Reiki Basics Series: How To Do Reiki
Usui Holy Fire Reiki Master-Teacher Jessica Hitch received her Reiki I attunement from Pamela Mauras of Ascension Healing in 2009 and from Karen Harrison, a senior licensed teacher with the International Center of Reiki Training, in 2013.
In this Reiki Basics Series, the Dallas Reiki Master shares Reiki techniques and answers Reiki questions to help new Reiki practitioners understand how to do Reiki. She has seen countless Reiki benefits in her years of experience as a Reiki Master-Teacher in Dallas, TX.
What Is a Reiki Attunement?
To understand what is a Reiki attunement, you must also know about Reiki. Reiki is a form of hands-on healing that uses energy to treat the root cause of any physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual imbalance. Reiki flows through the practitioner’s hand to help restore the flow of vital life force energy (also known as ki, chi, or prana).
A Reiki attunement passed by a living Reiki master connects you to the source of Reiki and activates the healing power in your own hands. Typically, you will receive one attunement per level of Reiki, but it is possible to receive multiple attunements by retaking the various class levels. You can even learn to attune yourself!
If you want to learn to pass Reiki attunements to others, you will need Reiki Master training. Reiki has been passed on through a lineage of living masters, going back to the Japanese founder of Reiki, Mikao Usui. You can see my Reiki lineage in the chart below. If you took your Reiki Master training with me, you would be added at the bottom!
Only certified Reiki masters are able to pass authentic Reiki attunements and activate your Reiki healing connection. I have heard bad stories from people who activated self-attunements from a book, so I would seek out an attunement with a live Reiki master (rather than through a pre-recorded class or book where you are not able to interact with the Reiki master). This way you can ask for help if you need it, and you can make sure you receive the right kind of attunement.
My Reiki Attunement Journey
I have received multiple attunements because I have trained with multiple teachers. I first received Reiki level 1, Reiki level 2, and Reiki Master training from Pamela Mauras of Ascension Healing in Fort Worth, Texas.
When I became disabled and bedridden with rheumatoid arthritis in 2012, I decided to take additional Reiki training to increase the strength of my Reiki connection. This time, I re-took Reiki level 1, Reiki level 2, and Reiki Master training with Karen Harrison from the International Center for Reiki Training. I also took Advanced Reiki Training at that time.
Gradually, the Reiki attunements plus the holistic diet and lifestyle changes I made began to help me heal. Although a rheumatologist once told me to get in a wheelchair (and that I’d never get to go hiking again), I refused to believe that and instead used self-Reiki to heal myself.
I felt so empowered by my additional Reiki training that I volunteered to assist Karen with her Reiki classes. As part of the deal, I received extra attunements at each class! I also learned a lot about how to teach Reiki. I love to have my students help with classes also.
Then, when Holy Fire Reiki came out, I decided to re-take every level of Reiki. When Karen came back to Dallas, I took Holy Fire Reiki level 1, Holy Fire Reiki level 2, Holy Fire Reiki Advanced Reiki Training, and Holy Fire Reiki Master. I received even more attunements during each of these classes!
What Is Your Reiki Attunement Experience Story?
Each attunement that I received was completely different, but every one felt powerful, loving, and healing. It is difficult to describe what it is like to receive a Reiki attunement. I have felt a sense of being deeply loved, a strong peaceful presence, a sense of spiritual guidance, and a healing emotional release during my Reiki attunements in Reiki classes. I have also had psychic visions and received messages as I meditated and received the attunement.
The Reiki attunements activated and strengthened my Reiki healing connection, so I definitely noticed changes after I received them! My Reiki healing students typically notice that their post-attunement Reiki healing hands might heat up, tingle, or feel magnetically drawn to areas that need healing. The more you practice channeling the healing Reiki energy, the stronger your connection gets. So it is neat to see first-timers feel the ki/qi/chi energy connection.
What Happens during a Reiki Attunement?
There are a variety of ways to pass a Reiki attunement, and different Reiki masters from various lineages may practice attunements differently. I have learned at least three techniques for passing Reiki attunements, and the process continues to evolve as new practitioners become Reiki masters and teach. Thankfully, Reiki honors intention and so Reiki attunements from different lineages can all be powerful, strong, and effective even if they are done differently.
What actually happens during a Reiki attunement is a bit of a mystery. Typically, a student will sit in meditation with closed eyes and hands held in gassho (a prayer position) while I pass the attunements.
The attunements vary based on the level of Reiki that is being taught. The Reiki level 1 attunement activates the Reiki healing connection. Reiki level 2 includes an attunement that activates three powerful Reiki healing symbols: mental-emotional healing, power symbol, and distance healing symbol. The Reiki Advanced Reiki Training attunement turns on the Reiki Master symbol. The Holy Fire Reiki Master attunement is called an ignition, and it connects you with the Holy Fire symbol.
Because these attunements are so powerful, some schools of Reiki recommend taking time between attunements so that they can fully integrate. Receiving a Reiki attunement can start a powerful transformation that can include physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual changes.
Sensing Reiki Energy after a Reiki Attunement
Something cool about Reiki is that it flows where it is needed without me having to know what to do. I just use my hands to scan the Byosen (sick qi energy) and then let the powerful Reiki healing energy flow. I am able to sense the severity of the energy imbalance based on what I feel in my own hands.
I can also feel when an energetic block has cleared. Before a session, I can scan a client’s energy field to identify trouble areas where the energy feels off. My hand might tingle or feel hot, cold, or even pain to signal spots where the client needs healing. I am amazed that when I check in, the recipient will confirm that what I am sensing has been a painful area or a trouble spot.
The Reiki will flow as long as it is needed and then taper off, which indicates when it is time to move on and treat a different part of the body. So I just sit and let the Reiki flow, while thinking healing thoughts and affirmations for the client. By following the feeling of the flow of these subtle energies, it is easy to use Reiki to help myself and others without consciously or logically needing to understand every aspect of a client’s issue.
What If a Reiki Attunement Doesn’t Work?
When I first taught Reiki, I was nervous that the attunement might not work. I’d never done it before, and the process is a bit like a ritual, with lots of hand motioning and steps to remember. Thankfully, every attunement I have passed has worked, and the students were instantly able to feel the flow of Reiki from their hands.
However, I have heard stories from others who did not feel the Reiki energy flowing from their hands after their attunement. One person discovered they sensed the Reiki a bit differently; instead of feeling it, they just knew (using claircognizance) when it flowed. Another person continued practicing and became more sensitive to the Reiki flow over time, but it took a while. Perhaps these individuals had some blocks to receiving the energy that took time to sort out, but they were still able to successfully use their Reiki over time.
If you feel that a Reiki attunement you received was a dud, consider asking the Reiki Master to re-attune you to strengthen the connection. You might also benefit from continued practice of self-Reiki to help clear any blocks you might carry.
Try not to worry about it too much and relax into your self-treatment sessions. Your Reiki might feel different than it does for others, and for many people, it takes time to develop the sensitivity to really notice it. If you meditate, for example, it might be easier to feel the subtle energies than it would be for individuals who do not meditate.
Also try to feel the Reiki with all of your senses. Not everyone will empathically feel the energy. I’ve had students who were able to clairvoyantly see the sick energy, as well as students who felt like magnets pulled them to the right area for healing. We all have different psychic gifts and strengths, so tune into your clairvoyance (psychic sight), clairaudience (psychic hearing), claircognizance (psychic knowing), and clairsentience (psychic feeling) when you give Reiki.
How to Pass a Reiki Attunement
In the tradition I studied, how to do attunements is kept private, so I won’t explain the process here online. If you would like to learn how to pass a Reiki attunement, study Reiki levels 1, 2, and Reiki Master with a living Reiki master. Each lineage has its own traditions, and your Reiki master will be best able to help you learn how to pass an attunement.
I would be skeptical about receiving an attunement if the Reiki practitioner was not present with me (either in-person or online available for discussion) during the process. Seek out Reiki training to learn how to pass Reiki attunements.
What about Distance Reiki Attunements?
Reiki can flow over a distance, so it is possible to pass a distance attunement. However, it is ideal to be present together in person, or at least together over the phone or online video chat, during an attunement. This way you can interact with the Reiki master and ask any questions you might have.
I have successfully passed attunements over a distance (to people who were not physically present), but I only attempted them because the person was not able to be in waking consciousness due to an extreme medical emergency. Passing the attunements helped improve the medical situation.
I also successfully passed attunements over a distance during online classes after I changed to virtual teaching due to COVID-19. Thankfully, students still receive the activation even if we are not physically together.
Reiki Self-Attunements
When you are a Reiki Master, you will be able to pass attunements to yourself! This is a great way to practice the steps or to increase your Reiki energy.
To pass a self-attunement:
- Prepare the room by putting all the Reiki symbols on the walls, floor, and ceiling. Imagine all the Reiki symbols in a column in the middle of the room.
- Prepare yourself by placing the Reiki symbols in your palms and by super charging your chakras with the power symbol.
- Set up a chair and imagine you are sitting in it.
- Use the Reiki distance healing symbols and set the intention that the attunement go forward in time to you when you sit down in the chair. Remember, this symbol (no past/no present/no future) can go throughout space and time, both into past and future.
- Complete the attunement as if a person is sitting in the chair.
- End the attunement, then sit down and meditate as you receive the attunement.
Side Effects of Attunements
An attunement starts a powerful path of personal healing and deep spiritual transformation. I have had a few “bad reactions” to my attunements, but none were serious or long-lasting.
Once after my Reiki master attunement, I had an extreme physical detox after receiving the powerful energy infusion. My face was puffy and my skin had some spots for about a day until the energy was integrated. I do not think this is a common reaction, and it only happened once out of dozens of attunements. To help deal with any detoxification effects, taking an Epsom salt bath and drinking plenty of water and resting is recommended after receiving an attunement.
Another more-common side effect might include emotional release. I stopped wearing mascara to one of my Reiki classes after every attunement brought up emotional wounds, and my eyes ended up streaked with black lines from my eye makeup. For whatever reason, I ended up crying in every meditation. Of course, the crying was healing, though slightly uncomfortable around so many strangers! Thankfully most people drawn to study Reiki are very compassionate and loving, so I received plenty of tissues and kind words during the class.
I also had positive side effects to my Reiki attunements. I felt an increased sense of calm, peace, and wellbeing. I received insight through meditation on the root cause of various issues I faced. I also felt acutely aware of colors, sounds, flavors, and smells after many attunements.
Preparing for Your Reiki Attunement
Registering for your Reiki class starts a powerful self-healing process that will transform how you experience the world and help you to heal yourself and those around you with ease. Even before you receive your attunement, you might notice things changing in your life.
This is how I advise my students to prepare for the attunement:
- It is important for you to take time to nurture yourself leading up to the attunement.
- If it is possible to cut back on sugar, caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, and any other similar substances for the 24-48 hours before the class, that will help your body to assimilate the new Reiki energy.
- You may also want to spend some time in quiet contemplation to get clear about your intention for the attunement.
After the attunement, you will join a worldwide network of Reiki practitioners who use this powerful healing energy to bless themselves, their loved ones, and the planet. It should be a very special day for you that you will remember for quite some time!
Every year on my attunement anniversary, I feel like the universe choreographs unique synchronicities and experiences to help me celebrate. I hope that you enjoy your attunement and Reiki practice as much as I have enjoyed mine!
This post, “What Is a Reiki Attunement?” is part of the Reiki Basics Series. Dallas-Fort Worth Reiki master-teacher and clairvoyant psychic medium Jessica Hitch explains the fundamentals of Reiki energy healing.
Other posts in this series include:
- What Is a Reiki Share?
- Reiki Self Healing: Healing Yourself with Reiki