(Everything you need to know)
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INTRODUCTION
When I first learned Reiki, it was through the Western system which was a deeply rewarding experience that introduced me to the profound power of energy healing. To be honest, I didn't know a whole lot about Reiki and I certainly didn't do any research about Level I Reiki or beyond. I certainly had no idea that there was a difference between Western and Japanese Reiki.
I was blessed with an incredible Reiki Master in Western Reiki who was a mentor for the first few years of my journey but as my journey unfolded, I felt drawn to go deeper into my healing and spiritual practice which led me to explore the origins of Reiki further, eventually then transitioning to the Traditional Japanese Reiki practices and discovering lost spiritual and healing practices that were not taught in Western Reiki.
Today, my practice and teachings are based on two Japanese systems of Reiki, which encompass both spiritual and healing practices as they were originally taught in Japan. It is quite different to Western Reiki in terms of the practices taught. And if you are reading this, you are obviously someone who is interested in the possibility of learning Reiki and are looking for some clarity or guidance around that.
In this article, I will be exploring this topic of Level I Reiki courses and learning Reiki from the perspective of what I practice and teach in Japanese Reiki and I aim to answer some of the most common questions about Level I Reiki courses and share insights, providing a clear picture of what Reiki can offer and how it might align with your own journey.
WHAT IS REIKI?
Reiki is a Japanese energy healing practice that works with the universal life energy to promote healing.
Rei means "universal life-force" and Ki meaning "energy".
Reiki involves a set of spiritual and healing practices designed to promote happiness and health, to enhance spiritual connection and growth and to foster absolute inner peace. The most commonly recognized practice is the use of hand placements on our own or the recipient's body and channeling the energy for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing.
For a person learning Reiki, it also includes spiritual mindset practices that aim to foster inner peace as well as techniques for accumulating energy from within, healing techniques and techniques for greater spiritual connection.
As a practice, Reiki is non-invasive, it can be learnt and practiced by anyone, which makes it an ideal and powerful tool for both self-care and supporting others.
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WHAT IS LEVEL 1 REIKI COURSE IN REIKI?
The Japanese word Shoden for Level 1 translates to "beginner's level," but it so much greater than that. It’s the foundation of what will become your life-long practice.
I always tell my students, although I have been practicing Reiki professionally for many years now, and despite the fact that I am a Reiki Shihan (Master), by the end of the Level 1 Shoden Reiki course, the students and I will be doing exactly the same daily practices as each other thereafter.
In other words, when it comes to the core, foundational daily practice, you learn everything you will ever need to learn for self-healing and spiritual growth in Level I.
Some students wisely ask why “then is there ever a need to learn level 2 Reiki”, which is a great question! The short answer is you don’t for self-practice, the longer answer is that it depends how you want to utilise the energy. This is something I discuss more in the level 1 class.
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WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF LEARNING REIKI? | LEVEL 1 SHODEN REIKI COURSE
The absolute greatest benefit of learning Reiki is the fact that you have the capacity to utilise the energy and healing aspects of the practice every single day, whenever and wherever your please. It is not only cost efficient to learn Reiki yourself, but it is more impactful because you are able to establish a daily practice and frequency and consistency is where the real power of the practice lies. It will always be better and more effective than having a few sessions here and there with a Practitioner.
So let's look at what the practice offers. Reiki practice is both a healing and spiritual practice. In a way they can’t be separated as each influences the other, with spiritual growth, there is healing and with healing there is spiritual growth.
As a practice, Reiki is designed to improve our mental, physical and emotional experience of life to help reduce our suffering, to enhance our spiritual connection and to find a place of greater inner peace (some call this enlightenment).
Over time, the practices help heal the parts of ourselves that cause pain and suffering and may lead us to react or respond in certain ways to external triggers. At the same time, by connecting with the deepest, truest parts of our human and spiritual selves and deepening that relationship, we gradually open and expand our hearts. Over time, we naturally find ourselves becoming like a mountain—stable and secure, no matter the external environment—cultivating a sense of inner peace and strength. This, in turn, impacts how we respond to the world around us and how we exist within it. That is the best way I know how to summarise it.
With continued, consistent practice, over time we heal, expand, grow and connect in a way the substantially improves our relationship with self and of life. Reiki isn’t about quick fixes or escaping what’s difficult but it can be an incredible support for the challenges we face in life. It’s offers comfort, care and even wisdom, in times of crisis and general in daily life and it allows us to meet ourselves where we are and offering care and kindness, no matter the circumstances.
There are then, of course, the Higher aspect of connection with Reiki, the spiritual, intuitive aspects in which through connection with the energy and the practices, we connect to a much Higher as well as deeper part of ourselves, our spiritual and eternal nature as well as connecting to to the greater whole that extends far beyond this physical, earthy realm. Many students find a place of deep comfort and peace in this connection and a feeling similar to coming home. There is incredible expansive opportunity in this connection (or perhaps renewed awareness of connection) in terms of both our human and spiritual growth.
And finally, there is the more practical, physical healing aspects of Reiki such as managing chronic conditions, pain, helping to move through colds and flus more quickly, reducing insomnia, increasing energy and the list goes on and on! Here is an article that dives into some of these benefits of Reiki healing.
In the level 1 Reiki course you begin to connect with Reiki which a strong focus is on self-healing and spiritual growth for this reason. Both these aspects of Reiki continue for life, including if you decide to practice Reiki Professionally and/or teach. In fact they are even more essential as continuing practices in the latter cases.
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WHAT IS TAUGHT IN A SHODEN LEVEL 1 REIKI COURSE MELBOURNE
In the Shoden Level 1 Reiki course here in Melbourne, we explore the core of Reiki practice - its history, guiding principles to living a happy and healthy life, the foundational Reiki practices and techniques as well as learning how to practice Reiki on family, friends, plants and animals.
In my class, I keep group sizes small (no more than five people) to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable and connected, fostering a space where participants can support and hold space for each other. On a practical level, this also allows plenty of time to ask questions, absorb what’s being taught, and engage in hands-on practical experience.
Over the two days, you’ll receive four Reiju (energy attunements), which connect you to Reiki energy. This is one of the most important aspects of the Level 1 Reiki course and another reason I keep class sizes small—to ensure the time and focus needed to do these properly. In this respect, be cautious of courses with more than six or so students or those compressed into less than two days, as these factors can significantly impact the quality of your experience and what you are taught. For more guidance on what to look for in a Reiki course or teacher, you can read more here and here.
From there, you’ll find that Reiki can naturally and easily integrate into your daily life—whether it’s through a full self-healing session and practices or simply placing your hands on your heart when you’re feeling overwhelmed, distressed, or in physical pain.
I love watching students when they first connect with the energy, some describe is feeling almost magical or electrical and others, through their practice often describe how they have become more them than they have every been, also finding themselves less reactive and more in harmony with the world around them!
Over the many years I’ve been practicing Reiki, it has supported me through incredible growth and joy, it has also supported me through breakups, family conflict, uncertainty about life paths, and finding clarity in decision-making. It has helped develop a greater sense of self and self-love and it has also helped to smooth the aspects of my personality that needed more balance and made me a much more loving and compassionate person—both to myself and others. Reiki has also brought me an inner joy that feels almost like childlike wonder.
For some, as it has for me, Reiki can also, as a side-effect, open up students to intuitive and psychic senses which, of course have their own list of benefits. By enhancing our capacity to source intuitive information, we can be better guided on our paths moving forward.
These are just some of the ways Reiki has guided and supported me in becoming a version of myself that feels more genuine and full of integrity than ever before. I often share stories in class about these things, including the more practical ways Reiki has helped me in everyday situations—like incredible healing stories of burn or cut wound care (after applying proper medical care) and other everyday situations where Reiki has come to the rescue where Reiki almost feels like a magic trick! Having Reiki in these moments is worth its weight in gold.
For those already practicing Western Reiki, this course offers something unique in terms of the traditional Japanese Reiki practices that are taught: the original spiritual practices that were removed by Takata. They can easily be incorporated into what you already practice, deepening your connection to the practice and your own spiritual journey. The Western Reiki students who have come to my course have been profoundly moved to learn the original teachings which, in their words, felt complete which they felt really excited about.
At the end of the Level 1 course, you’ll not only feel ready to practice Reiki for yourself, but you’ll also be invited to join regular Reiki Shares—gatherings where students meet to practice, share experiences, and receive ongoing support. These spaces help keep your practice alive and grounded, providing a sense of community as you continue your journey as well. I also offer a follow up zoom with the class, a couple of weeks after the course, to allow for any questions or issues that may arise following the course. Not all courses offer this continuing mentorship and practice so just double check before signing up for a course.
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WHAT CAN I DO WITH REIKI LEVEL 1 : CAN I PRACTICE REIKI PROFESSIONALLY AFTER LEVEL 1?
No. Level 1 is designed to help you establish a foundational self-practice and to practice Reiki on friends and family and here is why:
From the Level 1 Reiki course, you’ll learn how to care for yourself with the simple, powerful spiritual and healing practices that support your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. It’s a practice that can create profound change over time. It is important to utilise that time and space for this type of healing before practicing on others professionally.
Shoden level 1 Reiki is about learning the practices, becoming familiar with them and cultivating a daily routine in order to integrate them into your life. This is why the focus is on self. It can take time and some experimenting to establish that routine before then focussing on practicing Reiki on others.
It also takes time to establish and build you relationship and with and understanding of Reiki. And it is a relationship. Reiki is like a wise Master, it gradually reveals itself over time. Reiki cannot be learned through courses, the practices can, but the real learning is in your own experience with the energy over time. With self-practice and establishing a daily routine, the consistency allows Reiki to begin its steady reveal, all the while, building an understanding that is essential to take into Professional Practice.
Through your relationship with Reiki, you will come to relate to Reiki as trusted advisor and friend, a wise spiritual Master that you look forward to turning to help guide you and support you in your life. It is important to take time to develop this relationship and understanding. The deeper your experience with Reiki and your own healing journey and spiritual growth, the better a Practitioner you will be, so take your time.
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HOW MUCH DOES LEVEL REIKI 1 COURSE COST?
When looking for a Reiki course, there are important things to consider when looking at the cost of the course, such as duration of the course, number of students and how that impacts your experience and learning, the system of Reiki taught, whether it is in person or online and how that impact your learning (and Reiju), whether post-course mentorship is offered as well as regular practice Gatherings and importantly, your connection with the Teacher and the quality of Teacher's practice, spiritual path and teaching style. You can read more about these considerations here.
As a general rule, however, most Reiki Level 1, in person courses cost between $350 and $550 as a general ball-park figure. Some only run for 1/2 a day or 1 day, so take care to take that into account.
You can see the prices for each level I teach here.
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HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN LEVEL 1 REIKI?
Some searches on the internet will tell you it takes around 8-12 hours to learn Reiki. For me, 16 hours in the minimum and believe me, every single minute of that time is required. It gives us time to go through the history, learning the practices and understanding their purpose, to receive all the Reiju without being rushed, to have run throughs of the entire practice so students are clear on what their daily practice will look like once leaving the course and ample time to practice Reiki on others (and learn techniques for positions and moving the head etc). It also allows time for student questions, stories and sharing, which as very important part of the learning process.
One of the reasons some may offer an 8 hour course (or potentially less), is because they are teaching Western Reiki, a system of Reiki in which all the traditional spiritual and mind-set practices may not be taught (they were removed from teaching when Reiki was brough to the West). In this way, there may be less content to teach than Japanese Reiki because students aren't learning the full practice. Even so, 8 hours in my experience isn't sufficient for comprehensive teaching, even in Western Reiki.
In an 8 hour course, I am also unsure whether the standard 4 Reiju are offered (these are essential energy openings transferred from Teacher to student over the course of the class) which enable students to channel Reiki. These are very powerful energetic openings and are best spread out over 2 days to allow the energy body to adapt to them. It is possible that in the shorter course, less Reiju are offered. You can read more about Reiju here. That is something to consider seriously if you are considering such a course, as this impacts your capacity to open up to the energy. I have attended course with a large number of students and where only 1 Reiju was offered which I found highly inadequate. I wouldn't recommend it.
Again, it is important to look at these factors when looking at the price of courses and considering value. Here is an article I've previously written about factors to consider when choosing a Reiki Course and how to find the best Reiki course for you and a general article about Reiki Courses in Melbourne.
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HOW LONG BETWEEN REIKI 1 AND 2 COURSES
Typically it is recommended students wait at least a month before undertaking level 2 after Level 1 but my recommendation is to wait until you feel you have established a good self-practice and have taken time to develop a relationship with the practice and self-healing an growth.
In Level 2, additional practices are learnt for more specific types of healing as well as more of a focus on healing others and distance Reiki. Leaving a good amount of time between the two levels helps you focus on what is taught in each and allowing enough time to really deepen your relationship with them. This includes learning how to sense the energy and know where the energy is needed and for how long. For some students, this can take much longer than they might initially anticipate.
In traditional Japanese Reiki and indeed in most Eastern energy ands spiritual practices, focus is very much on dedicating time to have a deep practice and understanding of each level before moving to the next. In the West we like things to be easy, fast and convenient and that is not necessarily translatable in things such as energy healing. There are some courses offered where students can learn Reiki 1,2 to Reiki Master over the course of a weekend. I probably don't need to discuss the problems with that other than to say, there is no fast-tracking depth of experience - Reiki is much more than learning information, it is a relationship of healing and spiritual growth connected with experience of the energy. Such experience and depth takes time.
For that reason, I really encourage students to take their time. They will be an immense benefit from doing so.
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WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU NEED TO DO REIKI?
QUALIFICATION FOR LEVEL 1 REIKI
For Level 1 Reiki courses, no qualifications are necessary. The Reiju over the course of the classes, passed down by Teacher to student, opens you up to channel energy. We all have an innate ability to open up to channeling Reiki and Level I helps open those channels for students. With continued and dedicated daily practice, these channels continue to open up and as we continue to heal, grow and expand energetically and spiritually, we become much greater channels of Reiki. This is why it is recommended that students really take their time before practicing Professionally.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR LEVEL 2 REIKI
For Level 2, the only requirement is that you have completed Level I. It is also preferable that you have established a deep and dedicated daily practice of self-healing and the Reiki spiritual practices which a deepening and growing relationship with the energy and the possibilities within the practices.
QUALIFICATION TO PRACTICE REIKI PROFESSIONALLY
It is recommended that student wait at least 6 months from completing level 2 and they continue to maintain a committed, daily self-practice as well as using that time to practice Reiki on as many family and friends as possible. I always recommend student take their time to ensure that by the time they come to practice Reiki Professionally they have a solid relationship with Reiki and their own healing and spiritual growth as well as a solid experience of how others respond to Reiki for different situations and circumstance before starting to practice Professionally. For more information about this, you can read more here.
Here is more detail on how long to be Reiki Certified and more detailed information about how to become a Reiki Shihan/Master in Australia.
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CAN I TEACH MYSELF REIKI | CAN I LEARN REIKI AT HOME?
Every human being has an innate capacity to harness and utilise energy for healing. The question of whether you can call energy healing of any sort 'Reiki' is another question. Reiki is a specific practice of energy healing and therefore, the quick answer is no, you cannot teach yourself Reiki and here is why:
Reiki is the Japanese name given to Universal Life-force Energy and is associated with Usui Reiki Ryoho, which is specially the set of practices utilising Reiki created by Mikao Usui. The word Reiki is a Japanese word and used by that particular system of healing and spiritual practices.
One of the hallmark features of Mikao Usui's system of Reik is the ritual of Reiju, which is the energetic opening and pass-down of energy from Teacher to student in person, which allows students to then channel Reiki.
Therefore the only way for someone to practice Reiki is for it to passed down to them through a Teacher whose lineage traces back directly to Mikao Usui (I would say preferably in person - you can read more about online courses here). And the only way for students to practice Reiki is by learning all the of spiritual and healing practices within the system, which is taught by a certified Reiki teacher.
Therefore, the only way to learn Reiki is through a qualified Reiki Shihan (in Japanese Reiki) or a Reiki Master (in Western Reiki). This in person Teacher to student ritual is one of the main reasons I am not keen on online Reiki courses.
It is always good to check a Teacher's qualifications and lineage to ensure that they are legitimate Reiki Teachers.
To read more, here is an article delving into the question of whether you need a Reiki Master and here is another article focussing more on what qualifications you need to learn Reiki.
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HOW IS REIKI TAUGHT FOR BEGINNERS?
Beginners coming to Reiki are taught the history of Reiki, what Reiki is and how it works as well as learning a set of mindset and spiritual practices. In order for students to be able to access Reiki and in order to channel it themselves, they receive a series of Reiju (ideally 4 over the course of 2 days), which is an energy blessing, transfer and opening handed down by the Teacher to the student in person. After receiving the Reiju, students are able to channel Reiki, and with consistent daily practice of the set of practices they are taught, they continue to open up to the energy which continues to open up as they heal and grow spiritually.
Students are also taught how to offer Reiki for family and friends, pets and plants.
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CONCLUSION
I could never have fully contemplated the depth and breadth of healing and growth I would experience when I first began my journey with Reiki. It has been beyond my wildest imagination. Over the years, it has become my companion for life—a continuing mentor that inspires change, openness, and a deeper connection to myself and the world every single day. There is something so incredibly magical about connecting with the energy and all that it opens up for us as a result.
I sincerely hope this article has given you plenty to consider as you explore the possibility of learning Reiki for yourself. If you have any questions or would like to chat about whether this could be the right path for you, I invite you to reach out to me. Sometimes, an in-person conversation is the best way to fully explore and decide what feels aligned for you.
Alternatively, If you would like to book a Reiki session in Melbourne (or distance Reiki worldwide), you can book an appointment here or if you feel ready to enrol in a Reiki course, sign up for Melbourne Reiki courses here.
Reiki has certainly been a Great Gift in my life, and I would be honoured to help you take your first steps on your own transformative journey!
Warmest wishes,
Fiona x
Fiona Phillips
Certified Reiki Shihan (Teacher) and Practitioner
Komyo ReikiDo & Jikiden Reiki in Melbourne
Within The Space
Further Reading and Resources:
For more in-depth information and additional perspectives, explore the following reputable websites and authorities on Reiki:
ONLINE RESOURCES
Australian Reiki Connection - Provides guidelines and resources for Reiki practitioners in Australia.
Reiki Australia - Offers information on Reiki training, standards, and professional development.
International House of Reiki - Whilst being a hybrid between Western and Japanese Reiki, they offer some interesting perspectives about Reiki.
Reiki.org - A global resource for learning about Reiki, its history, and practice.
The Reiki Association - An organization dedicated to supporting Reiki practitioners and promoting high standards of practice.
BOOKS
by Tadao Yamaguchi
by Frank Arjava Petter
by Masaki Nishina
by Amanda Jayne and Silke Kleemann
RESEARCH ARTICLES
"The Science Behind Reiki": An article exploring the scientific studies related to Reiki healing. The Science Behind Reiki
"Reiki—A Comprehensive Review of Its Therapeutic Effects and Mechanisms": A scholarly review of Reiki's therapeutic benefits. Reiki—A Comprehensive Review
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