What is a reiki circle?
Who typically joins one of these groups, and who leads them?
Can these happen online, or do they have to be in person?
A reiki circle is a group of people who get together to sit in a circle and practice reiki healing. At these sessions, the goal is to increase positivity and send healing vibrations throughout the group and beyond.
Anyone can join a reiki circle, as long as you have an open mind and are willing to listen to what the leader has to say. Leaders are generally anyone with a little bit of reiki experience, but they do not have to be masters yet.
Reiki circles may take place in person, but they can also happen online. Being physically with other practitioners can always improve your practice; however, it’s not a requirement, and energy can be shared from anywhere in the world.
Read on to learn more about how these circles work.
How a Reiki Circle Works
Choosing a place and time:
- Leaders should choose the location and time of the meeting. Most often, these events take place in public locations, such as meeting halls or centers that may be rented out for any type of public event or class.
- In some instances, leaders may host reiki circles at the location of their practice. This helps them advertise and also makes it easier for guests to feel comfortable going to a location they may not have ever visited before.
- Rarely, reiki masters may host circles in their own homes. If this happens, they are most likely to invite people they already know, or people who have attended at least one of their circles already.
- If you want to host a reiki circle, remember that it’s best if you’re at least reiki level 2.
- With that said, however, one of the common mantras of reiki is “do no harm,” and even a beginner can host a circle with the right intent.
Inviting attendees or finding the right circle to join:
- Put out fliers if you’re hosting a circle locally. Be sure to include a picture of an actual reiki session, so anyone who is unfamiliar with the concept can have a quick reference as to what they should expect.
- Start a Facebook Event for either local or online circles. This way, anyone who’s interested in going can let you know easily, and you can have some idea of how many to expect. This also makes it easier for you to communicate any changes to the circle or to answer any questions others might have about it.
- If you’re hosting remotely, you might want to reach out to other remote reiki groups and ask them to help promote your circle. Remote circles are a great way to share distance reiki healing and to raise the vibrations from anywhere in the world. However, promoting them can be tricky, unless you already have a strong following through YouTube, Facebook, or other social media.
- If you’re looking to join a circle locally, contact your local reiki healers, check coffee shop bulletin boards, or reach out to New Age shops to see if they have any recommendations for you. There’s probably at least one reiki circle going on regularly in your area!
- It is possible to join a distance circle by finding a group online. Take some time to look around and find a great distance circle to suit your needs.
Preparing the space and yourself:
- If you’re leading, make sure to set out enough mats or chairs for everyone who will be joining you. Light candles and keep the lighting low, but comfortable.
- Whether you’re leading or attending, practice some deep breathing before the event and make sure you’re coming from a place of calm, as much as possible. There will be opportunities to further practice mindfulness and calm yourself down during the actual session, but it’s not a good idea to arrive in a state of mental chaos from the beginning.
Beginning the session:
- Practitioners should first become comfortable enough to sit for an hour or more at a time. If you’re leading, encourage everyone attending to find a place to sit that they can hold relatively well for an hour. It’s okay to move or shift a little, but too much may disturb the circle’s concentration.
- The leader of the circle should then put on some gentle meditation music or use a Tibetan singing bowl to help set the mood.
- It may be acceptable to light incense at this time. However, some attendees might be allergic to incense, so ask before lighting it.
- If you are an attendee and not the leader, close your eyes and follow the guidance of the circle’s leader.
What to expect during a reiki circle:
- After everyone has been seated, the reiki master in charge of the circle will generally lead everyone in deep breathing or a short, guided meditation. This will help raise the vibrations of the space and encourage everyone to be calm and mindful throughout the healing session.
- The leader will then perform some reiki healing. This option is up to the leader to determine the best way to do this, and to choose whether or not to take volunteers or to simply heal the group as a whole.
- If you are the leader, you may want to choose this ahead of time and let the group know what to expect before you get started.
- The leader will then ask others to participate in sharing their healing as well. Those who are more experienced are likely to step up and participate, while those who are there to learn or simply to receive can sit quietly and enjoy the circle. There is no shame in joining in, and there is no shame in choosing not to. Simply being there and being mindful will help increase positivity and spread healing.
How to end the circle:
- The circle can end on either a prayer or a gentle, guided meditation. It’s up to the leader to decide how to end the circle and to guide everyone in the proper ending technique.
- After a reiki circle, you may feel tired or very energetic. You might also feel a little “floaty” or disconnected for a while. For this reason, many leaders offer light snacks or a short chat time to allow everyone to recover before heading home.
Conclusion
Are you ready to try a reiki circle for yourself? Here are just a few of the reasons why people enjoy these circles and how you may also be able to benefit from joining one:
- Sharing reiki healing and enjoying the healing and positivity of the circle for yourself as well.
- Connecting with other reiki healers in your area and making new friends.
- Helping everyone involved combat anxiety and stress in their lives.
- Improving your own ability to meditate, practice mindfulness, and share healing warmth and energy.
- Spreading healing energy and positivity at a distance to those who may need it around the world, including those suffering from disasters or dealing with severe crises.
Your reasons for joining a reiki circle are your own. Find a circle in person or join a remote reiki circle online today!