Written by Laura Tio and Elena Oulianova
This is a second article of a series on Reiki classes. In the previous one, I talked about all the benefits that learning Reiki can bring you. In this one, I’ll try to help you keep some things in mind at the moment of looking for your Reiki teacher.
Finding the right Reiki teacher for YOU can be draining and confusing, there are a lot of options when seeking on the internet. How do you know if the teacher has the necessary knowledge and experience? Here are some points that you should check out when doing your research:
- Do all Masters/Teachers provide the same level of quality in their teachings? In the book “A Modern Reiki Method for Healing” by Hiroshi Doi, author says that he used to think that there were no differences between Masters, nevertheless, now he changed his mind. There are definite differences of energy levels and quality. He says “I guess it is because we now have more Masters with some varieties of levels. Actually, there are some seminar-takers (students of Reiki) who are not sure about the effect of Reiki and who easily receive negative energies”. One has to keep in mind that the practice of Reiki is composed on three aspects:
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- Understanding the essence of the Universal energy.
- Contacting or connecting to Universal energy (that you have understood).
- Learning how to use it.
Therefore, when living in Reiki you connect to the Universal Source, the lights of Love, Compassion, Harmony, Wisdom and many other lights. The Master should be able to be driven by these and not by the ego. I strongly recommend that you contact the teacher; talk over the phone, video chat, look at their website and social media, ask for references, check out their brochures, but most of all, follow your INTUITION. Is that person giving you a good vibe or is kind of ego-driven?
2. In-person or online? Traditionally, Reiki was taught in person, nevertheless with the covid-19 pandemic this has changed as many other things in our day-today lives. William Lee Rand from the International Centre for Reiki Training, says: “Now, more than ever, the world needs Reiki. It is up to us to listen to unlimited potential of Reiki and let it guide us into the future where the people of all the world’s religions and spiritual paths work together and create peace among all people on earth.” This is why Holy Fire® III Reiki Online training is now as effective and in-person, because the energy has received an upgrade to make energies stronger and empowering to support distance Placement and attunement without compromising the quality of the energy received by the student. Nevertheless, the ability to channel Reiki is passed on from the teacher to the student through the attunements or placements and this is done live. Therefore, classes can be done online but always should be offered in live-classes, specially when receiving the placement. So, to answer the question
3. Is the teacher a member of any organization? As Reiki is not a regulated practice is important when master/teachers are registered with some organizations like the International Center for Reiki Training (ICRT) or the Canadian Reiki Association. It’s not mandatory but when they are, the teachers must follow the same course outlines, Code of Ethics and Standards of practice. This ensures that the teachers follows guidelines when teaching.
4. What kind of learning material does the teacher use? Is the teacher providing a complete manual, a book or handouts? The more information you receive, the better! For example: The Reiki manuals from the ICRT have all the information you need and much more, with almost 200 pages of Reiki amazingness.
5. Ask the lineage of the teacher. Each Reiki practitioner MUST have a lineage, a record of who they learned from and who their teachers learned from and so on. At the top of that chart there is ALWAYS one name, Usui Sensei, the founder of Reiki. No matter what Reiki system the teacher is teaching, ALL true Reiki came from Mikao Usui. Having a lineage going back to Usui Sensei shows you a proof of a true Reiki system.
6. Reiki is taught within 4 levels. In the next article I’ll write will provide you with more detail on all the topics you should be learning in each level, but to give you a general idea here’s what you should be taught.
- 1st level: you learn how to give Reiki to yourself and others. From this level you can give Reiki to others. If the teacher recommends you not to do so, it’s better if you do not sign up for the training. Reiki is to be shared not to be restricted. It is the Higher Source that brings the energy into you to channel to others. Once you’ll receive the ability to channel Reiki, all you have to do is ask for Reiki to flow and it comes. Practice as soon as you receive it and enjoy it!
- 2d level: you learn how to do Distant Reiki and use three sacred symbols.
- 3d level: Advance level, often taught together with the Master level (4th). There is plenty to learn there including the Master symbol and how to teach Reiki to others. There is no 5, 6, 9 or 12 levels of Reiki. If the teacher offers such levels, these are additional courses they created which can be interesting but it is not Traditional Reiki system as Usui Reiki Ryoho System or Usui/ Holy Fire® Reiki system.
7. How approachable is the teacher? It’s always nice when the teacher is available to answer questions, is approachable and does follow-up after students completed the level to help them develop confidence in their practices. Ask if the teacher offers it.
8. Does the teacher encourage you to add your own twist into your practice? One of the beauties of Reiki is that you can easily combine it with other energy healing techniques or practices, like ThetaHealing®, crystals, tarot, meditation, Archangels, sound healing, shamanism, channeling, mediumship, and many others! Your teacher should encourage you to practice adding your own talents to it and benefit fully. Reiki is a pure healing energy that works so well with anything you add it to! Feel free to experiment and discover how you like to do things in your own practice.
I hope this will help you do your search and find the best teacher for your training!
To check on some additional questions you can ask a Reiki Master, click on the following link to access an article from William Lee Rand, founder of the International Training for Reiki Training:
https://www.reiki.org/articles/questions-ask-reiki-master
Remember you’re MAGIC!
Laura and Elena
You can find Elena at Reiki Montreal.
