Isn't Reiki Just Reiki?

People who are new to the life of Reiki or just beginning their path as a practitioner will often ask this, especially to those of us who are constantly evolving in our Reiki practice.

Reiki is Reiki, but there is a deepening process we undergo the longer we are Reiki that lightens and expands our Reiki radius. Sound funny?

No matter what you do in life experience refines,and with some things, continual education refines. Such is the case with the Reiki Tradition I am aligned to.

My credentials come through ICRT -- International Center for Reiki Training, under the lineage of William Rand > Mrs. Hawayo Takata > Dr. Chuijiro Hayashi, Kan'ichi Taketomi, > Dr. Mikao Usui.

In addition, William also received some of his training from Kimiko Koyamam (Taketomi), Chiyoko Yamaguchi (Hayashi), Irish Ishikuro & Phyllis Lei Furmenoto (Takata)... and one more branch:  Arthur Robertson, Diane McCumber & Marlene Schikie (Isikuro), and Carol Fanner, Leah Smith (Furumoto).  Yes, that's quite a lot.

His training is so extensive that Usui Reiki has evolved over the past thirty years into a refining Karuna Reiki, and  in the past 5 years into Holy Fire III, being the current level of training prescribed by ICRT.  Reiki is NOT static, this is a very important realization. Just as the Earth Mother is an evolutionary life system evolving, so does every aspect of life on it.

My own training involves three instructors:  William Rand (Usui), Jessica Miller (Rand), and Norma Sawer (Hands of Light).

In the world of Usui Reiki I am a 6th Generation Master/Teacher and all my students are 7th Generation, and their students will be 8th Generation... that is through me. Naturally, if one of my students were to take a class directly from William Rand s/he becomes a 6th Generation like me, or from Jessica Miller they would become a 7th Generation like all my students... in the ICRT world of Reiki.

Too much to follow?

Bottom-line is this... it doesn't matter really what your Reiki lineage or tradition is so long as your Reiki Attunements were performed "live" with a Reiki "Master" who received a Reiki Attunement "live" from a Reiki "Master" who received her/his Reiki Attunement "live" from a Reiki "Master"and so on and so on and so on.

The moment a "Reiki Master" (because only Reiki Master's are trained to give  attunements and that is for a REAL reason) shrugs off live attunements and claims s/he received theirs via a book or the internet, that's the BIGGEST sign to "run Forest RUN!" You might receive a passage of power from such a person claiming to be a "Reiki Master" that will give you the confidence to do hands-on healings but the plain simple truth is, they and you will not be attuned to Reiki. Trust me, I've experienced just such energy healings and can say confidently that "nope, not Reiki."

Also, the "Reiki Master" who cannot tell you her/his lineage is someone who doesn't have one and chances are started her/his practice from a book they read or a youtube video watched.  Again, politely walk away and go find a "real" Reiki Master to train with or practitioner from which to receive Reiki -- even legitimate Reiki practitioners know their lineage and the importance and validity of "live" attunements.

It would be like asking a medical doctor where they went to medical school or did their residency and they can't tell you. That would be a big fat, "HUH?"

So, be wise.

In today's age, anyone can claim to be anything via a book or the internet. Be sure you ask intelligent questions and receive intelligent answers.  And yes, though Reiki is Reiki it has been evolving and becoming more refined and attuned in its own way and this is what comes to us from systems of Reiki in which dedicated Reiki Masters and Practitioners participate. Sort of like the Hundred Monkey phenomena but with a living current of health.

Happy Reiki to each of you.  Now, focus on the image below and take three slow breathes. The first for higher mind, exhaling slowly. The second breathe for light body, exhaling slowly. The third breathe for soul, exhaling slowly, close your eyes and receive some distant Reiki to me... .