There are many basic reiki hand positions, and many positions also have variances. These basic reiki hand positions are used on the face and head, on the front of the body, on the knees and feet, then on the back. Each position is held for several minutes, or until the practitioner feels that it is time to move on to the next.
When conducting a full reiki treatment, practitioners often begin by standing behind the client and starting at the head. The patient is positioned on his or her back, usually on a table. In the first reiki hand position, the practitioner lightly places hands on the client’s forehead and carefully cups a hand over each eye.
For the second reiki hand position, the practitioner places one hand on each side of the patient’s head, gently covering the temples and ears. In the third reiki position, the practitioner places both hands under the head so that the fingertips rest in the crease where the head joins the neck. The expert then very gently pulls back and holds. This is the most relaxing of the reiki hand positions for the recipient and helps relieve tension in the neck.
The practitioner moves the hands to surround the patient’s jaw and neck in the fourth of the reiki hand positions so that the fingertips touch beneath the chin. For the fifth hand position, the reiki specialist lightly places one hand on the neck under the chin, and positions the other hand in the middle of the chest between the breasts. In the sixth position, the practitioner moves to one side of the recipient and places both hands across the solar plexus area. For the seventh position, the hands are moved down below the belly button and placed over the abdomen. The hands then are moved down to lightly form a “V” over the genital area for the eighth of the reiki hand positions.
After sending reiki to the head and torso, the reiki expert moves down to the patient’s knees. One hand is placed on the top of one knee and the other hand is placed behind the knee. Once that knee is done, the practitioner repeats the same reiki hand positions on the other knee before moving to the feet. Each ankle in turn is held between both hands, and then one palm is placed against the bottom of each foot. The recipient is then asked to turn over on his or her stomach so that the reiki treatment can continue on the back.
When the patient has turned over, the practitioner will hold one of the recipient’s hands. The specialist will then place his or her other hand at the top of the spine. After waiting for a suitable interval, the practitioner will use that hand to “walk” down the client’s back, stopping at each point to send reiki energy to the spine. The treatment will end after the practitioner forms a "T" with both hands just above the client’s buttocks.