Reiki is a hands-on healing modality within the field of complementary alternative and integrative medicine (CAIM) that is known to heal individuals holistically—body/mind/soul—through the transmission of 'universal life force energy' from practitioner to client. The literal translation of Reiki is universal life force energy. Reiki has similarities to Qigong, Therapeutic Touch, Etheric Healing and other energy modalities. In Reiki, practitioners act as passive conduits or channels through which universal energy flows. Reiki restores balance and releases energetic blockages, the precursors to disease in the body. Dr. Mikao Usui of Japan is regarded as its founder, but many Reiki scholars believe Dr. Usui actually rediscovered a lost and ancient Tibetan tradition.

There is a growing body of evidence within the scientific community that supports the use of Reiki for rest, relaxation, stress management, homeostasis, pain management, anxiety, immune function, wound healing, depression, burnout, improving quality of life for cancer patients, and other conditions.