I wasn’t really planning to write this, not today anyway. But I feel like someone might need to hear it — or maybe I just need to say it out loud. Either way, here’s a messy piece of my brain from a corner of Chiang Mai that feels more like a secret than a business.
So, here’s how it started: I woke up with that restless ache. You know, the one that makes your coffee taste bland and your thoughts itch around your temples? I tried walking it off, ate a stupidly sweet pancake near Tha Phae Gate, and then ended up standing outside this Reiki sign that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned since 1998. Perfect, I thought. Imperfect places are sometimes the safest.
The room inside was tiny. A fan squeaked above my head. No soft music, no lavender candles pretending to be luxury. Just a mat, an old lady (she laughed when I called her old), and my sorry excuse for a calm mind. She motioned for me to lay down and asked, “What hurts?” I wanted to say, “Everything.” Instead I shrugged like a teenager caught smoking. She smiled, like she’d seen a thousand shrugs before mine.
If you’re new to Reiki, don’t expect fireworks. Or maybe do, who am I to say? All I felt at first was my brain whining at me: “This is pointless. You could be checking emails.” Then somewhere halfway through I swear I felt something shift. A little door in my chest cracked open. Maybe it was placebo, maybe it was my heartbeat learning a slower beat. Who cares.
When she moved her hands over my forehead, I felt tears slip into my hair. Not dramatic sobbing — just small leaks of things I never talk about. She didn’t flinch. Didn’t hand me tissues. I liked that. Sometimes you don’t need fixing, just witnessing.
Afterward, she told me to sit up slow. My head felt empty in the nicest possible way. Like someone swept out the corners I’d been too lazy to clean myself. Outside, the traffic still yelled at itself but somehow it sounded softer. Maybe that’s all healing is — your insides getting softer so the world doesn’t cut so deep.
If you’re curious what Reiki even is, here’s a decent rundown: What is Reiki? But honestly, don’t read too much. Your brain will overthink it. Just show up, say hello, breathe, forget your phone for an hour. Let someone else hold the space for your nonsense. It’s worth it, I promise. Or maybe not. Life’s weird like that.
One thing though — don’t expect spa glamour. Expect squeaky floors, maybe a mosquito bite, maybe your own tears. And expect to feel oddly grateful you didn’t spend the same money on a soulless foot massage at the mall. Chiang Mai has dozens of shiny places, but the dusty corners are where the good stuff hides. Just my two cents.
If you find this spot, be decent. Be on time, be quiet, tip well. People here don’t charge you for the extra bit of kindness they wrap around your tired bones. Maybe leave a tiny review somewhere, but keep it honest. Nobody needs a fake five-star writeup. This isn’t a chain franchise. It’s just a room, a kind soul, and your stubborn heart doing its best to remember it’s alive.
Anyway, I should go. The fan above my hostel bed has started rattling and the city outside my window is humming a lullaby only I can hear. If you need a break from yourself, maybe you’ll find one here too. Or maybe you’ll just find a squeaky mat and a gentle stranger who teaches you nothing you didn’t already know.
And if you’re still reading, you probably need this more than you think. Be gentle with your rough bits, friend. The world has enough sharp edges already.
For more stories about weird healing stuff, I sometimes peek at articles like this. Or I don’t. Depends on the day.
