Is Reiki safe during pregnancy?
Answered by Vanessa Chugani · Updated October 2026
Reiki during pregnancy is a fully clothed, one-to-one session where Vanessa's hands rest lightly and stay still, on you or just above you, with no pressure, massage or oil. It is rest and support, not medical care, so tell your midwife or doctor you are planning it. Each session is adapted to your trimester, in Canggu or by distance.
Pregnancy is one of the few times in life when almost everyone has an opinion about your body. A pregnancy Reiki session is an hour where nobody needs anything from you. Here is exactly what it involves, the hand positions, and how it changes through the trimesters.
What happens in a pregnancy Reiki session
You stay fully clothed. You lie on your side, supported with cushions, or semi reclined if lying down is uncomfortable. Vanessa's hands rest lightly on you or just above you, and they stay still. There is no pressure, no manipulation, no oil and no massage. If you would rather not be touched at all, she works with her hands held just above the body, and that is a normal request, not an awkward one.
Most sessions run about an hour, and many people fall asleep. What women tell her afterwards is that they slept better that night, that their shoulders finally came down, or that they cried and felt lighter for it. That is what people report, not a promise, and it is what an hour of real quiet tends to do for a body that is working very hard.
Reiki hand positions in pregnancy
The hand positions are the same gentle, still placements used in any session: the head, the shoulders, the upper back, the knees and the feet. Over the belly, her hands rest lightly, hover just above, or leave that area out entirely, and you choose which. Nothing happens over your abdomen without your say so, and you can change position at any point.
How it changes through the trimesters
- First trimester. Often the loneliest stretch, because many women are not telling anyone yet. Sessions are quieter and often shorter, and sitting upright is usually better than lying flat if you are nauseated. More in Reiki in the first trimester.
- Second trimester. Usually the most comfortable. Side lying with a cushion between the knees works well.
- Third trimester. Ribs, hips and sleep are the common themes. Vanessa uses more props and changes position more often. More in what a second or third trimester session involves.
What to tell your midwife or doctor
Tell them you are planning to have Reiki, as you would with anything else you are doing for yourself in pregnancy. They know your pregnancy and she does not, and a good midwife will tell you if there is any reason to wait. Reiki here is rest and support: it does not diagnose anything and it is not a substitute for antenatal care, so if something feels wrong, your midwife or doctor is the first call.
If you are a practitioner yourself
A good share of the people asking about Reiki and pregnancy are practitioners, and the question is usually one of two things: can I practise while I am pregnant, and can I work on a pregnant client.
Your own pregnancy is a question for your midwife, not for Vanessa. With a pregnant client, the care is the same as described above: keep your hands still and light, do not work over the abdomen without asking, and do not offer opinions about the pregnancy itself. If a client tells you something that sounds medical, your job is to say so and send her to her midwife, not to reassure her.
Booking a pregnancy session
A private session is EUR 188 in person in Canggu or EUR 138 by distance, and the three and five session packages (EUR 388 and EUR 588) work for either format. Pregnancy sessions are one to one, so a partner does not join unless you book it as a couples session; can my partner join a pregnancy session has the detail. Then write to Vanessa with how far along you are and what is weighing on you most, and the pregnancy Reiki page has the practical details.
Rest does not get easier to come by after the birth, either. Vanessa wrote about learning that the hard way in what postpartum taught me about permission to rest.
Related questions
Can you have Reiki when pregnant?
Sessions are offered in every trimester here and adapted to each stage: quieter and often seated early on, side lying with cushions in the middle months, and more props and position changes near the end. It is rest and support alongside your antenatal care, not instead of it.
Will I need to lie flat on my back?
No. Side lying with pillows under the belly and knees is the usual position, particularly from the second trimester onward, and it can be changed at any point in the session if it stops feeling comfortable. Nothing is pressed or adjusted at any stage.
What do Reiki hand positions look like in pregnancy?
Still, light placements on the head, shoulders, upper back, knees and feet. Over the belly, hands rest lightly, hover just above, or leave that area out entirely, and you choose which.