Reiki teachings claim that Reiki is inexhaustible and that it can be used to induce a healing effect. Practitioners claim that anyone can gain access to this energy by means of an attunement process carried out by a Reiki Master.

Reiki is described by adherents as a holistic therapy which brings about healing on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels^.The belief is that the energy will flow through the practitioner's hands whenever the hands are placed on, or held near a potential recipient. Some teachings stress the importance of the practitioner's intention or presence in this process, while others claim that the energy is drawn by the recipient's injury to activate or enhance the natural healing processes^. Further to this notion, the belief is that the energy is "intelligent", meaning that the Reiki knows where to heal, even if a practitioner's hands are not present in the specific area.