In this article, I wish to bring your attention to some benefits of repeating your formal Reiki training courses, after having attended the formal Jikiden Reiki training courses- Shoden and Okuden. The option to repeat formal Reiki training courses is available to all students of Jikiden Reiki and is something all Jikiden Reiki teachers agree to do. The cost to a student to do so is a fraction of the original training fees, the fee is set by the Institute in Japan for each country. In the UK to repeat Shoden and Okuden is £150, not each, that’s for both, so just under a third of the original cost of training, so at a huge reduced fee.

The idea of repeating training is in keeping with the idea that formal Reiki training is the starting point of your study. Let that point sink in. I encourage you to think of your training as well as your individual study of Reiki as an ongoing practice. A bit like martial arts, your learning is not complete with one lesson, or attending a training course. I see a common view in our culture with things that are presented as a course, I see a view of ‘I have taken the training’, like the topic has been done, or completed. Rather than dig into reasons why this might be the case, here I wish to simply look at a few reasons why I believe repeating the formal Jikiden Reiki courses might be helpful for you to consider.

I have personally found repeating a helpful thing to do myself in my own study of Reiki. In addition to all the Reiki training courses, I had attended differing approaches to Reiki before I found Jikiden Reiki. I have taken Jikiden Reiki Shoden and Okuden about five or so times now, with three different teachers. Shihan Kaku three times and Shihan twice. (note: as a Shihan, it is part of the teacher training process to have done some repeating). You will see the same picture of repeating with any dedicated Reiki teacher.

So what can we gain from repeating courses we have already taken? Firstly, as with any course, with the best intentions in the world, we do not retain all the information presented to us in our first exposure to the information. I personally wrote a lot of notes the first time I took formal Jikiden Reiki training, yet found I wrote just as many notes the second time around. I was at a different place with my practice compared to when I first took the Jikiden Reiki training. Be aware some questions will only appear after practice, so you would not yet be at that place when the content is new.

Repeating training can also be helpful in layering your technical ability and understanding of an approach or the idea being taught. An obvious example is the Kekko technique taught in the Shoden course. The way I tend to approach it in teaching it is, the first time learning is about getting the sequence and process down and trying it. The next time I observe the student performing Kekko technique. I can further coach and help them refine the finer points of the technique. The same is true with concepts such as Byosen as well.

What you also tend to find with attending different courses is there are different people there, as will be their experiences, so the questions asked in the training tend to be different in each class. The mix of beginners, repeaters, those previously trained in more Western approaches to Reiki, and those who are professional practitioners are commonly different. It might even be a useful thing to do for a newly qualified teacher to observe how an experienced teacher delivers the content and manages the flow of the courses, to help them as they prepare to start teaching themselves.

Repeating Reiki training courses is also a great way to receive more/regular Reiju. Reiju was delivered on five occasions over the two courses. Increasing the occasions you are ‘brought back to your original self’ during say your initial year or so of early training would also be supportive of your study, or development with Reiki.

My advice is if you would like to repeat training that the most value of repeating training is gained when repeating is done around 6 to 12 months after first learning Reiki after you have had a period of practice of what you learned. Many find it helpful to first repeat with the teacher they learned from. Beyond that, I would encourage you to consider taking some training with other teachers. For example, the Jikiden Reiki teachers in the UK have differing experiences and styles of teaching, some are a more practical focus, some have a lot of experience delivering treatments, some have lived in Japan and have more depth in understanding Japanese culture, some have a lot of experience with western approaches to Reiki so understand the misunderstandings that have come through with Reiki in the west. All this can aid your study of Reiki. My view is that once you have repeated training 1 or 2 times, you might only then wish to do so as a recap every year or a couple of years. You can also look out for an opportunity to learn with key figures in Jikiden Reiki who are international teachers such as Tadao Yamaguchi, or Frank Arjava Petter when they visit the UK.

With Jikiden Reiki we have the benefit of having a pool of Jikiden Reiki teachers in the UK all teaching the same content, so get to know who the teachers are both in your area and further afield. Have a look at the teacher’s map on the Jikiden Reiki UK Association (JRUKA) website to see where they all are Jikiden Reiki Courses UK. In the JRUKA teacher members also post upcoming UK course dates on our website, which we keep up to date, usually with courses for the next 3 months ahead in the Uk, so you can view them here: Jikiden Reiki training courses UK If you are international and looking to repeat your Jikdien Reiki training see the International Jikiden Reiki Association (IJRA) website for teacher members in countries other than the UK see the international Jikdiden Reiki teacher directory. For information about upcoming Jikiden Reiki training courses in the Birmingham area of the UK see my Jikiden Reiki courses. As a reminder of all the support available to you see my Jikiden Reiki Practitioner support webpage where I list support available to 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.