Today I’d like to take a very brief look at the mechanics of Reiki Certification, and what it actually means to be certified in Reiki… as the variations are quite vast.

First, I’d like to point out that there are many different styles of Reiki and within each style there are potentially many more styles, as each person who teaches Reiki does so from their own experience and sees thing through their own filters. There is therefore, no set of rules or qualifications that applies to all the different types of Reiki in existence.

Looking at the various types of Reiki certification I see two ends to the spectrum, one that requires some type of training and one that doesn’t. The one that doesn’t, merely requires that you receive an attunement, these are generally done over a distance, and an accompanying explanation, which is usually found in some form of manual ranging from anywhere between 1 and 100 pages (and sometimes more). There is no proof that these attunements actually work and that you are actually being attuned to anything, yet this style of certification is quite popular and the number of ‘qualified’ teachers is growing exponentially.

Those that require some type of training can be done in anywhere from an hour to several hours (or even days). Some types of Reiki are more intense, while others are quite general. There are also some teachers who require more than others, even if they are teaching exactly the same material and exactly the same style. Again, there is no right or wrong… just vast differences in interpretations of what it means to give or receive certification.

I’ve received Reiki certifications after merely sending an email or forum post voicing my desire to have it. Others I’ve received after making payment through eBay, PayPal or other online options. But the trainings that I value the most were done live and in person, with Reiki Masters who were expert enough to answer all my questions, know exactly where I was on my Reiki path, and see to it that I was propelled to greater heights (or depths… as the case may be) in my Reiki training.

I’ve received great knowledge from many of the above, and while I would recommend the live training, I would not limit anyone to that… I never limited myself to it and wisdom comes from many directions.

The bottom line is that the certification itself is worth very little, its the training that I treasure and that I consider the true emblem of Reiki achievement. Make sure that the certification you pursue fulfills the requirements you desire. And above all… enjoy!!!

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!