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Alternative therapies like kinesiology, Ayurveda and homeopathy have all gained popularity on TikTok, attracting tens of millions of views each, but Reiki has proven to be the most popular, currently boasting more than 2 billion views from app users looking to clear their energy from the comfort of their own home.
Thanks to popular creators like Mystique Awakening, whose videos have over 30 million views, treatments that once required an in-person consultation can now be experienced anytime, anywhere.
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The basic premise of Japanese Reiki therapy is to “heal a person’s energy by allowing energy to flow through the practitioner to the client,” says Melbourne-based Reiki Master Casey Chia. “It’s a really gentle, non-invasive holistic treatment and healing method.”
Started in the 1920s by a healer named Mikao Usui, “rei” means a person’s life force and “ki” means energy, and can be used to treat short-term issues like a breakup or work stress as well as longer-term health conditions like anxiety, depression, irregular sleep and gut problems.
During a session, which usually lasts 45 to 90 minutes, the practitioner gently uses their hands to move and realign energy in different parts of the body. You will often feel a tingling or warmth, see colors or images, have memories or even fall asleep.
“Just like you take a shower at the end of the day to wash everything away, Reiki healing washes away your energy,” says Chia.
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“Clients often come in feeling anxious and tense, but this is a really safe, peaceful, calming, beautiful environment. They leave feeling much lighter and calmer because their nervous system has been shifted from fight-or-flight mode to a relaxed state,” says Chia.
But how can such an intimate practice, or other spiritual practices such as tarot readings or kinesiology that are traditionally known for relying on in-person connection, function online and be translated through an internet connection?
As Cheah explains, “energy is not bound by time or space,” meaning virtual therapy can reach people who live in remote areas or who might have difficulty traveling to a practitioner.
“Remote is actually often easier than in person, because there are so many distractions in person,” says Chia, explaining that her online sessions begin with a telehealth video chat, during which the patient finds a quiet, relaxing spot free of distractions, lies down, and listens to the clinic’s usual playlist to add to the atmosphere. Chia then “sends Reiki across time and space for the patient to receive,” before reconnecting via video link to debrief the patient’s experience and what was communicated to the practitioner.
Although a 2013 Australian government review of natural therapies, including Reiki, found no significant evidence of the clinical effectiveness of these treatments, Reiki remains popular and likely continues to grow.
For Cheah, whether in person or over a distance, the premise is simple.
“You can experience the exact same thing from a distance. It’s like watching TV. When you watch a show on a screen, you feel a certain emotion just like you would if you were watching it live in a theatre.”
