Learning Reiki - Your Reiki and Energy-Healing certification questions answered ...

Sarah-Louise

10 minutes ago

23 min read

Everything You Need to Know About Learning Reiki - From a Reiki Master Teacher and Intuitive Energy Healer

When I first started learning Reiki level 1, I had so many questions … Although I knew I wanted to do it, I had no idea what to expect or what the process would be like. There wasn’t that much information available online (or I struggled to find it anyway), so here I have consolidated the most common questions I get asked as a Reiki Master and someone who has online certification courses … and I’ve also included some questions that I personally had or wished I had known beforehand.

If you have been curious about starting your Reiki journey, or if you’re just interested in knowing more about the process - hopefully this article helps to answer some questions, helps you feel a bit more prepared to start, or supports you in deciding whether this is the right path for you!

This is in a full Q+A format - so let’s dive in ….

Can everyone really become an energy healer?

The way I answer this is by comparing it to a musician. Some people are born musically attuned. They leave the womb already in tune and able to very quickly pick up new instruments and read music - it is a natural ability. But even those who aren’t naturally like that can still learn, right? Some may take a bit longer, and it may take more practice - but it is absolutely possible.

When it comes to energy work - it is the ability to feel and sense energy that can take some time to open up, not the actual ability to channel it. Everyone can channel it, but your ability to feel it happening, and your ability to sense what is going on for someone else and in their energy - that is what can take time.

For most, it is a sense that has been switched off since childhood, and so for some students that can take some time to open back up again (but it is absolutely possible for everyone).

If you feel you are already sensitive to energy, if you get overwhelmed being around lots of people or certain energetic spaces, or if you feel you can already pick up on what someone is feeling, or going through - then you are already most of the way there in terms of sensitivity, and as I said, that is the part that can take time.

Many people think that energy healing is something that comes from the practitioner and that you either have that ability or you don’t -but that isn’t the truth. Energy healing comes THROUGH the practitioner, and so for something like Reiki - you are simply being a channel for it … it isn’t coming FROM you. You are becoming the vessel, and this is something we can all do.

What I will also add here is - if you are drawn to Reiki, or energy-healing, whether just for yourself or to help others - that isn’t a mistake, and it is usually because there is a very natural ability or energy you can channel that is already there laying dormant. Most of the population go through life without ever feeling curious or called towards energy work, so if you are feeling that way - trust it is for a reason and there is something in it for you!

What are the levels of Reiki? (Reiki 1, 2 & Master explained)

Some lineages have their own level system, but with the Usui Reiki system (the one I teach), the levels are as follows:

Reiki level 1: This level is the foundation to Reiki. This is where you start, and where you can start without any prior experience or knowledge of Reiki, energy healing, or working with energy in any capacity.

In this level, you will get attuned to Reiki for the first time, and learn how to work with Reiki on yourself, and on friends or family. It’s where you learn how to do a full self-healing, as well as the hand positions and how to facilitate a healing on others (in a non-professional capacity).

After Reiki level 1, you will be able to shift your own energy, manage your emotions and inner world through energy work, and also support any physical pain and your wellbeing. Many teachers will also teach you here how to give Reiki to animals, plants, food and spaces (this is what I offer).

Reiki level 2 is for those who have completed Reiki level 1 (and generally there is a time period or practice period you are advised to move through before moving onto this level).

This level is where you become a practitioner, and after completion and certification, you are able to professionally work as a Reiki Healer or practitioner (whichever title feels best for you). You learn in this level how to facilitate distance Reiki healings and work on people anywhere in the world (this is how I work with my clients).

You will also be attuned to and learn the three main Reiki symbols, how to work with them, and how to incorporate them into a healing session (as well as other ways to work with them).

As this is practitioner level, you learn how to work with others in a professional capacity, how to hold sessions, and how to get started with a business (I am not 100% sure this part is taught by all teachers but in mine I teach this).

Reiki Master and Reiki Master Teacher are commonly taught together although not always. You would be required to have completed Reiki level 1, 2, and there is normally at least a year or a minimum number of hours of practice before you can get certified for this level.

Reiki Master is where you learn (and get attuned to) the Reiki Master symbol, as well as normally learn more advanced healing skills, tools and practices. The skills and tools taught here are generally not as uniform as the other levels, and really do depend on the teacher and their own practice.

The Teacher part of this certification is sometimes a separate certificate or sometimes combined … but this is where you learn to attune others, and how to teach and share the practice of Reiki with others.

Other lineages may have different levels, and teachers tend to sprinkle their own teachings and tools throughout the levels in a way that is aligned with them and their practice. This is why finding a teacher you personally resonate with, and also like working with as a client - is very important when starting your Reiki journey.

What is the difference between Reiki and Intuitive Energy Healing?

Ok, so I can only comment here on what Reiki is compared to MY Intuitive Energy Healer certification, because intuitive energy healing isn’t a set system like Reiki - it is a lot more fluid, therefore, many people may use it in different ways.

So, before I explain the difference, I need to share what the process of energy healing actually is. Energy healing is when you channel energy into a person’s energy field, ultimately helping to alter their frequency, and helping to move, open, or unblock certain energies from their energy body or energy field. This can work on the physical body, energy body, emotional body or spiritual body.

Now, while that loosely remains the same for the majority of energy healing - the frequency that a practitioner works with to do that, and therefore the effect that has on the client can be different.

Reiki is ONE frequency that can be worked with.

Reiki is a beautiful, loving, and gentle frequency, and a very traditional, well-known form of energy healing. It is very powerful on its own, but it is also an amazing foundation for all forms of energy healing as you learn how to channel energy (no matter which frequency) and how to work with the client with that.

This is why Reiki level 1 and level 2 are prerequisites to my Intuitive Energy Healer certification.

But Reiki isn’t the only frequency that can be used. I deeply believe that if you’re called to Reiki, or healing work, or even just curious - it is because there is a frequency that YOU are here to channel. Your Soul has its very own energy signature and in my IEH certification, I help activate this (with an activation session), and teach you to work with it and start channeling it yourself. Now, this energy is unique to each student - it isn’t just another set system. I deeply believe that if you’re called to this work it’s because you’re not just meant to learn and use someone else’s system - but you’re meant to open up to your own healing energy.

The way I teach and activate this, is with the support of your Spirit Guides and Higher Self, and so this energy is always of the highest light, and for everyone that has moved through this certification it feels like a much higher frequency than Reiki. Not because Reiki isn’t already high (it is), but this is coming from a very different place. It feels a lot stronger, more potent, and creates faster shifts than Reiki (even at master level).

This is what I work with in my sessions with my clients. I rarely use Reiki, it is always this energy I channel, which is why my sessions are generally very different to a traditional Reiki session.

The other layer to this is the intuitive aspect. As a channel for Spirit Guides myself, in this course I also teach you to open up your four main intuitive channels, and how to start channeling and connecting to your Guides (or any Spirit), and how to bring that into sessions to amplify the healing work, and to bring through messages and guidance for the client. This is the magic. It’s not for fortune-telling or predictions, but to bring guidance, validation, support, and direction for them. This is where sessions go from being relaxing, healing and supporting to deeply transformational.

This course and certification is unique, and so as I said, this isn’t a universal description of Intuitive Energy Healing, but more what I share and teach inside my certification!

What is the difference between learning Reiki online versus in-person?

It all comes down to how you best learn a new skill.

In-person trainings are usually completed in a day or weekend within a group. You’re taught everything, given your attunement, complete practice sessions, and receive your certificate at the end.

Whereas online the format is slightly different. It’s generally able to be done over a longer period of time, and has the potential to be a bit more thorough because of it.

I can’t speak for all online trainings, but with mine specifically, you get access to all video content where I thoroughly guide you through everything step by step, including full demos. Because there are no time restraints, I also share more than one method for energy-healings and for all the steps involved, so you can find one that really aligns with you. You get to learn in your own time, and of course you can rewatch and refresh your learning as much as you want.

With many online certifications, you will receive attunements as part of a group, however, inside mine you’ll receive a private 1:1 attunement alongside a full energy healing and Spirit Guide channel (so it’s completely catered to you).

Again, with mine specifically, you also get a bonus course on Vibrational living - which teaches you daily practices and tools for managing your energy and feeling great outside of actual energy healings. These teachings wouldn’t be able to be shared in-person just because of timings, and also you wouldn’t be able to take it all in, integrate it, and remember it alongside the Reiki training itself.

Which is better for you will just come down to your own learning style and which suits you best. I have done both, and I personally learn better in my own space, integrating information over time versus trying to absorb everything in a day or two. If you’re better at classroom-style learning, in-person might suit you more, and that’s ok! You’ll know what works best for you.

There isn’t really a black and white answer to which is best - it all comes down to preferences in learning and what you want out of your training and certification.

What is a Reiki Attunement?

The Reiki attunement is essentially the initiation into Reiki. It is where the Reiki Master opens up the student’s channel to Reiki energy through a process of energy exchange and transmission. I don’t agree with the premise that it is what ‘gives’ the student access to Reiki, or the idea that this is how Reiki is passed down from teacher to student because, honestly - energy is far more intelligent than that. But it is a part of the ritual and ceremony of learning Reiki, and it does support you in opening up your own channel to access the frequency of Reiki.

I actually have an entire blog about attunements, and a bit more on the history, and my realistic take on them. You can read my blog on Reiki attunements here.

Are attunements as effective remotely as in-person?

Yes! And for many people, it feels MORE effective, in the same way energy healings are often more powerful remotely than in-person.

When we work with the physical body, we need physical proximity. But with Reiki and energy work, we’re working on the energetic, emotional, and spiritual body. We don’t need to be in close proximity to access these levels of a person.

Why remote attunements can feel more powerful…

Many people find that when they’re in their own space, when they’re not being watched or monitored - they open up so much more. They’re more relaxed (therefore more open to receive). They may experience more sensations, visuals, messages, or other common experiences because their energy field is more open when they feel calm and safe.

I’ll openly say I was hugely sceptical about remote work until I tried it, so if you’re concerned, I totally get it. But once you experience any sort of remote energy work or attunement, your relationship to energy will change forever because you’ll FEEL the effects and get a whole new respect for the power of energy.

Proof it works …

My students have become INCREDIBLE healers and practitioners after online attunements. Many regularly send me testimonials from their clients saying “that was the most powerful healing I’ve had.” I can assure you, online attunements are JUST as powerful as in-person.

What are the Reiki symbols and what do they do?

The Reiki symbols are a part of the Reiki practice that is taught in Reiki level 2 onwards. There are traditionally three symbols that you are taught and attuned to in Reiki level 2, and then another in Reiki Master level. There are also some lineages that teach some extra symbols throughout the levels and at Reiki Master Teacher level.

Each symbol has its own purpose and intention, and ultimately each brings a different frequency to the healing or area you are working on. They help bring more focus to the healing, to the energy, and also to the practitioner.

The Reiki Symbols are a big topic, and are also an area that has quite a lot of nuance and can create some controversy in the Reiki world (not because of their existence but in the way they are taught).

I actually wrote an entire article on the Reiki symbols, you can read my blog on the Reiki symbols here.

How do you become a certified Reiki practitioner?

Traditionally, you just need to complete your Reiki level 2 certification - this is the Reiki practitioner level. Reiki level 2 is only available once you have completed and got certified with Reiki level 1.

Once you have your Reiki 2 certificate - you will be able to then get insured and be recognised as a Reiki practitioner. What the requirements are for that will be different depending on the Reiki Master.

Generally speaking, you will need to complete and be present for the days of training (or watch all content if online). You will have to have received your attunement, then you will have to do practice sessions and complete some case studies. How many hours of practice or how many case studies are needed will depend again on the Reiki master or the governing body.

For mine specifically, there is also a quiz at the end that you will need to take. This quiz is very easy but just ensures you have actually watched all the content.

How long does it realistically take to become a confident practitioner?

There is no set time frame for this to give a definite answer, as some people may already be more confident holding space and facilitating other forms of holistic practices (therefore this will just be another skill in their toolbox). I will say practice is the only way to really get there and to gain confidence … there isn’t really a cheat code for it. The more you practice, and the more you help and get results with the friends or family you practice on - the more confident you will become because you are SEEING the results in front of you.

You will also become more confident sharing it with others the more you practice on yourself, and the more you see improvements in your own life.

I find some people skip right out of my Reiki level 2 training ready to go - feeling confident and competent and that is amazing, and for some they feel they need more time to keep practicing and believing in themselves … both are perfect. With my trainings specifically, I give 1:1 support, and so I am able to support and guide you in the areas you don’t feel confident, and support you in building that confidence so you feel ready and empowered to share your gifts!

Are all teachers of Reiki the same? How to choose the right Reiki Teacher or Master?

Not all Reiki teachers are the same at all. Just like not all English teachers are the same. They may be working with the same syllabus, but how they deliver it and their own experience of the work will completely change how they teach it. A good example here is with Yoga teacher trainings. The curriculum for the governing body might be the same, but the teacher will teach it in a way that is aligned with them. So some teachers have a lot more focus on anatomy and the science, whereas some really focus on the philosophy and scriptures. Others might really focus on the class planning and creating creative sequences, and others might give a lot of extra time to adjusting …. it’s the same curriculum, but they will each bring a different expression of it.

A good question to ask is what parts of Reiki or energy healing really interest you? What areas do you naturally want to know more about? What areas do you resonate with? Are you really into the tradition of it? In that case, you want to find a teacher that focuses on that. Do you want to work with Spirit Guides and Angels? If so, find a teacher that brings them into the healings (pssst - I do). Are you someone that wants to work intuitively? Or does that not appeal to you? Do you need someone that is grounded? Or do you want someone that is the opposite? You want to really resonate with them as a person, their energy, their teaching style, and also how they live their life. What are their beliefs on energy? How do they talk about it, and does that resonate with you? Are they embodied in the work? Do they live and breathe what they do? (in a healthy way). A teacher will teach as they do, and so you have to resonate with that as that will be the lens of which you will learn through.

The other thing to consider is the format, and everything else they offer. Does that suit you? Some people offer 1:1 support, some don’t. Some have other extras and some don’t. You want to make sure it all resonates with you and what you are looking for. For example, in my certifications, I offer 1:1 support, a bonus course on vibrational living, which is all about learning tools and practices for managing your energy day-to-day outside of energy healings. I also include a bonus module on the nervous system which includes tools for regulating yourself and healing your nervous system over time, and also a bonus session on facilitating group healings online and remotely - now none of these are standard ‘Reiki’ training curriculum at all, but I offer these because I feel they have been life-changing for me, and therefore it’s what I offer. But other practitioners may have their own things they share that have been impactful for them (or they may not have anything extra, and that is also ok).

You don’t want to pick just any teacher thinking they’re all the same experience because it just isn’t how it is. Know what your values are, how you learn, what sort of teachers you learn best from, and what areas of energy and spirituality you are aligned with - and find someone that matches all of those.

If in doubt - book a session with them first. You will get a good idea of the sort of work they do and therefore what they will teach from that … and you’ll get a pretty good feel from there!

And lastly - trust your intuition. If you get a bad feeling, trust that. If you get a good feeling and feel excited to learn from this person especially - trust that!

What makes a good practitioner?

What makes a practitioner ‘good’ is going to be very specific to the client and what they are looking for, but generally speaking, here are my thoughts. A really good practitioner is going to have grounded knowledge of energy in general. They aren’t just going to be following the steps in the right order to perform a healing - they are going to understand energy. They are going to understand how it moves, and what makes it move, how it impacts us, how vibration impacts us, and the energy of emotions. When they have this foundation of knowledge, it takes their read on energy, and their ability to cater a healing to you and what you need very differently. A grounded approach to energy I believe, is vital.

I also feel a good practitioner is a good listener and space holder. They show up with compassion ALWAYS, and don’t use fear or scarcity to impact their work. There are far too many practitioners out there using scare tactics to tie people into more sessions or to getting extra treatments - and it saddens me with the inauthenticity of it. A good practitioner doesn’t need to do this, and will ALWAYS ensure their client leaves feeling better, more empowered, and more themselves than when they walked in.

I believe a GREAT practitioner is someone that has honed their unique gifts, and works intuitively (without any projection) - always for the benefit of the client. This is something that takes time, and practice - but is when truly deep healing and activations can occur for the client.

How do you know you’re ready to start your Reiki or Energy Healing journey?

There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong time to start your Reiki journey, the only way of really knowing is whether your intuition is saying Yes or No. It might be the ‘right’ time on paper, you might have some time off, you have the capacity, and the time to practice - but your intuition says no …. or alternatively, it might be the wrong time on paper, you might think it makes no logical sense right now - but yet your intuition says yes, and that is what you need to listen to above the logical mind.

Our mind only knows what it has been told, what it has learned, or what it sees from others - whereas your intuition is pulling information from other places such as your Soul, and your energy field … and that is the intelligence I would listen to time and time again.

When I first started my Reiki journey, it was completely intuitively led. It didn’t make sense to me. I was a coach at that time, and until that point, energy healing was something that I hadn’t really had a calling towards. I respected it, and liked the idea of it, but it didn’t feel like something I needed to do. And then after an experience in meditation, it intuitively opened up energy work for me - only I had no idea why. I had no idea why I was feeling called towards it, I didn’t even really know much about it! I had zero expectations, and just went into it with the idea that it would be a fun experience if nothing else.

I personally never did my trainings with the intention to share it with others. I did it purely to explore myself. I very quickly saw such shifts from it in my own life, that I felt called to continue on to the next level, and then eventually I was led to share it within my sessions (where it slowly took over my work). Energy healing was bringing more results and immediate shifts than any other tools, and it was bringing me more joy and purpose sharing it!

Now, that was my path, and that might be exactly what you will end up doing too, but it might also not be. It might be Reiki or energy healing is just for you, and that in itself is enough - it is life-changing all on its own, and the most valuable tool I believe you can learn to manage how you feel, your emotions, your beliefs, your nervous system, and your experience of life.

You really don’t need to know why you are being guided towards it right now, you just need to trust each step at a time and trust it will all become clear when it needs to - don’t try to understand it.

So to answer the question - you know you are ready when you feel it. When you feel a calling to it. A curiosity towards it. You know it’s right when you feel that pull whether you know why or not.

The only time it isn’t right is when your intuition is saying no (again you don’t need to know why), or if you’re just doing it because you think you should, or it’s what other people are all doing etc. Make sure the decision is coming from you, and that it’s something you feel drawn towards … and trust that.

Some people might say not to do it during really busy times, but I would say - maybe that’s exactly when you need it! When you need the relief and immediate relaxation that learning Reiki can give you. It doesn’t take long to learn how to do a full healing from start to finish, and what a great tool that is to have when you are going through a busy or challenging time.

So I would say not to listen to any ‘shoulds’ or rules - just your intuition! And trust whatever it is telling you is your answer, and you don’t need to know why right now.

Can you lose your Reiki ability if you stop using it?

If you don’t use Reiki in a while, whether a while for you is months or years - you may feel very disconnected from it, and you may feel like you have ‘lost’ your ability to channel it …. but that doesn’t mean you have.

Once you have opened yourself up to a certain frequency like Reiki, you can access that again at any point … you can’t be closed off from it after that.

If though, you were in a situation where it’s been a veerrry long time (like a couple of years), and if you felt extremely disconnected from it, what can be very supportive is just booking an energy healing session from a practitioner you trust. You wouldn’t need an attunement again, just a healing session would be enough. This will just help to clear your energy and your channel, and help your frequency come back up to the vibration of Reiki (meaning you would feel more connected to it again). This is literally all you would need.

There is no need to worry or feel like you HAVE to do healings regularly or you will lose it … that isn’t the case. BUT what I will add is that regular healings are what create the big transformations over time … so that’s the real reason you would want to stick at it!

What is the difference between giving yourself energy healings versus getting them from someone else?

There are a couple of angles here to go into. The first is what the difference is in receiving a healing from a practitioner versus yourself. The second is the benefit of actually doing self-healings consistently.

So to start with - what is the difference in how it feels to receive a healing from a practitioner vs a self-healing?

From a practitioner:

You get to be in full receiving mode. You get to be completely open to receive the nourishment, feel held, looked after, and cared for

You get to be fully present with the experience, to notice everything you are feeling and that is shifting

The practitioner (if working intuitively) will be able to pick up on things that you might not be seeing yourself. If they are a good, clean channel (and pleeeease be discerning with who you trust for this) they will be able to read things from a much higher, wider perspective, see your blind spots, and be a very supportive mirror for you (and they may bring guidance through for you depending on their work).

Equally, if someone isn’t a clear channel, and projects onto you, that can actually be extremely unhelpful and can actually cause harm (so please be discerning)

Self-Healing:

You are the channel and the receiver. You can still relax deeply, and go into a deep theta state, but there is still an element of you guiding and controlling it

You get to be in control of it, and really direct the energy and intention exactly where you want it to go in each moment

Most practitioners find themselves to be the hardest people to read intuitively. You will generally have your own bias, projections, judgments and preferences to most things, and so when it comes to working intuitively on yourself - this may be harder (but not always)

Many people find they feel safer in their own space without being monitored or observed, and therefore their energy fields are more open, and therefore the healing is more responsive. Equally though, you can get this from doing virtual healings (depending on the format of it).

Now, although there are big benefits to both of those, the real game changer to self-healings is in consistency. The best part of learning self-healing is that you can give yourself healings every day if you wanted to - and THAT is the power move.

When you receive an energy healing from yourself or from a practitioner, there are a few stages to it. It’s a little bit like hair care. The first stage is clearing and shifting your energy back to yourself. This is what happens normally after just one session. This is like the shampoo stage. After a session, you feel a shift, you feel lighter, clearer, and back to your own energy - and your experience can be completely different after this.

But when you do very regular healings, you start to shift and expand much deeper layers, and this starts to shift and change actual patterns, beliefs, behaviours, and perspectives on yourself and the world. It starts to actually heal things on a much more permanent level. That’s not to say you can’t do that with one session (depending on what it is, sometimes one session is all it needs). But with much deeper-rooted aspects, and the nervous system, and ingrained patterns - it is the regular and consistent energy healings and energy work that change you and your vibration on a foundational level. This is the conditioner stage. You strengthen, expand, and come back alive and thriving!

This is why my mentoring clients have such big shifts in their lives, because they have regular and consistent healings with me (as well as coaching).

But very regular healings might not be possible for everyone - time-wise or financially.

That’s why learning how to do it yourself is one of my biggest recommendations to anyone looking to really change their life. It is literally the cheat code to living a more easeful, peaceful, happier, healthier, more abundant, regulated, supported, and purposeful life.

As well as this, you get to be extremely responsive to what you need. You wake up funky? You can sort that out with a quick energy healing. Now, I’m sure some healers could work last minute, but the majority don’t … and also if you could shift your energy in just a quick 10-minute healing yourself - wouldn’t you want to?

Whatever you are feeling, you can move and shift it (and help it) with some energy work.

You feel stagnant? Energy work

You feel frustrated? Energy work

You feel overwhelmed? Energy work

You feel ungrounded and unable to focus? Energy work

Just feeling low? Energy work

There is no emotion or feeling that energy work cannot help. I CANNOT imagine getting through life without having the ability to shift my energy always in my back pocket.

And so while there aren’t HUGE differences when it comes to actually receiving them, there is a huge benefit to having the ability to shift and change your own energy - for daily fixes, as well as long-term transformation.

I would say the IDEAL scenario (for the most benefit) would be to learn self-healings, work on yourself regularly and consistently, and then alongside that - have occasional (or regular) sessions with a practitioner you trust. This means you get the shifts that come from consistent healings, as well as the tools to shift how you feel immediately, but you also get the reflections and the healing itself from a trusted practitioner.

If you are working professionally as a healer - I would say of course - give yourself your own magic as much as you can … but get regular healings from someone else too. As the saying goes - Healers need healing too (you can’t give from an empty cup!).

It’s my hope that you have had any questions you had answered, but if you do feel like you have more, then please feel free to ask away in the comments, or send me a private message and I will do my best to answer!

I have mentioned throughout these answers some of how I personally work and teach this work … and so if how I work resonates with you, then it would be an honour to support you on your journey - whether that is at the beginning and at Reiki level 1, or if it is to help you expand with Reiki level 2 or Intuitive Energy Healer.

You can find out so much more about my courses with this link here, but of course, if you have any questions, just get in touch!

Any questions, just let me know!

Sending you so much love