Reiki New Zealand recently announced that  teachers can now apply for permission to teach reiki online. This is inline with what is happening overseas with many well know teachers like William Lee Rand at The International Center for Reiki Training (ICRT)offering online courses and sites like Udemy offering a 5 hour prerecorded Reiki course that certifies you in level 1, 2 & Reiki Master! 

I have serious misgivings about this development and believe that students learning reiki online are serioulsly missing out.

I know Reiki is an abundant flow of universal energy which is not bound by distance or time. This means that you can give a distant reiki treatment or a reiki attunement and teach someone reiki on the other side of the world. With face to face learning over Zoom, Facebook live and Teams it is possible to run live classes where students can interact with each other and the teacher. There are also the obvious advantages to learning online, it is certainly more convenient in your own home and often less costly . So why then I am I so opposed to online learning?

Disconnection

 I believe society is moving dangerously in the wrong direction, with a huge reliance on technology for communication we are becoming more isolated and disconnected than ever before. Think about meeting a good friend or loved-one via online. Yes it is possible to have a conversation and communicate clearly with them - but could it ever take the place of spending quality time in person with them?

Practice and confidence

My students can read the manual and all the wonderful reiki books and articles on their own, but when they are with me they get the priceless opportunity to practice on each other. They get to feel how differently reiki flows, how we each have a unique energy signature,  they get confidence placing hands on a real person and getting feedback on different techniques. I aim for students to have worked with at least 4 people, gaining confidence giving and receiving from a wide range of individuals -  How can this possibly be experienced online?

Energetic Environment:

Reiki is not only about learning techniques, but also about cultivating an energetic environment for healing and transformation. In-person Reiki courses often create a supportive and energetic space where students can experience the energy of the group, learn from each other, and immerse themselves in the Reiki energy. This collective energy can enhance the learning process and create a more profound experience for the students. Our environment has a big effect on our energy levels. Screen time and electronic devices lowers our vibrational frequency. Being outdoors in nature raises it. I try to select locations for my courses where the vibrational energy is high.

Observational Learning

In an in-person Reiki course, students have the opportunity to observe the teacher demonstrating techniques and practices, as well as observe other students practicing. This observational learning can provide additional insights and understanding of Reiki techniques and practices that may not be as easily conveyed in an online course.