If you decide to take a Reiki training, you will wonder what the meaning of these levels is.
I guess it is like everything we learn, we start slow, and get bigger and smarter.
In my Reiki lineage, we are taught four levels. All of them include one or more attunements or empowerment process, but also practice, Q&A, history, techniques, how to’s.
The Reiki attunement, performed by a Reiki master teacher, opens /activates /expands some energy channels throughout the trainee’s body, allowing universal energy, (Chi, Ki, Prana…) to flow through it. This brings self growth and significant changes to the person’s life.
1. Reiki Level 1: First Degree: Because I am worth it.
Opens the energy channels, through attunements, on a physical level, allowing the practitioner to connect to the universal life force energy, which flows from everywhere and condenses down to the heart and hands.
Many experience physical symptoms of energy in their palms after the first attunement — including tingling, coolness or heat. That’s why the first degree is often the most interesting/amazing.
The aim of this level is to learn to practice on ourselves, be commited to get better ourselves (health, life…) by practicing Reiki, on ourselves, regularily.
Because of the intensity of the attunement process, the physical body has to adjust and most Reiki Masters recommend that at least 21 days to a full three months pass between receiving the Level 1 and Level 2 attunements (Level 1 is required to receive Level 2).
2. Reiki Level 2: Second Degree: Distance healing.
Level 2 is expanding the opening of the energy channels. It is the time we start practicing more on others . Level 2 also allows to forget about time and space and send reiki to anywhere on the planet, to the past and the future. This possibility makes this tool extremely versatile. However, it is to use with a strict ethical policy.
2d Level is a very interesting tool for ourselves, because so many wounds/blockages need to be healed from the difficult past. This is why level 2 is often the most difficult to achieve.
In order to be able to send distance reiki, the students receive Usui Reiki Symbols. It induces practice in drawing the symbols, studying their qualities etc.
In my lineage, we also learn, on level 2, how to program quartz cristals (to send Reiki 24/24).
3. Reiki Level 3: Third Degree & Reiki Master: Never alone.
Third Degree is called Master degree. Here, the student gets a more powerful attunement.
He/she gets to feel much more connected to the higher self/intuitive part. Consequently, life starts flowing much easier and difficult past pains/wounds start vanishing for good.
We continue sending distance Reiki and using the quartz cristals, in a more efficient and practical way (Reiki Grid).
The aim of this level is getting wiser and wiser, of course, more happy, joyful, humble, authentic, keeping in mind that being a master is a pathway and never achieved.
4. Reiki Level 4: Reiki Master Teacher: Transmit and be responsible.
The Reiki Master Teacher is a practitioner who has received the energy and knowledge to attune new Reiki practitioners.
The levels 3 and 4 are separated in my lineage, although they are both called « Reiki Master », because not everyone feels like teaching. The transmission protocols are supposed to be secret and sacred. The internet changes all that, of course, the core idea being to keep respecting those symbols.
Becoming a Reiki Master Teacher also represents a deep personal commitment to the Reiki practice, that’s why the student has to think of it seriously, let time pass, prepare to be a good teacher etc.
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In short, everyone has to feel like going through the different levels and trainings or not. Because we all have different needs, some people are good with Level 1, some with Level 2 etc.
There is no rush of performance, time and hard/regular practice are the only good ally.
The Usui Reiki attunements provide a super-tool for an easier, healthier, happier life. We are free to use this tool or not, but if we do not use it on ourselves, we cannot expect our life to get much better.
There are plenty of different Reiki instructors and schools, everyone should choose which one they feel best for them.
