The 3 Levels of the System of Reiki
Reiki I/Shoden (Initiation or Initial Teachings)
The Shoden level is the foundation of the entire system of Reiki. Within these teachings, the student practitioner is initiated into the roots of the practice. Here they will learn the foundation that will support their spiritual growth and journey as a practitioner of the system of Reiki. Practices learned at this level focus on cultivating the relationship with the divine center; with each individual’s True Self. It is from this connection to the True Self, to the divine center, to our remembered Light, that we move and grow in the system of Reiki. We are connected to our remembered Light through the rituals of attunement and reiju (“spiritual blessing”), as well as through meditations and practices that empower us to connect to the wisdom within through our own daily practice. Hands-on healing sequences are learned for working with the self and others, as well as practitioner ethics and the Reiki Precepts: wise guides which allow us to live in the flow of this practice from our rooted center.
At the culmination of this degree of training, each practitioner will receive certification as a Shoden Level/1st Degree practitioner of the system of Reiki, empowering them to practice this work on themselves as well as in their communities.
Course Prerequisites:
No prior training in Reiki is required for the Initial Teachings level of practice.
Reiki II/Okuden (Inner Teachings)
Translating to “Inner teachings”, the Okuden degree brings us deeper both within the system of Reiki, and within ourselves. Having had an initial experience of our True Nature in the Shoden/1st Degree, and resting firmly on the practices learned there, the Okuden Degree takes us on a journey from Divine Self into the Divinity of All. From Hara to Head to Heart, 3 sacred symbols and 3 mantras are learned, each which holds a key to our own self-knowing and to our ability to work with others.
At this level, foundational practices of the Shoden degree are reviewed and worked with at greater depth. From this solid foundation of meditation and technique, the Okuden degree unfolds through mantra and symbol work, intuitive hands-on healing and the practice of “distance” healing. It is in this level that we learn to dispel the illusion of distance, through sitting at heart center, bringing us into greater connection with our own hearts and to the singular pulse of all creation.
Upon completion of this degree, each practitioner will earn certification as an Okuden Level/2nd Degree practitioner. This level of training is accessible to practitioners trained in the traditional Shoden degree, as well as practitioners from other Reiki lineages.
Course Prerequisites:
Reiki I or higher certification in any lineage. This course is open to and equally beneficial for Reiki II practitioners from other lineages. Students who have trained in lineages other than Usui Reiki Ryoho will be provided with a Shoden level student manual to review prior to the start of this course.
Reiki III/Shinpiden (Mystery Teachings)
It is in the 3rd Degree (translating to Mystery Teachings) that we are initiated into the center of the Mystery, and a lifetime of learning directly from source. Through Reiki philosophy, techniques, and working with the 4th and final symbol and mantra of the system of Reiki we learn how to consciously embody our own Light and to assist others in remembering theirs. It is in this way that the Light spreads, as each Shinpiden level practitioner/teacher is able to humbly serve in the process of collective awakening to Truth.
In-class practices will focus on experiential learning of the total system of Reiki, awakening to the Mystery this system points at, and providing each practitioner/teacher in training with the knowledge and experiences required to confidently teach the system of Reiki. Initiate students will deepen their learning through rigorous self-practice and supplemental coursework.
At the culmination of this course, each student will receive certification as a 3rd Degree Reiki Practitioner & Teacher of traditional Usui Reiki in the Usui Reiki Ryoho lineage. (The western equivalent of this degree is called “Reiki master”). Attainment of this level of training empowers each student to carry the teachings of Reiki into the world, for the benefit of all beings.
Course Prerequisites:
Reiki II or higher certification in any lineage. This course is open to and equally beneficial for Reiki III/Master practitioners and teachers from other lineages. Students who have trained in lineages other than Usui Reiki Ryoho will be provided with Shoden and Okuden level student manuals to review prior to the start of this course. Shoden and Okuden level material will be covered at the Shinpiden level during the course.
