Many Reiki Masters believe that from the moment you are attuned to Reiki it becomes fully functional. Others believe it takes many years for the Reiki to become properly activated (and even then only after dedicating the necessary discipline and commitment). Which one is right? The answer is “yes”.

Instant Activation

In Reiki, there are generally multiple transmissions of Reiki energy given to students as they move from level to level. These are either called Reiju or Attunements and their practice varies from style to style. Western Reiki usually makes use of Reiki Energy Attunements which are designed to place Reiki Energy in the vital points of the Human Energy Field for the complete integration of Reiki energy into the student’s energetic system. This is usually done multiple times for every Reiki level being taught as the body can only take so much at one time.

In Traditional Reiki, there was no attunement, per se, rather Reiki energy was transmitted by a series of mini-attunements, called Reiju. These are periodic installments of Reiki energy designed to gradually strengthen the Reiki Practitioner’s Reiki channel. This works energetically on a resonance system basis whereby energy of a higher vibrational frequency has the tendency to raise lower vibrations until, ultimately, they are the same. This may occur the first time and it may not, depending on what frequency your energetic system is running at.

Either way, in both of these transmission systems one is able to do Reiki the moment Reiki has been received. This is one of the wonderful features of Reiki that separates it from other natural healing systems.

Gradual Activation

Once Reiki has been switched on, so to speak, it is by no means fully functional. It is working completely, that is true, and for many, the level of Reiki energy achieved by that simple attunement is enough to satisfy them. However, it is only through maintaining a regular Reiki practice, consisting of self-healing and exercises like Hatsurei Ho, can one’s Reiki be taken to ever higher levels.

The body has a tendency to store tired, used and wasted energy and we are generally not aware of this. Many Reiki Practitioners make the mistake of only giving themselves Reiki when they are sick or when there is some noticeable problem. Regular doses of self-Reiki push out the spent energies the body accumulates in order to keep them from forming energy blocks that we would no doubt not be aware of for quite some time. This constant reinforcement of Reiki and replacing of old energies with new Reiki enhanced energies is part of what makes Reiki become fully functional.

Hatsurei Ho, as as discussed in my post on Hatsurei Ho, is an exercise designed to strengthen the Reiki channels. Dr. Usui would not have insisted on the use of such a practice and/or endorsed it as one of the three key Reiki practices, if there was no reason to. Again, most Reiki Practitioners have no desire to strengthen their Reiki channels, and are satisfied with what they have, but for those who are interested in such practices, there are many exercises to grow your Reiki in many different ways.

The Reiki Seed

Having been given Reiki does not mean that there is some kind of sudden and miraculous transformation of our natural state of being. My own experience was more that it gradually opened my awareness to subtle energies and things that I was not aware of before Reiki, allowing me to focus on these things that I previously had no idea existed.

Learning Reiki is like being given a Reiki seed which must be cared for in order for it to grow and develop into the type of Reiki necessary for our own spiritual development (whatever we personally reckon that to be). Reiki can be likened to a orchard with three trees in it (each based on one of the Three Pillars of Reiki) that, once fully grown, the branches all seem to connect at the top so it appears like they are all interconnected.

Another metaphor is that of a garden. Reiki, since it is organic in nature, it needs to be nourished so that it can grow. What is the state of your Reiki Garden? Are you watering it every day? Are you spending the amount of time necessary to see that it grows into a beautiful garden that you can sit in everyday for a wonderful Reiki meditation? Or did you just get your attunement and figure it would grow on its own? I’m sure that however you are caring for your Reiki Garden and however you have chosen to grow the Reiki Seed you were given is right for you, if not, its never too late to pull a few weeds!

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