16 Apr Why Take a Reiki Level 1 Training Class?

Perhaps you have received Reiki sessions and are thinking about learning Reiki. You have experienced the benefits of Reiki sessions in your life and desire a deeper understanding or feeling of connection of Reiki. From my personal journey as a student and as a teacher, I was asked to share the benefits of the first level of Reiki training and attunement. This blog post is the result.

Before I Became a Reiki Practitioner

Before my level one Reiki class training, I would go for Reiki sessions because I would get swept up in my “to do’s” of life. Reiki somehow felt natural to me and I came away remembering again who I was. This experience felt – and still feels – very empowering. Back then, my attention often defaulted to the needs of others or how I thought others were judging me. Back then I would jack myself up on loads of caffeine to try to feel “up” and able to keep up with the demands of life. I was in a constant state of planning for the future, instead of feeling here and now. My mental clarity was spotty. My state of centeredness within myself wavered. I would make unhealthy choices such as overindulging in food or drink. I would prioritize work or my relationships over everything else. Hiking, being with friends, yoga, working with pastels, taking different classes and being with my pups were some of the ways I would bring balance and well-being into my life. However it was Reiki that felt like the necessary piece of my well-being practice. I would go back for Reiki to ‘seal in’ the well-being feeling, so to speak. All I knew in over 25 years of this cycle, was what worked for me.

How My Life Has Changed After Learning Reiki

Eventually my first Reiki Master Teacher asked me if I had considered learning Reiki. What a concept! The notion hadn’t dawned on me until she asked. In the days that followed since my first attunement and class, I experience what I call a more peacefully energized feeling. When life has it’s ups and downs, I can navigate how I feel in my mind, body and spirit. I feel more connected to my body, to love and to life. A daily self-Reiki session and “microdosing” of Reiki throughout the day as I need it, provides a continuity of well-being I didn’t experience before. As time goes by, my relationship with Reiki feels deeper, more potent. I feel a radiance of Reiki about me contributing to what I describe as ‘being Reiki’. For whatever reason, it took me many years to get to this place. I believe it was just part of my Reiki Journey. Now, I make it a point to share with everyone that anyone can learn Reiki and have their own unique personal experience of Reiki ‘in their lives whenever they would like.

How Your Life Can Change with Reiki Level 1 Training

Beginning with your first level class, you learn a self-Reiki practice and how to provide yourself and others support with Reiki when needed. This continuity of Reiki – the opportunity to regularly cleanse and balance your energy system – is life empowering. You’ll develop a greater self-awareness for how you are feeling in certain environments, with people or situations, You will learn techniques to replenish, protect and ground your energy.

The difference between learning Reiki and coming for Reiki sessions, is that you have access to this support and connection for natural healing as you need it. Since everything is energy, and situations and circumstances are always evolving and changing, so does our energy system. Having a regular practice to cleanse and balance energy is practical in today’s world of stressors, and grounds us to a more connected state of calm and peace while supporting our health and wellness goals too. Still, some prefer to come for regular Reiki sessions, rather than learn. It is a matter of personal preference, however everyone of all ages can learn Reiki.

In addition to a self-Reiki practice, you can practice with other practitioners at Reiki Shares and make new connections. Some practitioners enjoy offering each other ‘trades’ meaning they offer sessions to each other.

With a daily self-Reiki practice, there are some benefits I have personally experienced and witnessed in other practitioners such as an improvement in the general outlook on life, the health of body and mental state. This results in an increased awareness of prioritizing activities which contribute to personal happiness and well-being.

What is Generally Taught in a Reiki Level 1 Training Course

A solidly taught level one Reiki class – no matter what style you learn – invites you to build a foundation for your Reiki practice. In this class here are the major aspects you will learn: what is Reiki; how to offer a Reiki session for yourself; how to offer a Reiki session to others; pique excitement for what else you can Reiki in your life and why this is useful; the history of the style of Reiki you are learning and the energy system of the human body from the perspective of Yoga or Chinese medicine. If you learn from a teacher providing a more Western Usui style Reiki, more often than not you will learn about Gassho meditation, the Reiki principles (or precepts), and your teacher will likely incorporate some Japanese style techniques. Your teacher may also teach smudging techniques, use of a pendulum, essential oils, use of crystals, protection prayers, oracle cards or tarot cards. None of these are required for Reiki, and are not a part of the Japanese Reiki styles that I am aware of. However the teacher may enjoy using them and sharing with you options that you could consider to use for your practice.

In class, you will have time to practice Reiki on yourself and others either in class and/or in events after class directed by yourself or hosted by your Reiki Teacher. You will also receive a Reiki attunement or Reiki ignition. These words both mean the same thing and in Kids Reiki Class I explain this is when you receive “Reiki Hands”. Usually this is provided from the Master Teacher to the student, though there are some Reiki styles where you can receive an attunement by yourself. An attunement or ignition typically occurs at each level of Reiki class, enabling you to be a channel or conduit to offer Reiki, meaning you have the gift of offering Reiki healing for yourself, with others and the world.

Practicing Reiki is important in class and after class day in an ongoing way. What you are practicing is the feeling or sensations of the “ki” or energy flow and building confidence along the way. You are also practicing how you can feel or notice when energy is feeling stagnant or blocked. Heat, coolness, tingling, an aching feeling in a spot or other physical sensation are examples of sensation felt in the Reiki practitioners’ hands and/or in the client’s body which means energy is moving through for healing. Or said another way, what is needing to be released or let go, is releasing and letting go to contribute to well-being. There are other indicators you can learn and explore with your teacher.

With practice, you are exploring your personal connection in what it means to feel Reiki. You are building your relationship with Reiki. In the way I teach Reiki, this is what level one training is all about: building a relationship with Reiki. With practice, you take time to reflect and observe what shifts may be occurring in your life. This is why joining a Reiki Share or Reiki Circle or having another Reiki practitioner to practice with is beneficial. Find a safe, comfortable space to practice and discuss Reiki. Gain different insights from other practitioners, learn from each other and share.

Now That You Know More About Reiki Level 1 Training ~ What Will You Do Next?

I hope this blog has been helpful as you consider learning Reiki and more about Reiki Level One training. Ready to learn more? Check out my blog for what to expect in a Reiki Level Two class, and always, you are warmly welcomed to reach out to me for a more personal connection to learn more.

Reiki Blessings,