If you’ve seen my Instagram or booked a session, you’ve probably seen my candle: a small white candle in a brass holder, sitting on a round gray stone.
People ask about it, so here’s the story. But first, the most important part.
The candle isn’t the Reiki
The candle is my timer. That’s all it does.
Reiki is what I’m doing in a session. The candle doesn’t send anything, hold anything, or make the session work. It doesn’t have special powers, and I don’t want anyone to think it does. If I didn’t have it, I’d use a clock, and your session would be exactly the same.
So why a candle?
Why not just use a phone timer?
A phone timer ends with a sound, and a sound can pull you right out of the quiet. A phone also sits there with all its notifications, reminding you of everything else.
A candle ends gently. It burns down, and goes out on its own. I can see time passing without checking anything. Nothing beeps. There’s nothing to turn off.
It also helps me stay focused. When I light it, I know the next twenty minutes belong to you.
What kind of candle is it?
It’s a twenty-minute candle from Shi-Zen. It’s made to burn for about twenty minutes, which is the length of a session.
It sits in a shokudai, a traditional Japanese candle holder, made of brass. The shokudai rests on a round base of Oya stone, a soft, porous volcanic stone from Japan.
I love how simple it is. A candle, a holder, a stone. Nothing extra.
Why twenty minutes?
Twenty minutes is long enough to settle into, and short enough to fit into almost any day. You can take a session on a lunch break, or right before bed, without rearranging your life.
What happens to the paper with my focus?
Before I begin, I write a few words for your focus on a small piece of paper and set it beside me. Again, the paper is there to help me keep you in mind. It doesn’t do anything on its own.
After the session, the paper is burned, either by the candle during the session or by me afterward, over a fire-safe bowl. I don’t keep it.
Can I see my candle?
Yes, if you’d like. When you book, you can ask for a video of your candle. I record the full twenty minutes, from lighting to the moment it goes out, and text you a private link afterward. The link stays up for 30 days, so download it if you’d like to keep it.
Some people like watching it later, as a reminder of a quiet twenty minutes that was just for them. Some never watch it. Either is fine.
Do you post client candles?
Never. Your candle video is only for you. I don’t post client sessions on Instagram or anywhere else.
The candles you see on my Instagram are lit for my own practice, or for a general situation, like a hard week in the news. They’re never for a client.
A note on borrowing
The shokudai and Oya stone come from Japan, and so does Reiki. I try to be careful about practices that aren’t mine to borrow. I use these as beautiful, simple tools for keeping time, not as part of a ceremony I haven’t been taught. And I name where my Reiki training comes from, so you can see the line it travels. Read about my lineage →
Common questions
Do I need a candle at home during my session? No. You don’t need anything. If you’d like to light one for yourself, you’re welcome to, but please never leave a flame unattended.
Does the candle make the Reiki stronger? No. The candle is only a timer. Reiki is the session.
What if the candle goes out early, or burns long? Candles vary a little. Your session is twenty minutes either way.
Can I buy the same candle? Shi-Zen sells them.