Reiki Training FAQ
Do I need to have special abilities to learn Reiki?
Anyone can learn to practice Reiki. Most young children can naturally do Reiki with little instruction. Clinical trials have established that even those with skepticism can effectively heal with minimal training. All that is truly required is an open heart.
Can I do Reiki on myself?
Yes, many people believe that the essential purpose of Reiki level I is just that, self practice. The more you develop your own relationship with self practice the more it becomes part of your daily self care routine. When the bumps along your life path appear, being grounded in a familiar Reiki self practice is a tremendous benefit.
Can I learn Reiki over the Internet?
The Internet is a wonderful tool for sharing information. However, the experience of Reiki is much more than concepts. In the information age we need to be clear about the difference between information, knowledge and wisdom. Unique to Reiki as a energy healing modality is the Attunement process during which the energy represented by Reiki symbols is passed from teacher to student. Reiki Attunements, a key part of all Reiki trainings, facilitate the opening and expanding of energy channels and chakras enhancing the students ability to channel healing energy. In spiritual traditions the process of passing the energy of a teaching from teacher to student is called transmission and/or initiation. It has classically been necessary to be in the presence of the teacher to receive the transmission or attunement. However, times have changed.
According to Geshe Denma Gyaltsen, Director of Ligmincha Texas in Houston, it is, indeed, possible for a student to receive transmission or initiation long distance. Caveats are that the transmission or attunement be done in a live (non-recorded) format.
Why are attunements so important?
Attunements initiate the student into the healing lineage of Reiki Masters. All Reiki practitioners can trace their lineage back in time to Mikao Usui of Japan, the founder of modern day Reiki. An even older lineage of healing practitioners must be considered as Bön practices from Tibet continue to grow in the west. Modern day Bön Lamas and monks trace their tradition of healing practices in an uninterrupted lineage for 18,000 years. Lama Tsewang Rikdzen, who lived some 2500 years ago, both refined and committed to writing healing practices from this ancient oral lineage. Though much of the specific details about Mikao Usui's influences remain a mystery, the similarities between Reiki and Bön healing are undeniably profound.
Is being a Reiki practitioner the same as being psychic or a medium?
Reiki is a healing form. While many practitioners of Reiki find that their sensitivity and awareness increases over time and they develop abilities that could be considered psychic or medium, these abilities alone are not healing. However, coupled with healing ability, the perception of energy in an extrasensory or non-ordinary way ~ read psychic/medium, can be very powerful and effective in healing. Additionally, the practice of Reiki is a spiritual pursuit and requires impeccable integrity. The practice of mediumship and psychic ability does not necessarily share that clarity of purpose.
Is the practice of Reiki in conflict with my religion?
Reiki is non-denominational. It is intentionally spacious enough to include religions and belief systems. As we learn and practice Reiki we develop our own unique vantage point and expression with healing energy that can include your religious beliefs and practice.
How long does it take to complete all three levels of Reiki?
Most Reiki Masters who train students who actually use their Reiki training agree that the optimum timing is: Receive Reiki I training and practice for 6 weeks to 6 months then receive Reiki II training. If the impetus to continue is present upon completing Reiki II, Reiki III training may begin right away. A Reiki III apprenticeship continues over the course of a year. So the general minimum time for all three levels of training is one and a half to two years.
Is Reiki certified by any official governing body?
At this time in the USA, each state has its own requirements about registration and certification for Reiki practitioners. There is not an official governing organization and Reiki trainings can very immensely. However, you may be required to carry professional insurance in certain business situations. For additional information about insurance for Reiki practice ABMP (Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals) has been a reliable and informed company. http://www.abmp.com/home/