Sound Reiki: Why I Teach Levels 1 & 2 Together

Marianne is simply a delight. And a hoot! I can’t tell you how many times I laughed out loud [during class] …. She not only brings a deeply enriched knowledge of the practice of Reiki to the table (she draws from such an incredible lineage of experience) but she also never let us forget how down to earth she is. It was refreshing. Learning to practice any type of energetic or spiritual discipline can lean into more intense waters, but Marianne wasn’t afraid to laugh lovingly at the hiccups that happened along the way …. Just as we valued her, she valued us. And that was exactly what I needed. Thank you Marianne. Learning from you is an experience I will treasure for a long, long time. Rebekah Thorne, Seattle, WA

Definitely NOT your fast-food version of Reiki, my Level 1 and 2 classes cover important material that is not typically taught in 1 and 2 and often not taught at all.

Teaching Levels 1 & 2 as one class can be controversial, and potential students sometimes ask why I teach them together. The answer is that I believe it is important to have the information in both before you begin treating others, and I believe it is important to begin treating others as soon after the class as possible. Otherwise much of the information you have learned goes cold.

Some Reiki lineages teach that you should take Level 1 and practice on yourself and friends/family before moving to Level 2. In my view, treating friends and family requires as much skill as treating a client for a fee. At times it requires more skill because it is more difficult to detach from the outcome with friends and family, which is essential if you are to be effective as a practitioner, and, importantly, if you are to avoid taking on another’s energy.

As far as self-treatment with the idea that you should heal yourself prior to treating others, my question would be: “At what point, and by whom, are you deemed healed enough to treat others?” Of course we should be committed to our own healing and to regular self-treatment. However, since we receive a treatment every time we give one, I would argue that treating others is an important part of our own healing process. Clients often come to me with issues/conditions that I am also experiencing. For instance, during a time when I was grieving the loss of a dear friend, several clients who scheduled appointments were also experiencing grief. Treating these clients supported my own healing process in important ways.

Dr. Chujiro Hayashi and Mrs. Hawayo Takata (two early teachers of Reiki) both taught Levels 1 and 2 back-to-back at times. Hayashi taught the classes separately in Tokyo, but when he traveled throughout Japan to teach, he taught them back-to-back. Takata also taught them both ways. (It is documented that she taught all three levels—1, 2, and Master—in one weekend on at least one occasion. This I definitely don’t recommend!)

My Level 1 and 2 classes cover much material that is not typically taught in I and II and often not taught at all. This includes material that I have learned from study with five Reiki Masters, my own research, information I learned from editing Reiki News Magazine for six years, and material I have developed from the experience of giving hundreds of hours of hands-on sessions over 18 years. I emphasize keeping one’s own energy clean and how to prevent taking on energy from others.

This training is a rich experience, and it is intensive. Students come away with much valuable information (and a very good text with step-by-step illustrations and explanations) and having had 18 contact hours of instruction. Students also receive support and mentoring following the class.

18 CEU credits available for registered nurses, massage therapists, and reflexologists in the State of Washington.

©2014 Marianne Streich, Reiki for Living, All Rights Reserved. For re-posting permission, contact Marianne.

Marianne is a Seattle-Area Reiki teacher and practitioner. She is the author of Reiki: A Guide for the Practice of Levels I and II and a former editor, contributor, and columnist for Reiki News Magazine (2004-2010).