Reiki for Headache Relief: How to Conduct a Client Session
New to client work? Read this and discover how to confidently guide clients through their Reiki for headache relief healing sessions.
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Reiki healing session for headache relief
You found healing in Reiki. You’ve been receiving it for a long time, and you decided that you wanted to pay it forward. So, you join an online class and receive your attunement. It was wonderful, and you applied yourself – diligently doing Reiki self-treatments and sending Reiki to the people closest to you.
Feedback was encouraging, and you decided to open a Reiki business and do client work. You even got your first session with a client booked. And it’s a doozy! They’ve been enduring chronic headaches for years. No over-the-counter or prescription medicine has helped them. Yoga, acupuncture, and regular massages gave them a bit of relief – but it never lasted.
Now what?
Imagine the life-changing impact you could have on someone who has endured the relentless pain of chronic headaches or migraines. As a Reiki practitioner, you possess the power to offer relief. You know this.
Yet, you still feel jittery and nervous – perfectly valid feelings when starting out. Remember, you’re not alone. You have the wider Reiki community to support you and Reiki energy itself to give you courage. And, of course, I’m also here to assist you in your journey to becoming a confident healer.
If you need some help, guidance, and assurance as you move from studying Reiki to practicing it, keep reading Reiki Business, where we have a wealth of information that you can tap into to inspire your own client sessions. So, take a deep breath, and let’s begin this empowering journey together.
Before your Reiki session for headache relief
It’s essential to check in with your client before they come to their appointment and get them to complete a client intake form. While it’s common practice that they fill out the form on the day, some things could impact how you prepare for a headache relief session, so I recommend you send the form out as soon as they book an appointment.
If it’s not possible for them to send the form back to you before their appointment (for example, they don’t have a printer), you could send them an email or phone them to obtain the following information:
- Are they sensitive to perfume, essential oils, or fragrances?
- Are they sensitive to candles or incense?
- Are they experiencing sensitivity to sound?
You can ask if they’re sensitive to light, but I consider it a foregone conclusion. As someone who used to experience severe headaches once a week (which would last for three days each and, without medication, would progress to a full-blown migraine attack), I know that the tiniest sliver of light can be painful. Even a room where all lights are off can still be too bright. You can prepare a weighted eye mask if your client is the same.
Adapt your treatment room set-up based on their answers (more on this in the next section).
You can also use this opportunity to give your clients tips to enhance their experience. For example, taking a shower before the session and wearing loose cotton clothing often make the experience more relaxing and comfortable for them.
Preparing the space
Before you start any Reiki session, make sure you create a serene and calming environment. Your clients, desperate for relief from their headaches, will genuinely appreciate a space where they can sink into and relax.
A person going through a severe headache or migraine episode may experience nausea, which could be exacerbated by any scent, smoke, or sound – no matter how gentle and soothing these are meant to be.
If your client answers yes to all three questions above, you’ll want to use an air purifier to clear any lingering scent or smoke (which a typical Reiki treatment room has in abundance) and turn off the music (or just put on white noise).
You may also want to schedule a Reiki healing session for headache relief first thing in the morning before you set it up for other clients who may benefit from or enjoy aromatherapy, candles, and music.
Welcoming your client
It goes without saying that your space should be ready by the time your client arrives. When you invite them to come in, you introduce yourself and get to know them a little better.
Some Reiki practitioners take this time to take a Reiki reading of their client’s energy to assess their needs. Of course, you may not have to specifically take that time. Some Reiki practitioners receive information anyway, whether they try to do it intentionally or not. Other times, clients have loud energies, announcing their needs to all sensitive enough to perceive them.
Client intake form
As you invite your client to your space, you can ask them to complete a client intake form, which is particularly important. You must get them to fill out and sign this form. Remember, some patients need careful handling. For example, a Reiki practitioner should avoid the heart chakra when working on people with pacemakers in case the energy emitted by their hands interferes with such important medical equipment.
Clear instructions
Make sure to give your clients clear instructions and a rundown of how they can expect the session to go. Will they have to change into a gown to be more comfortable? Will you be using a heated (or frozen!) eye mask?
Will you leave the room for a few minutes, so they can have some privacy (even if they don’t have to change their clothes) while they get settled in? For the record, and in my experience as a practitioner and a client, leaving them in the room for a few minutes to settle in is always better. If you stay, clients often feel pressured and rush to remove their bags, coats, shoes, etc. It doesn’t make for a particularly relaxing experience.
When you leave, on the other hand, they take their time, they slow down, and they’re better able to savor the experience. And for some clients, a Reiki treatment room is the only place they can do that.
Beginning the session for headache relief
You can now begin the session.
Ask your client to lie or sit down, depending on their preference – although they may find lying down with their head slightly elevated to be more comfortable.
Start by quieting your mind and connecting with your Reiki and spirit guides.
You may want to place your room in a Reiki protection sphere (employing all four Reiki symbols), so you can channel nothing but pure Reiki energy across time and space.
Protection
Whenever I do Reiki healing work – even if it’s a self-treatment session, I always place myself, my client, and our space in a Reiki protection sphere. I didn’t do this when I was starting out as a Reiki practitioner, and the energy transfer became particularly murky. Instead of acting as a channel for pure Reiki to pass to the recipient, I got drawn into the client’s energy. The client was in palliative care, and when they died, my connection to the light died with them. Nothing can ever sever your connection to the light, but that is what it felt like. It took a long time to undo.
So, I always recommend that Reiki practitioners new to client work use the protection sphere or, alternatively, practice the Celtic weave:
Setting the intention
State your intention for this session, focusing on your client’s desire to find relief from their headaches. Remember that you don’t direct Reiki energy; the recipient channels it through you.
You could say, “I invoke angels Michael, Gabriel, Rafael, Uriel, Zadakiel, Chaniel, Jofiel, and Azrael, as well as all divine beings of love and light who are here to support and guide me in my healing work. Please help me be as clear a channel for pure Reiki as possible. Allow me to be a conduit through which (my client’s name)’s healing is facilitated. Send healing energy across time and space, especially to the source of this (whatever needs healing) for (my client’s name) ‘s highest good. Keep us both wrapped in healing, love, and sheets of rainbow light, from the beginning until the end of time. Thank you.”
During the session
Use Reiki points and symbols for headache relief
Since you’ve already used Reiki symbols when you created your protection sphere, simply keep visualizing them above your head or on your palms. I prefer placing them on my palms because that is where energy flows from the universe to me, and, finally, to the client.
While I concentrate on key Reiki points, as mentioned in previous sections, I make sure to be open to my inner knowing and my guides. I move my hands where they are needed most.
Reiki points for headache relief
Reiki points are specific areas on the body where energy tends to stagnate. By placing your hands on these points, you can help alleviate pain and discomfort. For headaches, some crucial Reiki points include the temples, forehead, jaw, and the base of the skull. In fact, the three key figures of Reiki – Dr. Usui, Dr. Hayashi, and Mrs. Takata – made specific recommendations regarding headache relief. So, when conducting a client session for someone who is experiencing painful headaches, you may want to keep these in mind:
- Dr. Usui: The head area, including the temples, the third eye, the Crown Chakra, and the base of the skull
- Dr. Chujiro Hayashi: The front of the jaw (although when the headache is due to bruxism, I recommend the side of the jaw – where the rami sit – as well), temples, back of the head and neck, and the top of the head
- Mrs. Hawayo Takata: The stomach and kidneys
Targeting these specific Reiki points during a session can help alleviate your client’s headache pain and promote overall relaxation and well-being. Remember to always approach Reiki healing with an open mind and trust in the process to guide you toward relief.
Note: As usual with Reiki, allow your own inner knowing and your Reiki and spirit guides to assist you so that your hands – and Reiki energy – may go where they are needed. In other words, if you feel called to rest your hands elsewhere during a session, be open to that experience and move your hands where they must.
Reiki symbols for headache relief
Reiki symbols are like keys that unlock specific healing energies.
For headache relief, I find the Sei Hei Ki (SHK) placed between two Cho Ku Rei (CKR) symbols particularly helpful, as this Reiki sandwich amplifies the healing power of Reiki (CKR) in easing the stress that comes from mental and emotional imbalance. Drawing this Reiki sandwich over your head or on your palms before a session can bring a lot of healing for your client.
Ending the session and aftercare
Once you feel the session is complete, gently run your hands across your client’s aura and sever your disconnection. I do this by thanking my Reiki and spirit guides for their help and announcing that the session has ended, but you can close it in whatever feels best for you.
Ground yourself by washing your hands with cold water.
Allow your client to slowly come back to the present moment. Encourage them to take a few deep breaths and offer them cold drinking water to help with grounding. Discuss their experience and offer any suggestions for aftercare, including self-care practices or further Reiki sessions if needed. You could also offer your client an attunement to at least Level I, so they can do daily self-treatments and enhance their healing sessions with you. If you don’t want to do an attunement yourself, I recommend referring them to Lisa Power’s Reiki training on Udemy.
Sending Reiki for headache relief
By following the steps we covered above, you’ll be able to provide a nurturing, compassionate, and effective Reiki session for those struggling with headaches. As a practitioner, you have the unique opportunity to bring relief to people in need, making a lasting impact on their lives. And that, dear friend, is truly a gift.
If you’re just starting your Reiki business, and need a bit more handholding, remember that Business Reiki contains a lot of information you can use to inform your practice. If you need more information on things like licencing, insurance, and association requirements, I strongly recommend you take Lisa Power’s Build Your Ideal Reiki Business.
In the meantime, feel free to email me if you have any questions or need further assistance. I’m here to help!
Sending you love and light,
Vanessa
Note: The information on this website is for general information only, and is not a substitute for medical, financial, or legal advice. You, or anyone you are concerned about, are encouraged to seek independent medical, legal, financial, taxation or other advice to check how the website information relates to your unique circumstances. If you or the person you are concerned about appear at risk of self-harm or harm to others, please seek immediate professional assistance.
