Traditional vs Nontraditional Reiki
If you are interested in learning Reiki, it is advisable to interview the Reiki Master/Teacher before signing up for the class. It is usually easy to distinguish between a traditional Reiki class and a Nontraditional Reiki class using the following information. This is not a comprehensive list of what is taught in both systems but is given here as a general guideline.
| Traditional | Nontraditional |
|---|---|
| 3 levels in the Reiki system (as taught by Hawayo Takata) or 4 levels (as taught in the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai as well as some other Reiki societies.) | 3 levels to a dozen or more |
| As taught by Hawayo Takata, 4 Symbols taught, no more, no less (In a 3 level system, 3 symbols are taught in level 2, and 1 symbol is taught in level 3) | Some systems include hundreds of symbols |
| 4 initiations for level 1 | 1 initiation or more for level 1 |
| 1-3 initiations for level 2 (Depending on Reiki Lineage) |
1 initiation or more for level 2 |
| 1 initiation at the Master/Teacher level* | 1 initiation or more for level 3 or higher |
| Reiki Lineage clearly given | Lineage may not be given or known |
| *Or as an alternative to all the above, an initiation is given each time the student and Master/Teacher meet (several times a month) and the teachings are given over a period of many years. This method is usually only implicated in the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai. | Microcosmic Orbit |
| Hui Yin | |
| Channeled information | |
| Psychic Surgery | |
| Healing Attunements | |
| Teachings about Crystals | |
| Teachings about Chakras | |
| Teachings about Meridians | |
| Teachings about Ascended Masters | |
| Teachings about Colors | |
| Teachings about Reiki Guides |
For an in depth discussion on Traditional and Nontradtional Reiki, please read The Reiki Sourcebook.
Note: It is the initiations/attunements/power transfers that connects the student to Reiki. Today there are web sites with pictures on them, videos, and books that claim that all you need to do is to look at, watch, or do the exercises in the book to become connected to Reiki and to become a Reiki Master/Teacher. The Reiki teachings have gone far astray over the years. When talking to the people who believe this sort of thing, my question to them is always, "At what point would Mikao Usui (the founder of the Reiki System) not recognize his own system if he saw it being taught or practiced?"