Reiki Initiations

· There is some disagreement in the Reiki "community" about whether the initiations (attunements) are necessary in order for anyone to channel the energy.

· Again, we should distinguish between the energy and the practice. There are several systems of healing which utilize energy, and this may or may not be the same as Reiki energy, depending on your point of view, or the point you're trying to make.

· The practice of Reiki is one such system. It includes certain (variable) hand positions, special symbols (also variable), techniques for sending distant or absentee healing, and the initiations, whereby teachers pass on the ability to channel Reiki energy to others.

· Our point of view is that, for a system to be called "Reiki", the initiations are necessary. If someone is able to channel healing energy without the initiations, this is wonderful, but it is not (the practice of) Reiki, it is something else.