A person looking to find the best reiki center needs to consider what kind of reiki he is interested in practicing and how far within the practice he wants to progress in regard to training. A reiki center may focus on traditional Japanese reiki or Western reiki, and some centers allow a person to progress through training more quickly than others do. Reiki training also can be found online, though traditionalists believe online training is inferior to hands-on training, because online training does not allow the reiki master to touch the student’s energy field during what is known as an attunement.
There are three levels of reiki. The first level is learning how to give reiki treatments to others and yourself. The second level is learning the three reiki symbols and how to send distant energy for distant treatments. The third level is learning more symbols to give attunements and initiating others into reiki.
First-degree reiki courses are the basis for a student’s first lesson. They cover the basic procedures and theories of working with reiki. Reiki energy is channeled through to the student and is widened or opened through four attunements given to the student by the teacher. Students learn hand placement positions over the recipient’s body, which is considered the most conductive way to aid in the healing process for a whole-body treatment.
Some reiki centers offer a first-degree reiki class over the course of two days. Others say they can teach first-, second-, and third-degree reiki within a matter of hours. While some say reiki is too complex to learn fully in such a short time — some say the things that can be learned about reiki are practically endless — others disagree.
The second-degree reiki course is an advanced course that also is offered over the course of two days — or, again, a matter of hours — to students who have completed the first-degree course. Students learn the use of the three symbols said to allow distance healing and to enhance the healing effect. While some sources do offer this training online, it can take longer to complete that way, perhaps complicated by the distance between teacher and student.
Third-degree reiki courses are divided into two parts: reiki master basic and reiki master advanced. Reiki master basic can be taught over the course of one or two days at a reiki center. Reiki master advanced training follows, for a total of three to four days of training at some reiki centers.
A reiki center can offer everything a practitioner needs to know about reiki and reiki training. A student, however, must first decide how he wants to approach his training — thoroughly and in person, quickly, or distantly. He also needs to know which branch he wants to learn. With those decisions made, he then can set about looking for a viable reiki center that will meet his needs.