The practitioner channelizes Reiki energy through an open channel. Reiki doesn’t take the energy from the practitioner in any way, because the energy comes from outside him. The treated person has access to the energy through a clean channel, so he/she doesn’t take anything from the practitioner’s personal energy.

Of course, for this happen, the practitioner has to get the complete Reiki initiation.

If a person asks for Reiki and the practitioner puts his hands on or over the person's body, Reiki energy begins to flow. The practitioner doesn’t have to concentrate with close attention.

Reiki has a different effect on each individual. This effect is always determined by the treated person’s needs.

The way the Reiki treatment takes place is a bit different with each practitioner, but, essentially, the core of Reiki treatments is in
- the problematic or painful part of the body
- the hormone system.

The Reiki treatment’s mechanism of action, as taught by Mrs. Hawayo Takata, is:

- You take the glands, one by one. These control the production of hormones and these glands stimulate the nerve cells in the body.
- The body communicates with the nervous system through the brain, and the brain stimulates the glands to produce enough hormones for homeostasis.
- On an ethereal level, each of the seven chakras are in accordance with an endocrine gland
- The endocrine (glands) system works as an energy transformer for the ethereal energy centers, the chakras. The chakras are energy transformers for the physical body, and they do this through the endocrine glands
- All levels are connected and interact with each other.

Reiki brings about changes, and not only in the chemical structure of the body. Reiki also helps to regenerate the organs and to regenerate tissues and bones. It can also help the treated person to become balanced on a mental level.

Reiki energy has an effect in a natural way, on the material and the ethereal level, and in levels related to thinking.

Reiki helps to dissolve energy blocks and release stored, or pent-up, emotions. It helps to explore the causes of diseases.

The cause of disease lies in the thinking, if the thinking is out of sync with the person’s spiritual or divine nature. Reiki is a tool to raise awareness, and a key to achieve enlightenment.