A Reiki attunement is a short ceremony in which a Reiki teacher passes the practice on to a student. You sit with your eyes closed while the teacher works around you. At our centre it takes about 15 minutes, on the first training day of each level. Nothing is asked of you, and most people notice very little while it happens.
Below is what happens before, during and after an attunement, what people report feeling, and the 21 days of practice that follow Level 1. Where it helps, we say how we do it in our Reiki training in Kathmandu.
What is a Reiki attunement?
In Usui Reiki, the attunement, also called an initiation, is what makes someone a Reiki practitioner. Reading about Reiki or watching it done does not. The attunement is given by a teacher who holds the Master level, and each level of training has its own.
This is why Reiki is passed from teacher to student rather than learned from a book. The line of teachers an attunement came through is called a lineage. In Usui Reiki it goes back to Mikao Usui, who began teaching in Japan in the 1920s.
When does the attunement happen in a Reiki course?
Most schools give the attunement early in the course, so the rest of the training is spent practising with it. We give it on the first training day of each level, inside a normal training day of 5 hours with a vegetarian lunch break. The rest of Level 1 covers the hand positions, the history of Reiki, the five principles, and supervised practice on yourself and the other students.
What happens during a Reiki attunement, step by step?
The details vary between teachers and lineages, and many teachers keep parts of the ceremony private. In most Usui lineages it goes like this:
- You sit on a chair or on the floor, with your back straight and your eyes closed.
- Your hands are held together at your chest, or rest in your lap.
- The teacher works around you, in front and behind, using the Reiki symbols and the breath. Some teachers touch the head, shoulders or hands lightly. Others do not touch at all.
- You stay fully clothed. Nothing is asked of you except to sit still.
- When the teacher has finished, you sit quietly for a few minutes before you open your eyes.
Here, the ceremony takes about 15 minutes, and you sit with your eyes closed throughout. Maa Nisha Kabir, who teaches every level, gives it herself and explains what will happen before she begins, in English, Hindi or Nepali.
What does a Reiki attunement feel like?
People describe very different things. Some feel warmth in the hands, tingling, or colours behind closed eyes. Some feel calm, sleepy or emotional. Many feel very little.
None of these means the attunement worked better or worse. Feeling nothing is common, and nothing has gone wrong if you do. The training does not depend on what you feel on the day. Some people notice more in the days after than during the ceremony, such as a change in their sleep, or feelings that come up and pass.
Reiki is not medical treatment. If you are being treated for anything, keep to your doctor's care.
Is the attunement different at Level 1, Level 2 and Master?
Each level has its own attunement, given on the first training day of that level in a similar short ceremony.
- Level 1 (Shoden): the first attunement, for treating yourself and, with your hands on the body, family, friends and animals.
- Level 2 (Okuden): the second attunement, with the three Level 2 symbols, for treating other people and for distance Reiki.
- Master (Shinpiden): the master attunement and the master symbol. At Master Level you also learn how to give attunements yourself.
Because each attunement needs time to settle, we teach one level per trip: Level 2 at least three months after Level 1, and Master at least nine months after Level 2. Our guide to Reiki Level 1, Level 2 and Master explains the levels in more detail.
What happens after the attunement: the 21-day practice
After Level 1 you practise on yourself every day for 21 days. Many Reiki teachers call this the 21-day cleanse or cleansing period. The number is usually linked to the 21 days Mikao Usui is said to have spent meditating on Mount Kurama before he began teaching.
With us, the 21 days are two to three hours of self-practice a day, at home. You place your hands on yourself, moving through the positions you learned and letting each one settle before the next. Keep to it every day, whether or not you notice anything. If questions come up, write to us: guidance by email after the course is part of the fee.
On the day itself, eat lightly before the attunement and keep that evening free if you can.
Can a Reiki attunement be done online?
Some teachers offer distance attunements, given at a set time while the student sits at home. Others hold that the attunement must be given in person. The UK Reiki Federation, for example, says attunements "should always be done in person", and that courses taught online "are not acceptable for professional membership of an organisation".
Our training is in person only. The attunement is given in the room, and you practise on yourself and the other students before you leave.
Do you need the attunement repeated?
In Usui Reiki an attunement is generally treated as lasting: you do not lose it if you stop practising for a while. Some teachers offer a repeat attunement to students returning after a long break, and some students ask for one to restart their practice. What you do need is the attunement for each new level.
How much does a Reiki attunement cost?
An attunement is not usually sold on its own. It is part of the course for each level. Our fees are USD 250 for Level 1, USD 300 for Level 2 and USD 400 for Master. Each includes the attunement, the course manual, supervised practice, the certificate, a vegetarian lunch on every training day, guidance by email afterwards, and airport pickup and drop to your hotel.
If you would like to try Reiki before you train, a Reiki healing session lets you receive it first, from USD 45.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to believe in Reiki for the attunement?
No belief is needed. Students here have been Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim and of no faith, and nothing in the training conflicts with any of them.
Can I do Reiki without an attunement?
In Usui Reiki, no. You can learn hand positions from a book and rest your hands on yourself, but the tradition holds that the attunement is what connects you to Reiki. That is why it is passed from teacher to student.
Can I have the attunement if I am unwell?
If you are being treated for something, keep to your doctor's guidance and tell us when you enquire. If you are in an acute crisis, mental or physical, it is better to begin when you are steadier.
