Guide6 min readUpdated 8 September 2026

Energy healing: Reiki, pranic and other approaches compared

Reiki, pranic healing, therapeutic touch, qigong, sound and crystal work compared: what each involves, touch or no touch, training, and what the evidence says.

“Energy healing” is an umbrella. Under it sit Reiki, pranic healing, therapeutic touch, qigong healing, sound healing, crystal work and a long tail of individual methods. They share an idea: that the body has a subtle energy, and that a practitioner can help it settle or flow. They differ in how they work, whether they touch you, and how practitioners train. This guide compares the ones you are most likely to find in New Zealand.

The shared idea, and the evidence

Different traditions name the energy differently: ki in Japanese, prana in Sanskrit, qi in Chinese, mauri in te reo Māori, or simply “life force”. Practitioners describe sensing it, moving it, clearing it or channelling it.

Science has not found this energy. The United States National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says there is “no scientific evidence supporting the existence of the energy field thought to play a role in Reiki”, and that Reiki “hasn’t been clearly shown to be effective for any health-related purpose”. Reviews of energy healing more broadly reach the same conclusion. What the research does show is that people often feel calmer and more relaxed afterwards, and that these practices are generally safe.

The Cancer Society of New Zealand puts it simply: complementary therapies may help people feel better and cope, but “there is no evidence that any type of complementary or alternative therapy prevents or cures cancer”. The same caution applies to any illness. Energy healing can sit alongside medical care. It should never replace it.

With that said, here is how the approaches compare.

Reiki

Origin. Japan, early 1900s, developed by Mikao Usui.

Touch. Light hands-on, or hands held just above the body. You choose.

A session. You lie clothed on a table. The practitioner moves through a set of hand positions, each held a few minutes. About an hour. Quiet, still, often sleepy.

Training. Taught in levels through “attunements” from a teacher. Reiki NZ Inc. recognises levels one, two and three, and says professional practitioners should hold at least level two.

Good for people who want a gentle, silent, predictable session with no talking required.

Read more in what to expect from a Reiki session or browse Reiki healers.

Pranic healing

Origin. Developed in the Philippines in the 1980s by Choa Kok Sui, drawing on older Indian and Chinese ideas.

Touch. None. Pranic healing is a “no-touch” method. The practitioner works with their hands in the air around you.

A session. You sit in a chair, clothed. The practitioner “scans” your energy, “sweeps” to remove what they describe as congested energy, then “energises” specific areas. Sessions are often shorter than Reiki, around 30 to 45 minutes, and may be more structured and matter of fact.

Training. Taught in set courses, often over weekends, by certified instructors. There are pranic healing groups in Auckland and other centres, some of which offer free clinics.

Good for people who want a no-touch option, a more clinical style, or shorter sessions.

Therapeutic touch and healing touch

Origin. Developed by nurses in the United States in the 1970s and 1980s.

Touch. Usually none, despite the name. Hands are held a few centimetres away.

A session. Similar in feel to pranic healing: assessing, clearing, balancing. Twenty to thirty minutes. Because it grew up in nursing, it is sometimes offered in hospices and care settings.

Training. Structured courses. Less common in New Zealand than Reiki.

Qigong and medical qigong

Origin. China. Qigong is a broad tradition of movement, breath and meditation. Medical qigong is the healing branch.

Touch. Little or none. The practitioner may also teach you movements and breathing to do yourself.

A session. May include hands-off work plus instruction. Often part of a wider practice with tai chi or acupuncture. See acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

Good for people who want something active they can keep doing at home.

Sound healing

Origin. Many cultures. Modern sound healing uses singing bowls, gongs, tuning forks, drums and voice.

Touch. Usually none, though bowls may be placed on the body.

A session. You lie down while the practitioner plays. The sound is felt as much as heard. Often offered as a group “sound bath” as well as one to one. Forty-five to ninety minutes.

Good for people who want a strongly sensory experience and do not want to be touched. See sound healers.

Crystal healing

Origin. Ancient roots, modern form from the 1970s.

Touch. Stones placed on or around the body. Little or no hands-on.

A session. Lying down with stones placed on chakra points or in a grid. Often combined with Reiki. See crystal healing explained.

Spiritual and shamanic healing

These overlap with energy healing but come from a spiritual or religious frame rather than an “energy system” frame. They may include prayer, karakia, ritual, journeying or working with spirit. See what happens in a spiritual healing session.

Rongoā Māori

Rongoā is sometimes listed alongside energy healing, but it is a whole system of Māori healing with its own tikanga, not a variant of these methods. Please read our guide to rongoā Māori rather than treating it as one item on this list.

At a glance

Choosing between them

• Do you want to be touched? If not, pranic, sound or therapeutic touch. If a light touch is welcome, Reiki.
• Do you want to talk? Spiritual healers usually talk more. Reiki practitioners usually talk less.
• Do you want homework? Qigong gives you a practice. Most others do not.
• How long can you lie still? Sound baths and Reiki need an hour. Pranic sessions are shorter.
• What is nearby? Reiki is by far the most common in New Zealand. In smaller towns it may be the only option.

Whichever you choose, ask about training, fees and cancellation, and tell your doctor if you are being treated for anything. See questions to ask before booking.

This guide describes what a practice involves and what people seek from it. It is general information, not medical advice. These services do not replace care from a registered health professional. If you have a health concern, talk with your doctor or call Healthline on 0800 611 116.

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