As more and more people turn to complementary medicine, the demand for Reiki has never been higher. In my own practice, there has been an increase in enquiries about it. Perhaps during lockdown people are considering their health. I do feel that the practice will change however in the coming months. This blog is my Reiki prediction. Oh, and some thoughts on the matter.
Firstly, What is Reiki?
“Reiki” (ray-key) is Japanese for ‘universal life energy’. It is a term used to describe a natural healing system. Reiki helps bring about an improved sense of well-being and a positive feeling of spiritual renewal. This tradition was founded by Dr Mikao Usui in the early 20th century. It evolved as a result of his research, experience and dedication. Reiki is a tradition that is open to any belief system. Its benefits include deep relaxation and the promotion of a calm peaceful sense of well-being.
The method of receiving a Reiki treatment from a practitioner is simple. The recipient remains clothed and comfortably lies on a couch or sits on a chair. The practitioner gently places their hands non-intrusively, on or near the body using their intuition and training as a guide. There is no massage or manipulation. Reiki can be used on the person as a whole, or on specific parts of the body. It is also possible to receive Reiki at a distance.
How is it taught?
Reiki Master Teachers teach Reiki. They have trained in the tradition passed on, in person, from Master to student. Students go through a process of attunement to the Reiki energy. They are then able to treat themselves and others, not only from a personal and emotional perspective, but also as an aid to individual development and spiritual growth.
Prediction – Changes are coming. As a fully qualified and insured Reiki Master Teacher, I support high quality training. It is clear, however, that more and more Reiki courses are available online. People are turning to e-learning and internet courses. This is no bad thing, however in Reiki circles it can cause issues.
Let’s look at an example. You sign up to a £29 online Reiki Master course. Perhaps you actually read all the notes and watch all the videos. You may or may not practice the deepening techniques. The progress bar indicates you have completed the course. Congratulations – you can download your certificate and be a Reiki Master! It probably only took a day or so to complete.
Really? Would you trust your mind, body & spirit health to such a Reiki Master? I know I wouldn’t. But how do you know the person only got certified via a cheap online course? What is to stop someone setting up in practice even after a weekend’s in person training?
Regulation Prediction for Reiki
Prediction – This is where regulation steps in. At the moment, in the UK, there is no legal requirement for professional practitioners to be regulated. Many reputable Reiki Practitioners and Teachers choose to register with a professional body. Some of these practitioners and teachers undertake a process of voluntary regulation. This sets them apart from the less well trained Reiki Masters. This process is entirely voluntary.
When you register with a professional body, such as The Reiki Guild, or the UK Reiki Federation, they verify you. They check your training. You submit your certificate and your lineage back to Usui. They check your lineage. If you had attunement in person, you are verified. Professional bodies support you and provide guidance for your practice. The Reiki Council sits as an advisory body. It consists of various Reiki professionals. If you wish, you can submit an application to be professionally verified by them. Your professional body will assist. You need to have this for regulation.
Regulators, such as the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council then regulate your practice. You sign up to a code of ethics and you agree to carry out continuous professional development each year. Once regulated, you can apply to work in public settings such as the National Health Service.
My Reiki prediction is that over the coming months, as more and more people turn to Reiki, regulation will become compulsory. If nothing else, it will raise standards of practice and training across the board.
Is regulation a bad thing?
Regulation is no bad thing – it does raise standards. Initially when I first started out with Reiki, I didn’t like the thought of rules and regulation. Reiki is a natural healing process – so why regulate it? I now realise that it is the training that needs to be regulated – not the actual practice. Intention and intuition are key factors in a Reiki session. Nobody can impose regulation on that. Practitioners need to be free to work within their intuitive abilities. However, just like other professions, practitioners must only work in accordance and within the boundaries of their training. If the training is useless then the practice won’t be much better – right?
Prediction – more distance attunements?
I mentioned earlier that you must have in person attunements in order to be professionally verified. As lockdown prevented many teachers from running classes, this question has arisen again and again. Do distance attunements work? Why should attunements only be in person?
Traditionally, Usui passed the initiation or attunement to his students in person. But let’s take a step back – Usui was the founding member – he was attuned spiritually. Surely this indicates that distance attunements are possible? In fact, if we leave attunement to the side for a moment, what about distance sessions? I know that Reiki healing works just as effectively across distance as it does in person. During lockdown I offered distance sessions. The feedback was awesome. So why not distance attunement?
Again, it comes back to the cheap online training options. The tutors offer distance attunement. I have tried several for myself, to make an informed judgement on them. They do work -I have used online courses and distance attunement to assist with CPD. My main practice is professionally verified of course. These additional top up sessions were simply for additional training and research purposes.
Any harm in it?
I don’t see the harm in distance attunements at Level 1 Reiki. In fact I am working on some online Reiki theory courses myself. Reiki should be accessible to all and moving online helps that. However, my online courses will be created to a high standard. Distance attunement will only be offered at Level 1. I will also offer the student the option of attending in person for a full attunement if they are able to do so. My certificates will indicate that it was an online course so there is no confusion.
For professional practice, the in person training, additional professional modules and adherence to the Reiki core curriculum must apply. Reiki prediction – more and more distance attunements will be done. I also predict that tightening of regulation will mean that only in person attunements will be allowed for professional practice.
My prediction is that professional bodies may have to adjust their strict views on attunements. Time will tell whether they ever accept distance over personal!
Personal or Professional Reiki
Let me just mention that you can, of course, learn Reiki for purely personal reasons. Not everyone who learns Reiki goes on to become a professional practitioner. I would urge everybody to take Level 1 Reiki – if only for the positive benefits of daily personal practice. Personal Reiki practice opens up the world of energy healing and meditation to you. It is a wonderful self-healing tool. In this instance, if you receive proper instruction and guidance, online courses can work a treat. Just make sure the Reiki Master offering them will remain available to answer your questions after the course ends.
Let’s throw another Reiki prediction in here. I predict that more and more people will find Reiki in 2021.
I have many students who have trained with me right up to Reiki Master level – all for personal use only. There is no need for you to concern yourself with regulation if you never intend to practice professionally. However, I feel it is important to choose a qualified teacher who has undertaken all the necessary training to understand the theory and practice of Reiki. You can check whether a Reiki practitioner is registered with the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) by searching the register at www.cnhc.org.uk. By choosing Reiki practitioners registered with the CNHC you can be confident that they are properly trained, qualified and insured.
What are your thoughts?
Let me know what you think. Are you a professional Reiki Practitioner? Have you learned Reiki solely for personal use? Where do you stand on the question of regulation in our ever changing world? What is your own prediction?
Comment below or get in touch.
For more information about Reiki and the other services I offer please visit https://rocksnrituals.co.uk. I am professionally verified by The Reiki Council and am a registered teacher with The Reiki Guild. I am regulated by the CNHC.
