If you are wondering why you feel tired after a Reiki session, read on, I want to tell you about a client who was so exhausted they went home and slept for 4 hours!

Firstly, there is nothing to worry about, drink plenty of fluids, give yourself space to relax and sleep if you feel the need. Tiredness usually lifts within a few hours and by the next day you are likely to feel more energised and better than before the treatment

There are a number of reasons for feeling tired after receiving a Reiki healing. When you have a treatment, old stuck energy is being cleared and your body is re-balancing and adjusting to aid your natural healing process. The level of energy cleared and your sensitivity will affect how you feel after your treatment.

It is important to note that people experience a range of responses, from feeling energised, lighter, more balanced and clearer, to name a few.

My client story  (I’ll call him Sam), offers insight into a common cause of tiredness after a healing session,  which will relate to some extent with many of you.

Sam came to me after his partner booked him in for treatment she was worried about him being so stressed and wound up,  she felt she needed to intervene. When Sam arrived, we discussed the treatment and he told me he was a little stressed and found it hard to wind down, but he did not complain of feeling tired.

During the treatment I could feel that Sam needed a lot of energy,  as the Reiki energy flowed through him, it began to re-balance his energy field, and he went into a deeply relaxed state. When the treatment ended Sam was amazed how relaxed he felt but at the same time felt extremely tired and didn’t want to move from the couch.

Sam then explained that he ran his own business and always had something to do and something to think about, being busy non stop was his life and it was normal to him.

The Reiki healing revealed that the stress levels Sam had been experiencing masked how mentally and physically exhausted he really was. Sam needed to listen to what his body and mind were telling him. He needed to give himself space to rest and sleep to recover from the physical and mental effects of the high-stress level he had experienced. Sam went home slept for 4 hours and then had a full nights sleep afterwards and he said he felt amazing the next morning.

When receiving a holistic treatment such as Reflexology, Massage or Reiki, there is a possibility of experiencing a healing crisis, this happens most often in the first treatment.

A healing crisis is a reaction to the treatment, which can manifest as flu-like symptoms, headache, a release of emotions, or, indeed, feeling tired. For anyone who experiences these symptoms, they usually do not last more than 24hrs. After a healing crisis, people often feel better than they did before.

The healing crisis

Many therapists subscribe to the belief that toxins are released, which can cause a healing crisis (Aftercare advice is to drink plenty of water or fruit teas to help flush the toxins out).

Holistic therapy helps the body to relax and re-balance and is, as a result, helping to improve the functioning of the organs, and as such, they are more efficiently releasing toxins.

In my experience the ‘healing crisis’ is more than a physical or chemical reaction in the body,  it is also energetic. The release of negative or stuck energy causes a shift in energy flow in the auric field and through the body, which effects the body and emotions of the client. They may feel immediately lighter and brighter or they may feel tired or emotional for a short while after.  When giving Reiki healing to a person, the more out of balance their energy field, the more profound the effects are as the energy re-balances, and the flow of energy is better

If you are feeling tired after a Reiki healing, listen to your body and make space to rest and even sleep. Keep well hydrated, and don’t do anything that will take you out of your calm, relaxed state.

To read about more specific healing crisis cases  read Why do I feel worse after Reiki

To learn more about Reiki you can read my post What Is Reiki And How Does It Work? – Natural Living Therapies

What is Reiki Therapy? How can it be more beneficial than a Reiki healing session alone? Reiki Therapy