SPRING NYC REIKI CLASSES (First degree)
Upper West Side Manhattan
Tuesday -Thursday, April 6-8 starting 6 PM
Weekend class May 7/8: Friday 6-9 PM and Saturday 10 AM-7 PM

Click for details and registration

I teach Reiki classes in New York City each month. If the date above doesn’t work for you, signup here and check First degree classes to be notified when the next class is scheduled.

Reiki is easy to learn and easy to practice. I live in New York City, where the pace of life goes from busy to busier, but even my  busiest students easily find time for Reiki self-treatment everyday.

Why is it so easy? Because you can practice Reiki self-treatment in bed as you fall asleep or wake up, or at any other time that is convenient for you, even while you are doing something else. Interested? Read on.

You will begin practicing Reiki soon after your First Degree class starts, and you will leave the training fully empowered to practice Reiki on yourself, and to share treatment informally with family, friends, and pets.

The classes are kept small, so there is ample time to ask questions and share your experiences. You will learn protocols for self-treatment and for sharing Reiki with others, and we will discuss how Reiki supports your wellness and your medical care, the philosophy and history of Reiki practice, and the Reiki Precepts.

Continuing to practice Reiki self-treatment consistently, every day, over a period of time, is how you really come to understand Reiki, and to reap the greatest benefits: improved wellness, health promotion, disease prevention, and an enhanced sense of meaning in life.

First Degree Reiki training is where everyone begins, even if you are planning to become a professional.

I most often teach First Degree classes on three weekday evenings, but to accommodate students who travel from out of town, I occasionally teach on a Friday evening and all day Saturday.

Would you like to give your family the gift of wellness? Families who practice Reiki learn to take responsibility for their health, and become engaged in a culture of wellness and health promotion. Children can learn to practice Reiki and enjoy sharing it with others. Email me to discuss how we can bring Reiki to your family.

I am also available to teach at your workplace or organization. Email me to talk about customizing a class that best serves your needs.

You’ll find more details about First Degree classes in this Q&A.

I teach First Degree Reiki at least once a month in New York City.  My First Degree classes outside of New York are usually either in medical environments, such as hospitals, medical schools, and medical conferences, but if I am asked to teach a First Degree class while traveling, I am happy to do so.

If you’d like to be informed when I schedule First Degree classes in New York City (usually once a month), click here to join my email list, and be sure to check the box for classes.

SECOND DEGREE REIKI TRAINING

First degree Reiki is all that most people really need.

The Second Degree Reiki class teaches students to offer distant, non-touch Reiki treatment. This is not a necessary skill for most people to have, and it is more complicated than the straightforward “hands-on, Reiki on, hands-off, Reiki off” practice of First Degree.

I offer Second Degree training to all students who have taken my First Degree class and have been practicing daily self-treatment for at least three months, and occasionally to other students, by application only.

REIKI MASTER TRAINING

Mikao Usui, the founder of the Reiki lineage, wanted Reiki to be widely accessible. During the few short years that he taught, he trained over 2000 of his countrymen to practice Reiki. But he only trained 16 Reiki masters, and he trained them as teachers.

It is my perspective that Reiki training overall is best done slowly and thoroughly, with ample time to practice between training at each level. Rushing through training seems ill advised, a bit like taking a toddler for too long a walk.

This is particularly true for Reiki master training, which I feel is best offered in an apprentice/internship format. If you have a consistent practice of daily self-treatment and are interested in becoming a Reiki master, please read the chapter on Reiki master training in my book. If after contemplating the material, you feel that the perspective expressed in that chapter complements your vision of being a Reiki master, you are welcome to contact me to start a conversation about Reiki master training.

NYC REIKI CLASS SCHEDULE

Here are the details for my next First Degree Reiki classes in New York City.

April 2010 midweek class
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
April  6-8
6 – 9:30 PM

May 2010 weekend class
May 7/8: Friday 6-9 PM & Saturday 10 AM-7 PM

All sessions start promptly; ending time is approximate.

You will begin practicing Reiki on yourself during the first session. It is necessary to attend all sessions in their entirety. The class fee is $295.

Classes are kept small. A non-refundable deposit of $100 reserves your space. The balance is due before we begin class. You will be sent the precise location after we receive your registration.

REGISTER by paying your deposit or the entire fee thru PayPal here.

Please purchase a copy of REIKI: A Comprehensive Guide before class, either here or at your local bookstore. It is not necessary to read it cover to cover before class, but do read the introduction and first chapter, and browse the contents. You will find that this book becomes a supportive companion to your continuing practice.

If there is not a current class posted, inquire here.

FIRST DEGREE REIKI TRAINING Q&A

Q. What will I actually do during my First Degree Reiki class?

A. You will start practicing Reiki as soon as we finish introducing ourselves. The core of Reiki training is a series of initiations that empowers you to practice, and I give the first of four initiations an hour or so after the class begins. Initiations can be understood as subtle, targeted healings offered by a qualified Reiki master. The initiations enable you to connect spontaneously with the pristine core of wellness that exists within all of us, no matter how ill or unbalanced we are at any moment. The ability to empower students to practice Reiki has been passed down the lineage of Reiki masters that started with Mikao Usui in Japan in the 1920s.

Q. Will I have homework?

A. Yes, you will — to practice at home as much as you can. By now you’ll be intrigued by your new Reiki hands and look forward to practicing at least 20 minutes each day, which most students do in bed, while falling asleep or upon awakening. You will likely also look for moments in your day when you can connect with the refreshing presence of your Reiki hands.

As you practice on your own and notice both the delightful sensations that often accompany a Reiki treatment and an overall lift in well-being, your confidence and motivation will grow. This is important, because continuing to practice everyday is how you will get the most benefit from Reiki, and how your understanding of Reiki will deepen over time.

Q. Do students really feel that they are able to practice after 10 hours of training?

A. By the time the class ends, students have logged in hours of practice sessions under different circumstances, both in class and at home, and they are usually very enthusiastic about the benefits they are already experiencing. Perhaps because Reiki treatment itself brings a sense of comfort, I find students quickly feel at ease with, and delighted by, their daily practice.

The most challenging part of Reiki practice is to let it sink into our minds just how easy it is to practice. This is not a skill-based practice; students are literally empowered to practice, a gift that we receive. And we don’t have to work at receiving; we just have to show up. With Reiki, the way we show up is by practicing regularly. As yogamaster Pattabhi Jois famously said, “Practice, and all is forthcoming.” True for yoga, true for Reiki.

The second most challenging part of Reiki practice, for Westerners especially, is appreciating how vital it is to practice every day. It’s as if a great benefactor wants to give you a fortune, but that fortune is too big for you to receive all at once; you can only receive its fullness gradually, by practicing daily self-treatment. Students often mistakenly take another, higher-level class to advance their abilities, but Reiki is primarily developed through practice. Most people only need First Degree training to practice Reiki effectively for the rest of their lives.

Q. Any follow-up? Do your students have continuing contact with you?

A. Yes, it is important for a student to have continuing support, and  I offer it to my students in several ways. My book provides valuable ongoing support, including tips on maintaining one’s practice. I am available to my students through email, during the monthly Talking Reiki phone chats, and at the monthly JCC Reiki clinic where we practice together, share experiences and discuss questions.

Also, students bond with one another by sharing the class experience, and I encourage them to connect with two or three Reiki buddies, getting together as they can to share Reiki treatment.