Studying Reiki
Like many facets of the practice, reiki instruction has evolved over the years, and students now have a choice between more traditionally structured classes and a wide range of alternative teachings. In this chapter, we’ll look at how reiki was taught in Usui’s time (as best as we can gather from available documentation) and the modifications made by reiki teacher Hiroshi Doi, who sought to blend traditional Japanese reiki and Western developments in his system of Gendai Reiki. We’ll also cover average course costs and how to select the right teacher. For more information on non-traditional systems, see the Appendix A.
Levels of Training
Here we look at the three levels of study in Usui’s traditional system, as well as the four-level format created by Hiroshi Doi, which blends characteristics of Eastern and Western reiki.
Usui System
In the original system as taught by Usui, there are three levels of training: shoden, okuden, and shinpiden, and as students progress through these levels, they are assigned a proficiency number, from six (the lowest) to one (the highest). It is said that Usui rated himself at proficiency level two, acknowledging that one should always leave room for self-development.1 The proficiency levels could be considered as an energy ranking system with which teachers could determine when a student was ready to learn new techniques, receive “new energies,” and progress in their studies.2
• Level One, Shoden: Upon receiving their shoden (level one) initiation, a student was given the proficiency level of six, called roku-to, and they were required to practice for some length of time, presumably determined by the teacher who monitored their progress. They were taught byôsen reikan hô, a scanning technique in which the practitioner glides their hands over the body, intuitively sensing where imbalance or illness lies, and upon mastery of this technique, they would progress to proficiency level five, or go-to. After further practice, the student was instructed in reiji-hô, whereby the hands are guided intuitively to areas of the body in need of treatment, and the student would reach the fourth proficiency level, known as yon-to. When they had fully mastered this technique, they would progress to the third proficiency, or san-to, and would be eligible to progress to okuden (level two) training.
• Level Two, Okuden: The Reiki Ryôhô no Shiori, a brochure published by the Gakkai, describes this second ranking as “Mastering Secret/Mystery teachings to become a healer.” 3 In the question and answer portion of the Reiki Ryôhô Hikkei, Usui explains that “Okuden includes Hatsureiho, patting with hands method, stroking with hands method, pressing with hands method, telesthetic method and propensity method. I will teach people who have learned shoden and who are good students, good conduct and enthusiasts.” 4
Okuden training was divided into two stages: okuden-zenki and okuden-koki, the latter of which would be completed over a lengthy period of time. During this level, the student would receive three separate attunements to the energies of focus, harmony, and connection.
• Level Three, Shinpiden: During the third level, shinpiden, the student would receive an additional attunement and learn how to give the attunements to others. After demonstrating proficiency in these techniques and a commitment to meditation and energetic practices, the student would become an assistant teacher (shihan-kaku), eventually progressing to shihan, with the ability to teach their own students. The remaining two proficiency rankings, two and one, were not associated with a specific level of training, and the Reiki Ryôhô no Shiori states that only Usui himself achieved ranking two, and one is described as “noble status.” 5
Hiroshi Doi’s Gendai Reiki System
Hiroshi Doi’s Gendai Reiki system divides the learning material into four levels.
• Level One: In level one, you receive an attunement, which is performed three times to open the energetic pathways, allowing you to use reiki immediately. Doi describes the attunement as “set[ting] up the conditions to connect with Reiki energy and becom[ing] a pathway for it by following a particular procedure.” 6 Students are given an overview of reiki, including the history and basic philosophy; they are taught the basics of healing (hand positions, aura cleansing, etc.), using reiki for healing on self and others, the basics of conducting a reiki session, reiki healing for animals and plants, how to use energy to purify places and charge or infuse objects, various healing techniques, and giho (methods) for self-purification and self-growth.
• Level Two: In level two, three attunements are given, one for each symbol and kotodama (the mantra or sound associated with each symbol), which Doi says will “allow you to harness Reiki energy with more potentiality,” while also using reiki in different ways, such as sending it to the past or the future or to distant places.7 This level focuses on healing with the symbols and kotodama with detailed instruction for each symbol, traditional Japanese giho (methods), and additional techniques for self-purification and self-growth.
• Level Three: The third level once again uses three attunements, this time in association with the fourth or master symbol. Teachings include detailed instruction on fourth symbol usage, how to connect to the higher self or higher dimensions, how to deepen your meditation practice, Usui’s philosophies, making use of reiki in daily life to achieve spiritual awakening, and further techniques for self-purification and self-growth.
• Level Four: Finally, level four is for reiki masters who wish to teach, and the training includes learning the theory of and how to perform attunements, how to behave and live as a reiki master, what to teach in each level, further instruction for all four symbols, reiju (what Doi refers to as “Japanese attunement”), and how to perform the “integrated attunement with all four symbols for a new Reiki Master.” 8
With so many branches of reiki now in existence, the curriculum varies widely from school to school, ranging from a more traditional three-level system to seven levels, one for each chakra, or more. When looking for a suitable program, it’s helpful to start by determining which features are important to you.
How to Choose a Teacher
Do you want a teacher with a clearly mapped lineage or certain qualifications? Are there certain populations that you wish to practice with, such as conducting sessions in a healthcare environment or working with animals? Are you looking for more traditional teachings or are you curious to try different “flavors” of reiki, such as Karuna Reiki or Shamanic Reiki (see Appendix B)? If your interests are more specialized, this will likely narrow your search, as there are a smaller number of teachers specializing in, for example, Shamanic Reiki than the more traditional branches.
Other considerations include in-person or online instruction; cost; class size and level of individualized instruction (if any); post-instruction support and community; length of the training (this can vary from a couple of hours to multiple days stretched out over months); and, if you intend to continue your studies, the minimum amount of time and practice requirements in order to progress from one level to the next (some programs smush all levels into a weekend; others require a month or more in between).
In terms of course cost, this can vary a great deal among teachers and schools, but a higher price tag does not necessarily equate to a higher level of instruction. As of this writing, a fairly typical cost for a level one or two course is between $100 and $400. Some teachers charge more for master-level courses, anywhere from $200 to $1,000 (or more!). The Reiki Alliance’s website lists the following prices for courses, stating that “each step of the Usui System path has a specific monetary fee”: $150 for level one, $500 for level two, and $10,000 for level three.9
There are also teachers who feel it is unethical to charge anything for reiki instruction, and while I can understand arguments around not wanting to create a financial barrier to spiritual energy, personally, I feel this is conflating two things: the energy itself and the teacher or practitioner’s time. It seems unethical (and misguided) to set oneself up as the sole source of this spiritual energy and charge people for access. We all have access to reiki; it is (I believe) an innate part of existence that no one need pay to use. However, a teacher’s time is a finite resource, and as a teacher myself who has real-world bills to pay, it would be impractical and unsustainable for me to work for free. Do we need to charge the moon and stars for our courses? Probably not, but from my perspective, it is completely reasonable to be compensated for one’s time and skill as a teacher or practitioner.
As a general rule, I advise steering clear of teachers who claim to teach the only “real” form of reiki or otherwise suggest that their teachings are the sole route to healing, enlightenment, and so on. In addition, avoid teachers who claim that their attunements expire after a certain amount of time. I look for teachers who are transparent about their background and aren’t trying to manufacture an impressive lineage, are knowledgeable about their subject material, and have an attitude of, if not humility, humanness to them. If a teacher is very invested in cultivating an untouchable guru persona, this is usually a red flag for me. Finally, I tend to avoid programs that require excessive secrecy. Certainly, respecting proprietary materials and the privacy of fellow students makes sense, but if secrecy is mandated in a cult-like fashion, this sort of learning environment doesn’t appeal to me. In the end, you’ll have to be the judge! Do whatever research you can about the teacher or organization; speak to past or current students and the teacher, if possible; and use your intuition.
1. Stiene and Stiene, The Reiki Sourcebook, 136.
2. Stiene and Stiene, The Reiki Sourcebook, 309.
3. Reiki Ryôhô no Shiori, ed. by Kazuwa Toyokazu (Tokyo, Japan: Usui Reiki Ryôhô Gakkai, 1974), 7.
4. Rick Rivard, Reiki Ryoho Hikkei, last modified July 21, 2011, http://www.threshold.ca/reiki/Usui_Reiki_Hikkei.html.
5. Rick Rivard, Reiki Ryoho Hikkei, last modified July 21, 2011, http://www.threshold.ca/reiki/Usui_Reiki_Hikkei.html.
6. Doi, A Modern Reiki Method for Healing, 25.
7. Doi, A Modern Reiki Method for Healing, 26.
8. Doi, A Modern Reiki Method for Healing, 28.
9. “Usui Shiki Ryoho,” The Reiki Alliance, accessed March 22, 2019, http://www.reikialliance.com/en/article/usui-shiki-ryoho.