Reiki Courses
3 courses · 3 instructors · 3 schools
Reiki
Before choosing a Reiki course, it helps to understand how the practice is organized around progressive levels of training and lineage transmission. The work uses hand positions, attunement, and gentle channeling of energy — passing through structured levels from Level 1 self-practice and Level 2 work with others to the Master Teacher level. Courses are available across different Reiki lineages, depending on the depth of study a practitioner chooses.
Online Reiki courses: from your first attunement to master certification
If you want to train in Reiki, the hard part is rarely finding a course — it is choosing between lineages and levels that all promise to make you a practitioner. The same search returns a weekend Level 1 class, a distance reiki share, and a full Reiki certification side by side. This page helps you compare them and choose well.
It helps to know that the field spans three things: practicing Reiki on yourself, learning to treat others, and earning a credential you can offer clients. Almost every lineage below exists both as a reiki course online you can take for your own wellbeing and as a path toward reiki certification online, up to reiki master certification.
Every course listed here comes from an independent school or teacher. The directory’s job is to gather Reiki training in one place so you can compare lineages, levels, teachers, and reviews at a glance, then enroll directly on the school’s own site. Reiki sits within the wider field of energy healing, so many students arrive here from a broader interest in working with subtle energy.
The main lineages of Reiki
Most courses are rooted in one lineage, and each carries the same core practice through a slightly different tradition.
Whichever lineage you choose, the practice itself is the same — channeling energy through light touch. You can study any of them purely for yourself, or train toward certification in it.
What you actually learn
Underneath the lineages sit the skills every Reiki practitioner develops — and that every certification is built on.
The attunement
Receiving the attunement that, in the tradition, opens your ability to channel Reiki energy.
Hand positions
The standard hand placements for treating yourself and others, position by position.
Symbols & distance reiki
The Level 2 symbols and how to send distance reiki to someone who is not in the room.
Holding a session
Guiding a client calmly and ethically from the opening to the close of a session.
The Reiki path: from Level 1 to Master
Reiki runs on a clear ladder passed on through attunement — and you rarely need to plan all of it up front.
Reiki Level 1
Your first attunement — learn to channel energy and treat yourself and others hands-on.
Reiki Level 2
The symbols and distance reiki — the practitioner level for working with clients.
Reiki Master
The master symbols and, through reiki master certification, the ability to attune others.
Certify and practice
Earn your certification and start offering sessions of your own.
Certification and becoming a Reiki practitioner
Beyond practicing for yourself, a certification lets you offer sessions to others with confidence. Most schools award a certificate at each stage — many now offer reiki certification online and full online reiki training, up to reiki master training. Reiki has no single licensing body, so lineage and teacher credibility carry the weight: look for a clear tradition such as the Usui, Holy Fire, or Jikiden lineage and a teacher who can trace theirs. What makes a credential trustworthy is the depth of the training and the standing of the master who grants it, not the certificate alone.
What Reiki is — and what the research actually says
Reiki began in early-20th-century Japan with Mikao Usui and spread worldwide through the Usui lineage. In a session, a practitioner rests their hands lightly on or just above the body with the intention of supporting the person’s own relaxation and wellbeing. The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes it as a complementary approach in which practitioners aim to direct energy to help facilitate the body’s natural healing response.
An honest course is clear about the evidence. NCCIH states plainly that Reiki “hasn’t been clearly shown to be effective for any health-related purpose” and that there is no scientific evidence for the energy field the practice describes — while also noting it “hasn’t been shown to have any harmful effects.” In other words, many people find Reiki deeply relaxing and calming, and it is reasonable to value it on those terms, as a complement to — never a replacement for — medical care.
Who online Reiki courses are for
Online Reiki suits far more people than the few in the marketing photos — the curious beginner who felt something on a Reiki table and wants to understand it, the yoga teacher or bodyworker adding a gentle modality, the person drawn to spirituality and contemplative practice, and the aspiring practitioner ready to certify. You do not need to be “gifted” to begin — in the tradition the ability is passed through attunement, and most courses start from the very beginning.
How to choose a Reiki course or program
Every course promises transformation, so it helps to look past the pitch — especially for a master certification, where the bar is higher.
Five things worth checking before you enroll
Self-paced or live online — which fits you
Because every course here is online, the real choice is between self-paced and live. Self-paced study suits the theory, symbols, and hand positions, which you can absorb at your own speed. A live cohort matters more for the attunement and hands-on feedback, traditionally passed in real time — though many teachers now give attunements over live video, which is why online reiki training works so well. Whichever you pick, the teacher and lineage matter more than the format.
Wherever you are — curious after your first session, deepening toward Master, or ready to work with clients — the right course is the one that meets you where you stand today. Compare the programs below and begin where it feels right.
Frequently asked questions about Reiki courses
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a Japanese energy practice, founded by Mikao Usui, in which a practitioner rests their hands lightly on or above the body with the intention of supporting relaxation and wellbeing. The ability is passed from teacher to student through an attunement.
Can you really get a Reiki certification online?
Yes. The theory, symbols, and technique translate well to video, and many teachers now perform attunements over live video, so reiki certification online is widely available through to master level.
What are the Reiki levels?
Level 1 (self-treatment and hands-on), Level 2 (the symbols and distance reiki), and Master (the master symbols and the ability to attune others), reached through reiki master certification.
What is distance reiki?
Distance reiki is sending energy to someone who is not physically present. It is introduced at Level 2 and is part of why Reiki suits online study so naturally.
What is the difference between Usui and Holy Fire Reiki?
Usui Reiki is the original system founded by Mikao Usui. Holy Fire is a modern evolution of it taught through the ICRT, known for a gentler attunement. Karuna Reiki is a further, advanced system taken after Master level.
Does Reiki actually work?
Many people find Reiki deeply relaxing. On the science, the NIH’s NCCIH is candid: Reiki has not been clearly shown to be effective for any specific health condition, and there is no evidence for the energy field it describes — but it also has not been shown to cause harm. It is best valued as a complement to medical care, not a substitute.
Is a Reiki certification required to practice?
There is no legal requirement, but a credible certificate builds trust and is often expected by clients. Because there is no single governing body, lineage and the teacher’s standing matter most.
How long does it take to become a Reiki Master?
It varies by lineage and teacher. Some progress from Level 1 to Master within a year with dedicated practice; others take longer. Most schools ask for practice time between levels rather than setting a fixed clock.