Reiki Practitioners

What is a reiki practitioner?

What do they do?

What are some skills reiki practitioners need to have in order to be successful?

A reiki practitioner is anyone who practices reiki. Practitioners may charge money or they may offer their services for free; they may be masters, but they aren’t always. This is a general term used for many people in the world of reiki.

A reiki practitioner must be able to heal others, and it’s ideal that they know distance reiki as well. Although they do not have to complete their reiki mastery, they should at least understand how to perform a reiki healing session before using the term “practitioner.”

Read on to find out how to find a practitioner in your area.

How to Find a Reiki Practitioner

There are several good ways to look for reiki practitioners in your area. Take a look at this list to find some suggestions that may help you get started on your search.

Listings: There are many professional organizations that can help you find the right practitioner if you search through their listings. You can often search by city name or zip code, and you can look for options in a larger radius if you can’t find anyone locally, too.
Word of mouth: It never hurts to ask around! Ask your friends and family members if they’ve gone to anyone for reiki in your area. If not, look for online groups that may be devoted to reiki near you, and see if they have any suggestions.
Reiki events: Reiki circles and other free or low-cost events are a great way to check out local practitioners without having to pay for or schedule a full session. Stay on the lookout for these and try to visit a few when you have a chance. Sample some from different practitioners for best results.
Farmer’s markets and similar events: Farmer’s markets, full moon circles, and other events where people are allowed or encouraged to promote their own businesses can be a good place to find information about local reiki, too. Check for vendors who are displaying business cards from reiki professionals, or look around for the practitioners themselves.

Questions to Ask a Reiki Practitioner

Don’t be afraid to reach out to the practitioners you’re interested in and ask them the following questions. By doing so, you’ll be able to learn more about what they have to offer and whether or not they align with your needs.

Where did you train?

Look for practitioners who have trained with schools or masters that you can look up online. Check out their qualifications by learning what was required of them before they were able to star their own practice.
If your practitioner is unwilling to tell you where they trained, that’s a big red flag. Although the vast majority of reiki practitioners are people with good hearts and good intentions, there are always risks. If they won’t answer this question or seem to be unsure how to respond to it, look somewhere else!

What level of reiki have you attained?

There are three levels of reiki before someone can be called a reiki master. Ask your practitioner what level they’ve reached in order to determine how much education and experience they’ve had in the world of reiki.
It’s okay to get reiki services from someone who isn’t a master! However, they should be at least reiki level 2 in order to practice on other people. Those who are reiki level 1 can practice on themselves or through distance healing only.
Practitioners who have achieved master level may charge more for their services than level 2 or 3 reiki practitioners.

How long have you been practicing?

Is the practitioner brand new to reiki, or have they been offering their services for years already? There’s no harm in going to someone who’s new at what they’re doing, but make sure you understand that before choosing to work with someone who is new to their practice.
A new reiki practitioner should be able to offer you references of those they’ve worked with before—even if their services were offered for free or only to friends and family. They should also be able to give you their master’s name or school name so you can check out their credentials if you like as well.

What is a session with you like?

What can you expect when you go to a session with this practitioner? Will they require you to lay down, or do they have other options? Do they touch you at all, or is it completely touchless? Will there be candles, music, incense, or ambient sounds playing?
Ask the practitioner how much time is devoted to reiki itself during their sessions. Some practitioners get right to it, while others listen to their clients talk about their concerns for a while first. You should choose a practitioner who does a little of both; they should get an idea of what you need before beginning, but shouldn’t spend the whole session on talking, either.

What type of reiki do you practice?

Many practitioners stick to traditional reiki, and there’s nothing wrong with that! However, some focus on other, different reiki styles or methods. If your practitioner uses a type of reiki that you are unfamiliar with, look it up or ask more questions before scheduling an appointment, to see if it’s right for you.
Some types of reiki are very different from others, but they all focus on sending positive, healing energy to the recipient by way of the practitioner.

Do you use any items or additional resources during your sessions?

If the practitioner focuses on shamanic reiki, for example, they may use drums, rattles, and other sound devices as well as herbal supplements and tinctures during their sessions.
Many reiki practitioners from various schools of thought use healing crystals and essential oils, and they may place them directly on your body during a session. You can always let your practitioner know if you have allergies to any oils.
Other practitioners use even more unique items. Some may use colored lights to provide light therapy, while others may use beds with vibration settings, noise cancelling headphones, and more.

Conclusion

The information in the article above should help you get started finding the right practitioner for all your reiki needs. But what if you want to be a practitioner instead? What are the steps you need to take if you want to become a reiki practitioner yourself? Keep these tips in mind as you get started on your journey:

First, learn reiki! If you don’t know it already, you’ll need to sign up and take quality lessons from a trained professional. You will need to be attuned for each level of reiki by a reiki master, and eventually, you can become a master yourself.
As you learn, practice reiki on yourself as well as others. Only with experience will you be able to become a quality reiki practitioner.
You may want to begin working in someone else’s practice before opening your own. This will give you a chance to gain some clients and experience as well.

But how do you know if this path is right for you? If you feel drawn to reiki and have success as you study it, then it may be the right direction to take in your life. Reiki isn’t for everyone, and becoming a practitioner is hard work. But if you’re willing to put in the effort and time it takes to gain skills, experience, and a good rapport with your clients, then you’re well on your way to a lasting reiki practice.

ADDITIONAL RESEARCH:

https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing-practices/reiki/how-can-i-find-qualified-reiki-practitioner
https://iarp.org/find-reiki-practitioner-teacher/
https://www.dummies.com/health/finding-the-right-reiki-practitioner-for-you/