So You Want To Learn Reiki? Read This First

Reiki is a Japanese technique that is used to heal physical and mental trauma, and to support mental clarity and spiritual well-being. In Japanese, the word "rei" refers to a higher intelligence that permeates all living and nonliving entities and guides the inherent functioning of the universe. The word "ki" refers to the nonphysical energy that flows through everything that is alive, including plants, animals, and human beings—because of this, ki is also often called "life force energy," and is known as qi or chi from other lineages. The combination of these two words is what defines reiki as "spiritually guided life-force energy."

To administer Reiki, a practitioner channels life force energy through his or her hands unto another. It's said that the aforementioned spiritual guidance enables the Reiki to flow through the affected parts of the subject's energy field and charges them with positive energy. It raises awareness in and around the physical body where negative thoughts and feelings are contained. This causes the negative energy—such as stress, anxiety, physical pain, sadness, confusion, etc.—to loosen its grip, allowing the touch of the Reiki healer to swoop in and clarify the energy pathways.

Reiki is different from almost all other healing modalities. It’s actually transferred to each student from a Reiki master during what is called an attunement process. This process is said to open the crown, heart, and palm chakras and creates a unique connection between the student and the teacher. Once you have received a Reiki attunement, you will have Reiki for the remainder of your life. It does not "wear off" and you can never lose it.

I did my research and found Kristin Reed, a local Reiki master in Brooklyn, New York, who gives attunements out of her home. Her experience in energy work is extensive, she keeps her groups small, and I like the idea of learning about the practice in someone’s personal spiritual space. The first day was dedicated to Reiki Level 1: The First Degree training, and the second day was for Reiki Level 2: The Second Degree training.

There are actually three levels of Reiki (or four, depending on your teacher) for which one must be attuned before becoming a master—starting with Reiki Level 1: The First Degree. In my opinion, the most important piece of the Level 1 training is to ensure that the practitioner's energy channels are opened on a physical level, enabling him or her to connect to the universal life force energy, which flows from the cosmos through the crown of the head and into the heart and hands. This experience often causes many practitioners to report feeling sensations in their palms after the first attunement. I indeed felt an intense tingling while some of the other students experienced coolness, heat, or pressure.

After completing Level 1, I felt energized and full of hope. My faith and belief in the power of things we cannot see and perhaps don’t fully understand was heightened, and ever since, I’ve felt more mystified, excited, and intrigued by the universe at large.

Once we received our Level 2 attunement, we dove right into learning all about, as well as how to draw, the major Reiki symbols. These sacred symbols are each associated with a specific healing frequency, such as power, emotional wellbeing, and balance. They are drawn in midair before a healing session begins to help practitioners focus their energy on the most relevant frequency for the person they are practicing on, and to help them connect more deeply to the universal energy.

Though I haven’t had the opportunity to participate yet, the final phase of my Reiki education will be Reiki Level 3: The Third Degree and Reiki Master trainings. Most practitioners will take the Level 3 and Master training at the same time, as they are often the same designation.

Because becoming a master requires such a deep commitment to the practice, it’s important that one continually utilizes their Reiki healing abilities, meditates on which spiritual path feels right for them, and spends significant time considering and selecting a master to learn from. I hope to complete my master training sometime next year.

Learning Reiki has been such a gift for myself, and I hope for the people I’ve practiced it on. While I’m definitely itching to participate in a master program, I know that I still have a lot of practicing and studying to do before I feel confident enough to call myself a true Reiki master. Until then, I will continue utilizing the beauty of universal life-force energy to shape my world and the worlds of those around me—and for now, this is enough.

If you’re interested, I highly recommend finding a training near you, so we can all band together and raise the vibrations of the world at large.