AIMS & OBJECTIVES: Twenty-six cancer survivor volunteers participated in a study of the efficacy of perceived relaxation after performing restorative yoga combined with Reiki.RESULTS: Subjects scoring high ratings of Meaning and Peace in life demonstrated greater perception of depth of relaxation. A comparison of subjects receiving concurrent Reiki (19) and restorative yoga with those who only received restorative yoga (7) showed that Reiki subjects experienced greater perceived depth of relaxation than subjects who were not afforded the Reiki intervention. Non-Reiki participants also showed more difficulty overcoming intrusive fearful thoughts than the Reiki group. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical implications suggest that patients should be screened and treated for trauma-like symptoms including intrusive thoughts linked to anxiety and depression before referral to complementary programs that offer meditative or relaxation interventions.