"Healing should be dealt with from an holistic perspective. While I personally, have benefited greatly from traditional medicine and am a steady proponent, I truly believe my current state of well being is attributable to the healing of the mind, body, and spirit in unison. Reiki can do this." - Kirk A Johnson

What is Reiki? | History of Reiki | Reiki Standards and Differences | Governing Bodies
Reiki Certification | Differences in Individual Treatments | Is Reiki Faith Healing?
Who Can Do Reiki? | What Happens in a Reiki Treatment?
Which Health Problems Benefit Most From Reiki? | How to choose a Master?

The Reiki Alliance has created a standard of instruction, Code of Ethics and a Review Board.  The powers of this Board are restricted to the ability to rescind membership in the Alliance only.  To my knowledge there is no other governing body with similar powers within the Reiki community in North America.  However, Germany (and therefore the EEC) is embarking on a program to licence all health care practitioners including Reiki.  In the future, all practitioners will be required to have a recognized college or university degree.  The dangers of this program are not immediately apparent.  Most gifted healers work and learn intuitively, not in a linear fashion.  To coerce healers into a standardized, linear, educational model will stifle the very essence that is the creative life-force of this work.  Ironically, the individuals who have followed their instincts and formed the alternative treatment therapies we now have available, found it difficult to exist within the framework of healthcare bureaucracy.  And yet, this appears to be where it is taking this healing art.

Reiki Standards And Differences

'Openings' to the energy called attunements are performed by all masters from all schools.  The variables are in the number of attunements  and in the number of teachings hours. 

First Degree:  The Reiki Alliance, considered the most rigorous school,  stipulates that there must be four attunements in First Degree and at least sixteen to twenty hours of instruction.  Other schools and masters perform three, two and sometimes only one attunement with teaching times varying down to an hour and a half.  Prices vary from $260.00 to $50.00 or less.

Second degree:  The Reiki Alliance stipulates a wait of three months, one attunement and five hours of instruction, in two parts over a period of one or two weeks.  The initiating master may also decide that the student is not ready for Second Degree.  Others schools differ greatly.  Second Degree is often given with First Degree on the same week-end, day or few hours or within a week after First Degree.  Prices vary from $650.00 to $50.00 or less.

Master:  The Reiki Alliance requires a wait of three years after Second Degree, a year of apprenticeship, twenty-six treatments given by the initiating Master to the candidate.  The initiating Master decides when the student candidate is ready.  Other schools vary from several months after Second Degree to a period of days.  The student simply indicates a desire to become a master.  Prices vary from $10,000 (USD) from the Reiki Alliance to $150.00 or less.

Other Levels:  Some of the Reiki "schools" have created levels above Master Level.  Those levels appear to be available for a few hundred dollars.  The teaching times seem to vary with the school and the individual  Masters.

Practitioners:  First Degree is generally considered for personal use, although in many cases you are taught how to give a treatment to others.  Second Degree is considered by many to be the level of committment for a practitioner.  Very few Masters in Ontario provide training specifically for practitioners.  These courses are not certified.

Note:  There are good Masters and practitioners in every school.  Integrity seems to be the standard that separates the best from the commonplace.  Also, Reiki is sometimes taught for free by independent masters who have chosen to follow their own beliefs. [top]

Reiki Certification

Anyone who attends a Reiki course and is opened to receive the energy of Reiki is given a certificate.  There is neither a board nor a committee that reviews candidates for licences.  However there is a Master review process for membership in the Reiki Alliance. [top

Reproduced with permission from reikitouch.ca Reiki Master Bernard Morin