So you booked your first reiki appointment. Your brain is already spiraling. What do I wear? Is this going to be weird? Am I going to have to talk about my feelings? What if I lie there and feel absolutely nothing and then have to make small talk about it after?
Yeah. We’ve heard all of it.
We run a studio on Highland Avenue in Hollywood, and the “how do I get ready?” conversation happens before almost every first session. The funny thing is, learning how to prepare for a reiki session takes maybe five minutes. Less time than it took you to find street parking near our block.
This guide to reiki preparation walks through five steps. What to wear, what to eat, how to set an intention, and what actually happens once you’re in the room. Whether you’re here for energy healing or you’re the type who Googled “is reiki a scam” before booking (we respect that, honestly), a little bit of prep goes a long way.
Questions after reading? Call or text us. You can also book a Reiki session in Los Angeles to get started.
How Should You Prepare for Your Reiki Session?
Here’s the short version. To prepare for your reiki session:
- Wear loose, soft layers you can fully relax in
- Eat something light one to two hours before
- Drink water through the day
- Set a simple intention for what you’d like from the session
- Show up a few minutes early so you’re not rushing
That’s really it. Come as you are. Cut back on caffeine and alcohol a few hours before. Put your phone away. These small shifts can help your body drop into a more restorative state before you even lie down.
Quick reference: What to bring and what to skip
| Bring | Skip |
|---|---|
| Water bottle | Tight clothing or belts |
| Socks (shoes come off) | Heavy perfume or cologne |
| A light layer if you run cold | A full stomach |
| An open mind | Your phone (we’ll ask you to silence it) |
Step 1: Choose What to Wear
People overthink this one. We get texts about it.
The answer: wear comfortable clothing. Whatever you’d wear to nap on your couch or to a yoga class you weren’t trying to impress anyone at.
You stay fully clothed during a reiki session. Nobody’s asking you to undress. Loose layers work best.
- Soft pants, leggings, sweats
- A t-shirt, hoodie, whatever’s broken in
- Socks (shoes come off at the door)
- Leave the chunky jewelry at home. Anything that digs in or pinches when you’re lying flat is just going to bug you.
We tell new clients: dress like you’re going to take the best nap of your life. That’s the whole energy.
Our take: LA weather tricks people. Even in the warmer months in Los Angeles, we keep the studio cool. Bring a layer if you run cold. We’d rather you think about nothing than think about the temperature. That’s how we want your physical and emotional state when you walk in. Settled.
Step 2: Eat Light and Stay Hydrated
Real talk. What you eat and drink before your appointment changes how the session feels. A big heavy lunch? You’re going to be lying there for 45 to 60 minutes thinking about your stomach instead of relaxing. But if you skip eating entirely, your body is going to be distracted in a different way.
Middle ground:
- Eat a small meal or snack one to two hours before. A banana. Some toast with almond butter. A handful of nuts. Keep it boring.
- Drink water through the day. Not just a glass before you leave. Dehydration makes you feel foggy and off. And because some practitioners believe energy work can start a gentle cleansing process in the body, staying hydrated helps your system process things afterward too.
- Toss a water bottle in your bag. Trust us on this one. You’ll want it after.
Now here’s the one that trips people up. Cut back on caffeine and alcohol for at least two to three hours before your session. Caffeine can stimulate your nervous system, and alcohol can disrupt its ability to settle. Both may work against the kind of relaxation reiki is designed to support. Avoiding alcohol before and after is probably the single simplest thing you can do to help your energy system stay open during the process.
Step 3: Set a Simple Intention
OK, practical stuff is handled. Here’s the part that makes the biggest difference in your reiki experience and it’s something most prep guides gloss over.
Set an intention.
Not a script. Not a manifesto. Just a quiet focus point. Something like:
- “I want to feel less wound up.”
- “I want to sleep better this week.”
- “I’d like to release some of the stress I’ve been carrying around.”
- “I have no idea what I need. I’m just open.”
Any of those work. You don’t need to diagnose yourself. You don’t need a specific goal mapped out.
Here’s what we actually do: When you arrive, we sit with you for a few minutes before anything starts. Every session opens with a short conversation. This is where your intention helps us figure out what areas of the body or physical or emotional patterns to pay attention to. One of our clients called it “the talking integration of my personal intention” and said it made the whole experience feel way more connected than just lying there in silence. We do that check-in with every single person. First-timers and people who’ve been coming for three years.
There’s another reason intentions matter. They help you tune into your own inner guidance. It shifts something in you. You go from passively lying there to actively being part of it, even in a practice where your only job is to be still and receive reiki.
Step 4: Wind Down Before You Arrive
Clothes, food, intention, all handled. Now think about the half hour before your appointment. This is the step most people blow off. We get it. LA doesn’t exactly make it easy to “wind down” when you’ve been sitting in traffic on Highland for twenty minutes.
But try.
- Walk around the block after you park. Or if you’ve got time, Runyon Canyon is about 10 minutes from the studio.
- Sit in your car for a couple minutes with some slow breathing.
- Put on something low-key for the drive over. Not a true crime podcast. Not the news.
- Skip the stressful phone call. It can wait.
You want your nervous system a little quieter when you walk in. Not buzzing from a deadline or wound up from somebody cutting you off on Sunset.
Research from the Mayo Clinic suggests that relaxation practices may lower heart rate and ease muscle tension. A few minutes of slow, deep breathing can begin to reduce stress and shift your thinking. You don’t need a meditation app. Just breathe slow.
Getting here: Our studio is on Highland Avenue in Hollywood, between Santa Monica Blvd and Melrose. Street parking exists but give yourself extra time. The Hollywood/Highland Metro station is a short walk if you’d rather skip the parking game entirely. We’ve had people sprint in two minutes before their appointment, stressed out, heart racing. It undoes everything. Don’t be that person.
Step 5: Know What to Expect When You Walk In
This is the part that calms people down the most. If it’s your first energy healing appointment, just knowing what the room looks like and what happens when takes away most of the nervousness.
Here’s how it usually goes:
| What happens | How long | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Check-in chat | 5-10 min | Share your intention, ask anything |
| Get settled | 2-3 min | Lie down on the table, close your eyes |
| The reiki session itself | 30-45 min | Breathe. Relax. That’s it. |
| Closing check-in | 5-10 min | Share what came up, ask questions |
So figure 45 to 60 minutes total. You’ll be lying down fully clothed on a massage table. Your reiki master places their hands lightly on or just above your body. Gentle. No pressure. Reiki involves light touch or no touch at all, and you pick your comfort level. We ask before we do anything.
Your practitioner may work near the palm chakras or other areas where practitioners believe energy blockages can gather. The idea is that this may help ease blockage and support the flow of energy through your system. Some people feel it right away. Some don’t.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health classifies reiki as a complementary health approach. Meaning it works alongside other wellness practices. It’s not a replacement for your doctor. If you have specific health concerns, let your practitioner know before you start.
What people tell us they feel:
- Warmth or tingling in their hands or stomach
- A deep, heavy calm. One client told us it felt like “champagne bubbles” moving through her whole body. We’ve never forgotten that description.
- Heaviness in the limbs. Like sinking through the table.
- Absolutely nothing unusual. Which is also normal and doesn’t mean it’s not working.
Some people notice physical symptoms like a light detox response in the days after a reiki session. Within the reiki tradition, practitioners describe this as a detoxification or purification phase as your energy field adjusts. If that happens, don’t panic. It usually passes within a few days. Drink water. Rest.
Common Questions About Preparing for Reiki
Do reiki practitioners touch you?
Depends on the practitioner and your preference. Reiki uses light touch or hands hovering above the body. Some reiki masters place their hands on areas like the shoulders, head, or torso. Others stay completely hands-off. You tell us what you’re comfortable with. At our studio we always ask. Always. No exceptions.
What should you not do after reiki?
Don’t jump straight back into your day at full speed. That’s the main thing. Give yourself a buffer.
- Drink water. More than you think you need.
- Sit with how you feel for a bit. Don’t immediately call someone and debrief.
- Try journaling if you’re into that. Shifts in clarity or emotion can be subtle and easy to forget.
- Skip heavy exercise and alcohol for a few hours. Overstimulating environments too. No crowded bars right after.
This quiet window lets the healing energy keep settling in your system. One client told us that in the days after his first session, he noticed “it was like a pressure valve had been released.” That kind of shift needs room.
How long do the effects of reiki last?
Honestly? It depends. Many people feel calmer and sleep better for days. Others notice shifts in mood, energy, or negative thought patterns over a week or longer. Since reiki is designed to work holistically on your physical body and emotional state, the effects may deepen the more regularly you come.
Within the reiki tradition, the 21-day period after a reiki attunement gets a lot of attention as a time of deeper integration. But that applies more to students going through training than to someone coming in for a session.
What are the 5 principles of reiki?
They come from the Usui Reiki Ryoho tradition. Mikao Usui developed them. His student Chujiro Hayashi refined the system. Hawayo Takata brought it all to the West. The wording varies a bit depending on your lineage, but the commonly used version goes like this:
- Just for today, do not worry
- Just for today, do not anger
- Be grateful
- Work honestly
- Be kind to every living thing
Simple, right? But if you sit with them, they hit different. These principles are the spiritual foundation of the practice. They guide the reiki student and reiki master in their spiritual development and self-healing work. And honestly, understanding the origins of reiki helps you connect with what reiki healing actually means, even if you’re brand new to all of this.
You’re Ready
That’s it. Wear something soft. Eat light. Pick an intention, even a vague one. Wind down on the way. And know that when you walk through our door on Highland Avenue, we’re not going to make it weird.
Preparing for a reiki session doesn’t require a checklist or a ritual. Just a few small choices that signal to your body: OK, we’re slowing down now.
At Word of Mouth Integrative Wellness, we practice Usui reiki alongside breathwork and sound to help balance your whole system. Jaime and Yonatan both hold Reiki Master Teacher certifications with over 10 years of combined reiki energy work experience supporting healers, therapists, and conscious individuals in Los Angeles and beyond. Whether you’re here to address a specific concern or just curious about holistic healing, we’ll meet you exactly where you are. Our approach is trauma-informed, grounded, and designed to support your healing at whatever pace feels right.
Ready to prepare for your reiki experience and feel the difference? Learn Reiki for yourself or schedule your first session.