“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” — Lao Tzu

When a client arrives for a Reiki session, one of the first things I gently ask is, “What’s your intention for today?” It’s not just a ritual question. It’s an opening for insight and transformation.

Reiki is more than just hands-on healing. It’s a sacred practice between practitioner and client, guided by universal life force energy. One of the most empowering things we can do, for both the client and their healing journey, is to set clear, heartfelt intentions before the session begins.

Why Intentions Matter in Energy Healing

Intentions act like a compass. They direct the flow of energy, bring clarity to what is being asked for, and invite conscious participation in the healing process. Without an intention, the energy will still flow. But with an intention, it flows with purpose. It becomes a co-creation, not something done to the client, but something done with them.

As a Reiki Master, I hold space as a clear vessel for Source energy. I always set my own silent intentions for every session. In addition, I ask that my client receives exactly what they need for their highest good, and that the healing flows to where it’s most needed physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. But when the client also sets their own intention, the entire experience becomes richer, deeper, and more aligned.

How I Invite Clients to Set Intentions

Setting an intention isn’t about ‘fixing’ something. It’s about calling in healing, clarity, balance, or peace, whatever feels most needed in the moment. That’s why before each session I take a few moments for a pre-consultation. This time is essential for me to understand my client’s needs and intentions. I might guide them with prompts like:

• “Is there an area of your life where you’re seeking more clarity or calm?”
• “What are you ready to release?”
• “How do you want to feel after your session today?”

Even if a client isn’t sure what to say at first, a few moments of quiet reflection, sometimes with eyes closed and one hand on the heart, often allows the answer to gently arise from within. For some, the intention is physical: “I want relief from back pain.” For others, it’s emotional or spiritual: “I’m ready to let go of past hurt” or “I want to reconnect with my inner calm.” Whatever it is, we name it. And in naming it, we give it power.

Teaching Clients to Co-Create Their Healing

As healers, our role isn’t to fix or save. It’s to guide, support, and empower. When clients understand that they are active participants in their healing, not passive recipients, something shifts.

We teach them that their energy, their intention, and their willingness to receive are key factors in the healing process. The more they engage with the session, whether mindfully, openly, and with purpose, the more profound the experience becomes.

Sometimes I’ll suggest they silently affirm something during the session, like:

• “I give myself permission to invite love in”
• “I trust the healing unfolding within me.”
• “I release what no longer serves me.”
• “I am safe and grounded.”
• “I give myself permission to receive.”
• “It is safe for me to release all that no longer serves me.”

These affirmations anchor them into the present moment and reinforces their role as conscious co-creators.

The Ripple Effect of Intention

The power of setting intentions doesn’t end when the session does. I often encourage clients to carry their intention with them into the days ahead. Perhaps they write it in their journal, meditate on it, or return to it in moments of stress.

It is important to acknowledge that healing isn’t limited to the Reiki table. The session plants the seed. With intention and self-awareness, the growth continues long after. It might be a subtle change, or something profoundly felt.

On an End Note

Through Reiki, we learn to release and receive, to trust and stand strong. When a client walks into my healing space, they’re stepping into sacred ground. And when they do so with conscious intention, they don’t just receive healing, they co-create it.

So, whether you’re new to Reiki or someone further along in their personal healing journey, I invite you to pause before your next session and ask yourself:

• What am I ready to receive?
• What does my soul need today?
• What intention will I set for my healing?

You may be surprised at the answers that arise.

Many blessings,

Olga

Intuitive & Reiki Australia Accredited Reiki Treatment Practitioner (ARTP)

Usui Reiki Practitioner/Master Teacher