What to Expect in a Reiki Session: Before, During & After Your First Treatment

A booked Reiki session runs 60 to 90 minutes: you stay fully clothed on a padded table while the practitioner rests their hands in a set sequence of positions. This walkthrough covers the intake form, the minute-by-minute timeline, typical cost, the sensations people report, aftercare, and when to rebook.

What Happens Before a Reiki Session Begins?

A professional Reiki session begins with a consultation lasting five to ten minutes where the practitioner asks about your reasons for seeking treatment, any physical or emotional concerns, your experience level with Reiki, and any areas you would like them to focus on or avoid. The practitioner explains how the session works, describes what you might experience, and asks whether you have questions. This is the time to mention physical limitations, injuries, sensitivities to touch, or emotional triggers. The practitioner then prepares the space by dimming the lighting, setting the room comfortably warm, and often playing soft ambient music, and may burn sage or palo santo beforehand. You will be asked to remove your shoes and any heavy jewelry, then lie face-up on a padded massage table with a pillow under your head and a bolster under your knees. A light blanket is typically offered since body temperature often drops during deep relaxation. The practitioner will Gassho, palms together at the heart, to center themselves and set an intention before the first hand position.

The intake is more concrete than most people expect. Practitioners in private practice usually hand over a one-page form covering contact details, current medications, recent surgeries, pregnancy status, areas of pain, and a consent line for light touch, and many add a scope-of-practice statement making clear that Reiki is not medical treatment and does not replace a doctor's care. Expect a specific question about where you do not want to be touched: the throat, the chest, and the lower abdomen are the areas practitioners most often check on, and a competent practitioner will offer to work an inch above the body instead of on it. Arrive ten to fifteen minutes early. Sessions run on a clock, and a client who walks in at the start time is still filling in a form when the table time was supposed to begin. Use the bathroom before you get on the table, since an hour of deep relaxation makes the bladder noticeable. Turn your phone fully off rather than to silent, because a vibrating phone in a coat pocket carries in a quiet room.

What information should you share with your Reiki practitioner?

Tell your Reiki practitioner about current physical conditions, injuries, and pain areas, plus medications that affect mood, sleep, or energy. Describe your emotional state and any significant life stressors. Note sensitivities to touch, scent, or sound. Mention any trauma history that certain hand positions might trigger, particularly around the head, throat, or abdomen. Disclose pregnancy so positions and bolstering can be adjusted. None of this needs to be a long story; a practitioner mainly needs to know what to avoid and where to spend time.

How should you mentally prepare for your first session?

Prepare for a first Reiki session by arriving with an open mind and no fixed expectation of what should happen. Set a general intention such as "I am open to receiving" rather than demanding a specific outcome, and take a few slow breaths in the waiting area to start settling. Drop the impulse to evaluate the experience while it is happening, which is the most common thing that keeps first-timers alert and analytical for the full hour.

Is it appropriate to ask about the practitioner's qualifications?

Yes, and a reputable Reiki practitioner will answer without hesitation. Ask what level they trained to, who attuned them and in what lineage, how long they have practiced, what other training they hold, and whether they carry professional liability insurance. Most working practitioners are Level 2 or Master level. Defensiveness in response to a qualification question is a reason to look elsewhere.

What Does a 60-Minute Reiki Session Look Like Minute by Minute?

A 60-minute Reiki appointment usually breaks down into about eight minutes of intake, 40 to 45 minutes of hands-on table work, and seven to ten minutes of reorientation and debrief. The opening minutes cover the consultation, the consent check, and settling onto the table under a blanket. The practitioner then performs their own preparation at the head of the table, commonly Gassho and a dry-bathing sequence called Kenyoku, before beginning. Many practitioners run a Byosen scan first, passing their hands slowly a few inches above the body from head to feet to map where the energy feels dense, hot, or empty, which takes two to three minutes. The head positions follow, usually four of them at three to five minutes each, taking you to roughly the twenty-five minute mark. Torso positions run from the throat down to the hips through the middle of the session, and the knees, ankles, and feet come last. The final table minutes are a closing sweep from head to feet, after which the practitioner steps back and lets you surface in your own time.

Timings shift depending on what the practitioner finds. A position where the hands report strong Byosen may be held for eight or ten minutes, and the practitioner compensates by shortening the leg positions or skipping the arms entirely. This is why two 60-minute sessions with the same practitioner rarely feel identical. One structural choice also changes the shape of the hour: whether you turn over. Practitioners who treat the back directly will ask you to roll onto your front around the halfway mark, which costs a minute or two of transition, while practitioners trained to treat the back through the table skip it. A 90-minute booking does not simply double the table time. It usually buys a longer intake, a slower scan, more time per position in the areas you named, and a debrief unhurried enough to plan a course of sessions. If you want the practitioner to work a specific complaint rather than run the standard full-body sequence, say so at the intake, because the sequence is set before the first hand goes down.

How does the practitioner handle touch and draping during a session?

In a Reiki session you stay fully clothed, so there is no draping in the massage sense; the blanket is for warmth, not modesty. The practitioner rests their hands lightly and keeps them still, without pressing or gliding, and over the head the hands usually cup above the eyes without weight. Over the chest and lower abdomen, most practitioners work an inch or two above the body by default. You can ask for hands-off treatment throughout, and the practitioner should confirm before touching a new area.

What happens if you need to move or use the bathroom mid-session?

Say so, and the Reiki practitioner will pause. Shifting your hips, uncrossing your ankles, clearing your throat, or scratching an itch does not undo anything, and holding still through real discomfort keeps you tense for the rest of the hour. If you need the bathroom, the practitioner will stop, help you sit up slowly, and resume where they left off when you return. Sitting up too quickly after deep relaxation is the main risk, so let them guide the transition rather than swinging your legs off the table.

Does the practitioner talk during the treatment?

Most Reiki practitioners stay silent through the table portion of the session apart from a few short prompts: a quiet check on temperature early on, a word before moving to a new region of the body, and a soft cue at the end telling you to wiggle your fingers and toes. Observations are usually saved for the debrief so the treatment stays undisturbed. If you would rather have silence, or would rather hear what they are noticing as it happens, say which at the intake.

What Happens During the Reiki Treatment Itself?

During a Reiki treatment, the practitioner places their hands gently on or slightly above your body in a series of positions, typically starting at the head and working down to the feet. A standard full-body session includes 12 to 15 positions held for three to five minutes each. The head positions cover the crown, eyes and forehead, temples, and base of the skull. The torso positions cover the throat, heart center, solar plexus, lower abdomen, and hips. Many practitioners also treat the knees, feet, and shoulders. Some ask you to turn over so the back can be treated directly; others complete the whole session face-up. The touch is light and stationary, with no pressing, rubbing, or manipulation of tissue, which is the clearest practical difference from bodywork and is compared in detail in Reiki vs Massage Therapy: Key Differences, When to Choose Each & Combining Both. Some practitioners hold their hands an inch or two above the body without contact, especially over sensitive areas. You may notice the practitioner pausing longer at certain positions where they sense stronger Byosen. The room is quiet apart from soft music, and you may drift in and out of a state close to the edge of sleep.

The sequence of hand positions used in most Western sessions was systematized by Chujiro Hayashi at his clinic in Tokyo during the 1930s. Hayashi, a former naval officer with medical training, brought a clinical structure to Usui's more intuitive approach, and his protocol ensured every major body area received attention in a set order. In the earlier Japanese method, practitioners leaned on Reiji Ho, letting the hands be drawn to the areas of greatest need, and many practitioners now combine both. The three-to-five-minute hold per position is not arbitrary. Practitioners describe a repeating arc at each position, with warmth building, then peaking, then settling back to a neutral steadiness, and that arc usually completes inside three to five minutes where nothing significant is held. Where it does not, the practitioner stays. The scanning skill behind those judgments, and how positions map onto the energy centers, is treated at length in Reiki & Chakras: Hand Positions per Chakra, Byosen Scanning & Japanese vs Western Approaches.

What sensations are most commonly felt during treatment?

The sensations people most often report during a Reiki treatment are warmth or heat from the practitioner's hands, even when the hands are not touching the body. Tingling like mild pins and needles comes next, usually in the hands, the feet, or the area being treated. Others include gentle pulsing, heaviness in the limbs, stomach gurgling as digestion restarts, small muscle twitches as tension lets go, and a broad sense of quiet. Some people see colors or drifting imagery behind closed eyes.

Why might the practitioner spend longer at certain positions?

A Reiki practitioner lingers at a position because of Byosen, the sensation in their own hands that is read as an energetic imbalance underneath. Strong heat, pulsing, prickling, or a magnetic pull at a position is taken to mean that area is drawing energy and needs more time. The practitioner waits for the Byosen to resolve, meaning the sensation in the hands settles to an even warmth, before moving on. A longer hold over one shoulder is not a diagnosis and is not cause for alarm.

Is it normal to fall asleep during Reiki?

Falling asleep during a Reiki session is common and practitioners treat it as a good sign rather than a problem. Sleep indicates the body has dropped into the deeply relaxed state the session is aiming for, and the treatment is understood to continue working whether you are awake or not. You may experience vivid dreams, sudden hypnic jerks, or the drifting half-awake state known as hypnagogia. Practitioners rarely wake a sleeping client abruptly; they finish the sequence and let you surface.

How do hands-on and hands-off positions feel different?

Recipients usually describe hands-on Reiki positions as warmer and more grounding, and hands-off positions as tingly, cooler, or oddly magnetic. With contact, there is a clear physical anchor, and the weight of the hands alone settles the nervous system. Without contact, people more often report a sense of pressure or density where no hand is touching, or heat arriving a few seconds after the hands stop moving. Neither is considered stronger in this tradition, and most practitioners mix the two across a single session.

What Happens After a Reiki Session and What Is Aftercare?

After the hand positions are complete, the Reiki practitioner usually smooths and seals the aura with a sweep of the hands a few inches above the body from head to feet, then steps back and lets you return to full wakefulness in your own time, often suggesting you wiggle your fingers and toes and take a deep breath before opening your eyes. Do not rush to sit up. The practitioner will offer water and typically spends five to ten minutes describing what they noticed: positions with a strong draw, any intuitive impressions, and aftercare suggestions. Aftercare for the following 24 to 48 hours means extra water, avoiding alcohol and heavy processed food, resting more than usual, a warm bath with Epsom salts if you like one, and noting any changes. Some people leave energized and some leave heavy-limbed and tired; both are considered normal, as are vivid dreams the night after.

The idea of a healing crisis after Reiki has parallels across other traditions. Homeopathy describes healing as moving from the inside out and from recent symptoms back toward older ones, and acupuncture patients sometimes report a brief flare before improvement. After Reiki, what practitioners see most often is mild fatigue, a dull headache, increased urination, emotional sensitivity, or the brief return of an old symptom, all read as stored material being moved rather than as harm. Not everyone gets a healing crisis, and its absence says nothing about whether the session worked. Practitioners in clinical settings routinely brief patients on these aftereffects in advance, partly so nobody panics at 9pm, and partly so nursing staff recognize them as expected responses rather than adverse events. Where the research on outcomes actually stands is a separate question, covered in Reiki Benefits: Evidence-Based Research on Pain, Anxiety, Depression & Sleep.

What is a healing crisis and how long does it last?

A healing crisis after Reiki is a temporary intensification of symptoms, or the surfacing of suppressed physical or emotional material, in the one to three days following a session. It may show up as fatigue, headache, mild nausea, heightened emotional sensitivity, vivid dreams, or a brief return of an old complaint. These responses usually settle within 24 to 72 hours and are typically followed by feeling better than before the session. Rest, water, and light food support the process. Symptoms that are severe or persist beyond a few days warrant a doctor, not another session.

Should you drive immediately after a Reiki session?

Wait at least 10 to 15 minutes after a Reiki session before driving. Deep relaxation can leave you much like waking from an afternoon nap, and reaction time lags behind the feeling of being fine. Drink the water you are offered, walk around the practitioner's space, and check that you feel alert. If you feel floaty, press both feet flat into the floor and eat something before you get in the car.

When should you schedule your next session?

Book the next Reiki session before you leave, while the practitioner still has the current session fresh. For general wellness, monthly is the common rhythm. For a specific complaint such as chronic pain, anxiety, or recovery from illness, weekly sessions for four to eight weeks are typically recommended so effects build. Many practitioners suggest three or four closely spaced sessions one to two weeks apart to establish a foundation, then spacing them out. Ask for a plan with a review point rather than an open-ended commitment.

What should you eat and drink after a Reiki session?

After a Reiki session, drink water steadily through the rest of the day and eat something grounding within an hour or two. Practitioners commonly suggest warm, simple food such as soup, root vegetables, rice, or eggs rather than a heavy or very rich meal. Alcohol is the one thing most practitioners ask you to skip for the rest of the day, since it tends to sharpen the tired, headachy version of the aftereffects. Herbal tea suits people who feel cold afterward, which is common.

What Are the Typical Sensations People Experience During Reiki?

Reiki sensations vary widely between individuals and between sessions for the same person. The most universally reported experience is warmth or heat coming from the practitioner's hands, often described as a penetrating warmth deeper than surface skin contact would account for. Tingling, similar to mild pins and needles, comes second and often appears in the hands, feet, or the area being treated. Pulsing or throbbing, rhythmic and not always in time with the heartbeat, is taken as a sign of active processing. Heaviness in the limbs, sometimes described as feeling pleasantly pinned to the table, reflects deep muscular release, while some people report the opposite, a lightness as though the body has lost its outline. Visual experiences behind closed eyes may include colors, with purple, blue, green, and white reported most often. Emotional sensations range from waves of safety to surfacing grief or old memories. Physical responses include stomach gurgling as digestion restarts, muscle twitching, deep sighing or yawning, and swings between feeling warm and feeling cool.

Several of these sensations have a plain physiological reading that sits alongside the energetic one. Lying still, warm, and undisturbed for 45 minutes while someone rests their hands on you produces a parasympathetic shift, which is why the stomach gurgles, the limbs get heavy, and yawning comes in waves. Practitioners rarely argue the point either way; they record what the client reports, because it guides the next session. What matters practically is the pattern over time rather than any single sensation. A client who feels almost nothing at the first session and reports strong warmth at the fourth is a common trajectory. So is the reverse, where the dramatic sensations of the first session give way to a quieter, steadier experience once the initial novelty has passed. Practitioners usually ask you to describe sensations in your own words rather than picking from a list, since the description tends to be more useful than the label.

Why do some people see colors during Reiki?

Seeing colors with the eyes closed during Reiki is reported often enough that practitioners ask about it routinely. In the Reiki framework, colors are read against the energy centers: red and orange for root and sacral work, green or pink for the heart, blue for the throat, purple for the third eye, and white or gold for the crown. The same phenomenon appears in meditation and at the edge of sleep. Practitioners note which color you saw and where the hands were at the time.

What does it mean if you feel nothing during Reiki?

Feeling nothing during a Reiki session does not mean nothing happened. Some people register no clear physical sensation on the table and notice the effects later: deeper sleep that night, an easier mood the next day, less pain across the following week. Sensitivity commonly develops over subsequent sessions as you learn what to pay attention to. A sizeable share of first-time recipients report little or nothing on the table, which is why practitioners ask about the following 48 hours as well.

Can Reiki sensations indicate what is being healed?

Experienced Reiki practitioners read sensations as working information rather than diagnosis. Strong heat at a position is taken to mean an active draw, coolness to suggest depletion, tingling to indicate gentle rebalancing, and slow pulsing to indicate deeper processing. Emotional release at a specific position is read as stored feeling held in that part of the body. These readings are subjective, and practitioners weigh them against what you report rather than substituting them for a medical opinion.

How Much Does a Reiki Session Cost and What Should You Look For When Booking?

A professional Reiki session in most urban markets is priced in the same band as a therapeutic massage, commonly $60 to $150 for 60 minutes, with established Master-level practitioners in major cities charging more and community clinics or student practitioners charging considerably less. Spas and wellness centers sit at the higher end because the price includes the facility. Hospital-based Reiki given to inpatients is often provided free by volunteer practitioners, and community clinics, sliding-scale sessions, and Reiki shares typically cost between nothing and $40. When booking, check the length of the appointment and how much of it is table time, whether the practitioner is Level 2 or Master level, whether they carry liability insurance, and whether the quoted price includes the longer first-visit intake. Packages of four to six sessions are commonly discounted 10 to 20 percent, worth taking only after one session has told you the practitioner suits you.

Price is a weak signal of quality in Reiki, since there is no licensing body setting a rate and no insurer negotiating one. What the fee reflects is overhead: a practitioner renting a room in a clinic charges more than one working from home, and a spa is charging you for the robe and the front desk. Two questions separate practitioners more reliably than price. The first is what they say about medical conditions; anyone who tells you Reiki will cure a diagnosed illness, or suggests stopping a prescribed medication, should be ruled out regardless of fee or lineage. The second is how they handle a treatment plan. A practitioner who proposes four sessions with a review afterward is behaving reasonably; one who insists on a twenty-session prepaid package at the first meeting is selling. Payment is usually taken at the end, with card standard in clinics and independent practitioners often preferring bank transfer or cash. Reiki is generally not covered by health insurance, and hospital programs that offer it to inpatients absorb the cost themselves.

How does a Reiki session differ at a spa, a private practice, and a hospital?

A spa Reiki session is the most polished and the most standardized: a fixed 50 or 80 minute slot, a robe, ambient music, and a practitioner who may rotate between clients all day. A private practice session is longer on intake and more tailored, since the practitioner keeps notes across visits and adjusts the sequence to your history. A hospital session is the shortest, often 15 to 20 minutes at the bedside or in a chair, delivered by a volunteer or integrative care staff member, worked around IV lines and monitors, and focused on comfort during treatment rather than a full-body protocol.

What is a Reiki share and how does it differ from a private session?

A Reiki share is a group meeting where practitioners take turns on the table and several sets of hands work on one person at once, usually for 15 to 20 minutes per person rather than a full hour. Shares are informal, low-cost or free, and organized by local Reiki groups or teachers. The experience differs from a private session: more intense for some people because of the number of hands, less tailored because there is no individual intake, and social rather than quiet. Shares suit people who already know they respond to Reiki and want frequent, inexpensive contact.

What are the red flags in a Reiki practitioner or session?

Walk away from a Reiki practitioner who claims to cure disease, tells you to stop prescribed medication, diagnoses a medical condition from their hands, or pressures you into a large prepaid package at the first meeting. Other warning signs are refusing to answer questions about training, touching areas you asked them to avoid, adjusting your clothing, and claiming to remove entities or curses for an additional fee. A practitioner should refer you onward when something falls outside what Reiki addresses.

Do you tip a Reiki practitioner?

Tipping a Reiki practitioner follows the setting rather than the practice. In a spa or wellness center where the practitioner is staff, tipping is customary at roughly the local rate for massage. In an independent practice where the practitioner sets their own fee, tipping is neither expected nor refused, and rebooking or referring someone is generally valued more. At hospital programs and volunteer-run clinics, practitioners usually cannot accept payment, and a donation to the program is the appropriate gesture.

How Often Should You Get Reiki and What Is the Ideal Frequency?

The ideal frequency of Reiki sessions depends on your goals, the severity of what you are working with, and your budget. For acute situations such as post-surgical recovery, acute pain, severe anxiety, or an emotional crisis, three to four sessions in the first two weeks followed by weekly sessions for four to eight weeks gives intensive support. For chronic complaints such as ongoing pain, insomnia, low mood, or sustained stress, weekly sessions for six to eight weeks followed by biweekly sessions for another month lets effects accumulate. For general wellness, monthly sessions catch small imbalances early. The principle behind all of these is cumulative effect: each session is understood to build on the last, with deeper layers becoming accessible as surface tension clears. Sessions spaced too far apart mean re-establishing the ground each time, while sessions stacked too close together leave no room to integrate.

The pattern matches how other hands-on therapies schedule their work. Acupuncture protocols for a new complaint commonly run one to two sessions a week for four to six weeks, then taper to monthly maintenance, and Reiki treatment plans follow the same shape. Hospital programs that offer Reiki to inpatients typically give a single bedside session, which tells you one treatment is considered worthwhile on its own, but practitioners in private practice consistently describe sustained results as coming from a series. The original Japanese societies met regularly as groups, with members receiving reiju repeatedly over years rather than treating attunement as a one-off event. For anyone who cannot afford a weekly professional appointment, the practical compromise is daily self-treatment with a professional session monthly or quarterly, and the self-practice side of that is set out in Reiki Self-Healing: 12 Hand Positions, Daily Routine & Signs of Energy Flow.

How many sessions does it typically take to notice results?

Most people notice relaxation and a mood shift after a single Reiki session. For a specific complaint such as chronic pain or anxiety, practitioners generally look for meaningful change by the third or fourth session before deciding whether to continue on the same plan. Deeply entrenched patterns are usually worked over eight to twelve sessions. Individual variation is wide, and a practitioner who cannot point to any change after four sessions should be saying so rather than selling you a fifth.

Can you receive too much Reiki?

Reiki is described in this tradition as self-regulating, with the body taking only what it can use, so multiple sessions in a day are not considered harmful. What over-scheduling does produce, in practitioner experience, is a stronger detox-style response: more fatigue, more emotional surfacing, more disrupted sleep. Daily self-treatment plus one or two professional sessions a week is the practical ceiling most practitioners work to. Beyond that, the limiting factor is integration time rather than safety.

What should you do between professional Reiki sessions?

Between professional Reiki sessions, practice self-Reiki daily even if you only manage ten minutes, and keep a short log of sleep, pain levels, and mood so the next session has something concrete to work from. Stay hydrated, follow through on any insight that surfaced, and keep sleep and food steady. Address emotional material that comes up through journaling, therapy, or creative work rather than waiting for the next appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should you wear to a Reiki session?

Wear loose, comfortable clothing to a Reiki session that you can lie still in for an hour. Unlike massage, you remain fully clothed during Reiki. Avoid tight belts, restrictive collars, underwire, or heavy jewelry that might create pressure points when lying down. Remove your shoes and watch before the session, and skip strong perfume, which lingers in a small treatment room. Bring socks, since feet get cold once the body settles.

Should you eat before a Reiki session?

Eat a light meal one to two hours before a Reiki session rather than arriving on a full or empty stomach. Heavy meals can cause discomfort when lying flat, while an empty stomach may create distracting hunger sensations. Avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours before a session, and reduce caffeine on the day of treatment so your nervous system settles more easily. Drink water beforehand, but not so much that a full bladder pulls you out of the treatment halfway through.

Is it normal to cry during Reiki?

Yes, emotional release during a Reiki session is common and is read in this tradition as a positive sign. Tears, laughter, sighing, or trembling may occur as stored emotion surfaces. Experienced practitioners expect these responses and will not stop the treatment or make a fuss about them. You do not need to understand why you are crying or try to suppress it. The practitioner keeps their hands steady rather than moving on, and many people feel noticeably lighter afterward.

Can you talk during a Reiki session?

Most Reiki practitioners prefer that you stay quiet during the treatment so relaxation deepens, but speak up whenever something needs adjusting. Tell the practitioner if a hand position causes pain, if you are too cold, if you need to shift your hips, or if an emotional response feels overwhelming. Extended conversation tends to keep you analytical and shallows the experience.

How long do the effects of a Reiki session last?

The immediate relaxation from a Reiki session typically lasts several hours to several days. Practitioners describe deeper effects unfolding over one to two weeks as the body integrates the treatment, and describe the effects as cumulative across a series. For chronic complaints, weekly or biweekly sessions over several months are the usual recommendation rather than a single visit.

What if you do not feel anything during your session?

Feeling nothing during a Reiki session is normal, especially the first time, and practitioners do not treat it as a failed treatment. Some people are less kinesthetically sensitive and notice effects afterward instead: sleeping through the night, waking with less tension, or feeling steadier the following day. Sensitivity often increases across sessions as you learn to recognize what you are feeling. Tell the practitioner at the end that you did not notice much, since it changes what they suggest for next time.

Can Reiki be done sitting up instead of lying down?

Yes, a Reiki session works with the recipient seated in a chair as well as lying face-up on a table. Chair Reiki is standard in hospitals, offices, and public events where a table is impractical, and typically runs 15 to 30 minutes. People with back problems, breathing difficulty, or advanced pregnancy often prefer seated or side-lying positions, and the practitioner adapts the hand positions to whatever posture you can hold comfortably.

How long is a typical Reiki session and what are the options?

A full Reiki session is usually booked as 60 minutes, with 90-minute options offered for a first visit or for a session that includes extended discussion. Within a 60-minute booking, roughly 45 to 50 minutes is table time and the remainder covers intake and debrief. Short formats also exist: 20 to 30 minute chair sessions at events and workplaces, and 15-minute bedside sessions in hospitals. Ask which format a listed price covers, since a 60-minute booking and 60 minutes of table time are not the same thing.

Do you need to book anything special for a first Reiki session?

Book a first Reiki session as a new-client appointment, which most practitioners set at 75 or 90 minutes to allow for a longer intake. Mention on booking if you are pregnant, recovering from surgery, working with a serious diagnosis, or uncomfortable being touched, so the practitioner can plan hand positions in advance. Ask whether the session is hands-on, hands-off, or a mix, and whether you will be asked to turn over.