The Qualities of a Reiki Teacher
Finding an appropriate teacher is often an intuitive and synchronistic experience. Keep in mind that you may have to wait for the right teacher, so don’t let convenience and money be your only deciding factors. It can really be a mistake to look for the cheapest Reiki class on offer.

When you are investing in your spiritual life and personal well-being, it makes sense to research your subject to find the right Reiki style for you as well as the right teacher.  These days the Internet can be a great source for this kind of information. Stepping upon the healing path can be really exciting and people tend embrace everything with enthusiasm.  Unfortunately, without knowing what to look for, they often throw out ideas like common sense and discernment. These things are very important, so check in with yourself to see if ‘all sits well’ within your being.

Even within the New Age movement, you may find teachers who are not coming from an altruistic motivation.  It can be all too easy to be lead astray by tricksters and deceptive characters who want nothing more than to be a guru, driven by ego and financial gain at your expense. This may seem somewhat harsh, but no matter what the profession, be it a used car sales person or your spiritual Guru, you need to have sound judgment and a discriminating mind, lest you be lead astray.

So here are a few points to look for in a teacher of Reiki:
1.    Check the teacher’s Reiki lineage. He or she should be able to tell you who they learnt from and their Reiki lineage dating back to the founding teacher, Mikao Usui.
    Some Reiki lineages are many teachers long and may be watered down significantly by wrong views and insufficient training. Some people will call themselves a Reiki Master, and may have only been doing Reiki for a few weeks! The term ‘Reiki Master’, is no guarantee that you will encounter Master of Reiki.
2.     Ask how long they have been teaching and how long their own teacher training was.
    Do they teach regularly and do they use Reiki on themselves and others, in other words do they practice what they preach?
3.     Check to see if the training you will receive is a sufficient time frame. (Approximately 14 hours for a Reiki First Degree workshop and 12 hours for a Reiki Second Degree workshop.) Ask how many hours are devoted to hands on healing and experiential Reiki work.
4.     You may wish to ask, what specific things you will cover throughout the workshop and what you will be empowered to do after the training in each level.
    (Refer to Reiki content in this chapter for a comparison.)
5.     Check to see if there is any ongoing support after the training, or opportunity to practice with others after the workshop. Will the teacher be available for you after the workshop?
6.     Will you receive a Certificate in Reiki upon completion? It this Certificate recognized?
7.     Is the cost reasonable and are you supplied with a reference manual? Will you get what you paid for?
    Ask if you are able to take notes in the class or tape-record the information presented.
9.     Check in with your intuitive or gut feeling. Does this person sound authentic, and are they coming from the right motivation? Do you resonate well with this person?
10.     Can the teacher send you supporting material on the workshop content and the courses available or do they have a website you can visit for information?
11.    Make sure your prospective teacher recommends integration time between Reiki levels. Be wary of teachers offering combined Reiki levels or skipping levels that you have not yet completed.
12.    Who will be giving the initiations at the seminar and how many initiations will you receive? (Traditional Reiki states: Four at Reiki I and one at Reiki II.)
13.    Check to see if any symbols are taught in the Reiki levels and which ones are being taught. There should not be any symbols taught at the Reiki I level, and only three Reiki symbols taught in Reiki II.
14.    Has the teacher the experience to teach you? How long have they been teaching Reiki?
15.    How many people does the teacher have in a single class?
16.    What form do the classes take ? Are they over one, two, three days or are these classes spread out over a number of days or weeks?
17.    Where will the seminar be held and is this location practical for you?

These are some of the main questions you should ask when making enquiries but as a general guide, be wary of teachers making outrageous or extraordinary claims. If you are still unclear, see if the teacher is prepared to meet you personally to discuss in further detail and to find out exactly what will be covered throughout the workshop.
It makes sense to know who you are becoming involved with, so exercise some caution when finding a teacher. There are so many Reiki’s available these days, and not all teachers are coming from the right motivation, methodology, understanding or integrity.

Overall, it all boils down to trusting your intuition. The person should be a living example of the things they practice. Literally, they should: ‘walk their talk!’ Watch your personal expectations – most integrated teachers are not dressed in white robes and act in a ‘holier than thou’ fashion. A good Reiki teacher is usually down to earth, realistic and normal in appearance. Be wary of sensational and over-the-top characters, especially if they are making big promises and charge even bigger fees than their promises! It may take time to find a good teacher and learning Reiki is not something to rush into. Make an informed choice, and exercise common sense; when it feels right and you feel supported in your choice, these are good signs that you have found the right teacher for you.