Can Everyone Be a Reiki Practitioner?

I asked with incredulity, "You don't give Reiki to the chakras during a session?"

"No," one Reiki practitioner responded.

I questioned, "Do you even see energy?"

There was a simple no for a reply and a blank stare from both of us.

In the 15 years of practicing Reiki, I have met countless practitioners throughout the years. When inquiring after their intuitive abilities, each Reiki practitioner would tell me that they utilize no psychic readings and never employ the use of guardian angels or archangels in their Reiki sessions. The joke was on me as I realized that my Western lineage of Reiki was the one that was off. Chakra sessions and archangels were actually injected into the practice of Reiki later in its Western evolution (and seems to be within the Tibetan Usui Reiki lineage).

I had what I call spiritual narcissism. I unknowingly judged other Reiki practitioners poorly because I felt it was one's responsibility to develop your intuitive abilities to improve your Reiki. If you utilize this type of Reiki, then yes, you should develop yourself. But accepting a slice of humble pie, I realized that this was not a universal rule when learning Reiki.

Still, I am bewildered at a nurse who was trained to give Reiki in the hospital, but who never believed in it working to begin with. One Reiki practitioner could not adequately explain the process of Reiki to another person. Another person opted to become a Reiki Master when historically this individual had never actively practiced giving Reiki to others. Yet another Reiki Master I know had never taught a single student, and only gave Reiki sessions. And one Reiki practitioner appraisingly judged the quality of my Reiki energy when being the recipient. And many, many, many Reiki practitioners strive to start a business without exploring the significance of Reiki in their own lives. Do these qualities make them lesser Reiki practitioners? Well, in Western lineages, no. And they are not necessarily lesser in the original Japanese lineage either.

The encounters I've had vary so widely that Reiki, as a modality, seems to have lost its foundation and values. Some Reiki practitioners of the original Shin Shin Kaizen Usui Reiki Ryoho are astounded at the discrepancy in quality.

Everyone is capable of becoming a Reiki practitioner, but from an ethical standpoint, I do not think certain people should become Reiki practitioners. I am not the only one who shares this mentality, however. Some Reiki clients will ask to show proof of certification because there are sham Reiki practitioners who have trained into some modality of energy healing but claim to do Reiki for the label. A very talented and skilled Hawaiian Light Seer, Kimo Kepano, also shares the same sentiment that some people should probably not practice Reiki because, although their heart may be in it, they do not exhibit the appropriate skill level to use the Reiki properly.

Who is considered a proper Reiki practitioner then?

Who can judge others of performing Reiki when our late Chiyoko Yamaguchi sensei was so privileged as to have received and used Reiki at a young age? Reiki is nothing too extraordinary. It is an innate quality built within each of us as we are composed of a nervous system complete with electrical impulses and an electromagnetic field that generate a cascade of chemical reactions that induce homeostasis within the body. We are made with amazing capacity for self-healing. Reiki simply augments this capacity.

This is certainly my opinion, and may not reflect on the teachings of my own shihan, who upholds the attitude of people within the Jikiden Reiki lineage that anyone can do Reiki. Yes, anyone can do Reiki. But should they do Reiki? Unfortunately, no.

Many Western Reiki practitioners do not understand the ancient art of discipline and preserving Japanese tradition that I've learned is so heavily and beautifully emphasized in Reiki. I also feel that the gokai of Reiki are not greatly respected and followed in Western lineages. And although a great generalization, many Reiki Masters boast a label of authority or expertise that does not really exist with this level of understanding. There is much to be said for the character of the practitioner. The removal of the ego is imperative to a compassionate Reiki session, and the practice is steeped in more of this spiritual narcissism as demonstrated in the live sessions on TikTok.

As one final message to my fellow Reiki practitioners, I invite you to explore the healing capacity that Reiki allows you in your own lives - and not just in your clients. Do it properly, as taught, and not with ego. It may not be necessary to develop psychic abilities such as claircognizance or clairvoyance, but definitely understand the value of Reiki in your own spiritual journeys and in your own healing journeys. I promise you that doing so it will open you up to a realm of compassion, selflessness and unconditional love for yourself and others that you never thought possible with Reiki.

For information on Reiki sessions with Joyce, click here.