There is the traditional method that can be traced back to Mrs. Takata and we have the nontraditional Reiki training where the classes often are expanded to include for example scanning, beaming and balancing of the chakras.
There is also more and more contact with Japanese Reiki Practitioners and this will hopefully give us a better understanding of Mikao Usui's original teaching methods.
The Reiki Master talks about the Reiki principles and about some of Reiki's history. Then the student receives an attunement and the rest of the day is spent on practicing the hand positions.
After the attunement the student becomes a Reiki Practitioner and is now ready to channel Reiki, universal life force energy, through her/his hands.
This first attunement is also called the physical or awakening attunement. It is the initial opening of the healing channels and it often results in a detoxification process that takes up to a month. Your intuition will also develop and this will be helpful both when you practice Reiki and in everyday life.
Some people already have healing hands and will feel a stronger flow of energy and for others it is a first time experience. The Reiki flow can manifest itself in different ways but it is often felt as a warm or tickling feeling in the palm chakras.
Reiki can be practiced to heal others or as a self-healing.
The Reiki 1 Practitioner will now be introduced to three Reiki symbols and learn distant healing.
Suddenly, boundaries of space and time becomes transparent. With distant healing, Reiki can be sent to the past or future, or to heal someone that is in another place.
The fact that it can be sent to the past makes it possible to treat old traumas from this or previous lives. This is part of the total healing process where emotional and mental issues as well as physical are addressed.
After this attunement the student often goes through an emotional healing process that takes up to six month.
Reiki 3, consisting of Advanced Reiki training and Master training, is a natural step for those who want to teach Reiki.
The world is in need of Reiki, and some nontraditional Reiki Masters now teach Reiki ART & Master courses for a fraction of what the traditional Reiki Masters used to charge.
Advanced Reiki Training (ART) is an intermediate class between Reiki 2 and Master. It was introduced by Reiki Master William L. Rand at The International Center for Reiki Training, USA.
During this class the student will be introduced to specific methods of meditating on the symbols, connecting to Reiki Guides, scanning the aura, beaming the energy and any other healing aids or therapies the teaching Reiki Master is familiar with. For example crystals, gemstones, pendulums and floral essences to mention a few.
Two more symbols are also introduced, these symbols are both used when giving attunements. One of them are also used during healing.
