Reiki or a life coach: which one actually fits where you are?
By Vanessa Chugani · Updated August 2026
Choose Reiki first if your body is worn out from stress, grief or overwhelm and you cannot think straight yet. Choose a life coach first if your mind is clear but you keep circling the same decision, habit or goal. Many women eventually use both, just not in the same week.
Reiki and life coaching solve different problems, and mixing them up wastes your time and money. Reiki works with the body: the hands stay still, the session is quiet, and the aim is to bring a nervous system that has been running hot back down to something calmer. Coaching works with the mind: you talk, you get asked questions that are hard to dodge, and you leave with a plan and someone who will ask if you did it. One is not a lesser version of the other. A grieving parent who cannot sleep needs something different from a marketing director stuck on whether to quit her job, and the right choice depends on which of those two you actually are right now.
| a Reiki session | working with a life coach | |
|---|---|---|
| What actually happens | You lie down, fully clothed. Her hands rest gently on or near you for about an hour while you do nothing at all. | You sit and talk, usually on a video call, working through questions, exercises and a plan across several weeks. |
| What it works with | A nervous system running hot: exhaustion, grief, anxiety, a jaw that will not unclench, a body that cannot settle at night. | A specific goal or decision: a career change, a habit you cannot break, a plan you keep stalling on. |
| What you leave with | Sleep that comes easier, pain sitting further away, steadier in yourself, less alone with what you are carrying. | A written plan, accountability, and someone checking in on whether you actually did what you said you would. |
| How much you have to say | Little to none. You rest. She works. Many people fall asleep. | Most of it. Coaching runs on you talking and being questioned. |
| Cost | EUR 188 for a private session in Canggu, EUR 138 for a distance session. | Varies by coach. Ask directly before you book, since prices differ widely. |
| When people usually start | When they are too depleted, wired or overwhelmed to make a decision yet. | When they can already think clearly but keep circling the same choice. |
Which one suits you
Reiki suits someone whose body got there first: the exhaustion that will not lift, the grief that has not moved, the anxiety that keeps her up at 2am. There is nothing to figure out in a session, and that is the point. A life coach suits someone whose head is already clear enough to plan but who keeps stalling on the same decision: a woman weighing whether to leave a stable job for something riskier, who needs structure, deadlines and someone checking in, does better with a coach than with an hour of rest. If you are not sure which you are, notice whether the problem lives in your body or in your calendar. Reiki is for the body: a place to put down what you have been carrying, so you have something left to think with.
Related questions
Can I do Reiki and see a life coach at the same time?
Yes. Many people do both, often in that order: Reiki first, when they are too depleted to plan anything, then a life coach once they can think clearly enough to act on a decision. There is no rule against combining them, and no packaged deal here that requires you to choose only one.
Does a Reiki session replace working with a life coach?
No. Reiki is rest and support for a nervous system that is overloaded. It does not set goals, build a plan, or hold you accountable to one, which is exactly what a good life coach does. Think of it as what comes before the planning, not instead of it.
How do I know which one to book first?
Notice where the problem sits. If your body will not settle, sleep is gone, or you feel wrung out most days, start with a Reiki session. If your body is fine but you keep circling the same decision without moving, a life coach will get you further, faster.