If you’re exploring energy healing, you’ve probably come across both Reiki and Pellowah — and wondered how they compare. It’s a question I get asked constantly, and I’m in an unusual position to answer it: I’m a qualified teacher in both modalities and have been practising and teaching them for well over a decade.
The short answer is that Reiki and Pellowah are both legitimate, powerful forms of energy healing — but they work quite differently. Neither is ‘better’ than the other. They simply do different things. Let me explain.
Reiki is usually the best place to begin with energy healing.
It is practical, grounded and surprisingly quick to learn. In a good Reiki 1 course, you learn to connect to Reiki energy, practise self-healing, work with others, use hand positions, sense the body’s energy, and begin developing confidence in your own innate healing ability.
But Reiki is not just “hands-on healing”. In the traditional Japanese understanding, it is also a spiritual path. It uses meditation and ki to help heal the body, emotions, mind and soul. It gives you a foundation, not just a technique.
This is why Reiki is such a good starting point. Once you can feel energy clearly and let it flow without strain, other systems make more sense. You have something solid under your feet.
Pellowah is a different beast.
It is a high-vibrational energy healing system that works in the auric field rather than directly on the physical body. There is no touch. The practitioner’s hands hover above the body, and the focus is less on physical healing and more on consciousness, clarity and inner shift.
That makes Pellowah especially good for people who like to work intuitively. It is freer, subtler and less structured than Reiki. Some people feel a lot during a session. Others notice the effect afterwards as decisions become clearer, old patterns loosen, or life begins rearranging itself in ways that are both helpful and slightly inconvenient.
It is not better than Reiki. It is not worse. It is simply doing a different job.
Here is how the two modalities compare across several important dimensions:
| Reiki | Pellowah | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Japan, 1920s | Australia, 2003 |
| Touch | Hands-on or hovering | No touch (hovering only) |
| Primary focus | Healing and relaxation | Expanded consciousness |
| During the session | Warmth, tingling, deep calm | Often subtle; shifts unfold later |
| Self-treatment | Yes, daily practice encouraged | Not a core component |
| Distance healing | Yes (from Level 2) | Not traditionally part of the system |
| Research base | Growing body of clinical studies | Limited formal research to date |
| Training levels | 3 (Level 1, 2, Master) | 2 (Level 1, 2) + teacher training |
Reiki tends to produce noticeable effects during the session itself. Most people feel something — warmth, tingling, emotional release or simply a profound sense of peace. It is excellent for stress relief, pain management and creating an immediate sense of wellbeing. Because you can practise Reiki on yourself, it becomes a daily tool for self-care.
Pellowah works differently. During a session, you may not feel much at all — and that is perfectly normal. The real effects of Pellowah tend to emerge over the following days and weeks. People commonly report greater clarity, a stronger sense of purpose, improved decision-making and a feeling of being more ‘connected’ to themselves. It is particularly effective for people who feel stuck or who are going through a period of significant personal change.
I sometimes describe it this way: Reiki is like a warm bath for your energy system — soothing, healing and immediately restorative. Pellowah is more like recalibrating your internal compass — the results are profound, but they reveal themselves gradually.
Think of Reiki, Pellowah and Chi Activation as different tools.
If you need to smack down a nail, you want a hammer. If you need to chop down a tree, you want an axe. If you need to delicately remove a splinter, please do not use either unless you enjoy catastrophe.
Reiki is the best foundation for most people because it teaches you energy through the body. It is hands-on, practical, calming, grounding and excellent for self-healing. If you are new to energy work, start there.
Pellowah is ideal if you are drawn to intuitive, no-touch work in the auric field, especially when your focus is consciousness rather than physical healing.
Chi Activation is generally more advanced. It works strongly with chi, chakras and higher-energy development, so it often suits people who have already learned something like Reiki and want to go deeper.
The key is not to turn one modality into a religion. Different tools for different jobs. That is the sensible approach. Also the least exhausting.
Absolutely — and many people do. Reiki and Pellowah complement each other beautifully. Reiki gives you a practical, hands-on healing tool for everyday use. Pellowah adds a deeper layer of consciousness work that can accelerate personal growth.
Having taught both for many years, I can say that learning both modalities gives you a broader toolkit and a richer understanding of how energy healing works. They are not in competition — they are different pathways that can be walked together.
Many of our students start with Reiki Level 1 as their foundation and then explore Pellowah later. Others come to Pellowah first and find that Reiki adds the hands-on healing component they were missing. There is no fixed order — follow your intuition.
Have questions? Call us on 0417 328 457 or send us a message. I’m always happy to help you work out which path — or paths — are right for you.
Jeremy O’Carroll is the founder of Om Reiki Centre and the Australian Pellowah Centre, and has been teaching both modalities for over 18 years.
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