If you are considering hiring, studying Reiki, or becoming a Reiki practitioner read on! Reiki is amazing, even if you only want to learn to practice on yourself, there are a number of important considerations that are beneficial to mull over before choosing that special energetic teacher to attune you or work on you. Working with an energy body is a BIG deal. Getting attuned could be life changing, or it could be just another few hour class you took in your life that really didn’t do much. I speak to a lot of people who say “I took it years ago and never really practiced.” or “I learned Reiki but it was just half day course and I didn’t really ever do anything with it or even understand it that well.” What a sad thing. Reiki is such a monumental life event, if the student is ready to receive and works at it.

We definitely need to get good research and outcome data on Reiki. Certain considerations will benefit us in the work of getting data on this method. I am a proponent of teaching Reiki in a 3 year college course that. A Reiki I class that has consistent supervision and 100 hours of clinical rotation. In order to build intuition, confidence and understand Reiki, one must let it build.

Whether Reiki comes in and creates a massive shift or it’s just something that you did, could depend entirely on a number of factors.

1. How a student has progressed in their own personal growth. IE: how much work they’ve done to recognize and overcome the ego, habit patterns, and negative programming. All of the above lends to negative emotional states which will impede the Reiki. “What are you feeding the field?” Meditation is pertinent.
2. The quality of the ‘channel’. Does the student keep it clean? Reiki comes through stronger when the channel is clear.
3. The Reiki Master Teacher, their experience, training, practice, and how they practice and how expansive their teaching methods and long-term support is.

There is a discussion that can take place during the initial interview of a “REIKI MASTER” to get an understanding of who they are as a teacher and as a human being.

1. How long did it take you to become a Reiki Master?  Grand Master Usui trained students daily over a minimum of three years. He gauged their professional practice, worked along side them and expected daily self-Reiki. Only those dedicated to the path were allowed to become a higher level Reiki practitioner. A master teacher is important. If a teacher didn’t apprentice under another master who can vouch for their methods, if they didn’t have oversight and help organize and teach Reiki I & II classes, then they didn’t apprentice. It is now possible to receive a ‘master’ certificate by mail, I wouldn’t call it ethical though. I ask, how can one learn to teach if they do not witness multiple classes being taught and assist their master in teaching classes?? Some teachers will give a ‘master’ level within a few months after learning Reiki I. I’m not sure why this happens. Ask: What does it take to master a trade? Do I just want a certificate to say I am something, or am I committed to really learning this?
2. How long was your Reiki Master course, and did you teach classes as part of it? You want to be sure that they were actually taught how to teach by a strong ethical teacher. The Reiki Master courses I teach are usually 10 days long, on a retreat from sun up to sun down. The course includes teaching a Reiki I and Reiki II course. Ideally you want to get your master training from the teacher you’ve worked with for years. Once you’ve already been organizing classes with them and witnessing attunements through your apprenticeship you will be confident about becoming a teacher yourself.
3. How long will it take me to become a Reiki Master though you? If they are willing to give you a Master Certificate right away, without even knowing your personality, the chances are they are you won’t get a strong hands on lineage. The chances are, this could be about creating money, not ethical Reiki practitioners. My answer to this question is:  “It would take three years- five years minimum if you are a strong practitioner and are dedicated in your self-care, and care of others to master this energy. But first, lets talk bout Reiki I and see if that changes your life!”
4. How many people have you attuned, how many attunements do you give for each level and do you give individual attunements? They should be well versed in attuning. Our lineage says FOUR attunements for Reiki I and TWO for Reiki II. Each attunement would be given to each person not a group attunement or sent by distance. Though you can send attunements remotely, it’s important to be face to face when getting certification.
5. How many hours a week do you give Reiki to others? How many hours to yourself? A strong practice is important for the attunements to be strong. Strong teachers would be professional practitioners.
6. Do you teach Reiki I and Reiki II together? This is important because Reiki doesn’t require licensing, there are no set standards in Reiki. People learn Reiki I & Reiki II in a simple two day course. But that doesn’t even touch the surface of teaching a solid practitioner, in my opinion. In order to get really established on the path of Reiki it takes a minimum of two full days of training (for six or more students) to fully explain and experience the process of transformation and individual attunements. Then a full year to develop that energy between Reiki I and II. You may hope for a ‘no’ on this one. I know I always do.

Reiki training given by a stringent and ethical Master Teacher with decades of experience in the field isn’t about money, it is about ENERGY. We must teach respect for the life-force energy and providing teachings in the highest possible frequency. In order to truly represent and respect this beautiful divine energy, strong ethical practices and pure intentions are pertinent. Then the teacher can witness students over time and create strong practitioners. If you feel differently, feel free to leave a comment. I am open to viewpoints.

The only students I have attuned to Reiki II are the special onse who call me monthls later and ask me many excited questions. Questions about the energy they feel flowing, and the interesting things that are happening in the year(s) after their Reiki I certification. If they haven’t had a deep opening after Reiki I, then there is no need to provide them the Reiki II certification. Most profound students need to speak about the miracles happening through and around them. If not, then they could be either using their first level to progress on their path to gain more maturity on a spiritual/psychic level. If Reiki I doesn’t change their life and make them want to learn more and more,  then are not practicing enough to have the need to move to the next level.

Reiki I is for everyone! But, it is my understanding that no one needs Reiki II certification unless they are planning on practicing professionally.  So why give professional level instruction, before they’ve even built up a Reiki flow or provided one treatment? By piling stuff to do on top of Reiki I, you just keep the ego functioning within the session. The person is asking themselves ‘what should I be adding right now?’ and the ego is firmly in the mix. It’s important to learn to let go of ego, and let the Reiki intelligence grow and flow first. Reiki I students are still Reiki babies when receiving level I attunements and that is BEAUTIFUL! I would like to see Reiki I taught over a year with clinical rotation hours given and notes on each session taken by the practitioner BEFORE entering into a Reiki II conversation much less a class. This is what I ask of my students.

If you are planning to practice professionally, then I would think you would be working hard to develop the flow of reiki by giving MANY treatments over the course of a full year and documenting them to show your teacher, and your teacher should ask before giving you Reiki II. I would think you would want to be sure to practice in order to be a good light worker with a strong connection, before you worry about getting paid as a professional. Dr. Usui taught students in a college like environment in a dedicated center where they spent large amounts of time for three solid years before ever becoming Reiki Masters. Only Madame Takata the last grand-master became a Reiki Master outside of his school, and that was because she set up her own practice in a clinic and worked daily transforming lives utilizing her Reiki training. Then she was visited by the second Grand Master of Reiki, Dr. Hyashi who believed she embodied the ideals that Reiki stood for and bestowed the honor of Reiki Master onto her.

If we want to create strong practitioners that are getting well-paid to give treatments similar to that of an acupuncturist or massage therapist, don’t you think it’s worth while to give them sufficient training and actual apprenticeship before sending them off to just get paid? If we want to show evidence that Reiki works then we need some standards.

Ask yourself why Reiki II?

Reiki II is MAGIC. Why would you teach magic to someone that you don’t know? Why would you teach MAGIC to anyone unless you know that person has worked hard, has a humble ego and strong, ethical practice?

Why would someone be willing to give the tools for entering a persons field REMOTELY if this person hasn’t already built up a strong Reiki practice on themselves and others in person? Students benefit from being apprenticed through a master that helps them in understanding deeply the ethical implications of entering someone’s field remotely. Unless you’ve entered multiple treatment fields for at least a year and practiced to understand how to interpret the Reiki, and it’s intuitive powers you are still a new practitioner.

If we had set standards for time spent training in Reiki, then we would be much more likely to get good science on Reiki because the practitioners would have sufficient time to build up their flow. We would be much more likely to be taken seriously by the medical field if there was serious training.

If we do scientific studies on Reiki, it will be beneficial to set study standards for practiced professionals with three to five years minimum experience. We can work with ‘hobbyists’, but unless they’re doing hours of reiki professionally each week, then the flow will not be strong and the studies will not be positive as they could be.

This practice is a spiritual practice. This practice is a meditative practice, as such the practitioner will advance on their path if they are doing Reiki consistently. Why rush? If you want to rush ask yourself, is this ego? Why would you take away the profound change that can come through practicing Reiki I on friends, family, plants, animals and see the softening effect it has on the ego? Why pile Reiki II on top in the SAME WEEKEND? Really?  Reiki master in just a few months? Remotely?

I understand that many people want instant gratification. Many want to be able to say they are  ‘masters’ and have that on their resumé. You can pay for, and get any certification you want, but you are NOT a master of anything, unless you’ve put in 10,000 hours. Ask how one could ‘master’ an energy this profound without working at it –and without it absolutely changing your life over time, and on many levels.

So, anyone who tells me they got Reiki I and Reiki II in one weekend? I would beg their teacher to reconsider their methods and ask them to take my Reiki I course and see why it takes two days minimum. Anyone who became a master remotely or within a short period of time and WITHOUT a professional practice on clients who are paying them to provide a consistent supportive care presence, they are not a master regardless of the certificate they bought.

When you get attuned by someone who has energetically aligned themselves with a higher source over a long period of time and practiced diligently in every area of their life, you can feel a shift. Things will change.  This is the only thing worth your time and attention and energy, and oh yeah money too.