What Is Reiki and How Can It Help You?
For a more detailed version, check out the YouTube video.
Hi, I'm Vanessa Lake—mental health therapist, spiritual practitioner, and energy healer—and today I want to talk to you about Reiki: what it is, how it works, and why the way I do it goes far beyond just energy tuning. I do soul-level healing.
So if you've ever been curious about energy work—or maybe you’ve had a session before and didn’t feel the shift you were hoping for—this might be what you’ve been missing.
What Is Reiki, Really?
Think of yourself like a guitar. You’ve got a bunch of strings, and each one vibrates at a different frequency. If even one of those strings is out of tune, the whole song sounds off.
That’s how your energy works too. If you’re vibrating too high, it might show up as anxiety. Too low? That might feel like depression, exhaustion, or a total lack of motivation.
Reiki is a form of energy healing where I channel universal life force energy through my hands—like a cosmic guitar tuner—to bring your strings back into harmony so you can feel like you again.
The word Reiki is Japanese and literally means “universal life force energy.” It’s not religious, and you don’t have to “believe” in it for it to work. Energy is energy—like Wi-Fi. You don’t need to see it or understand how it works for it to do its thing.
How Does Reiki Work?
As a Reiki practitioner, I act as a channel—the energy flows through me to you. It helps clear blockages and restore balance so your mind and body can do what they’re built to do: heal.
Think of it like this: if you have a splinter, your body can’t heal that spot until the splinter’s out. Reiki helps remove that energetic splinter—so healing can actually begin. If you ignore it, things just fester and take way longer to resolve.
Reiki is often called a hands-on healing technique, but I don’t need to physically touch you. I work with your energy field, that invisible bubble around your body you definitely know exists when someone’s standing too close at the grocery store. (Yep, that feeling.)
Does Distance Reiki Work? Hell Yes, It Does.
One of the coolest things about energy? It’s not limited by time or space. I can send Reiki to you whether you're on my table, in your bed, or chilling at home in your fuzzy slippers (which I highly recommend, by the way).
Energy works like a text message. Doesn’t matter if you’re next door or across the planet—it still arrives. And sometimes? You’re already doing this intuitively. Ever randomly think of someone and then they text you or show up? That’s energy connection in action.
What to Expect During a Session
In-Person:
You lie fully clothed on a massage table (but nope, it’s not a massage—there’s no rubbing).
I place or hover my hands over specific points based on your needs.
You’ll likely feel warmth, tingling, or just deep relaxation.
You might see colors, shapes, or get emotional—and sometimes, yep, you’ll snore (I take that as a compliment).
Distance:
You relax wherever you are while I tune into your energy field and channel the Reiki.
I may scan your body or focus on specific areas like post-surgical sites, chronic pain, or stress hot-spots.
I also include chakra balancing, and sometimes your guides, angels, or even your spirit animal might pop in with a message (yes, even the unexpected sloth).
Every session is unique. Most people feel lighter, calmer, clearer, and more grounded—like they can finally breathe again, even if nothing in their external life has changed.
What Reiki Helps With
Stress, anxiety, trauma, and PTSD
Physical healing, injury recovery, chronic conditions
Emotional overwhelm, grief, and burnout
Spiritual growth and energetic alignment
Ancestral patterns, karmic cycles, and soul contracts
Reiki calms your nervous system, lowers cortisol (your stress hormone), reduces inflammation, and quiets racing thoughts so your mind can actually access the clarity it already holds. I don’t give you the answers—you already have them. I just help clear the static so you can hear your own soul speak.
And like meditation or movement, Reiki is cumulative. One session can create a shift, but regular treatments can create real change.
How My Reiki Is Different
Yes, I was trained and attuned to channel Reiki in the traditional way. But over time—and as my spiritual gifts have expanded—I’ve blended my clinical trauma knowledge, intuitive guidance, and spiritual tools into something much deeper.
I now offer soul-level healing that includes:
Messages from your guides, ancestors, angels
Insights from your Akashic Records or past lives
Clearing of ancestral trauma and soul contracts
Channeling guidance specific to what your soul is ready to receive
Each session is custom, intuitive, multi-layered, and multi-dimensional. And sometimes, your spirit animal will be a sloth (sorry not sorry, overachievers).
If you want to dip your toe in, check out my Reiki-infused meditations on my site. They’re a short and sweet way to experience the energy and get a feel for my style.
Don’t Leave Your Angels in the Break Room
Here’s a message that came through a session with a corrections officer. I saw four big angels flanking him as he walked into the prison. Amazing, right? Except—they followed him to work… and went to hang out in the break room.
Why? Because he never asked them to come with him. Angels respect free will. They want to help, but they need an invite. Like in the card game Go Fish—you gotta ask for what you need.
So don’t leave your angels in the damn break room. Call them in. Ask for their help. In work, in life, in healing. That’s what they’re here for.
Ready to Try Reiki?
If you’re feeling heavy, overwhelmed, stuck, or like you’re carrying energy that’s not even yours—you don’t have to stay that way.
✨ Visit my website to book a Reiki session
✨ Try a Reiki-infused meditation
✨ Or just shoot me a message and ask questions—I'm happy to help
You are your own best healer. I’m just here to help clear the path.