes. These smells can make the treatment session hard by not allowing you or your practitioner to fully relax enough to let the energy flow.

Refrain from using perfumes or strong smelling lotions. As I've said before, smells can be distracting. Refrain from using strong smelling items. You can either go completely without them or opt for lighter smelling fragrances. Either choice is a good one. Don't be afraid to use deodorant however. Everyone needs that, and deodorants usually are not too strong smelling.

Wear loose fitting clothing. Be sure to wear clothing that isn't very restrictive. Choose pants that are comfortable and that will allow you to lay down for about an hour without cutting off circulation. Shirts should also be loose fitting to allow you to comfortably move around on the table without much restriction. Tight fitting clothing greatly reduces a person's chances of relaxing during a treatment. If you are going to wear a skirt, wear a longer skirt. Leave the mini skirt at home. Loose fitting skirts that go to the knee or below are best especially if you will be laying on a massage table for the treatment.

Leave the jewelry at home. Opt not to wear large amounts of jewelry as most practitioners will request that jewelry will be removed. Some feel that jewelry can interfere with the energy flow; others just don't want large pieces of jewelry in the way of hand placements. Small rings and earrings usually aren't a problem. Practitioners usually don't require items such as wedding bands removed. As long as the jewelry isn't very large, it should be ok. Wrist watches and necklaces however are probably on the list of things they will ask you to remove.

Wear shoes that you can take off and put back on easily. Many Reiki practitioners ask that their clients remove their shoes. Not wearing shoes allows the client to deeply relax and allows the practitioner to place their hands on the feet to treat problem areas, to treat the entire body or to ground the client after a session. If you are not comfortable removing your shoes, or feel that you cannot easily get them on and off, tell your practitioner. They should respect your wishes as removing shoes is not necessary.

Talk about your preferences. Many practitioners enjoy using relaxing music during their session along with soft lighting. They usually have a large extensive music collection and often will ask if you have any preferences about what type of music to play. If you have a favorite, ask if it's available. If you prefer dimmer lighting or brighter lighting, let them know. The whole point of a Reiki treatment is to encourage relaxation to allow for better energy flow. If you are not comfortable with something, let them know.

Feel free to talk during the session. Your practitioner won't know what areas they should focus on unless you talk to them. If you are uncomfortable bringing up a certain subject, then you don't need to tell them. They use intuition to guide them in treating areas and can often feel problem areas due to the lack of energy flowing to and from that area. Some may become upset for no apparent reason and talking about it will help. If this happens, feel free to choose to talk or not. Sometimes all you need is someone to listen.

If your comfort level suddenly changes, voice the change. Some people become cold during a treatment. Don't lay there freezing for the entire treatment. Tell them you are cold and they will give you a blanket as most keep one nearby for situations such as this. If you become warm, which can also happen, tell them. Any issue that arises about your comfort level should be addressed.

I hope with the above tips, your next Reiki treatment will be a huge success. Enjoy the loving, healing energy of Reiki.