Written by someone previously trained in various approaches to Reiki who then trained in Jikiden Reiki.

In today’s article, I present 10 benefits of taking Jikiden Reiki training specifically for those who are already trained in Reiki. So this blog is directly speaking to those who have already taken some kind of formal training in Reiki. The inspiration to write on this topic for this blog came from a great conversation I had last week with someone who was trained in Reiki to level 2 and was considering what was their next step forward was going to be in terms of Reiki courses, they came across my website and Jikiden Reiki for the first time and was intrigued to find out more about it, so she gave me a call and we spoke about it for a while. I have written this blog as a kind of summary of that conversation (and many others like it I have had with those trained in Reiki previously) to highlight why I believe it is so beneficial for someone who is interested in Reiki and already trained in Reiki to take the Jikiden Reiki training courses.

This article is primarily for those who have been trained in Reiki who have come across Jikiden Reiki and had not heard of it before and are considering if it might be helpful to learn it and have wondered what they might gain from taking Jikiden Reiki training courses.

In addition, there is a vast group of people who have had some formal Reiki training and have not even considered there was something to be gained from them taking Jikiden Reiki training courses. A common response of this group when mentioning Jikiden Reiki tends to be along the lines of: “I’m already trained in Reiki”. So this blog may be helpful for members of this group who are open to exploring the potential of training in Jikiden Reiki as an opportunity to deepen their study of Reiki.

Indeed many of those I train in Jikiden Reiki get similar questions when talking about Jikiden Reiki to those they know who have had some Reiki training. So my students (and anyone else reading this) are welcome to share this article with their Reiki friends, to help explain why it might be helpful for them to consider learning Jikiden Reiki themselves and what they might gain.

These benefits listed below are the same for anyone with previous Reiki training, whatever name it is presented under (Usui Reiki, Japanese Reiki, etc…) regardless of however many years you have been trained, or to whatever level.

Yes, I do teach Jikiden Reiki as an accredited teacher (Shihan) with the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Japan. So you might say this is promoting what I deliver. However, my background before Jikiden Reiki was as a Reiki teacher in various ‘types’ of Reiki. Having trained directly with prominent international teachers in the Reiki world, so I understand what is being taught in other Reiki training courses. What I am presenting is from my observations from those already trained in Reiki who then take Jikiden Reiki training courses, as well as the direct experiences of those students.

1.    You will gain a deeper understanding of the complete original Usui Reiki system, from the Japanese perspective in which it was developed. Jikiden Reiki is the authentic Japanese Usui Reiki teachings of the 1920s and 30’s Japan, with no external influences (before it came to the West). For more depth on this read my article: ‘What is Jikiden Reiki?’ You will understand how Usui Reiki has been interpreted by us in the West which has led to many misunderstandings about Reiki over many years. Jikiden Reiki offers the Usui Reiki system in its original form as Usui Sensei developed it. This can greatly help in our understanding of Reiki, below are a few thoughts of those who too Jikiden training who had previous Reiki training:

"I was previously trained in Reiki levels 1 and 2. I was intrigued to learn Jikiden Reiki, so I trained with Shaun. I found the training offered a much deeper level of understanding of Reiki. I feel both the perception and energy in my hands have increased following Jikiden Reiki training. I have a greater level of understanding of Reiki, gained new techniques, and even the traditional Japanese certificate is outstanding. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and would recommend anyone interested in Reiki take Jikiden Reiki training if you have previously learned Reiki or not."

Another student said: “I trained with Shaun (Shoden and Okuden) and the training was second to none. Having trained in Western Reiki previously, it was refreshing to be met with Shaun's down-to-earth, insightful teachings...I would recommend it to anyone looking for authentic Japanese Reiki training”

“I have recently completed Shoden and Okuden training with Shaun. After searching the internet to revisit Usui Reiki from 12 years previous I came across Jikiden Reiki. Everything I read about Jikiden led me to decide that this was the path I wanted to follow. I love that it is the most original Reiki that Mikao Usui taught, has no Western influence added and the lineage is short.”

2.    You will gain an accurate history of events of the early formation of the Usui Reiki system and understand the social and political environment of the day and how it impacted the journey of Usui Reiki and the spread of Reiki to the rest of the world (as well as when westernized Reiki spread to Japan and back out to the west again). This will fill in some ‘gaps’ in the history of Reiki and why things are done a certain way for good reason.

3.    You will learn the Usui technique of Kekko, the circulatory massage with a trained teacher, to add another useful technique you can use in your treatments with others. (this technique does not tend to be covered in Reiki training courses).

4.    You will understand in depth the method of how to use specific feedback from a recipient’s body, to guide how you deliver Reiki treatments, as such is the cornerstone of delivering Reiki treatments that Usui Sensei developed: ‘Byosen’, which also provides you more measurable markers of levels of need in a recipient, i.e. if chronic, acute, and provides the ability to rate how someone is responding to your treatment plan, so you can make better treatment decisions. This all allows your Reiki treatments to be more targeted and effective, meaning better results with your treatments. A completely different approach to standardized hand placements that are commonly taught in Reiki (note 1: some Reiki courses have more intuitive techniques such as ‘Reiji-ho’ bolted onto such training, however, the underpinning foundation of treatments driven using byosen sensations that Usui sensei developed is missing. note 2: When I say ‘byosen’, this differs from ‘byosen scanning technique’ that is incorporated in some Reiki training).

5.    You will learn the full method for mental & emotional healing that Usui Sensei developed in its original form (which is beyond the drawing of a symbol in isolation), learning the full original technique takes a big chunk of the entire Okuden (deeper level) training course to teach and practice (Okuden being broadly comparable to what you might know as level 2 training).

6.    You receive the original Reiju (if you have had Western interpretations of Usui Reiki training, which will be known as an attunement). Most approaches should have an effect, all I can say is what people who have previously been trained in Reiki have been telling me after receiving Jikiden Reiki training with me and received the original Reiju as taught by Usui Sensei, that they feel different. To quote a common response from students: “I previously learned Reiki and was interested in seeing how different Jikiden Reiki would feel. I can honestly say that the heat and sensations in my hands were more intense than previously." We tend to stay clear of descriptive words such as stronger in relation to energy, perhaps words such as clearer, or feeling more connected might be useful words to consider in relation to this point.

7.    You have the option of ongoing local support built into Jikiden Reiki training, to help you develop and build your confidence with Reiki. Many things in Japan (including Reiki) are focused on simplicity, depth, repetition, patience, and dedication to your study. I have previously been an instructor in martial arts. As we see in any martial arts study is over many years, with repetition, regular guidance from your teacher, and layering of skill and understanding. I and many other Jikiden Reiki teachers, as part of our role as teachers, offer monthly opportunities to receive Reiju, as well as to practice and receive Reiki, and are available for any questions you have. Reiki is not something you learn once then you know it, as with martial arts it is more a process of deepening understanding, refining skill, growth, and revealing layers.

8.    With Jikiden Reiki you have access to an international community of both teachers and other students of the original Usui Reiki teachings. You can also repeat levels of training at a fraction of the original training fees with your original teacher, or another accredited Jikiden Reiki teacher in your home country or internationally, building on that initial foundation of your Reiki training. You can also attend other teachers’ workshops and Reiki share events.

9.    With Jikiden Reiki you have the confidence that your Reiki training is authentic and is Usui Reiki in its original form (your training is centrally accredited with the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Japan). All teaching is overseen by the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Japan, teachers don’t make any amendments to the original teachings (so quality control mechanisms are built-in, as it was in Usui Sensei’s day). All course materials come from Japan as well. You can also have confidence in the quality of the teaching, as the path to a full teacher commonly takes a couple of years, with a combination of assessments, participating in the Jikiden Reiki training courses multiple times, case studies, reviews, experience in treatments and teaching before teacher courses, assessment and permission granted commonly by the president of the Jikiden Reiki Institute (not the teacher randomly creating teachers at will model).

10.  The link from your teacher to the founder of Reiki, Usui Sensei himself is very short. Your Reiki lineage (should you learn with me) would be Mikao Usui, Chujiro Hayashi, Chiyoko Yamaguchi, Tadao Yamaguchi, and Me. As you are trained in Reiki already, you will appreciate that this is a very short lineage. Jikdien Reiki is the training Chiyoko Sensei gained from Hayashi Sensei in the 1930s in Japan. This is as close and authentic a link as you will get. Also, note there are no Western influences between Chiyoko Sensei and Usui Sensei, so the understanding of the training is clear. As an example when I first learned Reiki, my original teacher was about 13 or so steps from Usui Sensei. I then learned with a teacher on the same lineage 6 steps down (to see how teachings differed) I observed marked differences in what was taught. If you add to which we know much was changed by Mrs. Takata (2 steps down from Usui Sensei, the same lineage distance as Chiyoko sensei) Mrs. Takata was the first Usui Reiki teacher external to Japan. We know other changes were made by Mrs. Takata’s student teachers she trained, you can see the challenge of finding accurate training keeping with the original teachings of Usui Sensei, what is termed Usui Reiki.

I hope you have found this brief topic of interest, to finish with I wish to conclude with another experience from a student who had a wealth of Reiki training and was a qualified Reiki teacher in their own right, as I was when I first learned Jikiden Reiki: "I am an experienced Reiki professional who first learned Reiki over 15 years ago and has since taken Reiki training to high levels with various styles of Reiki and teachers. I would highly recommend learning the authentic Japanese Jikiden Reiki with Shaun, even if you have already been trained in modern Reiki. It will enhance your knowledge and understanding of the original Usui Reiki. For me, it answered many questions about Reiki that had come up with other Reiki courses. Both I and my clients have noticed differences in my Reiki treatments since taking Jikiden Reiki training." If you would like to find out more about learning Jikiden Reiki with me and the detail of the content of the courses, see my Jikiden Reiki courses page.

I am mainly known nowadays for my work with Reiki, as a specialist in authentic Japanese Reiki. I am an experienced, Reiki teacher and practitioner with a proven track record of results. I offer Jikiden Reiki training courses, promoting authentic Japanese Reiki teachings. I am based in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, in the UK. I have a background in coaching and training in the areas of exercise coaching, holistic lifestyle, fitness, and performance coaching. I also have a BSc.(Hons) degree in Sport and Exercise Science, for more information visit: www.shaunmckeown.com

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article. Shaun Mckeown, disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article.