How Does Reiki Really Work? (Explaining It to My Skeptical Husband)

For years I taught mindset, confidence, and personal growth. I knew our thoughts mattered. I knew our beliefs shaped our lives. But something always felt like it was missing.

At the same time, I found myself drawn to things I couldn't quite explain—crystals, essential oils, manifestation, meditation, energy, and the deep sense of calm I felt in nature. Part of me was fascinated. Another part of me was skeptical. I wanted to understand the "why" behind it all.

I didn't want blind faith. I wanted something that made sense.

Then I completed my Reiki training.

For the first time, the pieces began to fit together.

I discovered the science of stress and the nervous system.

I learned about vibration, frequency, and the way everything in our universe is constantly moving and exchanging energy.

I began to understand why we can feel someone's mood before they speak, why nature calms us, why animals respond to our emotional state, and why practices like meditation, sound healing, and Reiki can create such profound shifts in how we feel.

Suddenly, it wasn't science versus spirituality.

It was science and spirituality.

The practical and the intuitive.

The measurable and the meaningful.

The more I learned, the more I realized that Reiki wasn't about believing in something outside of myself. It was about reconnecting with something I had been feeling all along.

What once felt confusing now feels beautifully aligned.

Today, I no longer see Reiki as "woo-woo." I see it as an invitation to slow down, tune in, and work with the natural energy that already exists within and around us.

Like a wildflower turning toward the sun, sometimes healing isn't about becoming someone new—it's about remembering who we've always been.

"Okay Jodie, but how does Reiki actually work?"

It's a question I've been asked many times.

Usually by people who love me, support me, but secretly think I've wandered off into the flower field and started talking to crystals.

My husband has asked versions of this question over the years, and to be honest, I understand the skepticism.

Because Reiki isn't something you can hold in your hand.

You can't see it.

You can't weigh it.

You can't put it in a jar.

Yet thousands of people walk away from Reiki sessions feeling calmer, lighter, more relaxed, more balanced, and often sleeping better than they have in months.

So what is really happening?

Let's start somewhere surprising...

Everything Is Energy

Back in school we learned about matter.

Tables.

Trees.

Animals.

People.

Everything appears solid.

But modern physics tells us something fascinating:

When you zoom right in, everything is made of atoms.

Atoms are made of smaller particles.

And those particles are constantly moving.

Nothing is actually standing still.

Everything is vibrating.

Everything.

Your body.

The chair you're sitting on.

The flowers in the garden.

The horse in the paddock.

The Earth beneath your feet.

Scientists may describe it differently than energy healers do, but both agree on one thing:

The universe is not solid.

It's moving.

It's vibrating.

It's alive with energy.

Frequency and Vibration

Think about a tuning fork.

Strike one tuning fork and another nearby tuning fork can begin vibrating too.

The energy transfers.

The frequencies communicate.

Nature is full of examples like this.

Birdsong.

Ocean waves. ( Now I know why the beach always feels so much better when you arrive then at work.....)

Music.

Heartbeats.

Brainwaves.

Everything has a rhythm.

Everything has a frequency.

And as humans, we are constantly responding to the frequencies around us.

Have you ever walked into a room feeling perfectly fine and then suddenly felt uncomfortable?

Nothing was said.

Nothing happened.

Yet the atmosphere felt heavy.

Almost thick.

Most of us have experienced this.

Likewise, you've probably met someone whose calm presence instantly made you feel safe and relaxed.

We naturally tune into the energy around us.

Whether we realize it or not.

Why Other People's Energy Affects Us

Imagine you are humming a happy tune.

Then you spend the afternoon with someone who is angry, stressed, frustrated, and overwhelmed.

By the end of the day you often feel exhausted too.

Why?

Because humans are wired for connection.

Our nervous systems are constantly reading the environment around us.

When someone is operating from stress, our bodies often adjust in response.

It's why workplaces can feel tense.

It's why families can feel peaceful.

It's why one calm person can sometimes settle an entire room.

We unconsciously seek balance.

We respond to the frequencies around us.

And this is where Reiki becomes interesting.

So What Is Reiki?

The word Reiki comes from two Japanese words:

Rei – Universal Wisdom or Universal Life Force

Ki – Life Energy

Reiki is a gentle energy healing practice where the practitioner acts as a channel for universal life force energy.

Notice I didn't say the practitioner is doing the healing.

This is one of the biggest misconceptions about Reiki.

A Reiki practitioner is not "fixing" anyone.

Instead, they are creating the conditions for the body to return to balance.

The healing comes from within.

The body knows how to heal.

The nervous system knows how to regulate.

The heart knows how to settle.

The practitioner simply helps create the space.

The Watering Can Analogy

This is my favourite way to explain Reiki.

Imagine universal life force energy is an endless rain cloud.

A Reiki practitioner is simply a watering can.

The water flows from the cloud.

Through the watering can.

And gently onto the garden.

The watering can isn't creating the water.

It's simply allowing it to flow.

The same happens during Reiki.

The practitioner allows universal energy to flow through them and toward the client.

The energy then goes where it is needed most.

Not where the practitioner thinks it should go.

Not where the client thinks it should go.

Where it is needed.

The practitioner is simply the vessel.

The body does the healing.

Reiki and Holly: A Real-Life Example

One of the most powerful examples I've experienced involved my horse Holly.

Horses are incredibly sensitive animals.

They don't care about your job title.

They don't care what car you drive.

They don't care what you say.

They respond to what you bring energetically.

There have been times when Holly was unsettled or uncertain.

Before approaching her, I took a few moments to ground myself.

I slowed my breathing.

I centered my energy.

I allowed Reiki to flow.

As I softened, Holly softened.

As I became calmer, she became calmer.

Now, was Reiki magically controlling my horse?

No.

Absolutely not.

What changed was my own state.

My nervous system shifted.

My energy changed.

And Holly responded.

Animals often notice these shifts long before humans do.

It's one of the reasons horses make such incredible teachers.

They mirror what's happening beneath the surface.

What About Crystal Singing Bowls?

This is where sound healing enters the conversation.

Everything vibrates.

Sound is vibration.

When you strike a crystal singing bowl, it creates a frequency that travels through the air and through the body.

Many people report feeling:

• Deep relaxation

• Reduced stress

• Mental clarity

• Emotional release

• A sense of calm

Science has shown that sound can influence brainwave states and nervous system regulation.

This is why music can make us cry.

Why a lullaby helps a baby sleep.

Why certain songs instantly change our mood.

Crystal singing bowls simply use sound intentionally to encourage the body into a more relaxed state.

When combined with Reiki, the experience can feel deeply calming and restorative.

What Reiki Is Not

Let's clear up a few myths.

Reiki is not:

• A religion

• A replacement for medical treatment

• Magic

• Mind control

• A guarantee of healing

• Something that only "spiritual" people can receive

Reiki works beautifully alongside traditional healthcare and wellness practices.

Many people use Reiki as part of a holistic approach that includes medical care, counselling, exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, and self-care.

What Reiki May Help With

Every person experiences Reiki differently.

Many clients report:

• Reduced stress

• Greater relaxation

• Improved sleep

• Reduced anxiety

• Feeling calmer

• Emotional balance

• Mental clarity

• A sense of peace

• Feeling more connected to themselves

For some people, the greatest gift of Reiki is simply slowing down.

In a world that constantly tells us to do more, achieve more, and rush faster, Reiki offers something rare:

A moment to simply be.

Final Thoughts

Do I believe Reiki works?

Yes.

Not because I expect everyone to believe in it.

Not because I think it's magic.

But because I've seen what happens when people finally relax.

When their nervous systems settle.

When they feel safe.

When they reconnect with themselves.

I've seen it with clients.

I've seen it with animals.

I've seen it with Holly.

And I've experienced it myself.

Maybe Reiki isn't about forcing healing.

Maybe it's about creating the conditions where healing can happen.

Like watering a garden.

The watering can doesn't make the flowers bloom.

It simply provides what is needed.

The flower does the rest.

And perhaps we're not so different.

Curious about what Reiki feels like for yourself?

At the Creative Goddess Collective and Karuah Blooms, I offer gentle Reiki, crystal singing bowl experiences in our Wildflower Soul Sanctuary, journaling, and nature-based self-care practices designed to help you slow down, reconnect, and find your calm.

Sometimes the best way to understand Reiki isn't to read about it.

It's to experience it.

Because just like a flower, you don't have to force yourself to bloom. You simply need the right conditions to grow.

Looking back, I think I spent years trying to choose between science and spirituality, logic and intuition, mindset and energy.

Reiki taught me that I didn't have to choose.

Sometimes the most beautiful truths live somewhere in the middle.

Sometimes healing isn't about becoming someone new—it's about remembering who we've always been.

Spiritual Coloring Book

A$4.95

Buy Now