Types of Reiki

What Is Required for a Healing Therapy to Be Reiki?

With the huge amount of different healing therapies being offered, there are some basics that need to be ticked off before a therapy can be considered Reiki. These four qualities of Reiki are:

1. Reiki unfolds through an attunement process, not through gradual practice like meditation. This initiation connects Reiki practitioners to the energy, empowering them to channel it.
2. Each Reiki method is part of a lineage, handed down from master to student through attunements that reach back to the original founder. This tradition preserves the practice’s purity and integrity across generations.
3. In Reiki, the energy flows not by the practitioner’s will but is thought to be guided by a higher power, moving precisely where it is needed for healing.
4. This guided energy ensures that Reiki is safe, and designed to do no harm.

If a healing technique has these four qualities, then it can be considered to be a Reiki technique.

What Types of Reiki Are Practiced Today?

Usui Reiki is the traditional form of Reiki. With hand placements, the universal energy is channeled to the patient, and the Reiki energy helps the patient to use their own healing metabolism to increase recovery. Usui Reiki is thought to be a soft energy treatment that nurtures a relaxed healing environment.

Kundalini Reiki focuses on awakening the Kundalini energy—a dormant energy at the base of the spine conceived in yogic philosophy. This form of Reiki combines the concepts of traditional Reiki and the energetic pathway of the Kundalini

Karuna Reiki is a ‘more’ developed form of Reiki. It refers to healing and uses symbols to establish a connection to higher frequencies of spiritual vitality. This approach pays attention to spirituality, and some practitioners claim that they feel the guidance of foreign beings during the healing session.

Angelic Reiki channels healing energy, but it uses the assistance of angelic beings for healing. During an Angelic Reiki session, the practitioner is a bridge between the recipient and the angelic beings who provide the healing. It’s believed to help with physical ailments as well as spiritual and karmic issues.

Holy Fire Reiki, developed by William Lee Rand, “is both powerful and gentle and provides purification, healing, empowerment, and guidance,” according to Whole Life Center.

Rainbow Reiki combines other holistic methodologies such as metaphysical healing arts and chakra work. Practitioners and patients connect with its living colors and say it’s constantly uplifting.

Crystal Reiki is a variant of traditional Reiki that uniquely blends the healing properties of crystals with Reiki. Specific crystals act as conduits for channeling universal life force energy. In a Crystal Reiki session, the practitioner places specific crystals on or around the body, aligning them with the chakras. Each type of crystal has its unique properties and frequencies, which are believed to resonate with the energy fields of the body to promote physical and emotional balance.

Shamballa Reiki uses Mahatma (great soul energy) and focuses on the heart chakra. Shamballa Reiki focuses on heart chakras and centers on personal and global healing. It’s often seen as a path to developing the multidimensional self and awakening deeper spiritual connections.

In Tibetan Reiki, the practitioner uses symbols believed to have originated from Tibetan monastic lineages. These symbols enhance the intensity of the energy, offering greater healing effects. The attunement process in Tibetan Reiki also involves specific rituals and mantras unique to Tibetan spiritual practices. These open and align the chakras more deeply and clear the energy pathways, giving a stronger connection to the universal life force.

Jikiden Reiki is founded on the master’s original teachings and is believed to boost energetic movement. The difference between this method and others is that it focuses on physical healing more than spiritual growth.

These are just a selection of Reiki forms but there are many more waiting to be discovered.

How Many Types of Reiki Are There?

Reiki Therapy Resources tells us that “there are over 1000 styles of Reiki, with many sub-styles stemming from primary methods of Reiki. Some styles of Reiki have also developed based on geography and the relevant cultural beliefs of each region including Tibet, India, and Egypt.”

What is the most authentic Reiki?

Usui Reiki is considered the root from which all other forms have grown and might be viewed as the most authentic form. In terms of closeness to Usui’s original system, a ‘real’ Reiki practice depends on its adherence to the core principles of Reiki and the integrity and intent of its practitioners. Each form can be seen as a valid and effective method of healing, provided it resonates with the practitioner and meets the needs of the recipient.

What is the primary goal of practicing any type of Reiki?

The primary goal of all types of Reiki is to promote healing—whether it be physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual.  

How does Western Reiki differ from traditional Usui Reiki?

While it still bases much of its practice on the teachings of Mikao Usui, Western Reiki typically includes more modern techniques and sometimes adds influences from other healing practices, like palm-healing.

Which type of Reiki is best for someone new to energy healing?

For someone new to energy healing, traditional Usui Reiki is often recommended as a starting point. It provides the foundations of energy work and is the most widely practiced form worldwide.