Reiki, Massage, Sound Healing or a Balian: Which Do You Actually Want?
August 2026 · 3 min read · By Vanessa Chugani
In Canggu you can book a massage, a Reiki session, a sound bath or a visit to a balian within about a kilometre of each other, and the marketing for all four uses roughly the same words. They are not the same thing and they are not good for the same problems.
The short version
| What | Touch | Good for | Not for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massage | Firm, physical, oil, undressed | Tight muscles, stiffness, physical tension | Anything you want to talk about |
| Reiki | Light or none, clothed | Wound up nervous system, poor sleep, feeling depleted | A knot in your shoulder |
| Sound healing | None, usually a group | Switching the head off, low commitment, going with friends | Anything needing one to one attention |
| Balian | Varies, can be very direct | Balinese traditional healing, on its own terms | Casual curiosity |
Massage
You undress, there is oil, and there is real physical pressure. A good Balinese massage is excellent and cheap here, and if your problem is that your shoulders are somewhere near your ears after eleven hours on a plane, this is what you want. Do not book Reiki for that. Book a massage.
Reiki
You stay dressed. My hands rest lightly on you or just above you and they stay still. Nothing is kneaded or pressed. Most people find it much less interesting to describe and much stranger to experience than they expected.
It suits a different problem: you are sleeping badly, you are wired and tired at the same time, something has knocked you sideways and you have not stopped since. It is an hour of nothing being asked of you. If that sounds thin, notice how rarely you get one.
Sound healing
Usually a group, usually lying on a mat, with bowls, gongs or voice. It is the easiest of the four to try, the least confronting, and the most sociable. It is also the least personal, which is exactly why some people prefer it. If you are curious about all of this and want a low commitment first step, start here.
Balian
A balian is a Balinese traditional healer, working inside a living religious tradition that has nothing to do with the international wellness scene. It is not a spa treatment and it is not a cultural experience laid on for visitors. Treatment can be physically intense and direct.
If you want to see a balian, go with someone Balinese who knows them, dress respectfully, bring an offering, and go because you actually want help rather than a story to tell. If that sounds like more than you were after, it probably is, and one of the other three will serve you better.
How to choose
- Something hurts. Massage. If it keeps hurting, a doctor.
- You cannot sleep or cannot settle. Reiki.
- You want to try something and not be the centre of attention. Sound healing.
- You want Balinese healing on Balinese terms. A balian, properly introduced.
And one thing worth saying plainly, because the wellness industry rarely does: none of these four is a treatment for a medical problem. If you have symptoms that worry you, see a doctor first. Everything above is for afterwards, or alongside.
If Reiki is the one that sounds right, the sessions page explains what a session involves.