Reiki is a therapy often described as palm healing or hands on body healing in which a practitioner places hands lightly on or over a patient39s body to facilitate the patient39s process of healing reiki combines the japanese and chinese word characters of 34rei34 spiritual or supernatural and 34ki34 vital energy one of the basic ideas held by those who practice reiki is that this vital energy can be channeled to support the body39s natural ability to heal itself