I'll admit it – I'm a full-blown wellness sceptic. While I like the idea of anything that turns your attention inward, including meditation and therapy, I don't have the time or the patience to make it part of my daily routine. And when it comes to more spiritual wellness treatments, I verge on full-blown scepticism.
It therefore came as a surprise to everyone (including myself) that I should find myself horizontal on my bed one Monday night, taking part in a virtual reiki session. After feeling a little disconnected from myself and my life goals, I turned to Georgina Hemsley, Reiki Master and co-founder of Hemsley Organics, to help heal my energy and save me from my funk. I booked in for a virtual reiki session and found myself surprised by the results.
© Cara Heath PhotographyWhat is reiki?
Originating in Japan in the 19th century, the popular practice is beloved by A-listers including Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie, and is said to help aid stress reduction, promote relaxation, and help heal from within.
"What actually is reiki?", I began by asking Georgina, slightly apprehensive about what was to come. "Reiki stands for Universal Life Force Energy and has a soul purpose to heal, balance and restore all that it comes into contact with," she divulged.
"Reiki works with the energy fields around the body and involves the transfer of universal energy, often referred to as a 'spiritual guide', channelled from the practitioner's palms to the client. I allow myself to be intuitively guided to move my focus to the parts of the body that need work. I clear this energy and set an intention to balance and instil a sense of calm," Georgina said, explaining how a typical session unfolds.
© Cara Heath PhotographyVirtual healing is becoming increasingly popular in this busy modern age. While practitioners typically place their hands lightly on your body or hover them above you, this isn't necessary, and it turns out it can all be done through a screen.
Georgina reassures me that energy isn't bound by physical time or space, explaining: "Reiki has been proven time and time again to be just as effective whether it is given distantly or in person."
Setting the scene
Georgina, who has been practicing reiki for over a decade, began by asking me whether I'd lit my palo santo stick and had my healing crystal and relaxing Hemsley Organics products to hand. After a tense moment when I thought I may have set my house on fire, I nodded and the virtual healing commenced.
Somewhat awkwardly, I asked whether I could turn my laptop camera off as I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes. When I snuck a peek at her, Georgina was completely silent, her eyes shut as she got to work.
© Cara Heath Photography.As my mind struggled to let go of its usual chaotic thoughts, it took a good ten minutes to stop feeling uncomfortable about the virtual session.
I forced myself to take deep breaths and focus on the sensation of the bed underneath me, the calming scents surrounding me, and to visualise healing energy travelling up and down my body.
What are the benefits of reiki – and did it work for me?
Reiki is said to provide many benefits, whether physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. It helps balance and restore energy for optimum well-being.
While I won't lie and say that I emerged from my meditative state a brand new woman, I was definitely pleasantly surprised by the experience. Lying in total silence for what felt like 15 minutes, but was more like 40, forced me to take a break from the hectic pace of life and turn my focus inwards. In that sense, the forced alone time with my mind was very welcome.
Georgina also talked me through my experience with surprising accuracy. She told me she had spent much of the session focused on my neck and head as my throat chakra was blocked.
© GettySpookily, towards the end of my session, I had experienced tingling pins and needles creeping down my neck. According to Georgina, it's common to feel physical sensations, such as tingling, twitching, feeling of being hot or cold, heaviness, and lightness. You may also suddenly feel emotional, sleepy or enter deep relaxation, which are all signs of energy blocks being released throughout the body.
When I confessed I had seen blue swirling patterns throughout, she told me this was synonymous with my blocked throat chakra. At this point, the session turned into a form of therapy as she gently suggested all signs pointed to me needing to voice my honest opinions and speak up for myself.
What if reiki doesn't work for me?
If you don't feel anything during your session, don't worry - it doesn't mean reiki isn't working for you. Everyone's experience will be unique, just like every day is unique, so your emotional and physical response will vary from session to session.
Opening yourself up to the experience and being receptive to reiki makes a big difference, too. Georgina said: "I truly believe that the more open and relaxed a client is during a session, the more they tend to feel the reiki channelling through their energy system."
© Cara Heath PhotographyIf you're still feeling a little frustrated, it may simply be that you haven't found the right practitioner yet. "Reiki sessions can be a personal and intimate journey, so ensuring you find the right practitioner for you can have an impact on how relaxed and open you feel during a treatment," Georgina added.
DISCOVER: Why doing less is crucial for your happiness
It turns out my inner sceptic was wrong. In the days that followed my first reiki session, I found myself feeling physically lighter, more present and more focused at work. While I might not have had a 'big' emotional response to the experience, my eyes have been opened to the realm of alternative healing therapies. There's also something lovely about someone sending you positive energy - and we could all use a little more of that in our lives.
Visit HELLO!'s Happiness Hub for more inspiration on living a happier life.
