How to Practice Self-Reiki
A step-by-step guide to giving yourself a full Reiki session at home — hand positions, timing, and what to expect.
Self-Reiki is the Reiki practice you give to yourself. Mikao Usui developed the Usui Reiki system in Japan in 1922 after a long period of fasting and meditation on Mount Kurama, and self-treatment has been part of the practice from the start. The technique uses a sequence of hand positions placed on or just above the body, moving from the crown down to the feet, with the intention of supporting your own healing and balance.
There is an honest debate inside the Reiki world about whether self-Reiki requires a formal attunement from a Reiki Master. The traditional Usui lineages teach that attunement is what opens you to channel Reiki energy, and many serious practitioners hold this view. Other modern teachers, including a growing number outside the lineage system, hold that intention, presence, and loving touch carry their own healing weight — that the hand positions work on the nervous system and the felt sense of self-care whether or not anyone calls it Reiki. Both perspectives deserve respect. If attunement matters to you, find a teacher you trust. If it doesn't, the practice below is still yours to use.
This guide is for anyone who wants a calming, structured 20-30 minute self-care ritual that quiets the nervous system and gently moves attention through every major energy center of the body. No prior experience required.
What You Need
- A yoga mat, couch, or bed where you can lie down comfortably
- A blanket (body temperature drops during deep relaxation)
- Optional: a candle for soft lighting
- Optional: crystals to place on or near the chakras
- Optional: quiet instrumental music
Before You Start
A note on attunement: Traditional Usui Reiki teaches that you receive an attunement from a Reiki Master before channeling Reiki energy, and many practitioners feel this step is essential. Other modern teachers hold that intention and loving presence are enough. This guide is written so it works either way — as a Reiki self-treatment if you have been attuned, or as a structured energy-and-awareness practice if you have not. Pick the framing that fits your beliefs and proceed without guilt.
Steps
- 1 Step 01
Get comfortable and warm
Lie down on a mat, couch, or bed. Cover yourself with a blanket — your body temperature will drop as you settle, and being cold pulls you out of the practice. You can also do self-Reiki sitting in a chair if lying down isn't an option.
Tip: Turn your phone to do-not-disturb. The whole point is undefended time. - 2 Step 02
Take five settling breaths
Close your eyes. Inhale slowly through the nose, exhale slowly through the mouth. Let each exhale be a little longer than the inhale. Do this five times. Feel your weight sink into whatever is supporting you.
- 3 Step 03
Set a clear intention
Silently say something like 'This practice is for my highest good' or 'May this session bring me what I most need right now.' Intention is the steering wheel of energy work — it tells your nervous system what kind of session this is.
- 4 Step 04
Place both hands gently on or above the crown
Rest your fingertips lightly on the top of your head, or hover the palms an inch above. Hold for 3 to 5 minutes. Notice any warmth, tingling, pulsing, or settling. There is nothing to do — just let the hands rest and the attention stay soft.
Tip: Touching versus hovering both work. Touch is more grounding; hovering keeps the attention more subtle. Pick whichever feels right today. - 5 Step 05
Move the hands to the forehead and eyes (third eye)
Slide both palms down to cover the forehead and the closed eyes. The heels of the hands rest near the temples. Hold for 3 to 5 minutes. This position is famous for quieting mental chatter.
- 6 Step 06
Move to the throat
Bring both hands to the front of the throat, hovering an inch off the skin or resting one hand lightly along the collarbones. Many people prefer hovering here — direct touch on the throat can feel restrictive. Hold for 3 to 5 minutes.
- 7 Step 07
Rest both hands over the heart center
Place both palms flat on the center of the chest, one slightly above the other or side by side. Hold for 3 to 5 minutes. This is the longest-held and most-loved position in self-Reiki — most practitioners feel the most warmth here.
- 8 Step 08
Move to the solar plexus
Slide both hands down to the soft area just below the ribcage and above the navel. Hold for 3 to 5 minutes. This is the seat of personal power and digestion — emotional residue often shows up here.
- 9 Step 09
Move to the lower belly (sacral and root)
Bring both hands to rest on the lower belly, below the navel and over the pubic bone. Hold for 3 to 5 minutes. This area governs the sacral and root chakras and is deeply connected to safety, creativity, and grounding.
- 10 Step 10
Finish at the legs and feet, then thank yourself
Sweep your hands briefly down each thigh, knee, calf, and finally rest them on the tops of the feet for a minute or two. When you're done, bring your hands back to your heart, take a slow breath, and silently thank yourself for showing up. Rest with eyes closed for at least a minute before getting up.
Tip: Drink a glass of water afterward. Energy work is dehydrating in a subtle way and water helps you feel grounded in your body again.
Expected Results
Most people finish a full self-Reiki session feeling noticeably calmer, warmer, and softer than when they started. Common sensations during the practice include warmth radiating from the hands or chest, a gentle tingling, a feeling of heaviness or sinking, slow waves of emotion, or just a deep quiet. With consistent daily or every-other-day practice for a few weeks, many practitioners report better sleep, less reactivity, improved digestion, and a clearer felt sense of their own body.
Common Mistakes
- Skipping the intention-setting step — without a clear intention the practice feels aimless and your nervous system doesn't get the cue to soften.
- Rushing through the hand positions — 30 seconds at each spot is not the same as 3 to 5 minutes. The slow holds are where the work happens.
- Expecting to see energy with your eyes — Reiki is felt, not seen. Warmth, tingling, heaviness, or peace are all valid signals that something is moving.
- Trying to push or force energy through your hands — the practice is receptive, not muscular. Let the hands just rest.
- Doing it while distracted by your phone, the TV, or a busy mind you keep checking on — protect the time the same way you'd protect a massage appointment.
Troubleshooting
- I don't feel anything — am I doing it wrong?
- You're not. Warmth is the most commonly reported sensation, but plenty of practitioners feel coolness, tingling, heaviness, a slight pulse, or just a settled calm with no obvious sensation at all. All of these are valid. The benefits show up in your nervous system whether or not your hands feel hot. Keep going for a few weeks before judging.
- I started crying or felt a wave of sadness or anger come up
- This is normal and welcome. Energy work tends to release stored emotional residue, especially when you slow down enough to feel it. Don't fight it and don't grab onto a story about it. Let the emotion move through, keep your hands where they are, and breathe. It will pass, often within a few minutes, and you'll feel lighter.
- I don't have 30 minutes today
- Five minutes with both hands on your heart still counts. A short heart-only session before bed is a deeply useful version of this practice and is far better than skipping it entirely. The full sequence is the ideal, not the requirement.
Variations
Once you know the full sequence, there are several useful variations. The abbreviated heart-only version is just five minutes with both hands on the heart center — perfect before bed or during a stressful afternoon. You can place crystals on each chakra as you move through the positions (clear quartz on the crown, amethyst on the third eye, rose quartz on the heart, and so on). You can also hover the hands an inch above the body the entire time instead of touching, which keeps the attention more subtle. Distance self-Reiki — sending Reiki to your future self or to a past version of yourself — is a more advanced and debated variation taught at Reiki Level 2.
Connections
Self-Reiki moves through the body's major energy centers, so it pairs naturally with the chakra system. It also overlaps with meditation in the way it slows the nervous system and trains the attention. Some practitioners enhance the practice by placing crystals on each chakra position as they work through the sequence.