Key Takeaways
- A Reiki attunement opens your energy channels permanently: The ceremony, performed by a Reiki Master, creates a lasting connection between you and universal life force energy. It does not give you something new but removes blockages so energy flows more freely.
- There are three main levels, each with a distinct purpose: Level 1 focuses on self-healing and basic hands-on work. Level 2 introduces sacred symbols and distance healing. The Master level deepens your connection and qualifies you to teach and attune others.
- Physical and emotional symptoms after attunement are normal: The 21-day cleansing period following each attunement brings detoxification on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels. Fatigue, vivid dreams, and heightened sensitivity are among the most common experiences.
- Preparation matters for the quality of your experience: Reducing caffeine, alcohol, processed food, and stress in the days before your attunement helps clear your energy field and allows the ceremony to work more effectively.
- The attunement is permanent, but practice keeps it strong: Your connection to Reiki energy never expires once established. Regular practice keeps the channel clear and powerful, while extended breaks may make the energy feel weaker until you resume.
What Is a Reiki Attunement?
A Reiki attunement is the foundational ceremony that connects a student to the flow of Reiki energy. During this process, a trained Reiki Master uses specific hand placements, sacred symbols, and focused intention to open and align the student's energy channels. The result is a permanent shift in how you receive and transmit healing energy through your hands, your heart, and your entire energetic system.
The word "attunement" itself carries a musical metaphor that is worth sitting with. Just as a piano must be tuned so that each string vibrates at its correct frequency, the reiki attunement process tunes your energy body so that it resonates with the frequency of universal life force energy. You already carry this energy inside you. Every living thing does. The attunement does not install something foreign. It adjusts your internal instrument so that what was always present can now be played clearly and with intention.
In the Usui system of Reiki, which is the most widely practised lineage worldwide, attunements are given at three levels. Each level opens new capacities, introduces new tools, and deepens the connection between you and the Reiki source. The process has been passed from teacher to student in an unbroken chain since Mikao Usui developed the system in Japan in the early 1920s. This lineage, the direct line of transmission from one attuned person to the next, is considered one of the most important aspects of Reiki practice.
Understanding what happens during the reiki attunement process helps you prepare properly, set realistic expectations, and integrate the experience more fully. Whether you are considering your first attunement or preparing for the Master level, this guide covers every stage of the experience from preparation through the 21-day cleansing period and beyond.
How the Reiki Attunement Process Works
The attunement ceremony follows a structure that has been refined over the past century, though specific details vary between lineages and individual Masters. At its core, every Reiki attunement involves the same essential elements: the opening of energy channels, the transfer of sacred symbols, and the sealing of the connection.
The Energetic Mechanics of Attunement
During the attunement, the Reiki Master acts as a conduit between the universal source of Reiki energy and the student. The Master does not give the student their own personal energy. Instead, they channel universal energy through their own system and direct it into the student's energy body using a specific sequence of steps.
The Master typically begins by opening the student's crown chakra, the energy centre at the top of the head that connects to higher consciousness and spiritual awareness. From there, energy is directed downward through the third eye, throat, and heart chakras, and then into the hands. The hands are central to Reiki practice because they serve as the primary delivery point for healing energy.
At each energy centre, the Master may draw sacred symbols using their hands or breath. These symbols are part of the Reiki tradition and carry specific frequencies. At Level 1, the attunement focuses on opening the basic energy pathway. At Level 2 and the Master level, additional symbols are activated that unlock new capacities.
The student sits with eyes closed throughout the ceremony. Some Masters ask students to hold their hands in a prayer position at heart level. Others guide students through specific mudras or hand positions. The room is usually quiet, sometimes with soft music or the sound of a singing bowl to support the meditative atmosphere.
What the Student Experiences
Every person experiences the attunement differently, and there is no single "correct" experience. Some people feel intense energy moving through their body from the moment the Master begins. Others feel very little during the ceremony itself but notice profound changes in the days and weeks that follow.
The most commonly reported sensations during a reiki attunement include warmth or heat in the hands and palms, tingling or pulsing sensations along the spine, a feeling of heaviness or lightness in the body, pressure at the crown of the head or between the eyebrows, and the visual perception of colours (purple, gold, white, and green are the most frequently described). Some people experience emotional release, including tears, laughter, or a deep sense of peace that is difficult to put into words.
If you feel nothing during the attunement, do not assume it did not work. The ceremony operates on an energetic level that exists beneath conscious perception. Many people who report feeling "nothing" during the attunement begin to notice changes within days: their hands get warm when they think about healing, they become more sensitive to other people's emotions, or they start having vivid dreams that carry messages about their personal growth.
Reiki Level 1 Attunement: Shoden (The Beginning)
The Level 1 attunement, called Shoden in the original Japanese system, is your entry point into Reiki practice. This attunement opens the main energy channel that runs from the crown of your head through your heart and down into your hands. Once this channel is open, you can begin to consciously direct Reiki energy for healing purposes.
What Level 1 Covers
A complete Level 1 course typically runs between one and two full days, though some teachers spread it across several evenings. The attunement ceremony is the centrepiece, but the training surrounding it provides essential context and skills.
You will learn the history of Reiki and the story of Mikao Usui, who developed the system after years of study and a period of fasting and meditation on Mount Kurama in Japan. You will study the five Reiki principles (sometimes called precepts), which form the ethical and spiritual foundation of Reiki practice: just for today, do not anger; just for today, do not worry; be grateful; work with diligence; be kind to others.
The practical portion of Level 1 teaches you the standard hand positions for both self-treatment and treating others. You will learn where to place your hands on the head, torso, and limbs to facilitate energy flow, and you will practise giving and receiving full Reiki treatments with other students in the class.
Level 1: What Changes in Your Energy System
After the Level 1 attunement, your hands become active energy conductors. Most newly attuned Level 1 practitioners notice that their palms feel warm, tingly, or "buzzy" when they place them on their own body or on another person with the intention of sending Reiki. This warmth is the most basic and reliable sign that Reiki energy is flowing.
Your overall sensitivity to energy also increases. You may become more aware of the energetic atmosphere of rooms, crowds, and individual people. You might find that certain environments that never bothered you before now feel draining, while natural settings or peaceful spaces feel noticeably nourishing. This increased sensitivity is part of the attunement's effect on your energetic perception, and it is similar to the heightened awareness described in guides on physical symptoms of spiritual awakening.
Level 1 is primarily about self-healing. Most Reiki Masters recommend spending at least three months practising daily self-Reiki before moving to Level 2. This self-practice period is not arbitrary. It allows you to become familiar with how energy moves through your own body, to clear your most immediate personal blockages, and to build a stable foundation before taking on more advanced work.
Level 1 Attunement Formats
In the traditional Usui system, the Level 1 attunement is sometimes given as four separate, shorter attunements over the course of the training. Other lineages consolidate these into a single, longer attunement ceremony. Both formats are considered valid. The multiple-attunement approach allows the energy channels to open gradually, which some students find gentler. The single-attunement approach delivers the full opening at once, which some practitioners prefer for its directness and intensity.
If you are looking into Reiki certification programs, ask your potential teacher which format they use and why. Their answer will tell you something about their lineage, their teaching philosophy, and whether their approach matches your preferences.
Reiki Level 2 Attunement: Okuden (The Inner Teaching)
The Level 2 attunement, called Okuden in the Japanese tradition, represents a significant expansion of your Reiki abilities. Where Level 1 gave you the basic capacity to channel energy through your hands, Level 2 introduces tools that amplify the power, extend the range, and add new dimensions to your healing work.
The Three Sacred Symbols
At Level 2, you receive three Reiki symbols, each with a specific function. In the traditional Usui system, these symbols are considered sacred and were historically kept confidential. While the symbols are now widely available in books and online, the attunement process is what activates them in your energy system. Drawing them on paper without having been attuned does not produce the same effect. The attunement creates the energetic connection that gives the symbols their power when you use them.
Cho Ku Rei (the Power Symbol). This symbol amplifies and focuses the flow of Reiki energy. It acts like a volume dial, intensifying the energy you channel through your hands. You can draw it over specific areas of the body that need extra attention, use it at the beginning of a session to boost the overall energy level, or apply it to situations, food, water, and spaces to charge them with Reiki energy.
Sei He Ki (the Mental/Emotional Symbol). This symbol addresses emotional and mental patterns. It works on a deeper level than the physical focus of Level 1, reaching into the emotional body where trauma, habitual patterns, and unprocessed feelings are stored. The Sei He Ki is especially useful for addressing anxiety, depression, grief, addiction patterns, and the emotional roots of physical illness.
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen (the Distance Symbol). This is perhaps the most remarkable tool in the Reiki system. The distance symbol allows you to send Reiki energy across any distance and even across time. With this symbol, you can send healing to someone in another city, another country, or even direct healing energy to events in the past or future. This is the symbol that makes distance healing sessions possible, and it opens a dimension of Reiki practice that many practitioners find the most profound.
| Level | Japanese Name | Primary Focus | Key Abilities Gained | Typical Wait Before Next Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Shoden | Physical healing, self-treatment | Hands-on healing, energy sensitivity, self-Reiki | 3-6 months minimum |
| Level 2 | Okuden | Emotional/mental healing, distance work | Three symbols, distance healing, amplified power | 6-12 months minimum |
| Master | Shinpiden | Spiritual mastery, teaching ability | Master symbol, ability to attune others, deepened connection | Ongoing lifelong practice |
What Changes After Level 2
The Level 2 attunement typically produces a noticeable increase in the strength of the energy you feel flowing through your hands. The heat, tingling, and pulsing sensations become stronger and more consistent. Many practitioners report that they can feel energy running before they even place their hands on someone, simply by setting the intention to send Reiki.
Your intuitive abilities often sharpen after Level 2 as well. You may begin to sense where a person's blockages are located without being told. You might receive visual impressions, emotional information, or physical sensations in your own body that correspond to what the person you are treating is experiencing. This intuitive sensing is not something Level 2 creates from nothing. It amplifies a natural human capacity that the Level 1 attunement already began to develop.
Level 2 is also the point at which many Reiki practitioners begin offering professional sessions. The combination of increased power, the emotional/mental healing symbol, and the ability to do distance work provides a complete toolkit for client-facing practice. If you are planning to work as a practitioner in a city like Toronto or Vancouver, Level 2 certification is generally the minimum standard that established Reiki practices expect.
Reiki Master Attunement: Shinpiden (The Mystery Teaching)
The Master attunement, called Shinpiden in the Japanese tradition, is the final and most powerful level of Reiki training. This attunement is not simply an increase in power. It represents a qualitative shift in your relationship with Reiki energy and carries the responsibility of being able to pass the attunement to others.
The Master Symbol
At the Master level, you receive the Dai Ko Myo, the Master symbol. This symbol is sometimes described as the "light of the Buddha" or "great shining light." It connects you to the highest frequency of Reiki energy available in the Usui system. Where the Level 2 symbols work on specific dimensions (power, emotion, distance), the Master symbol works on the soul level. It addresses the deepest patterns that shape a person's life path, spiritual development, and connection to their own higher nature.
The Master symbol is also the key that allows you to perform attunements for others. When you draw this symbol during an attunement ceremony, it creates the energetic bridge between the student and the universal source of Reiki energy. Without the Master attunement, you can practise Reiki on yourself and others, but you cannot open that channel in another person.
Master Level: The Weight of Transmission
Becoming a Reiki Master is not just about personal advancement. It carries a specific responsibility within the Reiki lineage. When you attune another person, you become part of their lineage. Every person they go on to attune will trace their connection back through you, through your Master, through their Master, and ultimately back to Mikao Usui himself.
For this reason, the Master level was traditionally taught only after years of dedicated practice, often five to ten years between Level 2 and the Master attunement. In more recent decades, particularly in Western Reiki, the timeline has shortened considerably. Some teachers offer "weekend Master" courses that complete the entire journey from Level 1 to Master in a matter of months.
Whether a fast track or a slow track is better depends on what you intend to do with the Master level. If your goal is personal spiritual development and you want the Master attunement to deepen your own practice, a faster timeline may be appropriate. If you plan to teach and attune others, spending years developing your skills, your sensitivity, and your understanding before taking on students is the more responsible path.
What Changes After the Master Attunement
Master-level practitioners consistently describe a deepening of awareness that goes beyond the increased power of earlier levels. The Master attunement tends to affect your entire life, not just your healing practice. Relationships shift. Priorities reorganize. Patterns you have carried for decades may suddenly become visible and begin to dissolve.
The Master attunement is also associated with a more intense 21-day cleansing period. Many Master-level practitioners report that this cleansing brought up their deepest and most persistent patterns for final resolution. It is not unusual for the Master cleansing period to trigger significant life changes: career shifts, relationship restructuring, relocation, or a profound reorganization of how you spend your time and energy.
The 21-Day Cleansing Period
Every Reiki attunement, at every level, initiates a 21-day cleansing period. This three-week window is one of the most distinctive features of the Reiki attunement experience, and understanding it in advance helps enormously with navigating the physical, emotional, and spiritual changes it can bring.
Week by Week: What to Expect During the Cleansing Period
Week 1 (Days 1 through 7): Physical cleansing. The first week primarily affects the physical body. Your system is adjusting to the new energy frequency and beginning to clear physical blockages. Common experiences include fatigue, headaches, changes in appetite, increased thirst, digestive shifts (loose stools or constipation), sinus drainage, skin breakouts, and a general feeling of being "off." Some people experience cold-like symptoms as the body releases stored toxins. Others feel a surge of physical energy and vitality. Both responses are normal. Drink plenty of water, rest when your body asks for it, and practise daily self-Reiki to support the process.
Week 2 (Days 8 through 14): Emotional and mental cleansing. The second week tends to bring emotional and mental material to the surface. Old memories may arise spontaneously. You might feel unusually emotional, crying at things that would not normally affect you, or feeling waves of anger, sadness, or grief that seem disconnected from your current circumstances. Old thought patterns, beliefs about yourself, and mental habits may become suddenly visible in a way they were not before. This visibility is the first step toward release. The emotions and thoughts are not new. They have been stored in your energy field, and the attunement is bringing them up so they can be processed and cleared. Journaling during this week can be especially helpful.
Week 3 (Days 15 through 21): Spiritual integration. The third week is generally the gentlest, though it can also be the most disorienting. Spiritual integration may include vivid and meaningful dreams, a sense of expanded awareness, moments of deep peace or connection, increased synchronicities in your daily life, and a feeling that your priorities are shifting. Some people experience a temporary sense of detachment from their normal routines and relationships, as if they are seeing their life from a new perspective. By the end of the third week, the major cleansing has completed and the new energy level becomes your new baseline.
Supporting Yourself Through the Cleanse
The 21-day period is not something you need to endure passively. Active self-care during this time significantly improves the experience. Practise self-Reiki daily, ideally for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Stay well hydrated. Eat clean, whole foods and reduce processed sugar, alcohol, and caffeine. Spend time in nature. Move your body gently through walking, yoga, or stretching. Allow extra time for sleep. Limit exposure to intense media, stressful conversations, and draining environments.
Many of these recommendations overlap with the preparation guidelines because the principle is the same: you are supporting your body and mind while your energy system undergoes a significant recalibration. The symptoms you experience during the cleansing period share characteristics with the physical symptoms that accompany spiritual awakening more broadly. If you are going through both processes simultaneously, be especially gentle with yourself.
Preparing for Your Reiki Attunement
How you prepare for the attunement affects the quality of the experience and the smoothness of the integration period that follows. Most Reiki Masters provide specific preparation guidelines to their students, but the general principles are consistent across lineages.
The Three to Seven Day Preparation Period
In the days leading up to your attunement, your goal is to arrive with the clearest possible energy field. This means reducing the substances and inputs that create energetic congestion and increasing the practices that promote energetic flow.
Reduce or eliminate: Alcohol (ideally no alcohol for at least three days before), caffeine (or reduce gradually to avoid withdrawal headaches), recreational drugs, processed foods, excessive sugar, red meat (some traditions recommend this, others do not require it), and excessive screen time, especially violent or stressful content.
Increase: Water intake (aim for at least eight glasses daily), time in nature, fresh fruits and vegetables, meditation or quiet reflection (even 10 minutes daily helps), gentle physical movement, and sleep. If you already have a meditation practice, deepen it during this period. If you do not, simply sitting quietly with your eyes closed for 10 to 15 minutes each day and focusing on your breathing is sufficient.
Set your intention. Before the attunement, spend some time thinking about why you are drawn to Reiki. What do you hope to gain or develop? What are you ready to release? You do not need a perfect, polished answer. A simple, honest intention like "I want to learn to heal myself" or "I want to be a clearer channel for helping others" is enough. Having an intention gives the attunement energy something to work with, a direction for the new openings to move toward.
Common Reiki Attunement Symptoms and Side Effects
The word "side effects" may sound clinical, but it is the most accurate way to describe the physical, emotional, and energetic changes that follow a reiki attunement. These are not signs that something went wrong. They are signs that the attunement is working, and your system is adjusting to its new capacity.
| Symptom Category | Common Experiences | Typical Duration | What It Indicates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical | Fatigue, headaches, tingling hands, changed appetite, digestive shifts, sinus drainage | 1-2 weeks | Physical body clearing toxins and adjusting to new energy frequency |
| Emotional | Unexpected tears, old memories surfacing, mood swings, heightened sensitivity | 1-3 weeks | Emotional body releasing stored patterns and unprocessed feelings |
| Mental | Vivid dreams, racing thoughts, then unusual clarity, changed priorities | 2-3 weeks | Mental patterns reorganizing around new awareness |
| Spiritual | Increased synchronicities, stronger intuition, sense of connection, heightened energy perception | Ongoing (positive) | Spiritual channels opening and stabilizing at a higher frequency |
When to Seek Guidance
While most attunement symptoms resolve naturally within the 21-day cleansing period, certain experiences warrant reaching out to your Reiki Master for guidance. These include symptoms that feel overwhelming rather than manageable, physical symptoms that are severe or worsening, emotional states that feel destabilizing, or any experience that causes you genuine concern.
A responsible Reiki Master provides support during and after the attunement. If the teacher who attuned you is not available for follow-up questions, that is a red flag about the quality of the training. Good teachers stay connected to their students throughout the integration period and are available for questions, reassurance, and guidance. This ongoing support is one of the factors that distinguishes quality Reiki training programs from less thorough offerings.
Distance Reiki Attunements: The Debate
The rise of online learning has brought distance Reiki attunements into the mainstream, and this has sparked one of the most active debates in the Reiki community. Can the attunement, which is fundamentally an energy transfer, be effectively conducted without the Master and student being in the same room?
The Case for Distance Attunements
Proponents argue that Reiki energy is not limited by physical space. The Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen symbol, taught at Level 2, specifically enables energy to be sent across any distance. If distance healing works (and many practitioners and some research studies suggest it does), then distance attunements should work by the same principle. Students who receive distance attunements frequently report experiencing the same sensations, the same 21-day cleansing symptoms, and the same ongoing connection to Reiki energy as those attuned in person.
Distance attunements also increase access for people in remote areas, those with mobility limitations, and anyone who cannot find a qualified teacher in their local area. For someone living in a rural community hundreds of kilometres from the nearest Reiki Master, a distance attunement from a reputable teacher may be the best available option.
The Case Against Distance Attunements
Critics point to the loss of the physical, hands-on component of the attunement and the training that surrounds it. In a traditional in-person course, you practise giving and receiving Reiki treatments under the direct supervision of your teacher. The teacher can feel your energy, correct your hand positions, and provide immediate feedback based on what they perceive. This direct mentorship is difficult to replicate over video.
There is also the question of energetic transmission. While distance healing has a growing evidence base, an attunement is a more complex energetic procedure than a standard healing session. Some Masters in the traditional Japanese lineages do not consider distance attunements valid and will not recognize them for lineage purposes.
If you choose a distance attunement, research the Master's credentials, lineage, and teaching history carefully. Ask about their experience with distance attunements specifically, and make sure the course includes comprehensive training materials, live interaction (not just pre-recorded videos), and ongoing support after the attunement.
The Attunement Ceremony: Step by Step
While specific details vary between lineages, the general structure of an in-person Reiki attunement ceremony follows a consistent pattern. Knowing what to expect removes anxiety and allows you to be fully present during the experience.
What Happens During the Attunement Ceremony
The preparation. You will be asked to sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your eyes closed. Your hands will typically be placed in a prayer position at heart level, or resting on your thighs with palms facing upward. The Master may guide you through a brief meditation or breathing exercise to help you relax and become present. The room is usually quiet, with soft lighting and perhaps gentle music or the sound of a singing bowl.
The opening. The Master begins the attunement by connecting to the Reiki source and entering the specific meditative state required for the transmission. They will move around you, working with your energy field from the front, sides, and back. You may feel their presence moving around you even with your eyes closed.
The crown opening. The Master works at the top of your head, opening the crown chakra to receive the Reiki energy from above. This is often the moment when students first feel a change: warmth, pressure, tingling, or a sensation of something opening or expanding at the top of the head.
Symbol placement. At Level 2 and above, the Master draws the Reiki symbols into your energy field. They may use their hands, their breath, or a combination of both. You will not see what they are doing (your eyes remain closed), but you may feel distinct energetic shifts as each symbol is placed.
The hand activation. The Master works with your hands, which are the primary channel through which you will deliver Reiki energy. Many students report the strongest sensations during this phase, as the palms are highly sensitive energy centres.
The closing. The Master seals the attunement, ensuring that the new energy channels remain open and protected. After the closing, you will be asked to sit quietly for a few minutes, allowing the energy to settle. When you open your eyes, do so slowly. Take your time returning to full awareness.
Choosing a Reiki Master for Your Attunement
The quality of your attunement experience depends significantly on the Reiki Master who conducts it. Not all Reiki Masters are equal in skill, integrity, or teaching ability. Taking time to choose the right teacher is one of the most important decisions you will make in your Reiki journey.
What to Look For
Clear lineage. A legitimate Reiki Master should be able to trace their lineage back to Mikao Usui through an unbroken chain of teacher-to-student transmissions. Ask about their lineage. If they cannot provide it, that is a concern.
Adequate training time. A Level 1 course should be at least one full day, ideally two. A course that promises to attune you in an hour is not providing the foundational training you need. The attunement is one component of the training. The education, practice time, and mentorship are equally important.
Ongoing support. Your teacher should be available for questions and guidance after the attunement, especially during the 21-day cleansing period. Ask about post-course support before enrolling.
Personal practice. A good Reiki Master has a strong personal practice and can speak about their own experience with Reiki in grounded, specific terms. Be cautious of teachers who speak only in vague spiritual generalities or who make claims that sound too dramatic to be true.
Reasonable pricing. Prices vary by region, but they should fall within a reasonable range. In Canada, Level 1 typically costs $150 to $350, Level 2 costs $250 to $500, and Master level costs $500 to $2,000. Prices far below or far above these ranges deserve scrutiny. When exploring programs in major Canadian cities, look at what established energy healing communities are charging for comparable training.
Common Experiences During and After Attunement
Beyond the physical symptoms covered in the 21-day cleansing section, the attunement often triggers experiences that fall into the spiritual and perceptual categories. These experiences can be surprising, even startling, if you are not prepared for them.
Heightened Sensitivity to Energy
After your attunement, you may find that you can feel the energy of other people, places, and objects more clearly than before. Walking into a room where an argument just happened might feel physically uncomfortable. Being around someone who is anxious might make your stomach tighten. Holding a crystal might produce noticeable sensations in your palm. This increased sensitivity is a direct result of the attunement opening your energy channels, and it is similar to what natural empaths experience from birth. Learning to manage this sensitivity is part of your ongoing Reiki development.
Vivid and Meaningful Dreams
The attunement frequently activates the dream state, producing unusually vivid, detailed, and meaningful dreams during the cleansing period. Many practitioners report dreams that feel like teachings, as if they are receiving instruction from a guide or a presence they cannot fully see. Others dream of releasing things: old relationships, fears, habits, and patterns being carried away by water or blown away by wind. Keeping a journal by your bed during the 21-day period and writing down your dreams immediately upon waking can capture messages that would otherwise be lost.
Shifts in Relationships and Life Circumstances
As your energy changes, your external life often shifts to match. Relationships that no longer align with your evolving energy may become strained or fall away. New people may appear who resonate with your new frequency. Career dissatisfaction that was easy to ignore may become impossible to overlook. These shifts are not the attunement "causing" problems. They are the result of your increased clarity revealing what was already true but previously hidden from your conscious awareness.
Increased Synchronicity
Many newly attuned practitioners notice a dramatic increase in synchronicities: meaningful coincidences, unexpected connections, and events that seem to line up in ways that feel guided rather than random. A book you need falls off a shelf in front of you. Someone mentions the exact thing you were thinking about. You receive a phone call from a person you dreamed about the night before. These synchronicities are often described as evidence that you are more aligned with the flow of life after the attunement.
Re-Attunements and Refreshing Your Connection
While the initial Reiki attunement is permanent, many practitioners choose to receive re-attunements at various points in their Reiki journey. A re-attunement is essentially a repeat of the original ceremony, either at the same level or at a higher one.
Reasons for seeking a re-attunement include returning to practice after a long break, wanting to strengthen or refresh the energy flow, preparing for a new phase of personal development, studying with a different Reiki Master or lineage, and simply wanting to re-experience the ceremony with the benefit of deeper understanding.
Re-attunements are not required. Your original attunement remains in effect regardless. But many practitioners report that receiving a re-attunement after years of practice produces a noticeably different experience than their first attunement, because they bring a much deeper understanding and a more developed energy system to the ceremony.
The Attunement as a Spiritual Threshold
Across spiritual traditions worldwide, the concept of initiation, a formal ceremony that marks the crossing of a threshold between one state of being and another, holds deep significance. The Reiki attunement belongs to this universal category of spiritual initiation. It is a moment where you consciously choose to open yourself to something larger than your ordinary awareness, and where a more experienced practitioner creates the conditions for that opening to occur.
What makes the Reiki attunement distinctive among spiritual initiations is its accessibility. You do not need years of preparation, advanced spiritual development, or adherence to a specific belief system. The attunement meets you where you are and works with whatever openness you bring to it. A complete beginner sitting for their first Level 1 attunement with nothing but honest curiosity is a perfectly prepared candidate.
At the same time, the simplicity of the entry point should not be mistaken for shallowness. The Reiki attunement opens a door. How far you walk through it depends entirely on your dedication to practice, your willingness to face what the energy brings to the surface, and your commitment to using your abilities in service of healing, both for yourself and for others. The attunement is the beginning, not the destination. What you build with it over the months and years that follow is where the real teaching lives.
After Your Attunement: Building a Practice
The attunement opens the channel. Building a consistent practice is what keeps it strong and develops your abilities over time. Many people receive an attunement with great enthusiasm and then let weeks or months pass without practising. The attunement remains, but the skills and sensitivity that come from regular use gradually diminish.
The single most important practice after any attunement is daily self-Reiki. Spend 20 to 30 minutes each day placing your hands on your own body and allowing energy to flow. Cover all the main positions: head, throat, heart, solar plexus, lower abdomen, and any areas that feel like they need attention. This daily self-treatment builds your sensitivity, clears your personal energy, and keeps the channel wide and flowing.
Practise on others as often as possible. Offer sessions to friends and family. Join a Reiki share group where practitioners exchange treatments. The more hands-on experience you accumulate, the more confident and skilled you become. Each session teaches you something new about how energy works and how different people respond to it.
Continue your education. Read about Reiki history, energy anatomy, and complementary healing modalities. The comparison between Reiki and other energy healing systems like Pranic healing can broaden your understanding of how different traditions approach the same fundamental energy. Attend workshops, take additional courses, and connect with the broader Reiki community in your area.
The reiki attunement process is one of the most accessible and profound entries into the world of energy healing available today. Whether you are drawn to Reiki for self-healing, for helping others, or for spiritual development, the attunement provides a clear, structured, and time-tested pathway to working with life force energy in a conscious and directed way.
What happens during the ceremony, those 15 to 30 minutes of quiet transmission between Master and student, sets something in motion that continues to unfold for months and years afterward. The energy channels that open during your attunement do not close. The sensitivity that develops does not vanish. The connection to something larger than your individual self, once established, remains available to you every time you place your hands with healing intention.
The only real question is whether you will build on what the attunement gives you. Daily practice, continued learning, honest self-examination, and the willingness to show up for others when they need healing: these are the things that transform an attunement from a single experience into a living practice. The ceremony opens the door. Walking through it, and continuing to walk, is yours to choose. The energy is waiting. It has always been waiting. The attunement simply helps you hear it clearly for the first time.
Sources & References
- Rand, W. L. (2005). "Reiki: The Healing Touch." Vision Publications. Comprehensive guide to Usui Reiki including attunement procedures, levels, and teaching methods.
- Stiene, B. & Stiene, F. (2003). "The Reiki Sourcebook." O Books. Academic-quality reference covering Reiki history, Japanese techniques, lineages, and attunement traditions.
- Petter, F. A. (2012). "Reiki Fire: New Information About the Origins of the Reiki Power." Lotus Press. Research into Mikao Usui's original teachings and the Japanese roots of the attunement process.
- Quest, P. (2009). "Reiki for Life: The Complete Guide to Reiki Practice for Levels 1, 2 & 3." Tarcher Perigee. Practical guide covering attunement preparation, the 21-day cleansing period, and level-by-level development.
- Miles, P. (2006). "Reiki: A Comprehensive Guide." Tarcher Perigee. Evidence-based overview of Reiki practice including clinical applications and the physiology of energy healing.
- Lubeck, W., Petter, F. A., & Rand, W. L. (2001). "The Spirit of Reiki." Lotus Press. Collaborative text from three lineages covering attunement variations, symbol origins, and cross-cultural Reiki traditions.
- Baldwin, A. L. et al. (2010). "Personal Interaction with a Reiki Practitioner Decreases Noise-Induced Microvascular Damage in an Animal Model." Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 16(1). Peer-reviewed research on measurable biological effects of Reiki energy.
- International Association of Reiki Professionals (2024). "Standards of Practice and Training Guidelines." IARP. Professional standards for Reiki training, certification, and attunement protocols.