Frequently Asked Questions
 | What is reiki for? Do you have to ‘believe’ in it |
| These are Dr Usui’s own words from his explanation of Reiki therapy:
‘The Usui Reiki Therapy….does not therefore require an explicit consent on the part of the patient, or any loyalty to the practitioner concerned.Not only that, we practitioners of the Usui Reiki Therapy do not mind however much our practices are doubted, held in contempt or rejected. For example, the Usui Reiki Therapy is remarkably effective in treating even those who are unconscious of the world around them, such as infants* and patients with serious diseases…A great deal of diseases, displaying mental or physical symptoms are cured…The therapy does not involve the treatment of the body’s diseases alone. It can remedy a troubled heart or anguish, imbecility or a poor constitution generally, cowardice or timidity, indecision or infirmity of purpose, nervousness and other unfortunate conditions.’ *Parents and guardians are legally responsible for the health of their children and are required to consult a medical practitioner | |
| | What does it feel like to have a reiki treatment |
| During a treatment, you may feel reiki energy in a form such as heat, cold, tringling, a breeze, energy movement inside, or muscles twitching. Some people may feel pain in old injuries as the Reiki restimulates the healing process. You may also experience colours, sounds or smells or some sensation from one of your other senses. Alternatively, you may feel nothing at all. It is not important to understand what each experience means, just to accept it as part of the experience. What matters is to be aware of what is happening in your body during a session and notice what happens to your symptoms over a period of time | |
| | What is involved in a reiki treatment |
| Reiki can either be given in person, or sent ‘long distance’ (also known as distance healing’).
There is no need to remove any clothing. In general your reiki practitioner will either ask you to sit on a chair or lie on a couch in a comfortable, relaxing room. It is also up to you to indicate a preference. Reiki healing can take a number of forms, according to the techniques being used. The most common way is to place the hands either near or on the body, but there are other ways of giving reiki healing. Generally,the practitioner will give an all-over treatment. However, if you have a particular physical issue, such as a broken bone or a particular localised problem, a practitioner may spend much of the time focusing on this area. Reiki can also be beamed from a distance and the breath can also be used | |
| | Can anyone learn reiki? |
| These are Dr Usui’s words ‘From eminent scholars, both male and female, to the illiterate, can, if they are equipped with common sense, impressively cure their own diseases within a short time, and unerringly acquire the spiritual power to cure the diseases of others’
Like learning a musical instrument, it requires dedication, focus and daily practise for the best results. An attunement is only the start.
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| | Are there contraindications to Reiki? |
Reiki is a very safe system. It does not impose itself on a person. In itself it is always safe.
It does not work in the same way as spiritual healing as it is generally taught and any contraindications to this do not apply to Reiki.
There is no evidence of any contraindications to Reiki when it is used by itself.
If it is used in conjunction with other therapies, then the contraindications to those therapies apply.
Reiki offers your body, mind and spirit the opportunity to come back into balance. What your body, mind and spirit do with the energy is their choice.
If you are currently taking medication, then you are responsible for checking if at some point there may be a reduced need for medication, if your body, mind and spirit have chosen to bring themselves back into balance.
If you have, or are treating someone with severe mental health issues, it is wise to chose someone who has specialist knowledge of this area or to gain expertise in helping people in a professional and informed manner. This is nothing to do with Reiki. This is to do with practitioner skills and would apply to any area. | |
| | How does Reiki work? |
We're still looking for the person who has found the answer to this!
However, in general, Reiki students receive attunements from their teachers which allow them to bring through Reiki. The Reiki has been shown through e.g. experiements at Arizona University (communication from Melinda Connor) to manifest increased infra red radiation from e.g. the palms. It is believed to offer the body, mind and spirit the energy to bring itself back into balance. People received Reiki often go into a deep state of relaxation where the body's healing systems can work more effectively.
Reiki can be used on people, animals, plants – in fact for any living thing. See Theory & Research for more information | |
| | What are the questions I should ask of any Reiki Teacher before training |
When you are looking for a teacher, it’s a good idea to have a list of questions to ask them before. This is a fairly comprehensive list that is based on a list from www.reiki.org
Q. How long have you been working with Reiki? Q. What training have you had? Q. Were you attuned in person by your Reiki teacher? If a person has not been attuned in person, there is no way their teacher can certify that they are competent through having watched them give Reiki in person.
Q. What type of attunement were you attuned with? What type of attunement will I get? NB If the answer if Reiju, this will not attune you to Reiki. A Reiju is a blessing for people already attuned to Reiki. A complete attunement process is required to connect students to Reiki. Our information is based on the most knowledgeable source in the UK. However, there has been unfortunate confusion in the Reiki world about this.
Q. How often do you teach?
Q. How many hours in-person study does the course entail? An absolute minimum for Reiki 1 is 8 hours and very often double this. For Reiki 2, expect a minimum of 8 hours initial face to face training and often much more than this
Q. How much does the course cost to take?
Q. Am I required to do any case studies/number of hours practise in order to be certificated
Q. How do you personally use Reiki?
Q. What is your lineage? NB the new (2005) UK Reiki NOS (National Occupational Standards) state that you must be able to trace your lineage back to Mikao Usui. A lineage is the list of teachers that links you back to the founder of Reiki, Mikao Usui. Always ensure a teacher gives you this. All Western Reiki will have Chujiro Hayashi as the second person after Mikao Usui. Other lineages from Japan will other people as the second name. NB: Any lineage with Suzuki San in it is not a valid Reiki lineage, as firstly Suzuki San has stated that what she is sharing is not Reiki and secondly Suzuki san was never attuned as a Reiki master. Q. What qualifications are required to take Reiki Training? Q. Will I get a certificate and a comprehensive manual? Q. Can I take notes? Q. Is there a Reiki support group in my area or can you help me establish one? Q. Will you openly support me in being a successful Reiki practitioner or master? Q. Do you have a positive respectful attitude toward other Reiki practitioners and masters regardless of lineage or affiliation Be aware of how you feel about their answers and if they are responding in a loving manner that is supportive and empowering. Listen to your heart and gut intuition and you will be guided to the right teacher. Click here to find a Reiki HATS Teacher | |
| | What is a lineage |
| A lineage is the chain linking you back to the founder of Reiki and is specified in the new National Occupational Standards for Reiki as a requirement for professional practitioners wishing to be on a national voluntary Register. When learning Reiki, ensure your teacher can trace their lineage back to Mikao Usui. There are lineage tracing services available for Reiki students who are not currently aware of their own lineage.. | |
| | How do I find a teacher? |
| The Reiki HATS website has a list of all its member teachers. They will all be fully insured and have character references and testimonials. Teachers listed as 'Registered Reiki HATS Master Teacher members have also provided references from students and taught Reiki for a minimum number of hours. | |