Shaun’s Reiki Articles

Reiki Article Categories: Reiki / Reiki Courses / Reiki Practitioners

Shaun Mckeown 20/09/2024 Shaun Mckeown 20/09/2024

Should I Become a Verified Reiki Practitioner?

Reiki training to Okuden (or level 2 in Western approaches to Reiki) tends to complete formal Reiki training to work with the public. Find out what an Accredited Practitioner/ or Verified Practitioner is and if its the right step for you.

This article speaks to those looking for Reiki training courses, those who might at first glance think an ‘accredited Reiki course’ is a better option than a not accredited Reiki course, as well as those already Reiki trained. The question someone may have who has already taken Reiki training. A Reiki practitioner, who is maybe doing Reiki treatments with the public in a voluntary or professional capacity, may come across the term ‘Verified Practitioner’ (this is sometimes commonly termed an Accredited Practitioner in some courses, but they are the same thing here and becoming a Verified Practitioner is a more accurate term for it). Raising the question: ‘Should I become a Verified Reiki Practitioner?’ Well, it depends.

To understand a bit about verification and the requirements to achieve a Verified Practitioner award see my article: Accredited Reiki Courses in the UK That article will cover what it is, here I want to focus on if it’s a good idea for you.

In a nutshell, a Verified Practitioner award means that you have completed a CNHC Verified Course, which is the one I helped create and used to deliver (update: Feb 2025, I have chosen to no longer deliver that training, rather focus on Reiki training and supporting professional Reiki practitioners with my Reiki business course and marketing for Reiki practitioners course. The Verified course I helped create is called the JRUKA Verified Practitioner Programme. Once completed you get acceptance (should you wish to apply) to become a registrant of the Complimentary and Natural Health Care Council (CNHC) Practitioner register. The Verified Practitioner award shows that you have completed a process of learning and assessment and have a base level of experience delivering Reiki treatments, it also demonstrates that you work to best practice guidelines. All Verified Courses are set to the same National Occupational Standards for Reiki in the UK.

Once you have achieved a Verified Practitioner award and are accepted onto the CNHC register, it provides a level of credibility with places like hospices, or hospitals, and indeed is commonly a requirement to work there in a voluntary, or professional setting.

The process takes 9-12 months for most and involves building a portfolio of evidence of in-person Reiki treatment experience, self-treatments, and accumulated levels of in-person Reiki training hours. It's all about learning and implementing UK regulations and best practices. There are some observations from an approved teacher/assessor (of which I am one), where we are looking at how you deliver consultations and treatment sessions, to meet a set standard. There is a 1-day in-person workshop around regulations and professional practice with the public. There are case studies to complete and a written assessment at the end. After which you gain a Verified Practitioner award. The whole thing tends to cost around £400, with the cost spread out over a year commonly.

Once you have achieved a Verified Practitioner award you will just be expected to accumulate a base level of Continued Professional Development (CPD) hours every year, which is easily done for members of the JRUKA, as we put on so many opportunities for you to accumulate CPD hours, they are not that hard to accumulate. However, should you wish to be on the CNHC register, in addition to the same CPD requirements, you will have an annual fee of around £75.

So, let's look at the core question, is becoming a Verified Practitioner something for you? Let's assume you become a verified practitioner and decide to join the CNHC register. You don’t have to join it, there is value in going through the verified practitioner course tasks, however for most the reason to do a Verified Practitioner course in the first place is to get on the CNHC register.

On the plus side the process of working through the tasks to become a Verified Practitioner will make you a better practitioner, it helps you understand regulations and, in a way avoids problems with a better understanding of approved claims around Reiki and what is not. How to approach different situations you may come across doing Reiki treatments with the public, professional boundaries, onboarding processes and ensuring you are gaining proper informed consent and record keeping as well as other useful things, that won't be covered in a Reiki training course. All this is useful if you work with the public with Reiki be that at a hospital or not.

It can give an extra public perception of professional proficiency. Or at least remove a question around your professional competence or ability. The CNHC register is the gold standard in best practice for any complementary therapy in the UK. You get to use the CNHC register logo. You would likely have additional Verified Practitioner logos you can use, such as with the Reiki Council Verified Practitioner logo.

So, let's say you are a newer practitioner surrounded by experienced Reiki practitioners in your area, you can gain some credibility quite quickly with such an award and register. Consider the fact that the UK Reiki register is only a few hundred, so a very small percentage of those out there doing Reiki have met these standards. You can do a quick online search on the CNHC in your area to see, then compare that to a Google Maps search of Reiki practitioners in your area. Many Reiki practitioners have been fine without the need for a Verified Practitioner award, there are also plenty of Reiki practitioners out there who unknowingly cause problems for themselves and the image of Reiki practitioners in general by not understanding the regulations they are subject to, and attract complaints, bad press, or present what they do in a way that puts public and health professionals’ perception of Reiki back a decade or so.

Just be aware CNHC register is there for the protection/ confidence of the public, rather than the benefit of you the practitioner, the CNHC do have information keeping you up to date with guidelines etc. I wouldn’t look to the CNHC public register as a big source of enquiries for those looking for Reiki, but for some of the public it does hold weight, so it depends on who you work with. For example, those in fields such as nursing, GPs’, medical-orientated people, or those who value regulations and standards might look to such a register if they were aware of it. For example, most inquiries I have received from such a register are themselves medical professionals or those who work in those environments.

There is the cost of completing the Verified course to consider, it is focused on providing tools and understanding to help you better professionally deliver Reiki treatments (which you would tend to receive payment for). Considering the time and work an organisation, assessor and examiner have to put into supporting you through the process, it's not that much relative to what you get.

If finances are a limiter with you at this time, you can always start the process, gain access to the materials start the process and just take longer to complete the sections, doing so as you create the funds to pay for each element, or simply do it at a future time.

Be aware if you are starting up a Reiki business, a Verified Course will not do much to help you build a business. It will go some way to help you run it professionally, but that’s about it. Building a Reiki business is not its focus. To help you build a successful Reiki business see my: Reiki business and marketing courses. For some (especially those who like to accumulate courses and certificates) I might suggest not doing it quite yet, at least until your Reiki business is established, as time could be better used at this moment, for activities such as marketing, but for most, it can be done alongside other activities.

If the next step for you is to gain work (voluntary or professionally) in a hospital or hospice, then completing a Verified Course, to become a Verified Practitioner and join the CNHC register would likely be the next step. However, if getting on the CNHC register is not the next immediate step for you, and you wish to build a Reiki business, the Business side of a Reiki practice needs to come first. As you sort that out and get established that provides the funds to pay for the Verified Practitioner course, as well in the meantime you can record evidence of Reiki treatment experience, which you need for the Verified Practitioner route anyway.

You don’t have to be a Verified Practitioner to work with the public with Reiki your Jikiden Reiki training is sufficient, there are just additional elements that would be useful to you that are not in Reiki training courses. I am a Verified Practitioner and have been on the CNHC register for 12-plus years now. I think it’s a good thing to do for Reiki practitioners who work with the public or intend to soon.

As ever, start with accurate quality Reiki training courses, see Jikiden Reiki courses, then consider if a Verified Practitioner Course is for you.

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.

Shaun Mckeown 12/09/2023 Shaun Mckeown 12/09/2023

How to Find Authentic Japanese Usui Reiki Training Courses

In this article, I help those looking for authentic Japanese Usui Reiki training courses find it and give you some clues on how to spot courses that might be further from the original.

This article is to help those looking for original Japanese Usui Reiki teachings and would like help to find Authentic Japanese Usui Reiki training courses, among a sea of options out there. If you like approaches to Reiki that have moved far from the original, that’s fine, This article is not for you, it is for those who are looking for Reiki training as close as possible to the original, in its complete form how Reiki was originally taught in Japan.

The Reality

There are many different Reiki courses, and many misunderstandings in Reiki courses, In addition, many courses present themselves as authentic Japanese Usui Reiki, yet are quite a distance from that. Many teachers don’t realize this, others are aware of this, and some look to appear more Japanese than the Reiki training they provide. Which makes it difficult for those looking for authentic Japanese Usui Reiki training (Usui Sensei being the founder of Reiki).

Why I am writing this article:

Many people contact me looking for original Japanese Reiki training and are confused about how to find it, or have previously taken Reiki training and have been disappointed with what they got, thinking it was the original, to later find out it was not, and are coming to me for help. For some, this is the journey, as it was with myself learning Usui Reiki, which was unknowingly more Westernised, to then later discover more original Japanese Reiki training in Jikiden Reiki. Something that has helped me, understand what is taught in other Reiki courses, so I am well-positioned to write articles such as this. So, with my Consumer Champion hat on, I am writing this article to help you navigate through the choices out there, to help you get to the Reiki training you are looking for.

Avoiding Disappointment

Some who attend my Reiki training courses are new to Reiki, and others have received previous Reiki training, so are now attending my courses to deepen their understanding of Reiki, which is all fine. Others, however, did not get what they thought they were getting with other Reiki courses the first time they took Reiki training courses, so then sometime later after not feeling what they were taught was that effective, or did not seem what they were looking for come to me for help. The only solution is to retain them, so many decide to take Jikiden Reiki training with me. What I want to do here is to help people avoid the need to retrain in Reiki, by helping them understand how to get to the original teachings from the start and avoid any potential disappointment.

This Article is for you if:

You can self-identify if I am talking to you, as you will be wanting to learn Reiki and want to learn it in its complete original form, The accuracy of what you are taught is likely important to you as well. Many students use terms like they want ‘pure’ Reiki, or ‘non-watered-down Reiki’. You would want to learn the system of Reiki with no Western influences of different healing therapies or concepts mixed in, that muddy the water. In a nutshell, you want to learn Reiki in its original complete form, with no missing parts, no non-Reiki additional content, without misunderstandings, as it was created by Usui Sensei in Japan. If that sounds like you, read on.

The Solution

So, if this is you the quick answer is to learn Jikiden Reiki with an authorized Jikiden Reiki Teacher. If you are in the UK have a look at my Jikiden Reiki training courses page for further details and course dates. I am based in the Birmingham area, UK. Many travels quite a way to get to my training, however if you live at the other end of the country, and want a course a bit closer have a look at the Jikiden Reiki UK Association’s UK Jikiden Reiki course schedule for upcoming Jikiden Reiki courses in the UK. For those not in the UK have a look at the International Jikiden Reiki Association for teachers internationally.

The only sure way to ensure you get original Japanese Reiki training is to take Jikiden Reiki training courses. We know this is the only known credible route that is available to the public in the UK, or internationally. Be aware many Reiki schools, teachers, and courses use terminology that makes them sound more authentic and Japanese. Some add Japanese concepts, or actual original techniques into their teachings. The origins of some Reiki courses can be very well hidden. So, again the best way I can help you find original Japanese Reiki training is to suggest you take Jikiden Reiki training courses, with an authorised teacher. Without the inside understanding, it’s going to be difficult to uncover all those that present as original Japanese Usui Reiki, yet are something much different. Below are some points that should help you screen out 80% and give you some clues to start.

11 x Clues to help you Spot Reiki Courses that might not be a fit for you if you are looking for original Japanese teachings

1. The fact it is called Usui Reiki, or Japanese Reiki, or has a Japanese-sounding name, is no indication that it is close to the original Usui Reiki teachings. Most Western Reiki approaches use the title Usui Reiki.

2. Just the fact a teacher is Japanese themselves is no indication what they are teaching is close to the original Japanese Usi Reiki teachings (as much of the Reiki taught in Japan to the public has its roots in Western Reiki).

3. If the teacher calls themselves a Reiki Master, or even terms sounding even higher levels of a teacher than that, it is unlikely they are not teaching original Usui Reiki. In Jikiden Reiki we use the term Shihan (meaning teacher). See my article Reiki Levels Explained for more on this.

4. With a teacher's Reiki Lineage (a teachers teacher's family tree traced back to the founder of Reiki Usui Sensei- this being each teacher in that lineage being trained to teacher level and given permission to teach what they were taught by the teacher above). If Mrs Takata is in the lineage it is Western Reiki. Note: Although teachings from Mrs. Takata onwards were changed, she did a lot for Reiki and its spread in the world. See my article What is Reiki lineage?

5. Also understand some Reiki schools and teachers (be that the teacher themselves, or more commonly a teacher further up in the teacher’s lineage have altered their true teacher lineage to look more Japanese, for example, some might take practitioner-level training with an original school, then claim to have been a teacher with that person and add them to their lineage. A common sign of such problems is a teacher's Reiki teacher lineage with various branches. This is a big problem with Reiki courses, or teachers wanting to appear more Japanese. Again for more understanding of this point see my article What is Reiki Lineage?

6. If a training course uses terms such as attunement, or initiations, it is an indication it is away from the original. Reiju is the original term used for clearing the channel so you can channel Reiki energy yourself.

7. On a practical level, if a course teaches to deliver Reiki treatments from set hand placements (usually 10 or more), commonly with 5 min durations or less at each point, delivering a standardized Reiki treatment, or relies heavily on your intuition, or communication with guides and other entities, we are getting away from the original. The way Treatments were delivered in Original Usui Reiki is targeted and uses a concept called Byosen (not to confuse with byosen scanning). Treatments are delivered by placement of hands in contact with the body, then the body giving you sensations through your hands, as to the degree of need at that hand placement, that is the information used to guide the treatments this was the original way. Note: books have been published with information on Byosen in the public domain, that teachers may have read and added to their training courses, but if a course teaches standardized approaches to delivering treatments, it gives you a good indication of the roots of it. See my article Jikiden Reiki and Western Reiki, What’s the Difference? which expands on these practical differences.

8. If there is a theme of improving on the original, developing, or evolving Usui Reiki in some way, they have the concept of Reiki backward and are away from the original. If you want original Reiki, look for those that try and preserve the original teachings, not change them.

9. Amazon's best-seller list is not an indicator of authenticity in Reiki training. Yes, some teacher-authors are teaching original Usui Reiki, but popularity is not a good indicator of authenticity. So not always a good place to look for a teacher. For some recommended Reiki book titles see my Recommended Reiki books page.

10. Original Usui Reiki uses the Japanese Lemoto system, in that permissions to teach are more controlled and granted with consideration and in stages. We continue this system in Jikiden Reiki, so we have Shahain Kaku (assistant teachers) who can teach the first level of Reiki courses, Shoden (level 1) then Shihan (teacher) who is permitted to teach the complete system. Shoden and Okuden levels. (level 1 and 2). Yet a select 1-2 senior teachers in each country are permitted to teach the assistant teacher, but not the full teachers, it then falls on the head of an organization that creates full teachers (we have 2 people in the world who create Shihan) so most teachers would deliver Reiki training to teach the whole system, but not permitted to teach teachers. So as a Shihan myself I teach Shoden and Okuden courses. The point to look out for is that if a Reiki course works that you get to teach very quickly and can create your teachers, you can see it as another indicator of an approach that has moved away from the original.

11. You learn Reiki in person with a teacher. Some parts, Most importantly Reiju (where the teacher performs a process handed down from their teacher to clear your energy channels, is just not done remotely. If someone offers some way to do that remotely, they have moved a long way away from the original and I would question how effective such a clearing was compared to the original in-person way. See my article Are Online Reiki Courses A Good Idea? for more on this point.

I hope this article helps you in your search for the right Reiki training courses for you. If you are in the UK and would like to find out more about learning Jikiden Reiki see my Jikiden Reiki Training Courses page.

Shaun Mckeown 12/09/2023 Shaun Mckeown 12/09/2023

What is the Best Reiki Course For Beginners?

This article is for you if you are looking at Reiki Training Courses and are wondering what the best course for you might be as a beginner, or someone new to Reiki.

So, if you are interested in Reiki, you have a look online and there is a sea of course providers, all with slightly different names for the type of Reiki they teach, along with an array of levels of study. Where do you start trying to work out what is going to be a good course for you? In this short article, I want to help those looking into learning Reiki find the right course.

To start with before anything else I would suggest you hone into what type of Reiki you are looking for, as although they may be called the same thing ‘Reiki’, or ‘Usui Reiki’, etc., you WILL be taught very different things with different Reiki teachers or course providers. Key in your selection of Reiki courses is what you will be taught, so what the Reiki teacher is actually teaching is the most important thing, or otherwise, you might not actually get what you are expecting from a Reiki course.

To help you hone in very quickly as at its core Reiki training courses fall under 2 main categories, so to help you choose which path to take I would ask you a simple question. Note: I have been a teacher of Reiki in both these categories, so understand each well.

Select A Path of Reiki Training that is Right for you

Which of these options appeals to you most?

1. Learning original authentic Japanese Usui Reiki, as it was in Japan before it came to the West and got changed, so training with no Western influences, the Japanese cultural thinking behind Reiki intact, with a focus on simplicity and depth, that preserves the original. In a nutshell, you learn Reiki in its complete original form as it was created by the founder Usui Sensei.

2. Or would you prefer a more ‘new age’ system of healing with hands and energy, which has its roots in Usui Reiki, but has been changed dramatically from the original, and has missing parts, so does have some misunderstandings of Reiki. These approaches are likely to include a focus on spiritual, chakras, and possible concepts such as spirit guides, angels, and a system that has differing interests merged in with Reiki if you like with both Western and other world influences.

If you are looking for number 1. A more original authentic Reiki, you are looking for Jikiden Reiki, period. That is what I teach (having previously been a teacher in other approaches to Reiki). So if this is you simply need to find an authorized Jikiden Reiki teacher in your country. I am based in the Birmingham area of the UK, Have a look at my Reiki training courses, I also help run the Jikiden Reiki UK Association, where we have a list of Upcoming Jikiden Reiki courses across the UK. For more information on More original Japanese or Western approaches to Reiki, see my article Jikiden Reiki and Western Reiki, What’s the Difference? For information about Jikiden Reiki, see my article What is Jikiden Reiki? For tips on helping you identify authentic Japanese Reiki training courses see my article How to Find Authentic Japanese Usui Reiki Courses.

If number 2. Sounds more what you are looking for, then the school of Reiki would be less of a thing, as with these approaches to Reiki, what you would learn would have had a variety of modifications and other healing ideas would have been added into the training to different degrees, added to which each individual teacher might have adjusted the teachings at various stages along that teachers Reiki lineage (kind of any Reiki teachers family tree, from their own teacher back to the founder Usui sensei- indicates what teachings were pasted down and might indicate how far away from the original the training is likely to be).

In-person or Online Reiki Training for Beginners

So firstly, have a look online at in-person Reiki courses. Reiki is something to learn in person, I would not recommend online Reiki courses at all, for most info on that see my article Are Online Reiki Courses A Good Idea? Have a look at the teacher’s reviews. Are others who attended their courses broadly saying positive things? Then have a chat with any teachers that look promising. Then go with what you are drawn to. For more info, I have written an article on the topic of finding the right Reiki Course and teacher for you.

Reiki Beginner Course Levels

In original Reiki the beginner course is called Shoden (beginner level) in most Reiki you will see it termed Level 1. Once you find the right course provider, they can guide you as to whether it is appropriate to take level 1, then level 2 at a future date, or what route to take, as some have a variety of levels. Most of the training is broken into 2 course levels. For more on understanding Reiki levels see my article Reiki levels explained. In Jikiden Reiki we tend to learn both levels Shoden (equivalent to level 1) and what is called Okuden (meaning deeper level- equivalent to level 2) at the same time, over 3 days of training, so you have all the techniques and a better understanding to then go and practice. There is second-level content that is relevant and useful for complete beginners, as well as other benefits of this approach. See my article Attending both Reiki course levels together or separately.

So, in closing the best Reiki course for Beginners is the one that will teach you what you want to learn ideally in the country you live in. I would suggest focusing on that. If you would like to find out more about Jikiden Reiki and upcoming course dates in the Birmingham area UK, see my Jikiden Reiki courses.

Shaun Mckeown 12/09/2023 Shaun Mckeown 12/09/2023

Accredited Reiki Courses in the UK

Many look to Accredited Reiki courses as a sign of quality and authenticity of the Reiki training. Accreditation is not a good indication of training accuracy or authenticity at all. It is more a standard Reiki course with an ongoing element of vocational study over a period of months to demonstrate experience and base competency to work in professional settings. Read more to understand this misunderstood topic.

This article is to help those looking for Reiki courses in the UK find the right courses. The fact you are reading an article with the title of Accredited Reiki Courses in the UK suggests are looking for quality Reiki training Courses and believe looking for those that are accredited is a good idea, makes sense, right?

A common question people ask is: Are Reiki courses Accredited in the UK? Overall they are not, however, a small percentage of Reiki course providers/teachers have gone through a process to create additional course content, training, and mentoring to achieve an Accredited Reiki Course title.

These courses are Verified courses, so think of the words Accredited and Verified as the same thing here. being a CNHC-verified course is what matters.

The term accredited is more the endpoint of such a course after a verification process where the candidate can gain acceptance onto the Complimentary and Natural Health Care Council (CNHC) accredited register as a practitioner. So if the course provider is not a CNHC-verified course, it’s not that helpful, as that would be the main reason for most for doing such a course, to get accepted onto the register, under the discipline of Reiki (the CNHC register covers other complementary therapies as well).

Becoming a Verified Practitioner is as relevant if not more for those delivering Reiki in voluntary settings, as they are for professional Reiki Practitioners. As they tend to be in more medical-based settings more often than professional practitioners, such as hospices, or hospitals. Which is the main focus of these courses- professionalism in such settings. Many of the Verified Courses have titles like ‘Professional’ in the title, the JRUKA one included, usually as the focus is on professionalism in Reiki practise, but be aware they are for voluntary settings as well.

Technically accreditation is through Skills for Health, the course meets the National Occupational Standards for you to gain acceptance onto the CNHC register, the course provider is not doing the accreditation, or awarding accredited status as such, more they are taking you through an approved course process that ensures you meet certain experience and competence levels to meet the requirements to get onto the CNHC register after the course requirements are met, commonly referring to their role as a teacher/assessor. The final part is called verification which is done through a CNHC-approved Verification organisation., they issue the Reiki Council written assignment and oversee a final observation assessment (you performing a consultation and treatment session with someone), and they then award the Verified Practitioner certificate. with this, you can get onto the CNHC register. So really such courses get you to a Verified Practitioner status, rather than an accredited Practitioner, but that is terminology that you see course providers using for marketing, just think of both words taking about the same outcome, or level, or being the same thing as far as you need to think about accredited or Verified Reiki courses.

For Jikiden Reiki trained practitioners we havebuiltd a smooth route for you, to help you achieve the Reiki Council Verified Practitioner Award & meet the Complimentary and Natural Health Care Council (CNHC) accredited register requirements through The Jikiden Reiki UK Association’s (JRUKA)- Verified Practitioner Programme, however its important to understand this topic to help you the right Reiki training course for you.

To start with when it comes to all Accredited Reiki Courses/ Verified Reiki Courses, you need to be aware of a couple of points:

You do not need to have completed an Accredited/Verified Reiki course to become a professional Reiki practitioner in the UK. In the UK you need to have completed Shoden and Okuden level Reiki training (termed level 1 and 2 in Western approaches to Reiki). As that is what you need to get insured to do Reiki treatments with the public. In reality, only a small percentage of Reiki professionals are accredited. It can be a good thing to do, but it is not a requirement. It is however likely to be more advantageous, or even in some settings preferred/required if you want to work in some hospitals, hospices, or health care settings.

Accreditation/Verification has little to do with the accuracy of the Reiki training you will receive. Its focus is on best practices in how you interact with clients, deliver Reiki treatment sessions, and conform to the relevant regulations in place in the UK.

Verification is about the course provider fulfilling national occupational standards and having a process to take a candidate/student through a course that fulfils requirements of training hours, recording experience delivering Reiki treatments, accumulating hours of self-treatment, being observed delivering consultations and Reiki treatments, case studies, as well as a written exam at the end. So is focused on understanding professional boundaries and regulations relating to delivering Reiki to the public from a professional standards, best practice view in both a professional and voluntary capacity.

The actual Reiki training bit is not the focus. Nuts right? It took me a bit to get my head around this. With regards to Reiki, it is mainly a case of doing what your Reiki training taught you. As long as a few basic requirements are met from your Reiki training course provider it ticks that box.

Think of Verification as being about professionalism in Reiki. The idea is to ensure a standard of professionalism, minimum therapy experience, and competence in the therapy you deliver to the public. The endpoint is acceptance to the CNHC register as a Reiki Practitioner.

Verification could be thought of as providing a standard in public or organizational confidence that you are capable of delivering your Reiki sessions in environments like hospitals, and hospices, with the public in a professional manner, ensuring your awareness of key regulations and professional boundaries of Reiki treatments with the public.

This is not a bad thing at all, as it supports the public perception of Reiki in a professional light. Possibly providing more opportunities in more healthcare settings. Mostly voluntary, but some professional.

A problem I see is people looking towards Accredited/Verified Reiki courses, as an indication that the Reiki Training Course (the most important bit) is accurate and complete. This is not the case.

As I said before the accreditation process for a Reiki course would not be able to determine authentic Reiki training over approaches to Reiki that had misunderstandings and missing parts, it’s just not what it is looking at.

My view is to find the Reiki course that best fits what you are looking for. Accreditation/Verification second. I would however say it's safe to say teachers who offer accredited/Verified courses value professionalism, and work to best practice, or they would not bother going through the process of getting their course accredited, so they do tend to offer a good quality in what they deliver. My question is always about what teachers are teaching in their Reiki courses to begin with. Have a look at my article Finding the Right Reiki Course and Teacher for help.

Pretty much all Accredited/Verified Reiki course providers would be delivering Western Reiki, so first determine if you are looking for more authentic Japanese teachings or approaches to Reiki that have moved away from the original. See my article Jikiden Reiki and Western Reiki, What’s the Difference? Luckily now through the JRUKA Professional Practitioner Programme, we offer the best of both worlds of authentic Reiki training and achieving Verified Practitioner status.

You commonly see Reiki teachers who teach Accredited/Verified Reiki courses sign students up to the complete process, which is at least 9 months in duration. So, you start with 3 or so days of Reiki training, then you move into what you could call the Verified course phase, where you study likely a manual on regulations and best practices, start building records of Reiki treatment hours, attend an in-person 1-day workshop on topics of professional best practice, then start the observations where a professional observes you delivering consultation and delivering a Reiki treatment against a standard criterion and collect case-studies. This continues until all elements have successfully been completed over months. I would suggest viewing Verified practitioner courses as a 2-step process. In the common approach above you move through both parts of the process from the start.

There is however another way you can complete a Verified Practitioner course, which is the way we have set it up in the Jikiden Reiki UK Association (JRUKA). You can take the Jikiden Reiki training Courses, and then at a future time, you can join the Verified Practitioner Programme, where you then take the verified course elements. The beauty of the way we set this up is that we can accept your Jikiden Reiki training, with any authorized Jikiden Reiki teacher as ‘part 1’ of your verified practitioner (as all Jikiden Reiki teachers teach the same content). So, you for example can take Jikiden Reiki training then become a member of the Jikiden Reiki UK Association (JRUKA) and join the Verified Practitioner Programme at a later date.

So, How long is a Verified Reiki Course? The minimum duration to complete an accredited course is 9 months from when you took the Reiki training course training. This is more about having a minimum duration of experience as a trained Reiki practitioner. However many do take longer, it depends on how long it takes you to move through the requirements and accumulate the required treatment experience hours.

How Much Does an Accredited/Verified Reiki Course Cost? This depends, as it has 2 parts, the Reiki training part, the Reiki training courses Shoden and Okuden (or level 1 and 2) vary quite widely as what teachers teach is very different as a broad idea expect £500. The Cost of the Accreditation process (part 2) is usually around the same, maybe a bit less all in at most, So if you are taking an Accredited course that has the Reiki course built in you are looking at around the £900-£1000 mark as a total investment. In the Reiki training and Accreditation together model, some might be a bit cheaper, but the quality of the Reiki course is the most important element, so cheap is not always the best. Either way can get you to the point of having completed an Accredited/Verified Reiki course. The initial ‘Reiki training part’ is likely to be a larger investment at the start. The second part, the Verified course element could allow spreading out of the investment, dependent on the time frame you want to work to. The JRUKA Verified course does it this way with smaller paced-out payments at each stage of the process.

Where to Look for Accredited/Verified Bodies. One thing to consider is if a course is claiming it is accredited. Check who with. With any complementary therapy in the UK, the one that matters is the Complimentary and Natural Health Care Council (CNHC). At the time of writing this article, there are just under 50 Reiki teachers in the UK who can support you through an Accredited/Verified Reiki course that they recognize. This tends to be the organization that medical professionals would look towards anyway.

Once you have completed a CNHC-approved Verified Reiki Course, you can apply to become a registrant of the CNHC Accredited Register, which is kind of the aim of all this. Another important point to consider is if a Reiki course is an online course (the Reiki training) I would rule it out immediately, as the Reiki training would be compromised. To understand why see my article: Are Online Reiki Courses a Good Idea? You will likely find online courses not accepted towards becoming a Verified Practitioner.

Which Reiki Courses are Accredited? You can look into the CNHC for more info. Be aware its focus is professional best practice for the protection of the public and not that well placed to help practitioners succeed, just be aware of that. Registration will also cost you around £75 every year (optional if you want to join that register).

List of Accredited Reiki Courses in the UK. If you want to look at a wider selection in the UK this link takes you to the list of CNHC Verified Course providers Another useful place to look is the Reiki Council website list for course providers delivering verified courses Reiki Council Verified Course Providers. (Update Feb 2025, I have chosen to no longer deliver the Verified course, choosing to focus on the Reiki training itself and supporting Reiki practitioners to build a successful Reiki business, however, you might see me as a provider on the 2 listings above for another year.

It is also worth questioning the weight we give to accreditation/Verification itself, you may also come across the term Certified Reiki Courses. For example, I teach Jikiden Reiki, so if you take Jikiden Reiki training courses with me (or any other authorized Jikiden Reiki teacher) your training is certified with the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Japan. I might suggest that would be a more important, or a higher indicator of the quality and authenticity of your Reiki training than achieving a level of compliance to regulatory or other standards. So, if you come across the term certified, consider- who with? Maybe think of certified as who the Reiki training is recognized with and accredited, or Verified as the recognition the extended training has met a standard of vocational best practice for UK regulations.

Having gone through the process of creating a Verified Reiki Course, as the lead on the creation of the Jikiden Reiki UK Association Verified Practitioner Programme, I do think it is a very useful thing to complete and become a Verified Practitioner, as it does cover all those other best practice topics you would want to know as a practitioner working with the public, looking at topics such as advertising standards, and what you can and can’t claim you can help with Reiki, how to deliver pre-appointment consultations, key documents and treatment records as well as key regulations you need to know etc. You also get guidance from a teacher/assessor as well, all helpful things.

Most tend to look towards Accredited/Verified Reiki courses if they are looking to become a professional Reiki practitioner or want the highest quality or standards of Reiki training. Be aware Accredited/Verified Course content deals with working professionally, or voluntarily with the public professionally. It will not offer that much in terms of helping you build a successful Reiki business, as it is not designed for that purpose. I have however created a Reiki business course that is designed for that specific purpose. If you want help with the business side of being a Reiki practitioner, take a look at my comprehensive home study Reiki business course, and Reiki Marketing Course, along with other resources to help you succeed.

I find with most, the business side needs as much if not more attention and focus than practitioner skills, so I tend to suggest looking at the business course first and then looking at a Verified Practitioner courses.

In all this Remember:

The key requirement of your Reiki course selection should be the accuracy of the Reiki training itself, independent of the fact it is or is not an Accredited/Verified course (you can become a Verified Practitioner at a later date).

I would suggest the following order of things if you are looking to become a Reiki professional

1. Get the right Reiki Training in the first place! Jikiden Reiki Training Courses. (part 1 of the process). Also, if you want to be a Reiki professional then get my home-study Reiki business & marketing courses for UK Reiki Practitioners.

2. Join the JRUKA and sign up for the Professional Practitioner Programme (part 2 of the process- the Verified Reiki Course).

Shaun Mckeown 21/07/2023 Shaun Mckeown 21/07/2023

Jikiden Reiki® and Western Reiki, What are the Differences?

I have written this article primarily to help those new to Reiki who are looking for Reiki training courses and want to make sense of the options out there, who have come across Jikiden Reiki as well as other approaches to Reiki and wish to better understand the differences, to help them to make a better decision as to their direction in Reiki training courses, or indeed treatments. This article could also be helpful for those who have received training in Reiki of some form, who wish to deepen their understanding and study of Reiki and understand more about Jikiden Reiki. I have had countless private conversations with people looking for Reiki training, who want to better understand what they might be getting with each approach, so I have decided to write about it.

I write this article in peace, intending to help the person looking to better understand Reiki, who might be looking to invest in Reiki training courses and is confused about the options out there, so I write this with my consumer champion of Reiki hat on if you like. Before I go into the article, I want to make a few points to set the framing of this article, as you read it.

Firstly, people have seen good results from many different Reiki approaches.

Reiki energy is Reiki energy, and we all use the same stuff, so the differences in the practice of Reiki and the results people experience with differing approaches to Reiki come from factors other than the energy itself (what I mean is one approach is not using ‘stronger’ or special energy).

The term Western Reiki was not created by the Jikiden Reiki community, but by a prominent senior teacher in the Usui Reiki society in Japan in the early 1990s as a way to identify Reiki approaches that had moved away from the original Japanese teachings and practice of Usui Reiki. I highlight the differences from that view also.

Understand also there is a wide variety in what is taught under the title of Reiki, Usui Reiki, Western, or Japanese, and a wide range of accuracy of what is taught in any Reiki approach. As such the understanding of Reiki teachers, or Reiki Masters (the common Western term for a Reiki teacher) varies greatly as well. Consider as well most Western Reiki teachers would not be aware what they teach is Western Reiki at all! Some are and prefer not to make that known, but prefer to present their teachings in a more Japanese light, something to watch out for that as well.

I am a Jikiden Reiki teacher (Shihan) and that is all I teach nowadays, however, I was previously a Reiki Master teacher in both what was called Usui Reiki (Western Reiki) as well as a Reiki Master teacher in more ‘modern’, or ‘progressive’ approaches to Reiki as well, so I know what is being taught in both approaches to Reiki, so I am well positioned to write this. I have organized this article into 4 sections to help you gain an understanding of a few key characteristics of each approach to Reiki to help better understand them.

Overview

Jikiden Reiki is all about preserving the original teachings of Usui Sensei (the founder of Reiki) the Reiki teacher lineage (teachers link back to the founder of Reiki) is very short, with no Western influences, maintaining the original Japanese idea and practices of Reiki is the focus. Jikiden Reiki was built around the training Chiyoko Yamaguchi received directly from Chujiro Hayashi in the 1930s. Maybe think of Jikiden Reiki as the closest thing to authentic Japanese Usui Reiki training in the world that is openly available to the public. To find out more about Jikiden Reiki see my article: ‘What is Jikiden Reiki?’

Western Reiki has its roots in original Usui Reiki, it however lost some key components, understanding, and teachings in its move to the West, as well as the base Japanese culture and philosophy that ties into Reiki. This undoubtedly helped Reiki spread in the West and indeed back to Japan in the 1980s, however, this has led to in addition to fundamental misunderstandings of Usui Reiki, huge variations in what is taught under the name Reiki, and indeed has sprouted all these variations in styles of Reiki. I would suggest looking at my article: ‘Is there Such a Thing a Styles of Reiki?’ for more detail on this.

Reiki Teacher Lineage

The differences can be easily seen in a teacher's Reiki lineage. A Reiki lineage is a teacher's teacher training if you like, and who has granted permission for them to teach what they teach, this tracks back to the founder Usui Sensei. For more on Reiki Linages see my article: ‘What is Reiki Lineage?’ Note: A Teacher's lineage is always only a single line down, teaching what you were taught by the teacher above, back to the founder of Reiki. It is also only teachers should have one. I say this as you will come across teachers who have ‘expanded’ a lineage to look more Japanese, indeed many have found ‘creative’ ways to hide that what they teach is Western Reiki, choosing to list practitioner training with Japanese teachers as if they had been trained as a teacher and granted permissions to teach in that person’s name as an example. Characteristics of Jikiden and Western Lineages are below:

Jikiden Reiki

Mikao Usui
Chujiro Hayashi
Chiyoko Yamaguchi
Tadao Yamaguchi

Jikiden Reiki Shihans (teachers)

As an example, Tadao Yamaguchi is my Reiki teacher I trained with him and I teach what he taught me, he granted me the level of teacher, so I would be under him on my own Reiki teacher lineage.

Western Reiki

Mikao Usui
Chujiro Hayashi
Hawayo Takata

Here is a Western teacher lineage, it branches off in a variety of directions. There are commonly another 4- 15 steps down until you get to your teacher. The point is what is taught was changed at multiple points in that lineage. Any teacher with Hawayo Takata in their lineage is teaching Western Reiki.

Reiki Teachers & Teacher Training

Jikiden Reiki preserves the Japanese Lemoto system where who creates teachers is controlled from the top of the organization in Japan, so a couple of people in the world can create Shihan (full teacher), so as teachers, we don’t create other teachers, that is left to the top teachers in the organization, who are all senior teachers. This does help to preserve standards, however, there are naturally a lot fewer authorized Jikiden teachers as a percentage of Reiki teachers out there. So, for example, there may be 2-4 new Shihans (full teachers) created each year in the UK. The process of starting teacher training to the full teacher is commonly a 2-year journey for most, with many requirements to be met along the way such as repetition of full Reiki training courses 2 or 3 times, then attendance to an assistant teacher level (Shihan Kaku) training course. Then a teacher gains permission to teach only the beginner Reiki course (Shoden), they build experience delivering Reiki training, further repeating Reiki training and assistant training courses, then a Shihan (full teacher) course. We all teach the same thing, charge the same training fees, and work from the guidance of a central organization, the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Japan. All training is certified with them. For more details about Jikiden Reiki training, see my Jikiden Reiki courses page.

Western Reiki allows a Reiki teacher (commonly termed Reiki Master, or Reiki Master Teacher) to make adjustments to what they teach, how they deliver it, and charge what they want. The controls on the teachings you see in Jikiden Reiki are just not there in Western Reiki. Many have added other parts to the training, that are nothing to do with Reiki. Many have created different styles of Reiki. Teacher training is commonly a 3-day training course. Prerequisites are usually only to have taken level 1 and 2 Reiki, maybe some experience, but that is it. Teachers can then create their own teachers (Reiki Masters) at any time. There isn’t any coherent quality control or organized way of doing things. Some have formed organizations to honor the teachings of Hawayo Takata, or they aim to stay in line with her teachings, but it's more an individual teacher’s choice what they do (It’s a bit of a wild west out there).

What is taught in Reiki Training Courses

Jikiden Reiki This is the most important bit for you, and where differences are most evident. The Jikiden Reiki teachings are about the original complete Usui Reiki teachings. For a start, the method the teacher uses to clear the student’s channels to be able to channel Reiki energy is different than Western Reiki. In Jikiden Reiki this process is called Reiju. We perform Reiju multiple times throughout the Reiki training courses and place importance on maintaining a clear channel. How Jikiden Reiki teaches students to deliver Reiki treatments is always with hands on a person’s body, with light contact, with a focus on a person’s body showing us where the need is which we can track through sensations in our hands with the original Usui Reiki approach of Byosen, this is the cornerstone of delivering effective Reiki treatments (this is one of the parts missing in Western Reiki). We find a person’s area of need and stay there, for long periods of 30 mins plus, further supporting a targeted effective treatment, in addition, we can track a person's progress through the changes in these sensations. There are other useful original Usui Reiki techniques we teach that are absent in other Reiki teachings as well, such as Ketsueki Kokan Ho (a useful circulation technique performed at the end of Reiki treatment sessions) and the complete Seiheki Chiryo (emotional technique). Jikiden Reiki places enthesis on accurate historical information and cultural understanding in its training courses as well. There is also a focus on living Reiki in our lives. The style is simplicity and depth in its teachings and authenticity, it's easier to use, with non of the rituals you tend to see in Western Reiki. It is about honoring the original teachings of the founder Usui Sensei. Course levels will be Shoden (beginner) 2-day course. And Okuden (deeper level) 1-day course. We teach both courses together as 3 days of training. Jikiden Reiki will tend to suit those wanting authenticity and accuracy in what they learn and want to learn Reiki in its complete original form. For more details on Reiki training course levels see my article: ‘Reiki training levels Explained.’

Western Reiki The method the teacher uses to clear the student’s channels to be able to channel Reiki energy is different. In Western Reiki this process is called an Attunement, some call them other words such as initiation, but the process differs from the original method. Personally, having been trained in many of these methods the original has the best effect. Attunements tend to be 1 per course level and not done much after formal training courses. As not all Japanese Reiki teaching made it to what was first taught in the West, the teaching content gaps tend to be filled with things that are not Reiki, such as chakras, crystals, pendulums, angels, animal spirits, guides, additional symbols, such as a ‘master’ symbol among others. The method of delivering treatment tends to be standard hand placements, usually 15 sites, working 3-5 mins per placement. Or a more intuitive lead treatment. Having the hands hovering over the person’s body is the norm during treatments. The style tends to be adding more to the system. The levels are commonly presented as level-1 (beginner) a 2-day course and level 2 (practitioner), a 2-day course. Many have added additional levels, but any content in such courses is nothing to do with Usui Reiki. People usually learn level 1 training, then after 3 months or so take level 2 training. Western Reiki tends to suit those with an interest in things such as developing psychic senses, or interest in spirit guides, and for those where authenticity and accuracy, are not that important, for those that are happy with content being changed, or merged with other approaches.

In Closing

I hope this has helped you gain an insight into the differences between Jikiden Reiki and Western Reiki. If you would like to find out more about original Japanese Reiki courses in the UK, see my Jikiden Reiki training courses. If you are looking for Reiki training, you might find my article: ‘Guide to Finding the Right Reiki Course and Teacher for You' helpful.

Shaun Mckeown 05/07/2023 Shaun Mckeown 05/07/2023

Are Online Reiki Courses A Good Idea?

In this article, I want to answer a question many have when looking for Reiki training courses. It’s a reasonable question to ask when looking for Reiki training courses online and you see online Reiki courses appear at the top of a Google search for Reiki courses. This article aims to help you in finding the right Reiki training courses for you, I will answer this question quickly to ensure you understand my view and then explain why as concisely as I can. So, to answer the question

‘Are Online Reiki Courses a Good Idea?’

my answer is: No! I would not suggest anyone learns Reiki online.

I will explain why below. This article should also cover similar questions: Can you take Reiki courses online? Are online Reiki courses legit?

Online Reiki courses have been out there for quite a few years now. For us as Reiki teachers, they make no sense. In the past, I have left this topic alone, yet recently they are more common than they used to be, we have seen a general increase in popularity of online training courses post-Covid and lockdowns, where course providers looked at alternative ways to deliver training courses. In addition to companies and some individual Reiki teachers looking for a more passive business model for training courses, online Reiki courses are seen as an attractive and profitable idea to some, so, the reasoning for doing it at all is commercial. The benefit being course providers can sell many (if a live training version) or sell many and not have to be there to deliver the training in person (the common pre-recorded/ or pre-formatted version). Note: when I talk about online courses, I include any training where the teacher is not present with students in person. There are also big mass-production online training companies, that simply look to offer all kinds of training online and have naturally looked to find someone in Reiki who would develop an online course.

As the delivery of these courses is online, their marketing is solely online, and as they are commonly an automated operation, with their marketing efforts focused online they tend to be present at the top of search engines when looking for Reiki courses as they can dominate the space at the top of online searches with paid for sponsored advertisements and commonly there are a few of them always up there on Google searches for Reiki courses in general. Because of their high online visibility, I get this question more often, so I have decided to discuss this topic and help those looking for Reiki training understand why they are a bad idea.

Putting what is taught aside, the main problem that jumps out at me as a Reiki teacher is that is serious an issue enough to instantly rule them out is The act of performing Reiju - the clearing process a teacher performs with each student to facilitate them to be able to channel Reiki energy through their hands is only performed in person. It was created that way and always has been and would be performed the way it was created, there is no remote method for it. In traditional Japanese Reiki (Jikiden Reiki) which is what I teach, we perform Reiju 5 times in person during the 3 days of Shoden and Okuden level training This maximizes a student’s ability to best channel Reiki from the training courses (levels comparable to level 1 and 2 if you come across those terms for training levels).

You might have come across the term attunement as a name for this process in the Western approaches to Reiki. For this discussion, think of them both as the process to clear, to allow the student to channel Reiki.

As a point to note, as well as being a Jikiden Reiki teacher, I was previously what was termed a Reiki Master in a few approaches to Reiki, all had differing processes to achieve this clearing, so I have been trained in a variety of attunement approaches. What I have consistently found is that the best clearing came from the original Japanese Usui Reiki Reiki Reiju (that we do with Jikiden Reiki training) the further away from the original Reiju things get the less the clearing effect tends to get, but at least it's done in person and that’s my point. I would not hold up great expectations for a Reiki clearing method that was nothing to do with Reiki, so any done remotely.

So, if the effectiveness of the clearing process is not great (Reiju, or indeed attunement- the process that facilitates the flow of energy through to your hands) that will undoubtedly negatively impact the effectiveness of your Reiki treatments, so lessen the results you get with Reiki, and thus your confidence in it as well. Some would conclude Reiki doesn’t work, where the problem is likely to be in the training course rather than Reiki itself. This above point is enough on its own in my opinion to render online courses a bad idea. Reiki is an in-person training course.

I would also have questions of the teacher of an online course, as to their understanding of Reiki, as well as their Reiki training, let alone to think remote Reiju/attunement was a good idea. With these questions, I wouldn’t be confident in the quality of the training you would receive.

I get the convenience of online training and the idea of innovation and exploring developing delivery methods, along with the time and financial challenge for teachers of small group course delivery. I have created online courses for other things, I just wouldn’t do it for Reiki, it's an in-person training course for good reason.

There has been pretty much across-the-board at this time non-acceptance of online Reiki courses with the main industry organizations and member organizations (in-person Reiju/attunement being a basic requirement). Don’t be swayed by any accreditation, diploma, or other title. There is a fundamental floor in the Reiki training. There has been pressure from some to try and get acceptance of such online Reiki training. Maybe some organizations will accept such courses for lack of understanding, or commercial reasons, in the future, who knows? These courses by their business model are going to be very cheap, which helps their popularity, but Reiki courses among other healing therapies are not the most expensive courses. I would want to invest in authentic accurate training, whatever that was Reiki included.

For my part, as a Reiki teacher, on my soapbox, and as a consumer champion for those looking for Reiki courses, I have done my bit to help you by highlighting a fundamental floor in online Reiki courses and would suggest looking at Reiki training courses delivered in person. If you are interested in authentic Japanese Reiki training courses in the UK, you are welcome to take a look at my Jikiden Reiki training courses in the Birmingham area. Other articles to help you in your search for Reiki training courses that you might be interested in include.

What is Reiki?

What is Jikiden Reiki?

Finding the right Reiki course and teacher for you.

Is there such a thing as styles of Reiki?

Reiki levels explained.

What is Reiki Lineage?

I hope this awareness has helped you. Click here for information on Jikdien Reiki training courses in the UK.

Shaun Mckeown 11/03/2022 Shaun Mckeown 11/03/2022

What is Reiki Lineage?

This article is written with a range of readers in mind, primarily for my own Jikiden Reiki students, but also with those looking for Reiki training courses, and existing Reiki practitioners and teachers of other approaches to Reiki in mind. Misunderstandings around lineage are commonplace in the Reiki world, both in the UK and internationally. So, what is a Reiki lineage?

In a nutshell- A Reiki teacher lineage is represented as a single vertical list from your Reiki teacher (or if you are a Reiki teacher your name) in the system you teach showing each teacher above you in your line back to the founder Mikao Usui.

To begin this topic, 2 key points are critical to an understanding of lineage.

1. It is only Reiki teachers that should have a Reiki lineage (as they are the ones permitted to teach Reiki). Practitioners/students don’t have a Reiki teaching lineage.

2. Reiki lineage is a direct single line. The person above a Reiki teacher in a lineage is the person with who a teacher took teacher training and was permitted to teach those teaching to others. This single line goes back to the founder of Reiki Mikao Usui.

This can be new information for many Reiki practitioners and indeed Reiki teachers out there. So, let’s look at this first point. Misunderstandings around lineage are seen in many approaches to Reiki. When a person completes Reiki training along with a Reiki certificate, it is not uncommon for a Reiki teacher to inform a student of their new Reiki lineage as a practitioner/student, which tends to be the teacher’s lineage, with the student’s name placed underneath, which you can see from the first point above that it is a lineage for teachers only, so the idea of practitioners having a lineage is incorrect, as they are not a teacher. This misunderstanding can even be seen when a Reiki practitioner lists a lineage on a professional website, again at that level of training they wouldn’t have their lineage. This misunderstanding would have likely started around 40 years ago and has been baked into the teaching of Reiki for many years and followed the spread of Reiki in the West and then around the world, so it’s not surprising it’s such a common misunderstanding. Note: Just because almost everyone does something a certain way doesn’t mean it's correct. Before finding Jikiden Reiki (authentic Japanese Usui Reiki) I was a Reiki teacher (termed master teacher) teaching Usui Reiki and other Reiki approaches, both systems I was previously a teacher in did this, we gave students a lineage with their name on it.

What we do in Jikiden Reiki, following the Usui system of Reiki, (for my students reading this), and a simple suggestion for any Reiki practitioners and teachers of other approaches to Reiki, to be more in keeping with the way of Reiki, so not adding to this misunderstanding, would be:

A student might say ‘My teacher’s Reiki lineage is’ (then list their own teacher’s lineage- without the student’s name on it). As it was in Japan and is today in Jikiden Reiki, teacher permissions are granted gradually so have graduated sub-teaching levels, we in Jikiden Reiki add our teacher level by our name, Shihan, meaning ‘teacher’ so permitted to teach the complete system of Reiki, so both Shoden and Okuden courses (in the western systems of Reiki commonly termed level 1 and 2). So, for my Reiki students for you, it would be presented as:

My teacher’s Reiki lineage is:

Mikao Usui
Chijiro Hayashi
Chiyoko Yamaguchi
Tadao Yamaguchi
Shaun Mckeown (Shihan)

If as a student in the future, you become a Reiki teacher, at that point you take on the teacher lineage of the teacher who permitted you to teach. So now your name would be placed at the bottom of that list of names. Out of respect you might also on a side note, refer to the teacher who taught you Shoden and Okuden in the system you now teach.

The second point I make on Reiki lineage is pretty simple for my students reading this but can be new information and indeed create some questions for anyone reading this whose own Reiki teacher’s lineage does not look how a Reiki teacher's lineage should.

A few must-have characteristics of Reiki lineage are: At the top of your teacher’s (or your lineage if a Reiki teacher yourself) should be Mikao Usui, if not I would question what are you practicing if it’s called Reiki. As if it’s called Reiki it should have the founder of Reiki at the top. In most lineages, he is, however, this is not as clear cut as it can appear as many things called Usui Reiki, which have Usui Sensei’s name at the top of a lineage, are teaching something a great distance away from what Mikao Usui called Reiki. But that’s a different rant for another day.

To keep things simple, let's view this as if you are not a teacher yourself, but a Reiki practitioner reading this, any Reiki teachers reading this will be clever enough to understand what this means for them. Your Reiki teacher’s lineage should look like a vertical line, not like a tree. I say again: A Reiki teacher lineage is a single straight vertical line, the lowest being your teacher's name, with the name directly above your teacher being the Reiki teacher permitted to teach the system of that lineage, who permitted your teacher to teach those Reiki teachings to you, once they completed teacher training. This continues back until you get to the founder of Reiki Mikao Usui. Think of it as your teacher is teaching in the name of the teacher before them and so on in their lineage back to the founder of Reiki.

A deviation to Reiki lineage started about 15 or so years ago, when I say deviation, it was not by accident. We know the few individuals that set out on this idea away from a true Reiki lineage. What these people did was start presenting a Reiki teacher lineage that looks more like a tree. They did this by joining a variety of lineages. In my opinion there only appears one reason to do so, which would be to try to find a way to make their Reiki lineage (and therefore their Reiki courses) look more Japanese and authentic. I think it is interesting these lineages only started appearing around the time Jikiden Reiki, known as authentic Japanese Usui Reiki came onto the Reiki scene. When I first learned Reiki and became a teacher, my teacher lineage was a single straight line. In the second system of Reiki, I became a teacher, which I learned directly from a prominent international Reiki teacher was this type of branch-like lineage.

These lineages are misleading to students at best. A Reiki lineage is not a record of all the variety of Reiki-related training a teacher has had or a collection of all the techniques you have learned. It is supposed to be a single track of the teachers, who granted the teacher below them in the lineage permission to be a Reiki teacher and share the teachings they taught them, honoring the system of Reiki as taught by the teacher above.

In these tree-like lineages, you tend to see a common Western lineage (by that I mean with Mrs. Takata in it, as is commonly the case, so going: Mikao Usui, Chihiro Hayashi, Mrs. Takata, and so on, which is fine. But then we see these Japanese branches, which imply someone further up the line was trained, then took teacher training in that system and was granted teacher level along with being permitted to teach that system from traditional Japanese Reiki teachers. We know this is not the case with those who started this idea. Let’s be clear if a teacher has not taken teacher training and been granted permission by the teacher above them in a lineage to teach those teachings in their name then that whole line in a lineage should not be there.

As an example, if any teacher has Chiyoko Yamaguchi in a lineage, that is not teaching Jikiden Reiki, so not an authorized Jikiden Reiki teacher by the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Japan (what I teach) then her name and that whole line on a lineage should not be on a lineage at all. In this case that the person claiming she granted teacher level and permission to teach what she taught (outside Jikiden Reiki) would not be correct, even if a teacher did take some training in Jikiden Reiki as a practitioner.

For a start even if such a teacher, had been trained in those teachings (but not a teacher) in Jikiden Reiki, then without permission (directly against what they would have agreed), used a Jikiden Reiki lineage, an initial problem would be the Reiju (termed attunement in western approaches) would not be the original way, as they would not have been taught it themselves until teacher training, which they wouldn’t have taken, that’s a problem in itself, as the method they are using would be different.

Another version of this is a Japanese lineage, where a rare situation where someone learned practitioner levels of training Shoden and Okuden from an authentic Japanese Teacher. We know this is accurate, but we also know they were not taught to be teachers in those teachings and not given permission to teach, so again the whole line shouldn’t be there. In my mind, these two examples open up questions about honesty and integrity with those initial teachers who started this idea, especially when knowing this was against the wishes of the teacher above them. A consequence of this situation is those well-meaning Reiki teachers, a few steps down that lineage would be unaware of this, so believe they are teaching with integrity in the name of the teachers before them in that lineage. Commonly that lineage drew the teacher towards those teachings, looking for authenticity in the first place. Note: we know of a couple of Western people who have been accepted into the Gakki (original Usui Reiki society) in Japan, so their teacher’s lineage would be authentic Japanese, but they would not be practicing/teaching Reiki outside of the group, as members practice within it. So you would not see these lineages appearing in public.

Note: As this article is public, for those Reiki teachers who are reading this, who might have a tree-type lineage, or Japanese-looking lineage, who with the best intentions did not know this and want to teach with integrity, I would say, the common solution is simply to delete the Japanese strands of your lineage that cannot be verified and inform any Reiki teachers (masters) you have created, of your amended Reiki teacher lineage. I say this as I am yet to find one of these tree-type lineages that hold up. That’s exactly what I did. I know some that have respect for them for doing so. If your interest is in authentic Japanese Usui Reiki, I would say have a look at Jikiden Reiki and see if that might be a direction for you, maybe becoming an authorized teacher in the future, that was my route.

For those looking for Reiki training, what can we determine from a teacher's Reiki lineage? Well, if Mrs. Takata is in it, it could be classed as Western Reiki (she would be the 3rd person in the lineage). We know some parts of Reiki were omitted and some changes were made at that point. We also know that teachers after that point were permitted to adjust the training. So, things that are not Reiki and misunderstandings creep in from there. If a Western lineage is long the potential for more adjustments to the training, or the pollution of the training (pick a word that works for you) could be higher. Most western Reiki lineages are 8-15 teachers long, however, a slightly shorter lineage is not always a guarantee that things were not changed as much as a longer one, just the chances are higher. Jikiden Reiki teachers have an unusually short teacher lineage, in mine, I am the 5th person in my lineage. A key characteristic we see with Jikiden Reiki is that there is no Western influence and as teachers, we are not permitted to change the training. So, these 3 things together ensure accuracy and ensure authenticity in what we are teaching. Ultimately if you like what you have been taught, great. My focus is on people not being misled and promoting authentic Japanese Usui Reiki, so I will have a certain view on this topic. I hope you have found this article of interest and I wish you the best with your study of Reiki. For those interested in authentic Japanese Usui Reiki training courses (Jikiden Reiki) you can find out more about courses here Jikiden Reiki courses.

Shaun Mckeown 05/08/2020 Shaun Mckeown 05/08/2020

Better to Attend Both Jikiden Reiki Courses Together or do them Seperately?

This question comes up quite regularly, when people look to attend Reiki training. In short either way is fine to do. In Jikiden Reiki things are set up for students to attend both levels together- to learn the whole system of Reiki at one time, rather than do it in bits. I have my views on it and will expand on this question with the aim to better help you decide what is best for you.

This question comes up quite regularly when people look to attend Reiki training. In short, either way, is fine to do. In Jikiden Reiki things are set up for students to attend both levels together- to learn the whole system of Reiki at one time, rather than do it in bits. I have my views on it and will expand on this question with the aim to better help you decide what is best for you. Jikiden Reiki training (as is the case with most approaches to Reiki in general) consists of 2 courses or levels of training. The first course ‘Shoden’, meaning beginner level- is comparable to what is termed in the West as Reiki level 1. The second course ‘Okuden’, meaning deeper level, is comparable to what is termed in the West as Reiki level 2. Details of the Beginner Reiki Course and the Deeper level Reiki course can be found on the Jikiden Reiki training courses website page.

In non-Jikiden Reiki circles, well most of the common approaches to Reiki out there you will come across, training courses tend to be set up for students to attend the first course, then go away, gain a bit of experience then return and complete the second level of training at a later date. Most consider a period of 12 weeks to be best for this. The idea it’s helpful as after taking the second level students can then go off and become professional practitioners, so enforcing a period of delay between courses is thought to be better. The idea is a student is more experienced when they take the second level, so better able to be a professional practitioner.

The approach to taking both courses together came about in Japan in the early days of Reiki, as travel was so challenging when key figures taught Reiki a long way away they tended to teach both levels together. An approach that continues today with Jikiden Reiki. Commonly Jikiden Reiki training courses in Europe and Japan are delivered as a 3-day event, day one and two are the Shoden course, with Day 3 being the Okuden course. At this time I tend to deliver Shoden on one weekend, then deliver Okuden on a day the following weekend, simply for logistical reasons, as more people are available at weekends than in the week. With Jikiden Reiki in general people commonly just sign up for the training and take the complete training, both Shoden, and Okuden together. The option does still exist to take the Shoden course, then at a future date take the Okuden level. The view of the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Japan is that there is no need to take the first level, then wait for a period of time before taking the second level.

The way I see it the content of the second course will still be new to you, no matter how long you wait for in-between courses. In addition some of the content in the second course is helpful to a complete beginner, so on that basis alone it can be helpful to do both levels together. In Jikiden Reiki the second level is made up of additional techniques, or approaches for you to use, so the toolbox of approaches you have is larger than if you just did the first course on its own. One of the main techniques is a method of emotional healing for yourself and others, I would say that’s relevant for most students, new or experienced.

The other is a method to deliver a Reiki treatment remotely, which again is useful to a complete beginner whose elderly parent lives 100 miles away, as much as it is a student with 12 weeks experience whose elderly parent still lives 100 miles away- they just delayed the ability to use this technique by 12 weeks, that’s all. As if I need a better example of this, I am writing this article during the 2020 Covid 19 lockdown. Those who took Jikiden Reiki training with me in January 2020 and did both levels together (Shoden and Okuden) have been using the distant Reiki technique to support family members over recent months, who they have been unable to get to during the lockdown, so been unable to use hands-on Reiki with. Those who only took the first level (Shoden) in January with me, who were due to take the second level (Okuden) in early April- a course I had to cancel with the Covid-19 situation and going into Lockdown. So as I write this in early August 2020 so the last 7 months or so, 4 months of which were full lockdown they have not been able to use this technique to support family members and friends around them.

This brings me to another observation, with the best intentions in the world when students come for training, life can through some curve balls, 2020 being an example of this. Logistically the reality is it’s sometimes easier to clear the diary for both courses at the same time than it is to try and clear space to do a Reiki course one month, then try to clear space for another Reiki course again 3 months on. Some do the courses with a gap to spread out the cost, for financial reasons. I find that people’s financial situations tend to be pretty similar 12 weeks after the Shoden. I offer payment by card for courses as well which many students have said is helpful.

The only other reason seems to be people think learning both levels together would be too much info in a short space of time. I tend to deliver most courses over 2 weekends so there is a slight gap. The way we teach Jikiden and with the ongoing follow-up support from myself as a teacher, with regular workshops and practice events along with also having heavily discounted opportunities to repeat any formal Jikiden Reiki training course at any future time available, this is less of an issue with Jikdien Reiki (note: with may approaches to Reiki there is not this level of support after the formal training built-in).

Another consideration is many find it helpful to do the second level with the same group of people they just learned the first level with, rather than join a new group at a later date. So most do both levels together, I would say with 90 % of people it’s the best option, but attending the courses separately is possible. If it helps reassure you, below are some thoughts of those who did choose to do both courses together and were pleased they did, most were beginners to Reiki as well.

“I am so glad I decided to complete both Jikiden Reiki courses (Shoden & Okuden) with Shaun. The pace & depth of the course was perfect for the group as was Shaun’s style of teaching – he is patient & supportive whilst ensuring the group is comfortable with the knowledge they are learning. Highly recommended.”- Claire

“I attended the Shoden and Okuden courses with Shaun, what a fantastic course! All course material and teaching was easy to understand and explained as well as lots of opportunities for hands-on experience. I highly recommend this course”

“I have recently completed the 3 days of training (Shoden and Okuden) with Shaun which was amazing. The insight into the origins of Jikiden Reiki and its philosophy was really interesting and the practice course content was far more than I imagined.”- Jane

”I had the best experience attending the Shoden and Okuden Reiki training. Shaun who is the trainer, is a natural teacher, he teaches Jikden Reiki with a lot of depth and passion. Shaun creates a very warm and relaxing environment to teach Reiki. I came from very little knowledge and experience with Reiki. Shaun helped me to fully understand what Reiki is, and how we can use it.”- Pam

“I have attended the Shoden and Okuden courses where Shaun teaches the original Jikiden form of Reiki.
It was such an enjoyable and insightful three days with lots of practical work which is a great way of learning. The whole experience was so relaxed and Shaun’s obvious passion and ability to teach made it an absolute pleasure. I highly recommend Shaun as a teacher and practitioner.”- Janet

If you are looking to take Jikiden Reiki training courses with me and would like to discuss options, you can get in touch and I am happy to discuss the options with you and advise you. Click on the link to see dates and details of upcoming Jikiden Reiki Training Courses

Shaun Mckeown 28/04/2020 Shaun Mckeown 28/04/2020

Reiki Training Levels Explained

This article is primarily for those looking into Reiki and are looking to understand the levels of training, or titles people use within Reiki. The first level of Reiki training is Shoden, which means beginner level. This level is commonly termed as level 1 in western approaches to Reiki, which are more common, so you will more likely come across the term Level 1 than Shoden, when looking into Reiki.

This article is primarily for those looking into Reiki and is looking to understand the levels of training, or titles people use within Reiki.

The first level of Reiki training is Shoden, which means beginner level. This level is commonly termed as level 1 in Western approaches to Reiki, which are more common, so you will more likely come across the term Level 1 than Shoden, when looking into Reiki. Although there are huge variations in what is actually taught within this first level of training, you can think of them in terms of a course level as the same thing. These courses tend to be 2 days in duration, which is how we tend to deliver this course in Jikiden Reiki.

As a side point- all formal Reiki courses need to be conducted in person. These courses irrespective of approach, or style of Reiki should be held in person with your Reiki teacher- anything that suggests you can learn Reiki remotely and that parts of the course such as receiving Reiju (commonly termed attunement) can be delivered remotely and is sufficient is misguided- there is a teacher there for a reason. It’s a bit like trying to learn a martial art via an E-book, or pre-recorded online course. You have elements in the training that you need to be there in person.

The next level is Okuden, which means deeper level. This is comparable to what would be commonly termed a level 2 Reiki course. This tends to be conducted as either 1 or 2 days of training. In Jikiden Reiki we tend to deliver this training in one day. Again what is taught varies greatly.

From a traditional Japanese/ Jikiden Reiki view, at that point you have completed the formal Reiki training as taught by Usui Sensei the founder of Reiki, and unless you wish to become a Reiki teacher that’s it. In the West many schools of Reiki suggest or commonly require taking the second level of training after a period of 3 months of experience. This tends to be due to the fact that in Western teaching it is common for the teacher not to see a student that many in-between levels of training and it’s deemed a good idea to have some experience before performing Reiki on the public.

With Jikiden Reiki we tend to deliver both courses back to back. This was partially due to travel in old Japan that was challenging, especially in winter. It was part of the study of Reiki to repeat training and attend workshops to practice, and develop understanding and you would see your Reiki teacher again many times, so it was less of an issue learning both levels together. I find there are techniques we teach in the second course that is useful for the complete beginner, so many times I would recommend both levels to be taken at once for most people.

Level 2 in Western schools of Reiki might be termed as a practitioner level, as it is at that point deemed that some experience has been gained to practice Reiki on the public. In Jikiden Reiki you have all the skills to work with the public from Shoden (level 1) the norm is that insurance companies require Okuden (level 2). Some Reiki courses discuss professional practice within level 2 also, so lean towards the term practitioner level. So up to this point, things tend to be similar, then it gets interesting. The next step is if you wish to become a Reiki teacher. Collectively this can be termed as Shipiden.

Originally in Japan and very much in Japanese culture teacher levels are granted in a gradual, controlled, permission-based way. Commonly controlled by the head of the organization. When Reiki spread in the West variations appeared immediately, Most notably in the West, we see the term Master used to denote a Reiki teacher. Someone called a Reiki Master is just a teacher of it, they are the same thing.

In the West, a common variation after Okuden (level 2) is what is termed Master practitioner, sometimes termed Level 3, or 3A. Suggested additional techniques learned some may learn their attunement process- how to activate Reiki at this level. Other groups may call this an ‘Advanced’ level, or ‘Advanced Reiki Techniques’ course. Having previously been a teacher in western Reiki approaches and modified approaches as well, I have taken such courses myself, these tend to have additional healing techniques that are not Reiki related, that in my opinion kind of ‘pad out’ the content in a superficial way, rather than offer any additional depth.

Commonly we then have a Reiki Master Teacher, 3B or similar. Most require a period of 9 months of experience to take this level. At this point, they tend to learn how to teach ALL levels of study, level 1, level 2, Master Practitioner, and Master Teacher in one go. Then have permission to go into the world and teach all levels the next day (anyone else sees a problem here?). Well From a quality perspective, it has caused many problems, however, it has helped, indeed is largely responsible for the speed of the spread of Reiki in the world.

With Jikiden Reiki, as in the traditional way of Reiki, we have a stepped permission-based approach with the level Shihan Kaku (assistant teacher) as the first teacher level, which means you have permission to teach the Shoden (level 1) training course. This training tends to be a couple of days and is completed after a period of time, a minimum of 6 mths, but commonly a year, gaining experience and various prerequisites, such as repeating all training levels at least once again. This training and assessment process can only be conducted by a select number of senior teachers (Dia Shihans).

The second teacher level is called Shihan (full teacher) this permits the teacher to teach the complete Reiki system, so both Shoden (level 1) and Okuden (level 2). This tends to be a couple of days of training after more prerequisites, further repeating of all formal Reiki course levels and assistant teacher level again, with additional tracking of skill level, teacher proficiency, etc. Key to note Jikiden Shihan-Kaku or Shihan teachers doesn’t make other teachers. This level is granted by the Representative (president) or vice Representative of the organization only.

In Japanese Reiki, there are no further course levels you can take, further levels tend to be awarded to a few individual teachers after many years of dedication to the organization and are not something ever to be asked for. The next level is Dia Shian (senior teacher). This group is permitted to teach Shoden, Okuden, and Shihan-Kaku course levels. In Jikiden we then have a Vice Representative and a Representative- the President or head of the organization, who teach all levels. These titles are more organizational titles.

In a few approaches to Reiki in the West, there is another less common variation to this which started in the 1980s at an organizational level when a Western Reiki association created a new title level to try and reinforce the head of their organization after Western teachers started to split and were off doing their own thing, which is a term ‘Grand Master’. This term was created in the USA and was intended for one person, so in a similar way that Usui Sensei was the President of the original Reiki organization, and My Teacher Tadao Yamaguchi is the head or ‘Representative’ of the Jikiden Reiki organization. This term, however, has found its way into a level of study with a few Reiki teachers/organizations, where it’s a course level you can take. I do not wish to spend much effort on this point, I just mention it as I am aware of this in the area I operate from, so if you are in my area, you might come across the term. I know a teacher locally to me who creates grandmaster teachers, who by the way is a gifted healer, however in terms of levels of Reiki, this level does not exist in Usui Reiki. There are sub-parts to Reiki training. Shoden has 3 parts, Okuden 2 parts, then there are teacher levels. In early Japanese times, there were pre-formal training parts, like public workshops, that were dropped when stronger legal restrictions to healing in public in Japan came into force. If this term for a course level was created from a marketing or ego view, I do not know, but it feels to me to be going in the opposite direction to Reiki and is nothing to do with authentic traditional Japanese Usui Reiki. So to summarise

Western Reiki Approach (most common you come across, just by volume)

Level 1
Level 2
Master Practitioner (or some kind of Advanced level)
Master Teacher

Japanese Jikiden Reiki Approach

Shoden (beginner level)
Okuden (deeper level)
Shihan Kaku (assistant teacher)
Shihan (teacher)

Dia Shihan (senior teacher)

Organisationally- The founder Usui Sensei was the President of the organization originally, with Jikiden Reiki we have a vice representative & Representative heading the organization internationally.

So that is enough understanding to get you through navigating the differing terms and understanding levels of Reiki courses and titles used. For more discussion on the differences between Jikiden Reiki and Western Reiki see my Article: Jikiden Reiki and Western Reiki, Whats the Differences? If you would like to find out more about authentic traditional Reiki, click on the link to find out more: Jikiden Reiki Courses

Shaun Mckeown 23/01/2020 Shaun Mckeown 23/01/2020

Is There Such A Thing As ‘Styles’ of Reiki?

The idea of this article topic has come from a recent conversation I had with a Reiki student, however, it is a conversation that I have on a regular basis with those with an interest in Reiki, or are looking to Reiki to help them in some way. In this example, the conversation topic was after this person took Jikiden Reiki training and was trying to get their head around what they should now call their previous healing therapy that had the word Reiki in its title, yet they now realized what they were previously taught actually bears little resemblance to Reiki.

The idea of this article topic has come from a recent conversation I had with a Reiki student, however, it is a conversation that I have on a regular basis with those with an interest in Reiki, or who are looking to Reiki to help them in some way. In this example, the conversation topic was after this person took Jikiden Reiki training and was trying to get their head around what they should now call their previous healing therapy that had the word Reiki in its title, yet they now realized what they were previously taught actually bears little resemblance to Reiki. However, I have similar conversations with others around just trying to understand the options when searching online for Reiki courses, when faced with a sea of different titles of courses, all with the word Reiki in them.

So in this article, I wish to present my view from my experience and observation as a Reiki teacher and practitioner, having been trained in various approaches to Reiki, both original Japanese, western and modified with a variety of different titles that all have the word Reiki in them, as such might be classified as different styles of Reiki. I have also taught many healing professionals authentic Japanese Reiki who themselves are trained in all manner of healing approaches with various titles, many with the word Reiki in them. This article is primarily speaking for those newer to Reiki, so is an overview rather than an in-depth investigation, however, the points are relevant for any level of practice. Hopefully, I can at least reduce confusion a bit (as you will see its not totally clear cut) or at least simplify the process of selecting Reiki training for those looking for a Reiki teacher/ Reiki courses, saving you going in a direction that is not what you are looking for. For those trained in Reiki, this article simply offers a perspective on this topic of interest.

In this article, I’m not going to get on my soapbox and rant about all the reasons why this way is authentic and accurate and that way is not. You are welcome to look at my other articles, and will not have to go far to find me ranting about such topics. The question here is: Is there really such a thing as different styles of Reiki at all?

If we start with Reiki itself, let’s define it as ‘the practice of Reiki’, as an original practice developed by its founder Usui Sensei in Japan, in the early 1920s. The term Reiki was specific to this practice and the system developed by Usui Sensei, so for the purpose of this article let’s package that as the specific techniques, methods, philosophy, the path of daily practice, a way of life, and an expression of compassion in action.

There is now a huge variation just under the banner of Reiki/ Usui Reiki itself today in both the West and indeed Japan (as modified Western Reiki approaches were taught in Japan from the mid-1980s). With no central standardized training, content, and quality control is a bit patchy (that’s me attempting to be humorous). There is no ‘Reiki police’ and in many approaches to Reiki, teachers are free to amend what is taught at will. So to start with even if everything Reiki was just called the same thing, from a consumer perspective there would still be a huge variation in what you would learn, so that wouldn’t solve the issue of differing approaches to Reiki completely.

Now let’s add a bit more confusion into the mix. What I teach, is Jikiden Reiki (meaning directly taught: a name to symbolize its focus on the original Usui Reiki teachings). Jikiden Reiki itself could easily be misunderstood and could fall victim to being categorized as a style of Reiki, as a formal organization it’s only 20 years old (when the original teachings came to light to us in the west). At that time it needed a name, a trademark to add to the word Reiki, to centrally control the teachings from Japan, so what is taught and who could claim to be trained to teach it was managed. So it might look like a later addition or style of Reiki, yet in reality Jikiden Reiki is actually the original Usui teachings, bringing back the original teachings of Usui (more so than things commonly titled Usui Reiki). Jikiden Reiki is the only known authentic original Usui Reiki teachings available for the public to learn. In Japan or the West. So you thought it was confusing before!

In Japanese culture, in general, the focus is on simplicity and depth of understanding, in the west the dominant thinking is adding more at a superficial level, more techniques, symbols, etc. Sometimes such additions are even presented as an advanced next step beyond conventional Reiki training. Reiki is more about letting go, rather than adding. I invite to pause and ponder on that for a moment………..

In my Reiki path I have come across these different styles and tried to make sense of it all myself in my selection of Reiki courses and ongoing development, so I do understand it from the consumer side of the fence as well. Over the years some Reiki teachers looked at Reiki and thought: if I add ‘xyz’ to it, or merge it with this other helpful method I will improve it/ build on it, develop it, and evolve it in some way. Look my brain is wired to innovate and improve things, however, in regard to Reiki, that way of thinking is misguided. My view is that such thinking will only complicate that which should be simple, and will not add much to our ability to help ourselves and others. A point that resonates with me is that one of my Reiki teachers said words to the effect of: “In one way the idea of improving Reiki, is like saying: today with my level of human comprehension of existence I will improve on nature itself”. We need to also bear in mind the reality that most Reiki teachers have not been trained in the original Reiki teachings, so even with sound intentions may not realize what they are doing even if it was in the aim to improve Reiki and it is not needed at all.

Many rebrand what they do and add a word in front of the word Reiki to identify it, indicate a style shift, or separation from the original, this does at least help us classify what they teach and their perspective on things, so we understand the teachings will deviate from the original. My common observation is that you might get max 50% of the teachings having roots from the original Usui Reiki, 25% misunderstandings of the original Reiki, and 25% parts that are nothing to do with the original Usui Reiki. Not to say they are not helpful in their own right, but commonly the way of thinking with such additions is actually opposed to the way of thinking of Usui Reiki, so rarely help and they would not be enhancing Reiki, they are simply a different method to healing joined to it in most cases (but not all) without a full understanding of Reiki.

So in a way with no central control of Reiki when it came to the West and with so many people with differing interests, motives, and views around Reiki and healing, added to which a sprinkle of desire for control of ‘the creative direction’ of courses, decision making, income, etc, is it just inevitable that different breakaway approaches would form and try to stand out and stake their place in this ‘wild west’ world of Reiki? (that has got to be the first time I’ve written the words wild and Reiki in the same sentence). Much in Reiki circles is to focus on similarities, rather than differences. However are variations of the original just increasing separation, and hindering mainstream acceptance of Reiki?

Add to this we have Associations and governing bodies looking to be inclusive of all approaches with broad criteria for acceptance under the banner of Reiki. My view is that Reiki is Reiki there is one practice/system that is Reiki. The one Usui Sensei founded. Then under the banner of Reiki, there are a variety of healing approaches, they may have their roots in the teachings of Usui Sensei, yet have all moved differing distances away from the original teachings and ideas of Reiki. Indeed many have migrated far away from the original teachings, in thinking, techniques and focus of the Reiki Usui Sensei developed. The distance between different approaches (what might be termed as styles of Reiki) can be far away from the original and what is taught varies hugely. As much as we talk about inclusion and ‘honoring differing schools of Reiki’, should honoring what the founder of the practice that we claim to be teaching be of primary importance to any school of Reiki rather than honoring a school’s deviations from the original teachings?

As I write this article one Reiki association I am a member of has just emailed me clarification of their position regarding differing Reiki styles and what they recognize. No doubt in response to membership requests from people with qualifications with the word Reiki in them, they likely have little resemblance to Usui Reiki. Look there are many good teachers out there teaching what I might class as Western approaches, or a bit away from the original Japanese Usui Reiki and they could be helping many people, my primary concern is those very far away from the original teachings still using the word Reiki. My question would be how far would something need to get away from the original for it to no longer resemble it? Be that in content missing or content that is not Reiki at all. Personally from a consumer view if I was looking for Reiki, or to sign up for a Reiki course and be trained in it, I would want the authentic Reiki, -what I thought I was getting, not a dilution, variation, or mix of it with other things.

My take would be if as a Reiki teacher, you are going to deviate from what Usui Sensei developed (Reiki) then call it something other than Reiki. For those looking for original Reiki to learn, my advice is to speak to a Jikiden Reiki teacher. There are more of us internationally now (all training being controlled and registered from Japan). I recommend if you want to learn Reiki, learn the original, then if you still wish to explore other approaches to healing or feel drawn in a different direction, you do so from a great place of understanding of Reiki. I am aware of teachers who have done so and still wished to create their own style of Reiki. One such teacher termed it in a way I like, comparing it to a tree, emphasizing the importance to ensure the roots and trunk are strong (take authentic original Japanese Reiki training, i.e. Jikdien Reiki training) then from that place, if you still wish to go off in a different direction (the branches) do so and your tree is strong. However, if you have a lack of understanding of the original and go straight to the branches, your practice will be compromised. The practice is built on a weak foundation of understanding of Reiki. What we find common with Jikiden Reiki, is that once you know the original, anything else doesn’t make that much sense to learn As such Jikdien Reiki tends to attract those looking for authentic training, as it did with me.

My place in this space is to help people with authentic Usui Reiki teachings. Be that with reiki treatments, Reiki training for those new to Reiki or who have had Reiki training before, as well as educating Reiki professionals. Everyone can benefit from what the original Reiki teaching offers us, so I would suggest anyone with an interest in Reiki look into Jikiden Reiki. I hope you found this article of interest and got you thinking and explained some considerations in regards to this topic and hopefully, I didn’t add too much confusion to this topic. For more discussion on the differences between Jikiden Reiki and Western Reiki see my Article: Jikiden Reiki and Western Reiki, Whats the Differences? For information about Reiki training see my website for Jikiden Reiki courses.

Shaun Mckeown 01/11/2019 Shaun Mckeown 01/11/2019

What is Jikiden Reiki®?

This article is primarily written for and to help those who are looking to learn Reiki and are considering which is the right course for them, who have come across my website and maybe for the first time the term Jikiden Reiki and wish to understand a bit more about it. My aim is to provide an insight into Jikiden Reiki, as well as highlight some of its characteristics.

This article is primarily written for and to help those who are looking to learn Reiki and are considering which is the right course for them, who have come across my website, and maybe the term Jikiden Reiki for the first time and wish to understand a bit more about it. My aim is to provide an insight into Jikiden Reiki, as well as highlight some of its characteristics.

Although it can be considered to be desirable to focus on our similarities, rather than our differences in the Reiki world, in the context of understanding what Jikiden reiki is, a comparison to other approaches to at least be able to see where Jikiden Reiki sits in an environment of multiple variations and approaches out there all under the banner of 'Reiki' can be helpful. Better understanding the characteristics and methods of Jikiden Reiki, can help you make a more informed choice as to the best direction for you in your study of Reiki. Just today I had a conversation with another person looking to learn Reiki who was trying to make sense of all the choices out there for Reiki training.

In a nutshell, Jikiden Reiki is authentic Japanese Usui Reiki, as practiced and taught in the late 1920s and 30s in Japan, with no Western influence or adaption to the original teachings of the time. Most people assume, and why wouldn't they, that everything under the banner of Reiki is the same thing. It is a correct statement that Reiki energy is Reiki energy, regardless of approach or what is commonly termed ‘style’ of Reiki. To a degree, they have strong similarities: they all channel energy through the practitioner's hands to the recipient; Most have their roots in or originate from the Usui Reiki system of healing and they all help people. Yet there are marked differences in understandings, teachings, techniques, and applications between differing Reiki ‘styles’. Many in the professional Reiki community are completely unaware of this fact (Reiki masters included) so do not worry if this is new information for you.

Having personally had the pleasure of learning Reiki at the teacher level in various ‘styles’ of Reiki, I am grateful to all those who I have learned from. I am writing this article with an understanding of what is taught in differing Reiki styles and that this understanding has come from teachings and professional practice rather than a place of academic research, or reading books. I have witnessed great healing in all Reiki styles I have learned, and with the knowledge and understanding of Reiki I have now, I have made a personal choice to practice and teach Jikiden Reiki exclusively. Jikiden means 'directly taught'. The significance of the word 'directly' being the teachings is not modified in any way as they are passed down by teachers to students. They are taught the same way as in Japan in Reiki's early days.

The Jikiden Reiki Institute was founded in 1999 by the late Chiyoko Yamaguchi and her son Tadao Yamaguchi (My own Reiki teacher). At first glance, it may appear as though it would be a new style of Reiki having only been formed in 1999 but this is not the case. When forming the organization it was important to choose a name to protect the integrity of the teachings and authenticity of the training. Hence the choice of Jikiden Reiki, which is now a trademark, with the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Kyoto, Japan. Today, following Chiyoko sensei's death in 2003, Tadao sensei is the Representative, or head of the organization, or president, with Frank Arjava Petter (the prominent Reiki author and authority on Japanese Reiki history) as its vice Representative. It has teachers all over the world now in various countries including the UK, of which I am one based in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, UK.

In order to understand some of the characteristics of Jikiden Reiki, we need to overview some historical events. The roots of Jikiden Reiki came from the discovery in the mid-1990s that a direct student of Hayashi Sensei, Chiyoko Yamaguchi Sensei, was alive in Japan and had been practicing Reiki every day since the mid-1930s, however receiving it for quite a few years prior as well. Up until this discovery, it was thought that no one was still alive who was directly taught Reiki by Hayashi Sensei who was a prominent student of Usui Sensei, the founder of Reiki. Hayashi sensei is widely acknowledged as having facilitated the spread of Reiki to the rest of the world as he taught Mrs. Takata from Hawaii, in the mid-1930s as well. It was through Mrs. Takata that Reiki spread from Hawaii to the USA and then globally, including importing the Western version of Reiki to Japan (the original Usui Reiki teachings were not taught publically after the second world war). These imported styles all came from the teachings and lineages of Mrs. Takata who died in 1980. Both Chiyoko sensei and Mrs. Takata were trained to Shihan (full teacher level) directly by Hayashi sensei around 1939 and 1937 respectively.

As Reiki spread in the USA, into Europe, and then Asia the original Usui Reiki system was modified: key components were omitted, new approaches added, and key focuses were diluted. The traditional controls on who became a teacher were removed around the time of 1981. It was, therefore, an amended version of Reiki which was re-introduced to Japan in the mid-1980s.

It is only fair now to make the point that these adjustments supported Reiki's spread and indeed Reiki may not have survived globally without such amendment. However, the point is that by this stage the Reiki being taught had many differences from the Reiki taught by both Usui sensei in the 1920s and continued by Hayashi sensei in the late 1920s up until his death in 1940.

The term 'Western Reiki' is a term sometimes used to identify these amended teachings and is by no means meant in a disrespectful way, it is just a way of classifying what kind of Reiki, or what teachings are being described. The term was first coined by one of the presidents of the Usui Reiki Gakki (the original Usui Reiki society) in Japan in the early 1990s in reference to the imported Reiki being taught in Japan at the time and its thinking and approaches being somewhat away from the original Usui practice of Reiki. This term tends to only be used by Japanese-trained Reiki people anyway. In the context of this article, I use the term to help in identifying differing Reiki teachings.

I have seen some Reiki teachers presenting their Reiki classes as traditional Japanese teachings when they are clearly not, bolting on some granted very useful Japanese Reiki techniques onto a Western Reiki syllabus. It is again important to note that any Reiki style has value in helping people and all approaches to Reiki have the potential to work. So rather than saying that some of what is being taught is incorrect in the Western styles, it is a better way to view such teachings as say being further away from the original teachings of Usui sensei to varying degrees. From a consumer point of view if you wish to learn authentic Japanese Usui Reiki, then understanding the differences is important in order for you to be able to make an informed decision as to what Reiki training course you would like to take.

So as I have already mentioned the way Reiki is taught within Jikiden Reiki comes from the teachings of Hayashi Sensei, as taught to Chiyoko sensei in the mid-late 1930s. She then passed on these teachings to her son Tadao Sensei. The key point is that the culture and integrity of the Reiki teachings, or system are intact. With regards to the teachings themselves, they have a simplicity, yet depth within them. There is much emphasis on the Gokai (the guiding principles we live by as students of Reiki) to support us in life and our growth. You learn techniques that have disappeared in Western Reiki styles. There are key components of how Reiki was used in Japan in Usui sensei and Hayashi sensei's day that are not found in other Reiki courses.

In practical terms, the Reiju (termed attunement in western Reiki) you receive is again technically different from other Reiki styles. You can be confident that you are learning correct information regarding Reiki history and applications. You are trained in the traditional understanding of Byosen, which Usui sensei observed in treatments and can be classed as the cornerstone of Japanese Reiki and is the primary treatment method used in all Jikiden Reiki treatments. You learn other components that work in partnership with this understanding to enhance treatment effectiveness. You also learn how Japanese Reiki treatments are conducted, with long periods of time at locations, without the preset hand position sequences as commonly seen in many other Reiki styles.

Who becomes a Jikiden Reiki teacher also follows traditional ways. To become a teacher requires repetition in learning followed by permission to become an accredited Jikiden Reiki Shihan Kaku (Assistant Teacher) and Shihan (Teacher) is granted by the head of the organization/representative of the Institute Tadao Yamaguchi (or the vice representative alone). Following various assessments and repetition of training, the grade of Shihan Kaku is granted which permits the teaching of the first (beginner) level of Jikiden Reiki Shoden. After commonly a year or so of gaining experience teaching, further assessments are carried out, and all training levels are repeated with the addition of a further teacher course before the grade of Shihan is granted. This permits the teaching of the second level, Okuden (deeper learning).

For those of you with knowledge of other Reiki styles, you will again notice distinct differences in Jikiden Reiki with regard to teacher levels. Rather than being a 'become a teacher and off you go' setup, it takes time and investment in both experience and repetition of training in order to gradually be permitted to teach the two levels that are the Jikiden Reiki system. For example in my case, at this time, in attaining Shihan (full teacher) I have taken Shoden and Okuden levels (comparable to levels 1 and 2 in the west) both six times (three times with Tadao sensei himself), Shihan Kaku tree times plus my Shihan training twice (having completed all levels with the vice representative- Arjava Sensei as well). Furthermore, as set by Usui sensei and observed by Hayashi sensei, Reiki teachers are not permitted to create other teachers they simply train people to Shoden or Okuden, dependent on their own teacher grade. It is primarily the President of the organization, so with Jikiden Reiki Tadao Yamaguchi, plus a handful of Dai-Shihans (Senior Teachers) globally, who are permitted to teach Shihan Kaku level, with an even smaller number who are permitted to teach the full Shihan level. These senior levels are granted many years of service and contribution to the Jikiden organization rather than a course to ask to do.

So from a student perspective, the complete Jikiden Reiki system is taught at the Shoden and Okuden levels. Teacher levels are purely for those who wish to teach and learn the Japanese Reiju method to be able to teach Reiki to others. This original Japanese way helps to preserve standards in teachings, and from a consumer view, it is a good way of having confidence in the teacher's ability, knowing they are accredited by the central organization. In Western Reiki styles, and therefore with most Reiki in the UK, a teacher can create another teacher with no pre-screening or ongoing observation or control, who then, in turn, can create more teachers and can modify the teachings at their discretion. There are some great Western Reiki teachers, what I am pointing out is the open approach to becoming and creating other teachers seen in other Reiki styles leads to great variability in teaching quality as well as variations in teaching content.

As was the case in the 1920s and 30s Japan, with Jikiden Reiki there continues to be a great emphasis on the value of receiving Reiju (the process of clearing the channel to use Reiki energy) and there are events set up for the ongoing receiving of Reiju and to practice Jikdien Reiki, to build experience and confidence alongside other students of Jikiden Reiki. So Jikiden Reiki offers a high level of structured, ongoing support to students, which again contrasts with many other styles of Reiki. This repetition in teachings also adds depth to someone's understanding of Reiki.

My view is that when repeating a course you are at a different place in terms of self-awareness and growth, your view or perspective is at a different place, you have been using the techniques so your questions are coming from a place of some experience using the material and concepts previously taught, so the experience is reinforcing and supportive, deepening your study of Reiki. I personally found I wrote just as many notes the third time of repeating Shoden and Okuden as I did on the first occasion, and of course, with a different group come differing Q and A topics as well. Jikiden Reiki is set up to support this by offering opportunities to repeat Shoden and Okuden training at markedly reduced costs. What is more, all UK pricing is fixed for all authorized Jikiden Reiki teachers in both the initial and repeating course fees by the Institute in Kyoto, Japan.

Jikiden Reiki will tend to suit people who value authentic Japanese teachings, and who value learning accurate information and teachings. My view is that there is value in everyone with an interest in Reiki taking Jikiden Reiki Shoden and Okuden level training, even if they do migrate towards more amended approaches to Reiki, at least you have correct core teachings as a foundation. Jikiden Reiki is practical, solid, and authentic. I hope this has been an interesting article for you. Should you have any further questions look at the information on Jikiden Reiki courses with the link below, or if you are looking to take Reiki training and are interested in taking Jikiden Reiki training with me in the Midlands area of the UK, you can get in touch. If you are further afield in the UK contact a Jikiden Reiki teacher in your area/country. For more discussion on the differences between Jikiden Reiki and Western Reiki see my Article: Jikiden Reiki and Western Reiki, Whats the Differences? You can find out more about Reiki training here: Jikiden Reiki Courses

Shaun Mckeown 06/10/2019 Shaun Mckeown 06/10/2019

Finding The Right Reiki Course & Teacher For You

With many people, who they select to learn Reiki from can be a bit pot luck, dependent on who happens to be in their local area. The aim of this article is to help give you some considerations to think about as you look to select a Reiki training course and which teacher to learn from.

What you might expect, or be looking for in a Reiki course will likely be influenced by your previous exposure to receiving Reiki treatments, reports of others’ experiences of Reiki, friends who are trained in Reiki, or the books and articles you have read on the topic. So what you believe Reiki is, or what might be a good course of action regarding learning Reiki is likely to have many influences. The accuracy of the information that you have been exposed to obviously I am not aware of, however, you do not have to research very far into the topic of Reiki to find conflicting information and indeed the articles I write here might be adding to that sea of differing information.

To begin with, it is a common belief or assumption that all Reiki courses teach pretty much the same thing; that all courses listed as Reiki, Usui Reiki, traditional Japanese Reiki, etc are all the same. This is far from the case. So the first thing I would suggest in relation to selecting a Reiki teacher is actually to select the Reiki course. When first looking at different course options, you will see many different names linked with the word Reiki, which can appear to look like different styles of Reiki first. Learning any Reiki is a gift and can be helpful to people, so I would say any Reiki training is better than none. However, we need to bear in mind that as great as any Reiki teacher might be, if what you are being taught has misunderstandings about Reiki within its teachings, or is not what you are looking for, you are unlikely to be satisfied with the training you receive. This may leave you feeling disheartened by the experience and drop out of practicing Reiki in the future, or you may later come to the realization you need to take additional Reiki training to get what you were looking for in the first place.

I see this often in the fact that many people who seek to learn Reiki with me have already learned Reiki from others. They commonly tell me they are looking to retrain due to the teachings they received in their initial training in Reiki, be that to fill in the gaps, or to build upon it, rather than the teacher quality in most cases. This is why I place prime importance on the right course selection first. You can find details of my Beginner Reiki Courses here. The question many have is what are the best reiki courses to take?

Although I am qualified as a Reiki teacher in various Reiki styles, I have chosen to teach only Jikiden Reiki because of its authentic teachings, how it was taught in Japan in the late 1920s and 1930s. The Jikiden Reiki Institute (which authorizes who can teach this style of Reiki) is based in Kyoto, Japan. To find out more about Jikiden Reiki see my article 'What is Jikiden Reiki'

To determine which Reiki course is right for you, first determine if you are drawn to traditional, authentic teachings, or are looking for modified teachings that often have influences from other healing methods infused into the teachings which tend to be further away from the original Reiki teachings and perspectives. If authentic Japanese Reiki is what you are looking for my recommendation is to seek out a Jikiden Reiki teacher. If a more modified style is for you, then it is more about matching your preferences with the course content/teachings you would receive. To further this point on the importance of finding the right Reiki teachings, I would suggest you look beyond any governing body's acceptance of a course. Such approved courses would be suggestive of a good course structure, and best practice, suggest a level of professional practice, yet ironically do not guarantee the accuracy of the teachings, therefore, allowing various Reiki styles or teachings to be accepted as they meet a generic professional best practice award criteria, not a what are you teaching criteria.

So initially I would suggest that you get a list of courses/teachers that look like a fit for you in what you are going to get with any training. The easiest way is usually an online search. My view is that you are better to travel a bit of distance for the right training than going with what may be on offer on your doorstep. As Jikiden Reiki Shoden (beginner level) training is conducted over a one-weekend distance is rarely a factor; indeed I have many people who travel to train with me even when they have multiple Reiki teachers closer to home. With regard to course dates, be patient! Again it’s better to wait a month longer for the right training than get training that doesn't match what you are looking for just because it's next week and you're keen to learn. So I would suggest committing to the right training and then making arrangements to be able to attend, if not the next course, then the one after that. Look also beyond the price of Reiki courses. Reiki courses completely (Shoden and Okuden- levels 1 and 2) tend to be no more than £500 - there is no need to pay much more than that. Equally, I would also question the wisdom of selecting a course based on cost, i.e the cheaper the course the better. Just because it is cheaper doesn’t mean it’s better value. Select your teacher for all the right reasons rather than just shopping for the cheapest deal. Again just emailing a teacher for their prices and then selecting a course based solely on their response is no way to select Reiki training, or in any area of life for that matter.

From the above filtering activities, you will probably have created a shortlist of courses/teachers that you feel closely match what you are looking for. What I would then suggest is that you have a deeper look at the teachers’ training experience and previous student participant feedback, you can see some of my reviews. So that you gain a flavor of their approach.

Bear in mind that learning Reiki s a face-to-face experience, especially receiving Reiju (after which you can channel Reiki energy) any distance training or remote approaches are not advisable and are far removed from Japanese Reiki thinking. In fact, many Reiki associations won’t even accept such online training courses as qualifying as adequate training to join their organization. In addition, Reiki is something to be taught by a teacher, they can teach you the subtleties of authentic Reiki practice and techniques that you would completely miss otherwise.

Now having done all the rational research and mind-focused selection, sit back and turn your focus internally and let’s switch the focus to the heart as well as your internal wisdom and see if you are drawn to any teacher or course in particular. In my experience, there can commonly be an element of synchronicity with such things as learning Reiki, I see this all the time. Many times people have just been drawn to learning Reiki with me, nothing more, nothing less. The fact you are reading this may not categorically mean you are meant to take training with me (although you are most welcome to), you are fact-finding and so this article may provoke your thinking and thereby help you find the right course/Reiki teacher for you.

By now you will most likely have come down to just a couple of courses/teachers. Now ring them! (You will be limited in what you will gain solely by an email exchange). If you never speak to a teacher to find out about the course and ask any questions you may have you will not be able to build a picture of that teacher’s approach knowledge, style of teaching, experience, etc which will give you confidence in that the decision you ultimately make is the right one for you. For example: if you have come across some conflicting issues in your research, ask them about it and listen to their answers. You might still get conflicting views but you will gain a sense of which teacher’s approach feels a better fit for you. This exercise is invaluable in helping you select who you might like to learn with. After that simply commit to the course date and take the training. Watch your fears and doubts don’t trip you up into deviating from the right path for you. Whoever you decide to train with I wish you well. For those of you who would like to learn authentic Japanese Jikiden Reiki and are in the Midlands area of the UK, well may come from further afield to learn with me so let’s say the UK, have a look at my Jikiden Reiki Courses page with further details of course content and training dates, and prices. If you are looking to take Reiki training and would like the opportunity to speak with me directly get in touch

Shaun Mckeown 08/03/2019 Shaun Mckeown 08/03/2019

10 Benefits of Learning Jikiden Reiki®-For Those Already Trained in Reiki

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.

Shaun’s Reiki Articles

Reiki

Reiki Courses

Reiki Practitioners

Should I Become a Verified Reiki Practitioner?

How to Find Authentic Japanese Usui Reiki Training Courses

What is the Best Reiki Course For Beginners?

Accredited Reiki Courses in the UK

Jikiden Reiki® and Western Reiki, What are the Differences?

Are Online Reiki Courses A Good Idea?

What is Reiki Lineage?

Better to Attend Both Jikiden Reiki Courses Together or do them Seperately?

Reiki Training Levels Explained

Is There Such A Thing As ‘Styles’ of Reiki?

What is Jikiden Reiki®?

Finding The Right Reiki Course & Teacher For You

10 Benefits of Learning Jikiden Reiki®-For Those Already Trained in Reiki

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