Reiki and the Science of Stillness
Exploring a nervous system-informed approach to healing
In a world that’s always asking us to do more, try harder, and move faster, there is something quietly radical about stillness. It goes against the grain of hustle culture. It invites us to pause, to breathe, to feel.
That’s where Reiki begins.
Reiki is a gentle, non-invasive form of energy healing that works by calming the nervous system and supporting the body’s natural healing processes. It doesn’t involve manipulation, medication, or movement. Instead, it offers presence—often through light touch—and creates space for restoration to unfold.
As a practitioner who has worked with athletes, performers, and people navigating everything from injury to burnout, I’ve come to think of Reiki not as an alternative therapy, but as a return to what the body already knows: how to heal when given the right conditions.
The Nervous System and the Need for Stillness
The body is always listening.
When we experience stress—whether physical, emotional, or environmental—our autonomic nervous system shifts into a sympathetic state, known as “fight or flight.” This is helpful in moments of danger, but when this state becomes chronic, it wears on the body over time. It slows digestion, disrupts sleep, suppresses immune function, and makes healing more difficult.
Reiki helps nudge the body back into parasympathetic dominance—a state often called “rest and digest.” In this mode, the nervous system softens. Heart rate slows, breathing deepens, muscles release, and internal repair mechanisms kick back in. This is where healing becomes possible—not just at the surface, but at the cellular level.
Research has begun to support what many have felt intuitively: Reiki and similar biofield therapies may help improve markers like heart rate variability (HRV), reduce cortisol levels, and decrease subjective pain and anxiety.¹ These aren’t just feel-good anecdotes—they’re signals that the nervous system is recalibrating.
What Actually Happens in a Reiki Session?
Reiki sessions are typically conducted with the client lying comfortably, in a quiet, safe space. The practitioner gently places their hands either on or just above the body, focusing attention on specific areas where energy may be low, blocked, or in need of balance.
To the outside observer, it may look like nothing is happening.
But on the inside, the body is often doing deep work—shifting out of defense mode, releasing stored tension, and reconnecting with its own internal rhythm.
Some people describe the experience as a warm glow or gentle waves. Others don’t feel much during the session, but notice afterward that they’re sleeping better, breathing more easily, or simply feeling lighter. There’s no right or wrong experience—only the one your body is ready for.
More Than Woo: The Biofield and Scientific Curiosity
The idea of “energy healing” can sound abstract—but science is catching up.
Every cell in the human body generates electrical charge. Organs like the heart and brain produce measurable electromagnetic fields. The biofield—a term increasingly used in integrative health research—refers to the organizing energy that surrounds and informs the physical body.
Reiki may work, in part, by interacting with this field—helping to regulate communication between the brain, body, and environment. While more research is needed, early studies suggest measurable outcomes in pain reduction, anxiety relief, and nervous system markers.²
It’s not magic. It’s biology. Subtle, yes—but not imaginary.
Who Can Benefit from Reiki?
Reiki is for anyone looking to slow down, reconnect, and support their body’s healing in a non-invasive, holistic way. It can be a powerful complement to traditional care in the context of:
Stress and burnout
Anxiety and trauma recovery
Chronic or persistent pain
Sports injury rehabilitation
Fatigue and sleep disturbances
Cancer or illness recovery support
Emotional processing and life transitions
Reiki doesn’t diagnose or replace medical care. But it can help create the conditions under which all other healing becomes more effective.
Why I Use Reiki in Performance and Clinical Settings
When I speak with athletes and performers, I often explain Reiki as a recovery tool for the nervous system. It’s not just about relaxation—it’s about re-regulation. It's about bringing the body out of hypervigilance so that tissue repair, focus, and resilience can return.
In elite performance, we talk a lot about strength and drive. But the real foundation of performance is adaptability. You can’t adapt if your system is stuck in overdrive.
That’s where Reiki fits. Not as fluff or filler—but as part of a larger, evidence-informed approach to long-term healing and wholeness.
The Invitation
There is power in stillness. Power in touch. Power in simply being with what is.
Reiki is not about doing more. It’s about allowing. Trusting that your body knows how to heal—sometimes it just needs a little space, a little quiet, and a little help remembering.
If you’re curious, come as you are. You don’t need to believe in anything except your body’s capacity to return to itself.
With gratitude,
Alicia
Sources:
Baldwin AL, Wagers C, Schwartz GE. Reiki improves heart rate homeostasis in laboratory rats. J Altern Complement Med. 2008;14(4):417–422.
McManus DE. Reiki is better than placebo and has broad potential as a complementary health therapy. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2017;22(4):1051–1057.
Thrane S, Cohen SM. Effect of Reiki therapy on pain and anxiety in adults: an in-depth literature review of randomized trials with effect size calculations. Pain Management Nursing. 2014;15(4):897–908.