Reiki First Degree, Second Time

Reiki HealingAs the students in a recent First degree class introduced themselves, I learned that seven of the 13 students were already practicing First or Second degree Reiki. While it’s not unusual to have even a Reiki master in my First degree classes, I’d never had more than half the class taking First degree for a second time. And most of them traveled from out of state to join us.

Even more interesting, all seven were practicing daily self-treatment and loving their practice. Why had they come, I wondered. The response was unanimous: they lacked the clarity they wanted; they were confused.

After the class, one of the students told me the difference our class had made to her. She said simply, “I came here confused and I am no longer confused. Thank you.” I asked Joan to elaborate, and she let me share her thoughts with you. —

The welcome email I received when I registered for your First degree class suggested I not do additional reading before class, as reading presented an opportunity for confusion.

I had already taken a First degree class elsewhere. That class included talk of sweeping auras, pendulums, balancing chakras and personal messages from spirit guides. With all the extras, I left the class confused about Reiki and with many unanswered questions.

My confusion soon spread to others. When people asked me about Reiki, my attempts to explain were met with confused looks or jokes.

I love my restorative yoga teacher and she agreed to teach me Second degree (distant) Reiki practice. Now I understand that what I needed at that point was to practice more rather than learn more techniques. I clearly wasn’t ready, and became even more confused.

Meanwhile my brother had done a lot of research and has been practicing Reiki for a year. He became my mentor,  sending me your book REIKI: A Comprehensive Guide, and inviting me to follow your Reiki, Medicine and Self-care Facebook page. I got on your mailing list and found your class.

I am confused no more.

Your class allowed me to be comfortable as a beginner. It had none of the add-ons I had found so confusing, just simple practice and lots of it.

Focusing on balance and practice feels like the heart of Reiki. As you suggest, experiencing a period of self-practice seems to be the best way to get the personal clarification and understand the role of Reiki in my life.

Later, I may want to learn more adjunctive practices, but now I understand it is important to build a foundation through daily self-practice.

We have become used to taking an aspirin and getting immediate results. I am learning self growth takes time and patience, and that understanding alone is a lot of growth.

Are you confused about your Reiki practice? Do you have a specific question? Please ask it in a comment below.

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30 thoughts on “Reiki First Degree, Second Time”

  1. Hi,
    Anybody can suggest what should be the minimum time to be given to each point while self healing???Thanks in advance.Best Regards,
    Vikas

    1. Most important is to develop an intuitive feel for your practice. Your hands will remain in some placements longer than others, but I suggest that three minutes is the minimum.

  2. Hi,
    Pamea,
    I have gone through the link provided by you and following religiously.I would like to know how much tome to be given to each point during self healing.Pls advise about time ??? Regards,
    Vikas

  3. Pls let me know while doing self healing through reiki practice what should be in your mind i.e. chanting of some mantra or focusing on some thing what it should be so we can go towards meditative state??Pls advise.

    1. Vikas, I am curious why you don’t ask your Reiki master these questions.

      I do not know how you were taught, and I don’t want to contradict anyone, but it seems to me that you are making your practice very complicated — to my training, unnecessarily complicated. The basic practice is simple. Just place your hands on yourself.

      Here are my suggestions when people have questions about self-practice: https://reikiinmedicine.org/daily-practice/how-to-practice-reiki-self-treatment.

  4. Pls confirm whether which is poisition is more beneficial while doing self healing through Reike practice in a seated position or lying???I heard that while we do in a seated position chakras are aligned more properly??Pls give your inputs.

    1. Vikas, chakras are not part of the Japanese system and are not part of Reiki practice. It doesn’t matter whether you sit or lie down. Just be comfortable and have your body supported in case you are drawn into a deep meditative state.

  5. If i am not getting desired benefits after doing first class degree course despite of practising daily ,do you think re- attunment will help me although it was done first time during the course by teacher but may not be effective due to any reason??Pls advise its my doubt.

    1. Vikas, only you can make that decision. I am not one to judge another teacher’s capacity to initiate.

      We all have to address doubt, and see what is reasonable. Sometimes we don’t get the results we expected, but when we consider the whole situation, we are getting results and it seems wise to be patient and continue. Other times it may be wise to consider other action.

      Regardless, many practitioners find that taking another class is beneficial, either with the same Reiki master or with another to whom one feels drawn. Again, this article will help you think it through https://reikiinmedicine.org/popular/reiki-classes-right-for-you.

  6. If i am not getting desired benefits after doing first class degree course despite of practising daily since last 3 months,do you think re- attunment will help me although it was done first time during the course by teacher but may not be effective due to any reason??Pls advise its my doubt.

    1. The time when you actually will practice. For most people, that is when going to bed or waking up, but sometimes there is another point in one’s schedule that is easier. It has to work for you.

  7. Pamela, i have learnt first degree reiki in july’12 since then i am doing full body session (72 minutes) but i am not feeling comfortable as far as concentration,memory loss and anger is concerned.I am doubting and thinking to leave daily practice and do only weekly.I am in great confusion and dilemma i don’t know what to do ???pl guide and help me??I am also depression and anxiety patient.

    1. Vikas, I am sorry to hear that you are not getting the results you expected.

      Do you not notice any response to treatment, or is the change just not as dramatic as you had hoped?

      Why not discuss this with your Reiki master? Does he/she lead a clinic where you might practice on others and receive treatment? This can be useful in building your confidence. Or perhaps you want to receive some treatment from your Reiki master as well as continuing your self-treatment. I don’t understand the logic in going from everyday to once a week.

      Why don’t you read this article https://reikiinmedicine.org/popular/reiki-classes-right-for-you and see if you feel that you received thorough training. If not, you might want to find another class.

      But please do not close off other avenues of support, such as Ayurvedic treatment or psychotherapy. You can continue your Reiki practice while receiving other treatment.

      1. Thanks for your inputs Pamela.I had consulted him and as per him pls continue practice and concentrate on breath ,which i am doing but feeling getting results very slowly.Also my teacher also advises me to attend second degree course in which i will get more power.My key problem is to only lack of concentration and memory.Pls advise

      2. Vikas, it’s good that you are continuing your daily practice. Small, steady improvement is most desirable in that it indicates deeper healing. It takes time to stabilize. Fast changes often disappear just as quickly the next time life becomes stressful.

        You mentioned concentrating on your breath, and it made me wonder if you are making your self-practice unnecessarily difficult. You might find the How to Practice Reiki Self-Treatment article helpful.

        In my experience, students generally develop their confidence by practicing daily First degree hands-on self-treatment for a minimum of three months before taking Second degree, and most of my students practice much longer. Also, most of my students don’t take Second degree, because I don’t encourage them to. First degree practice is all that most people need, and what most people find comfortable and accessible.

        What’s most important is that you practice consistently, not what level of training you have.

      3. Hi,Pamela.Thanks very much.Your guidance gives me a lot of motivation and encouragement to do daily and regular practice.I will bother you if i will need further inputs from you.One more thing i want to clarify and seek your inputs from you that daily practice (72 minutes)is difficult due to time management and my teacher told me that if you can’t do in one seating you can do split it in 2-3 sessions in a day also.My point is that is it essential to always close eyes while doing reiki practice.If i am able to manage in my office lunch hours etc. so whether i can do it with open eyes or also advise if during walking c an we do it ???Thanks in advance .Also while doing self treatment what is to be going in your mind i.e. chanting some mantra,or concentrate some thing etc.Best Regards,
        Vikas

      4. Vikas, why don’t you read the article I mentioned above on how to practice Reiki self-treatment? I have never heard of this 72-minute routine you mention, but it seems that it is unnecessarily demanding.

        The most rewarding Reiki self-treatment is of course when you are able to lie comfortably, doing nothing else, and the eyes tend to close. But you can certainly practice at your desk, on the bus, at any time throughout your day that you are able to place your hands without drawing unwanted attention to yourself. I encourage my students to look for moments during the day when they can practice even for a short time — especially people who suffer from anxiety, depression, agitation, and/or fatigue. It is helpful to break the stress cycle, and it is also helpful to have a longer period of self-treatment either in the morning or at night, or both.

      5. Hi,
        Pamela,

        Thanks for your valuable inputs and guidance.In nutshell i just would like to know from you more that what should i do to get most benefit from reike??

        Regards,
        Vikas

    2. Vikas, I know exactly how you feel and I hope that you will not give up on your daily reiki self-treatments.

      I used to suffer from anxiety and found that I needed support in addition to my reiki self-care. For me personally, the additional support came in the form of counseling, mindfulness and working with positive affirmations, and getting reiki treatments from a trusted reiki practitioner with a non-doing approach.

      Reiki is not a cure all and there are time in our lives when we need additional help. Today, my daily reiki practice helps me to maintain the balance that was restored with the help of other approaches.

      1. Pamela, I agree with you.

        I took Reiki Level I and II each twice, Reiki master practitioner once, and Reiki master teacher 3 times. I gained a lot of knowledge about the many different ways of practising and teaching Reiki, but it was not until I started consistent daily self-practice that I felt that I had arrived.

  8. The confusion among 1st and 2nd degree practitioners is quite common, I guess. In Poland, we have similar problems. It’s sad to say, but it’s all because of the teachers these days – there’s too much New Age in modern Reiki, and too little Reiki :). They teach about chakras, spirit guides, etc. But where’s Reiki?

    People come to me and say “tell me about Reiki”, and I’m surprised they’re practitioners already. Some teachers perform attunements and skip the theory – how can you work with something you know nothing about?

    And sometimes people come to me and befriended teachers because they haven’t been attuned to Reiki at all. Instead, they have paid for scam. Some have received a nasty attachments and subconscious programs along with Reiki, and some have been plugged into egregores, from which they had to be exorcised. Oh, too times I have seen an exorcism because of fake or unprofessional Reiki initiation :(.

    1. It’s important for the public to realize that there are no agreed-upon standards for Reiki training, and to choose teachers carefully. Click here for an article that helps potential students choose a class that is a good fit for them.

  9. How timely. I spent my day at a Reiki I class for the second time. The last time was 1.5 years ago. I have been doing daily practice and was very comfortable, not confused. But I was sure there was information I missed. So I went again. I didn’t miss anything so far, the second half of the class is tomorrow. The second time for me is very reaffirming of my practice.

  10. Very impressed and proud of my sister. I think both of us cant wait to see what’s around the next corner….

  11. I resonate with what Joan says. I’m a “Reiki Master x 3” and work in a hospital. I still struggle with clarity. After a first and enjoyable Reiki session, a hospital patient recently asked, “What’s the premise of Reiki?” How would you answer that question? I’m sorry I cannot attend the webinar.

    1. Diane, my response would be, “Balance. Reiki practice is balancing, and balance restores optimal function.”

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