What to Expect During Your First Reiki Session
Your first Reiki session is gentle, fully clothed, and deeply restful, and at Keepers we hold it as four unhurried parts: a short conversation, an optional grounding and intention meditation, the Reiki itself, and a generous close to help you land before you return to your day. There is nothing you need to do and nothing to brace for. If you are new to it, here is exactly how a session with us unfolds, whether you come to our studio or join us from home.
What your first Reiki session looks like
You do not need any prior experience with Reiki or meditation, and you do not need to arrive with answers or a tidy intention. Reiki works with what is present, not with what we think should be present. The whole arc is built so you can settle in without thinking about what comes next: I hold the structure, and your only job is to arrive and receive. If you want a fuller primer first, it helps to understand what energy healing is before your session.
What makes it Honeybee Reiki
What makes our work Honeybee Reiki is the hive. Alongside traditional energy work, we weave in elements drawn straight from our own bees. We bring in bee aerosols carried from our live hives, and the air itself carries something of the colony. We use sound healing built on real honeybee recordings, tuned to the natural hertz of the bees, so you are quite literally resting in their frequency. We work with biofield tuning forks to gently bring the body's energy field into balance. And we close with a cup of calming tea sweetened with our own raw honey. Each element is chosen to deepen the sense of being held, so your body can settle more fully than it might in an ordinary room.
We begin in conversation
We start by talking. I ask a few gentle questions: what brought you here, whether you have experienced Reiki before, how your body feels right now, and whether there is a part of your body or your life you would like me to focus on. There are no wrong answers, and you share only what you want to. This part builds trust and helps me hold the space well, and it lets you start settling before anything else begins.
A grounding and intention meditation
Once you have settled onto the bed, we begin with grounding and intention, if you would like it. This part is optional: I offer it to those who want it and skip it for those who would rather move straight into the Reiki. When we include it, I guide you through a short grounding and intention meditation, usually five to ten minutes depending on your comfort and experience with meditation. It is one continuous journey: settling the body, softening the places we brace without realizing, such as the shoulders, the jaw, and the space between the brows, and imagining roots reaching down into the earth so you feel both anchored and open. Toward the end I invite you to find an intention for the session, often a single word like clarity, rest, or release. You can share your intention aloud or hold it privately. Both are honored.
The Reiki itself
Then we move into the heart of the session, around forty minutes of Reiki. You lie down or recline comfortably with your eyes closed, a pillow under your knees and a blanket if you like, arms resting open at your sides. I rest my hands lightly on or just above different areas of the body, moving slowly and without pressure. Reiki is non-invasive: there is no massage and no manipulation. You do not need to do anything but receive. If thoughts come, let them pass like clouds; if emotions surface, let them move through; if you drift to sleep, that is simply your body taking what it needs. Some people feel warmth, a soft tingling, or a pleasant heaviness, some notice images or emotion, and some feel a deep stillness. All of it is welcome, and none of it is required.
Where your session takes place
You can experience your first session in a few ways. Most in-person sessions are held in our studio, where you receive the full Honeybee Reiki experience with no direct contact with the bees. It is completely sting free. For those who would like to be closer to the hives, we also offer apiary-adjacent outdoor sessions held within the protection of a mesh tent. And if you would rather stay home, a distance Reiki session meets you over Zoom, with the guided meditation and energy work carried to wherever you are resting. Reiki is not bound by distance, so a remote session can feel just as settling as one in the room, and many people love being able to drift off in their own bed afterward.
How to prepare, and the hours after
Preparing is simple. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing, keep water nearby, and eat lightly beforehand so it is easier to settle. For a distance session, choose a space where you will not be interrupted, silence your phone, test your audio and video ahead of time, have headphones and soft background music ready, and join a few minutes early so you can arrive before we begin. If you would like the full checklist, here is how to prepare for your session. Afterward, I give you time to come back slowly, and we share whatever wants to be named. Drink water, give yourself an easy evening, and be gentle with yourself: Reiki tends to keep working in the day or two that follow, and it is common to feel anything from emotional to unusually clear to deeply settled.
Frequently asked questions
What happens in a first Reiki session? You rest, fully clothed, while I guide you through a short conversation, a grounding meditation, and about forty minutes of Reiki, then give you time to land. It is gentle, non-invasive, and quiet throughout.
What makes Honeybee Reiki different? We pair traditional energy work with elements from our own hives: bee aerosols from live colonies, sound healing tuned to the natural hertz of honeybees, biofield tuning forks, and calming tea with raw honey.
Will I be near the bees, and is it safe? Studio sessions involve no direct contact with the bees and are 100 percent sting free. If you would like to be closer to the hives, we offer apiary-adjacent outdoor sessions within the protection of a mesh tent.
Do I need experience or a set intention? No. You do not need prior experience with Reiki or meditation, and you do not need to arrive with a clear intention. Reiki works with whatever is present for you that day.
Can a first session be done remotely? Yes. Distance sessions are held over Zoom while you rest at home, and because Reiki is not bound by distance, it can feel just as calming as an in-studio session.
How will I feel afterward? Most people feel calm and a little dreamy. Drinking water and giving yourself an easy evening helps, and it is normal to keep noticing gentle shifts for a day or two.
Written by Jillian Medford
