What is Reiki chakra balancing?
Reiki chakra balancing is a Reiki session that moves through the areas of the body where the seven main chakras sit. It is a gentle practice of energetic support. You rest, fully clothed, and the practitioner works with light touch, or no touch at all.
Reiki doesn't need the chakras to work. The chakras come from yogic and energy traditions, and many practitioners use them as a helpful map for where the energy has been. I'm not claiming Reiki treats or cures anything. I offer it as a complement, a way to give the body a quiet space to settle.
New to Reiki? Start with What Is Reiki? for the plain answers.
How I understand it
When I give Reiki, I'm there as a vessel. I allow Reiki to flow, it goes where it is needed in the amount you are able to receive, and I don't direct it or hold an outcome.
That means the chakras are a way of describing what a session passes through, and not a list of things I fix. I may rest my hands near the heart, and the Reiki may go somewhere else entirely. That is normal, and it is how I trust the work.
How the hand positions line up with the chakras
In the traditional Usui Shiki Ryoho hand positions, the practitioner moves from the head down to the foot. That path passes through the places where the chakras sit, on the front of the body first and then on the back.
| Where my hands are | Chakra it passes through |
|---|---|
| Top and back of the head | Crown |
| Forehead and eyes | Third eye |
| Throat and neck | Throat |
| Center of the chest | Heart |
| Upper belly, below the ribs | Solar plexus |
| Lower belly | Sacral |
| Pelvis, hips and down to the feet | Root |
Then the same areas along the back, after you turn over.
The positions aren't what directs the Reiki. They give both of us a sense of where the session is, and when you turn over, you know you are in the second half.
What a live one-on-one session looks like
This is how a Zoom session usually flows.
- A welcome and a brief introduction, so you feel settled.
- You center, and I guide you to call your energy back to you.
- We call in any allies you would like with you. These can be whatever supports you.
- The main part of the session, where I move through the Usui hand positions from head down to foot.
- You visualize turning over, and I work your back, so you are supported on both sides.
- The verbal Reiki portion, which you also receive afterward as a recording set to music.
You stay fully clothed and rest. There is nothing to perform. Reiki is not a substitute for medical or psychological care, and no specific outcome is promised.
Ways to receive it
A live one-on-one session is the way to receive the full head-to-foot, front-and-back work. If you'd rather have something you can return to, a custom frequency drop is a verbal Reiki session built for you alone, which you listen to on your own time. Both are on my Reiki sessions page, and you can read how remote sessions work on the distance Reiki page.
I also record free activations on YouTube. Nearly every activation I record works through the chakras, and I guide the energy to more than one.
Simple ways to support each chakra between sessions
These come from the energy work I was taught in my own Usui training. Treat them as gentle ideas to try, and not as treatments.
| Chakra | A simple way to support it |
|---|---|
| Root | Red. Spend time sitting directly on the earth, walk barefoot, dance. |
| Sacral | Orange. Express yourself creatively, move your hips, dance, try something new. |
| Solar plexus | Yellow. Rub your belly gently and notice the warmth under your hand. |
| Heart | Green. Serve others, take care of yourself, and watch something tender that tugs at your heart. |
| Throat | Blue. Sing, chant, hum and breathe consciously. |
| Third eye | Indigo. Meditate and try some guided visualization. |
| Crown | Violet, or white. Energy work, guided meditation and visualization. |
For a guided version, try my chakra meditation. If a center feels stuck, see blocked chakras.
A breath and color practice
One of the simplest practices from my training works through the whole system. Sit comfortably, and breathe in the color red deeply, filling your lungs and body with it. Breathe out slowly, as if you are letting old energy go. Then do the same with orange, and continue up through yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Finish with white.
Go as slowly as feels good, and stop if it becomes too much. White is also used for the crown in some systems, which is one reason it closes the practice.
A free activation to feel it first
Nervous System Safety + Pack Audit Reiki Healing is a Reiki activation I recorded from the January Wolf Moon. It is free on my YouTube channel, and a gentle way to find out how my work feels.
Nervous System Safety + Pack Audit · January Wolf Moon
You can listen any time, and if you drift off along the way, let yourself.
More to listen to
Three more that meet the body from different angles.
Reiki for Anxiety
A nervous system healing transmission for a body that stays on guard.
Listen on YouTube
Reiki for Identity Healing
A New Moon in Aries activation to release the armor and come home.
Listen on YouTube
Keep exploring
Where to go next from here.
Frequently asked questions
What is Reiki chakra balancing?
Reiki chakra balancing is a Reiki session where the practitioner works through the areas of the body where the chakras sit, usually with hands resting lightly on or just above the body. Reiki doesn't depend on the chakras, but many practitioners find them a helpful map. In my own work, I'm there as a vessel, and Reiki goes where it is needed.
Does Reiki balance the chakras?
Many people describe feeling more settled, warm or clear after a session, and some link that to particular chakras. I can't promise a specific result, and Reiki isn't a treatment for any condition. I offer it as a complementary practice, never as a replacement for medical or mental health care.
Do the hand positions matter in Reiki?
They give both of us a sense of where the session is. When the front is complete and you turn over, you know you are in the second half. The positions aren't what directs the Reiki, because the practitioner acts as a vessel and Reiki flows wherever it is needed.
Which hand positions line up with which chakras?
The traditional Usui positions move from the head down to the feet, which passes through the crown, third eye, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacral and root in turn, and then the back of those same areas. The table on this page shows the general layout.
What happens in a live one-on-one Reiki session?
We meet over Zoom. You center and call your energy home, we call in any allies you'd like with you, and then I move through the Usui hand positions from head to foot. You visualize turning over so I can work the back, and the session ends with the verbal Reiki portion, which you also receive afterward as a recording set to music. You stay fully clothed and rest.
Can Reiki work over distance?
Distance Reiki is part of Usui Shiki Ryoho training, taught at Reiki II. You can read how it works and what a remote session is like on my distance Reiki page. No specific outcome can be promised.
Do I need to be attuned to receive Reiki?
No. You don't need to be attuned to receive Reiki. Attunement is only needed if you want to learn Reiki and practice it yourself.
How is Reiki different from chakra meditation?
In chakra meditation you direct your own attention through each center. In Reiki, the practitioner holds the space and Reiki flows while you rest. Both can be calming, and many people do both. My guided chakra meditation is a good place to begin on your own.
Guided by Carissa Andrews, Reiki Master and lineage holder.
Reiki is a complementary practice and not a substitute for medical or mental health care. No specific outcomes are promised or guaranteed. This page is educational and is not therapy or clinical advice.