Reiki vs. Sekhem: Understanding Two Energy Healing Modalities
Energy healing has taken many forms across cultures and time, each offering its own approach to supporting balance within the body, mind, and emotional landscape. Two modalities that are often compared are Reiki and Sekhem.
While they share similarities in intention and practice, the experience and energetic qualities of each can feel quite distinct.
A Shared Foundation
Both Reiki and Sekhem are forms of energy healing that work with the body’s subtle energy field—sometimes referred to as the biofield. In both practices, a practitioner acts as a channel for energy, allowing it to flow to where it is needed most.
Neither modality requires effort from the recipient. There is nothing to “do,” only to receive.
What Is Reiki?
Reiki is a Japanese energy healing modality that was developed in the early 20th century by Mikao Usui.
The word “Reiki” roughly translates to “universal life force energy.” In practice, Reiki is often experienced as gentle, steady, and calming. The energy tends to move in a structured, grounded way, following established hand positions or intuitive placement.
Many people describe Reiki as:
Soothing and stabilizing
Subtle but deeply calming
Supportive for stress relief and nervous system regulation
It often feels like being held in a quiet, steady field of support.
What Is Sekhem?
Sekhem is an energy healing modality often associated with ancient Egyptian spiritual traditions. The word itself can be translated loosely as “power” or “life force.”
Compared to Reiki, Sekhem is often described as a higher-frequency or more expansive energy. While still deeply calming, it can feel more dynamic in how it moves—working not only with the physical body, but also with emotional and energetic layers simultaneously.
People who experience Sekhem often describe it as:
Warm, flowing, or wave-like
More activating while still relaxing
Supportive of deeper emotional release or energetic shifts
Rather than a steady current, Sekhem can feel like it moves in pulses or waves—responding intuitively to what is ready to shift.
Neither is “better” than the other—they simply offer different experiences.
Reiki often follows a more structured approach, with specific hand positions and a lineage-based system of training.
Sekhem, while still taught through attunement, is often practiced more intuitively. Sessions may feel less linear and more responsive—guided by sensation, energy flow, and what arises in the moment.
Whether through Reiki or Sekhem, these practices create space for the body to return to its natural state of balance—gently, and in its own time.