Reiki is a unique form of energy work, because of the attunement process. You cannot acquire the ability to channel Reiki until you’ve been attuned. Reiki is not knowledge based, it can’t be learned in a traditional sense, like reading a book or watching a YouTube video. You can learn more about Reiki and how to use Reiki by reading books, reading blogs like this one and watching online videos. But the actual ability to channel Reiki cannot be taught. It is experienced via an attunement.

Attunement or Ceremonial Spiritual Empowerment

This attunement, or ceremonial spiritual empowerment, is one of the most puzzling aspects of Reiki for Westerners because it is not a well-known or accepted way of receiving energy, knowledge, wisdom or insight like it is in the East. Empowerments (similar to the ancient spiritual empowerment of Reiki) in Tibetan Buddhism and other spiritual schools, is when the teacher transfers energy and existential knowledge to the student through a form of initiation; a practice that is commonplace in the East.

Reiki Lineage

During a Reiki Level I course, you are attuned by a Reiki Master who has a linage, a Reiki family tree, that links back to the founder of Reiki Ryoho, Mikao Usui. This lineage system of knowledge transference is important because it represents the manner in which Reiki is passed from Master to student by means of this ceremonial spiritual empowerment called an attunement.

For example – I have two Reiki Masters who attuned me: Erica Blackburn of Canada and Dr. V.P. Rajasekharan of India. Both are attuned in the Usui Shiki Ryoho lineage tracing back to Mikao Usui.

Lineage of Erica Blackburn

Erica’s Reiki Master, Tracey Jennex was attuned by Sheila Earle who was attuned by Denise Metzler. Denise Metzler was attuned by Judith Settle has two lineages as she was reattuned by Cyndi Power Manning. It is this lineage, Judith’s second attunement with Cyndi Power Manning, that I am connected with.

Linage Of Denise Metzler	Lineage of Stephanie Wells
Mikao Usui	Mikao Usui
Chujiro Hayashi	Chujiro Hayashi
Hawayo Takata	Hawayo Takata
Beth Grey	Bethel Faye
Rev. Fay Smith	Kimberly Henry
Barbara Hampson	Cyndi Power Manning – Level I – Tom Hunt – Level II – Bree Scott
Suzanne Prouix	Judith Settle
Judith Settle	Denise Metzler
Denise Metzler	Sheila Earle
	Tracey Jennex
	Erica Blackburn
	Stephanie Wells – Level I, II, IIIA – Erica Blackburn – Level I, II, IIIA &B – Dr. V.P. Rajasekharan

Energetic Channel

Reiki is spiritually guided life force energy, and being initiated into Reiki is a powerful spiritual experience. That said, one’s attunement experience is different depending on how much energy and spiritual work a person has done. However, after a few weeks of practice there is very little difference between the amount of Reiki flowing through the energetically or spiritually experienced person and someone who was previously inexperienced.

An attunement taps you into a higher, wider channel of life force energy, and the vibrational rate of your energy body increases. This energetic channel that is reopened during the attunement activates immediately, so you can begin to draw Reiki through yourself and use it to heal yourself, other people, pets, plants and so on. The more you practice Reiki, the better it flows.

The attunement process creates a permanent energetic channel in your energy body, through which Reiki (and only Reiki) can flow. The channel of Reiki runs from your crown chakra, through your brow chakra and throat chakra to your heart chakra. From there it runs down each arm to the chakra in the centre of each palm. Once you have been attuned to Reiki, you have access to Reiki for the rest of your life.

There are many healing energy modalities that exist, and according to a 5,000-year-old book called the Neijing, published as The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine by Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor), cites that there are as many as 32 possible different strands of healing energy. The healing energy you use can only be called Reiki if you have received this attunement, or ceremonial spiritual empowerment, as part of the system of Reiki originated by Mikao Usui.

Each level of Reiki (Level I, II and III) works differently.

Reiki Level I – Attunement I – works at the level of your emotions and heart chakra.

When you are attuned with Reiki Level I, you can use Reiki on yourself, family and friends, pets and the environment, personal problems and world situations. You cannot charge for Reiki. You are not a practitioner. Reiki Level II is for people who want to develop a deeper understanding of Reiki, become a practitioner and use Reiki on their own inner development.

In Conclusion

Reiki Level I gives you lifetime access to Reiki via an attunement process that creates a permanent energetic channel in your energy body through which Reiki flows. This gives you the ability to use Reiki on yourself, friends and family, pets and the environment, personal problems and world situations. The more you practice Reiki, the better it flows. The Reiki Master who attunes you will have a lineage, a family tree of the Reiki Master who attuned them, linking back to the founder of Reiki Ryoho, Mikao Usui.

Stephanie, 💙

Reiki Level I Blogs:

Reiki Level I – History of Reiki – Usui Shiki Ryoho & Usui Reiki Ryoho

Reiki Level I – What Does Reiki – The Word – Mean, What Is Reiki & How Does It Work

Reiki Level I – What This Gives You

Upcoming Reiki Level I blogs will include:

• Basic treatment form and hand positions for treating yourself and others
• How to give treatments for accidents or injuries
• How to use Reiki with plants and animals
• How to use Reiki on personal problems and world situations
• The 21-Day Clearing Cycle
• Usui System of Reiki – a review of the Five Principles, Four Aspects and Nine Principles
• In-depth information on the aura and chakras
• Creativity and Reiki
• Personal growth and spiritual development

My intention for writing this Reiki Level 1 blog series is to be used as a reference for my course, Reiki Level 1 .

For more in-depth information on Reiki Level I, I recommend the books I used as references for this blog:

References

The Basics of Reiki – A Step-by-step Guide to Healing with Reiki, Penelope Quest

Reiki For Life – The Complete Guide to Reiki Practice for Levels 1, 2 & 3, Penelope Quest

The Reiki Manual – A Training Guide for Reiki Students, Practitioners and Masters, Penelope Quest & Kathy Roberts

The Original Reiki Handbook of Dr. Mikao Usui, Frank Arjava Petter