Finding the Right Reiki Training
Every now and then someone asks me to refer a good Reiki Master in another area. While I don’t always know of a specific individual that I can refer, I do have a criteria that I suggest in order to find the right Reiki training for you.
Unfortunately the spiritual practice of teaching Reiki is exploited at times and it’s possible to buy a Reiki certificate online with the promise of a long distance attunement. (An attunement is when a Reiki Master tweaks the recipient’s energy field in order for Reiki energy to start flowing through them.) For arguments sake, a long distance attunement is possible but generally not recommended for the following reasons.
As Reiki is a very spiritual practice, it’s valuable to have that in-person connection with the individual who is training you. I would recommend finding someone in your local area who really cares about people and takes healing seriously. Having a Reiki Master with whom you feel comfortable in contacting to ask questions can be of great benefit. Every now and then, a practitioner may find themselves with an unusual circumstance where they require the guidance of an experienced Reiki Master. When purchasing Reiki training online or attending a workshop hosted by someone who isn’t local, it’s much harder to receive any follow up and you may be left hanging with unanswered questions or without opportunity to connect to a social group for practice, healing and sharing. Keep in mind that just because a person is local, doesn't necessarily mean he or she will be open to offering ongoing support in the way of advice, Reiki shares or other events, so it's important to know this before you sign up for the class.
Another caution is when Reiki I, II and Reiki III or the Masters level are taught all in one weekend. Although receiving the attunements too quickly won’t cause harm, you likely won’t be able to reap the full benefits of it. With each level of Reiki there is an energetic shift that takes place in the body. It’s a good idea to take some time to let this shifting settle before moving on to the next level. Each person is different in how much time he or she needs to process the energetic shift. Some people are fine to do level I and II within a weeks time. Others needs weeks or even months before they are ready. I recommend waiting several months between level II and III or the Masters level. My general rule of thumb is to wait until a person feels called to their next level. This is when they will receive optimal benefits.
Reiki is very gentle and in the worst case scenario of receiving attunements too quickly, nothing will happen. There will be no energetic shift because the person isn’t ready. What can be done in cases such as these is to have the person go back and get re-attuned at a later time. I always offer opportunities for people, whether they are my students or someone elses, to audit my classes for a very low price. This gives the opportunity to review the entire workshop, fill in any gaps in training and get re-attuned.
The last thing I’d look for in finding a quality training experience, is to ensure that there are reading materials provided with the workshop. People can only retain a small portion of information at once so reference material becomes very important once the student leaves the classroom.
For more information on Reiki training, or if you have any questions you would like answered, please don't hesitate to contact me at EmbracingMyLight@gmail.com.