Where Should Reiki Clients Place Their Arms and Hands?

When a person becomes a Reiki practitioner and begins receiving clients, there are a number of questions that arise. One that was recently posed to me by a “Reiki Colors” reader is: “Where should Reiki clients place their arms and hands during an energy work session?”

I’m happy to help answer this query, but first, some background about my credentials to write this article: I am a Boston chakra balancing energy worker and Reiki training and certification teacher who has been practicing since 2018. The insights in this article are from hands-on experience with hundreds of clients over the years. Speaking of hands… let’s answer today’s question!

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Client Hand and Arm Placement During Reiki

When I start a Reiki chakra balancing session with a client, I have the person lay on their back with their arms straight(-ish) along their sides. With a pillow under the client’s knees and a nicely cushioned table, this is usually a comfortable starting position, and I communicate that the client is welcome to shift, or make requests to move if uncomfortable.

Once I have the client turn onto their stomach for the second half of the Reiki session, I have them place their arms onto an arm support sling like this that’s attached to the massage table’s headrest. Alternately, some clients prefer to put their arms at their sides on the table.

Extra Arm Width Options

Now, what does one do if the client’s body is a width that the arms are wider than the Reiki table when laying supine? There are three options here. The first option is free: Guide the client to place their hands on their chest or belly, which can take pressure off shoulders from arms hanging off the sides.

(Nice perk of this: Notice which chakras the client instinctively places their hands on when guided to do so. These often correlate with chakra colors and areas of the client’s life that they are grappling with!)

Second, you can buy inexpensive side arm extenders for the Reiki table that provide additional width to the table. If you have enough clients who need that bonus room, it could be worthwhile investment.

Speaking of investment, the third option is pricey, but can pay off in comfort: Invest in a wider Reiki massage table, or one with built-in arm extenders. I recently upgraded to this extra-wide Reiki table — 31 inches wide — which is 4 inches wider than the 27-incher I had previously been using, and it makes a world of difference in providing clients with a good experience!

Support for Arms During Reiki

Some clients may need additional supports to raise the arms during the session. While it is possible to use rolled-up towels and sheets or pillows, another option is a bolster on either side of the client — and it could even be possible to use an arm rest extender like this, raised up so it’s sitting ON the table instead of to the side of it. Just make sure your table is wide enough to accommodate that!

Client Hands on Practitioner Hands?

Sometimes Reiki clients may if they can place their hands on top of the practitioner’s hands while they are doing Reiki therapy. It is a personal decision on the part of the practitioner about whether or not they are comfortable with this. Personally, I prefer if the client just relaxes and receives energy, rather than does any hand placement, themself.

Where Reiki Clients Can Put Their Arms and Hands, in Sum

I hope this article on where clients can put their arms and hands during a Reiki session has been useful. Please feel free to comment with any further questions on energy work, as we share the benefits of Reiki and chakra balancing far and wide!