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How to Select A Reiki Teacher

Is it important to ask questions? My experiences over the years have told me that it can make a difference in your Reiki experience. Please bear with me for my perhaps lengthy approach, but I like you to understand why you want be informed on some of the issues. It will save you from some possible disappointments later.
Reiki was introduced from Japan to the US by Mrs. Takata in the late 1930’s. Mrs. Takata lived on Hawaii; she was the daughter of Japanese immigrants. The teaching was “held together” by her until she died in 1980. She had trained 22 Reiki Teachers (Masters) in the last few years of her life. While Mrs. Takata was alive they did not train other Reiki Teachers out of respect for her. It was only after 1980 that Reiki spread world-wide and really found acceptance in the western world. Later, teachers started to change this form of Reiki. Some people thought Reiki was too expensive and they made up their own forms of Reiki. They had to find a different method to transmit the Reiki energy to their students and experiment with different symbols. You can find today more than 100 different forms of Reiki as a result. Most have their own name, even trademarks. Some of them also contradict each other and impose conditions or restrictions of life style. In other words: It’s a jungle out there. In principle we distinguish roughly between “Traditional” and “Non-Traditional” Reiki.

Traditional indicates the lineage of the originator Dr. Usui, Dr. Hayashi, Mrs.Takata, and one of the original 22 teachers trained by Mrs. Takata. This form is certified and known as “Usui Shiki Ryoho”. Non-traditional is everything else. The greatest differences are found in the “attunement process”. It is the attunements that make the flow of Reiki energy possible. Many teachers state to teach Usui Reiki, but in reality his teaching has been changed so much, going through so many western teachers who are eager to “improve” things. Some changes were already made by Mrs. Takata and she had also left out some of the information and techniques. I think she thought we westerners wouldn’t really understand it. Much has been discovered in Japan in the last few years and rectified by some teachers. No one in the West can honestly state to teach the Original Usui Reiki, but what we have here at present is the best we can do. Many teachers from the ”Traditional” as well as the “Non-Traditional” background are very dedicated and do wonderful work but many do not. It is for this reason you must know a little about your teacher.

To help you clarify what you need I have below suggestions for questions to ask. We all have different expectations and agendas and not everything I have addressed seems important to you. Also keep in mind that intuition should play a role in our decision making. The good old “gut feeling” is a reliable tool for some of us.

1. When did you first start with Reiki and when did you become a teacher?
2. Have you worked professionally with Reiki and offered Reiki treatments?
3. Did you attend Reiki classes in person or did you receive the teaching and attunements via email and books, or get it on eBay?
4. Are the attunements I receive permanent even if I don’t use Reiki regularly?
5. What is taught in the class?
6. After I take your course will you still be available for questions and assistance in the future?
7. Do you hold regular Reiki Sharing to expand my abilities and promote my own healing?
8. Do you support your students to set up their own Reiki practice in your town?
9. Do I need to take all three levels of Reiki to be effective?
10. Do I have to stay with the same teacher for all levels?

Try to get a feel for the teachers you interview and ask yourself if you could or would want to have an ongoing relationship with him or her.