Reiki has been known to shift residual energy and promote healing in many different ways. Everyone who experiences a Reiki healing or course will report many different kinds of mental and physical effects from intense tingling sensations, heat and deep visions to absolutely nothing at all. Although everyone will respond differently to the energy, there is one experience that brings a relatively similar effect into all participants. It is the sacred initiation that lies at the heart of every Reiki course. This is known as the attunement.
What Is A Reiki Attunement?
An attunement is the process whereby the student is given the ability to channel Reiki. It is a sacred energetic initiation that is known to raise your vibration, bring on powerful mental and physical healing as well as accelerating spiritual growth. During this process, the teacher is in a sense, opening the vibrational door for the Reiki to enter the student’s energy field, allowing them to tap into the energy whenever they have the intention. This is an extremely powerful healing experience for almost every student, which results in the unexpected retrieval of a beautiful relationship between the student and the Reiki energy. Following the attunement, the energy will be there to guide and nurture the student along his/her path. The process itself feels incredibly unique but what actually happens to the body during the attunement and how does it result in the student being able to tap into Reiki whenever they like?
One thing to bear in mind about Reiki is that it is something that is accessible to everyone; it exists within all of us whether we are aware of its presence or not. It is pure life force energy that is here to guide us and help us connect with the celestial body (higher self). Mikao Usui is known as the main “founder” of Reiki when it is said that the energy came to him in the form of a white light on the last day of a 21-day fast and meditation on top of mount Kurama in Japan during the 1920s. It is important to realise that Mikao Usui did not create Reiki - he merely retrieved it. It emerged from its original dormant role within the energy field, into the conscious awareness of the right person at the right time to enable it to develop and be used as a guide for humanity. It had to find a way to enter the awareness of humanity and it had to do so at a time we were ready to receive it. With this in mind, try to think of a Reiki attunement as less of an external energy coming in, but more of an internal energy emerging within us. The attunement’s job is to awaken the dormant life force energy that lies within all of us.
What Happens To The Body During A Reiki Attunement?
A Reiki attunement raises the student’s frequency of energy to allow them to tap into the healing energy. The process occurs within the energetic plane of the subtle bodies which is where we store our toxic build up. This build up is a result of past traumas/experiences that shape the way we perceive the world around us. This build up of residual energy can act as a type of fogginess that clouds our judgement of certain situations and ultimately, our connection to source. Each attunement gradually steps up the density of the Reiki energy and in doing so, it clears more of the residual energy from the subtle bodies that no longer comply with this new level of ascended consciousness.
This process may be occurring within the energy field but this has a direct impact on the physical body. Following the attunement, the student’s body enters a cleansing process that lasts for about three weeks. It is the integration period after the experience that allows the student’s body to adjust to the new found Reiki energy. As the toxic build up is cleared during this process, old patterns/conditions can temporarily resurface, resulting in temporary adverse effects. This is all part of the healing process but it can lead to students feeling quite fatigued and generally under the weather during the weeks following. Read more about how Reiki heals in our blog: How Does Reiki Heal?
Different Types Of Reiki Attunement
It is safe to say that there are many different ways to give/receive a Reiki attunement. There is a lot of conflict amongst different Reiki communities as to what method is the so-called “right way” to do it. Usui Sensei had their own method of attuning students that they called Reiju. This is the main attunement method used for Usui Reiki all over the world and it has an extremely profound and authentic feel to it. However, many teachers believe that this is the only way to attune students to Reiki and often frown upon any other alternative methods whilst stating that it “isn’t actually effective”. I myself have received many different types of attunements both face to face and online and all of them have had very unique and powerful effects on me. I can’t speak for others' experiences but for me, every approach has been as equally effective as another therefore, there is a place for every method.
Reiki has grown as humanity has grown and has also adapted with us. This has led to expanded forms of Reiki such as Holy Fire®, Lightarian Reiki™ and Karuna Reiki® that reach a deeper, more inter-dimensional level of healing. Therefore, the attunement methods have also evolved in many different directions. However, one is no more effective than another. Below is a list of some of the different types of attunements that are available in the modern world:
Reiju - This is the most-authentic method as it was developed by Usui Sensei. The word “Reiju” means spiritual offering or gifting. The teacher is heavily involved in this process by drawing the Reiki symbols on and over the student whilst breathing the breath of life into the student’s energy field. The process itself feels extremely personal and profound.
The Holy Fire Ignition/Placement - This method is quite new and offers a completely simplified approach that many students find more powerful than Reiju. It involves the use of the Usui master symbol and the Holy Fire symbol whilst the student is guided through a meditation whereby they visualise the energy entering their mind and body. The student is then left to experience their own personal connection with the Reiki energy for around 20 minutes. The process itself feels incredibly purifying and often causes the student to enter a very deep transcendental state. This method can also be done online as well as face to face.
The Lightarian Reiki Attunement - Lightarian Reiki method is mostly completed remotely but can be equally powerful in-person. The method was developed in 1997 which was a time where remote attunements were basically unheard of. It involves connecting with the buddhic aspect of Reiki and directly connects the student with the highest vibrational Reiki ray energies. The process itself feels incredibly deep but also incredibly light as the student enters into the broader spectrum of Reiki. Connections with different types of etheric beings are also made during these attunements such as ascended master Buddha and ascended master Sananda.
Chi Ball - This method is extremely unique in the sense that it doesn’t involve the teacher and student to be in contact online or face to face. The teacher leaves the attunement in the form of an energy ball in the student’s energy field. This means that the student can receive the attunement at any time. The process itself is surprisingly powerful.
There are many other methods that have been developed to attune students to Reiki. At the end of the day, the Reiki energy responds to the intention of the person channelling it so once the student has received the necessary attunements, they should then be free to practice Reiki however they feel called to without any conditionings. Regardless of what style of Reiki you have done or end up doing, the effects it will have on your level of consciousness and your energy field will be similar. The process is the most essential part of any Reiki course as its purpose is to establish a personal connection with each student through means of creating a direct link to source via the Reiki energy. The connection to source is the main reason why students often report improved intuition and psychic abilities following the experience.