WTF Is Reiki Anyways?

Credit: Sharon McCutcheon

A college student interviewed me as a reiki practitioner for their class and I kinda did a tiiiing. The student asked me: do you need any training, certifications, or licenses to practice reiki? I said no.

You see, I've come to view reiki like someone trying to take a common activity like walking or breathing and trying to claim it as proprietary. The definition from the International Center for Reiki Training, and one I agree with, is reiki is universal life force energy. As universal life force energy, we all have access to this energy. The idea that you need someone else to flip the switch and enable it within you is ludicrous. You don't need an attunement or initiation. The real work being done with the attunement/initiation is on your belief system. 

Do you believe you have access to this universal life force energy?
Are you worthy of connection with this universal life force energy?

With any type of energy work, if you do not believe in it, it will not work. Does this ritual of attunement in any form help you? Of course it does if you're the kind of person that needs the pomp and circumstance to feel official.

I took a reiki 1 and 2 class and was certified. Am I dismissing the value of the classes? No, absolutely not. Every instructor I took for every class I've taken is amazing and was necessary for me to be where I am today. But if you feel called to learn the practice and find your barrier is affording the course, you do not need a certification, attunement, or expensive course. The most important skill you need to learn or be a practitioner is the intention. As  long as a heart-based intention is there, you cool!

I share this coming from a place of being a serial course taker. I took course upon course because I thought I needed to check boxes to be enough. I am learning my truth and it is I am enough no matter where I am. So are you!