Reiki Lineage and How to Verify a Master

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Reiki lineage is the chain of transmission linking a practitioner back to Mikao Usui, teacher by teacher, through in-person initiations. Verifying it is simple: ask for names, dates and the certificate bearing the name of whoever initiated them, then check that person exists and confirms the transmission.

And there is something you should know before reading on: Reiki is not a regulated profession in Colombia, and no Reiki certification carries the weight of a health licence. Nobody is going to verify this for you. This article exists so that you can.

What lineage actually is

When a teacher initiates a student, they transmit a connection they themselves received from another teacher. That chain — Usui, Hayashi, Takata, and from there branching out to today — is the lineage.

A lineage is expressed as a list of names. For example: "Usui → Hayashi → Takata → [name] → [name] → me." Each link should be a real, locatable person, with dates.

In the history of Reiki I explain where those first names come from and which part of the account is oral tradition.

Why lineage matters, and why it is not enough

It matters because it shows there was a real transmission, with a responsible person behind it, rather than a course downloaded from the internet.

But let us be clear: a long lineage makes nobody a good practitioner. I have met people with impeccable lineages and very little sensitivity, and people with short lineages who hold others with extraordinary care.

Lineage is a traceability requirement, not a quality certificate. It rules out; it does not choose.

What actually distinguishes a good teacher is something else: how they listen, what they promise, and what they refuse to promise.

The eight questions worth asking

Ask them over WhatsApp before booking anything. A serious person answers without discomfort.

Who initiated you, and in what year? Full name and date. Vagueness here is a bad sign.
What is your full lineage? They should be able to recite it or send it in writing.
Do you have a certificate, and may I see it? A serious certificate carries the student's name, the teacher's name and signature, the level and the date.
May I contact your teacher? The answer to this question tells you more than the certificate itself.
How much time did you leave between levels? Three levels in a weekend is a clear signal.
What can Reiki not do? The most revealing question of all.
What do you do if someone arrives with a medical or psychiatric diagnosis? They should tell you without hesitation that Reiki accompanies and does not replace, and that they recommend continuing with the treating professional.
What does it cost and what exactly is included? Clear price, clear duration, no packages appearing at the end.

If any answer makes you uneasy, listen to the unease. You are going to lie down on a table with this person in the room.

How to verify, step by step

The questions are the first filter. This is the checking.

Ask for a photo of the certificate. It should show your prospective teacher as the student, the name of whoever initiated them, the level and the date. A diploma without the initiating teacher's name proves nothing.

Look for the previous teacher. Search their name online. If they exist, they leave traces: a site, social profiles, a school, other students. If nothing comes up and you are given no way to contact them, ask yourself why.

Write to them. It is not rude. A short message — "did you initiate so-and-so in such a year?" — is normal in the serious Reiki world, and most people reply gladly.

Check that the business exists. In Colombia you can ask for the RUT (tax registration) or the Chamber of Commerce registration. This proves no therapeutic competence, but it does show a formal, accountable economic activity.

Verify health credentials if they are claimed. If someone also presents themselves as a healthcare professional — doctor, psychologist, nurse, occupational therapist — that qualification is verifiable in the national health workforce registry (ReTHUS) of the Ministry of Health. A Reiki master who is also a psychologist should appear there as a psychologist.

Ask for real references. Testimonials on a website are fine; talking with someone who received sessions is better. Read the testimonials here and still ask for more.

Ask about consent and confidentiality. A serious space explains beforehand what will happen, asks permission for physical contact, and keeps what you tell them.

What a Reiki certificate does and does not prove

A Reiki certificate DOES prove	A Reiki certificate does NOT prove
That a specific teacher transmitted training to you	Therapeutic competence or experience
A level within one particular school	Qualification as a healthcare professional
A date and a verifiable lineage	Authorisation to diagnose or treat
Belonging to a tradition	Any endorsement by the Colombian state
That a training commitment existed	That the practice is regulated or supervised

It is the most important table in this article. Keep it.

The framework in Colombia: plainly

There is no Reiki professional body in Colombia, no state registry of Reiki masters, and no official examination.

So-called alternative and complementary medicines are regulated in the country, but that regulation is directed at healthcare professionals holding qualifications and registration. Reiki, as practised in the wellbeing field, does not in itself constitute a regulated health profession. Colombia's Ministry of Health and Social Protection publishes the guidance on alternative and complementary medicines and therapies; if you want the exact wording of the regulation, it can be consulted at minsalud.gov.co. I would rather point you there than quote a number from memory.

In practice, that means anyone can call themselves a Reiki master and open a practice tomorrow. No authority reviewed their training. Verification is in your hands.

I do not say this to frighten you. Reiki is a safe practice — that part is supported — and the real risk is not in the energy. It is in who offers it and what they promise you while they do.

We expand on this in alternative therapies in Colombia: what the law says.

Red flags

These I would consider reason enough to leave:

They promise to cure, treat or reverse an illness or a diagnosis.
They suggest, even in passing, stopping or reducing medication.
They claim they can diagnose what you have with their hands.
They offer all three levels in a weekend.
They talk about curses, energies attacking you, or urgent clearings only they can perform.
They apply pressure through fear: "if you don't do this now, it will get worse."
They will not let you speak to their teacher or show you their certificate.
They charge for "secret symbols" other teachers supposedly do not have.
They demand exclusivity: you may not consult anyone else or discuss what happens.
The price shifts along the way, or mandatory packages appear at the end of the session.

A single one of these justifies leaving calmly and not returning.

Green flags

And these are what I would look for:

They tell you from the first moment what Reiki cannot do.
They ask whether you are under medical or psychological care and encourage you to continue it.
They ask permission before physical contact and offer a no-contact option.
They give a clear price and duration up front.
They answer about lineage without becoming defensive.
They do not push you into packages or into training.
If your case is not for them, they say so and refer you on.
They can hold silence.

What I see in Medellín

Medellín's wellbeing scene has grown enormously. El Poblado, Laureles, Envigado, Sabaneta, Rionegro: there are beautifully cared-for spaces, seriously trained people and honest work.

And then there is the other side.

I have received people who came to me after paying for a full mastership in two days, holding a handsome diploma and with no idea what to do with it. None of them knew the name of their teacher's teacher.

I have also heard stories that worry me more: someone told that their exhaustion came from energy sent by a relative, and that they needed several urgent clearings. That is not Reiki. That is fear charged by the session.

That is why I wrote this article. Nobody in the city explains how to verify a teacher, and it is the most useful information I can give you.

I work from the lineage of Mikao Usui and integrate the accompaniment of the ascended masters, the archangels and the seven rays. Ask me about my lineage whenever you like and I will give it to you with names. It is also on about Sananda Reiki.

If you have already paid and something feels wrong

Do not punish yourself. Very intelligent people have been there.

Keep receipts and conversations. If there were written promises of cure, you have a consumer-protection argument: misleading advertising is actionable in Colombia.

If the matter touched your health — you were advised to stop a medication, you delayed an appointment — talk to your doctor as soon as possible. That is the only genuinely urgent part.

And if what remains is the feeling of having been handled carelessly, that counts too. You owe loyalty to nobody who did not take care of you.

Frequently asked questions

Must a Reiki master have Usui lineage? It is not compulsory, but it is what to expect in traditional Reiki. Derived systems exist with other genealogies, and some are serious. What should be non-negotiable is traceability: who trained them, when and how, with verifiable names. A teacher who says they initiated themselves, or received everything "directly from the spiritual plane", is asking for an act of faith you cannot check.

Is a Reiki certificate worth anything in Colombia? It attests to training within a school, and nothing more. It is not a professional qualification, it is issued by no state authority, and it does not authorise anyone to practise a health profession. If a practitioner presents it as an official endorsement, they are overstating its reach — and that already tells you something.

How do I know a teacher has real experience and not just paperwork? Ask how many years they have practised daily, whether they still receive sessions themselves, and who accompanies them. Sustained personal practice is the best indicator. It also helps to notice how they speak about limits: practitioners with real experience are far more careful in their claims than the newly certified.

Can I check a Reiki practitioner in any official registry? As a Reiki practitioner, no: that registry does not exist in Colombia. What you can check is the formal existence of the business (RUT, Chamber of Commerce) and, if the person also claims a health qualification, their entry in the Ministry of Health's ReTHUS. Beyond that, verification is artisanal.

Is it normal for a Reiki master to charge? Yes, normal and legitimate. Charging for time, space and training contradicts nothing in Reiki. What is not normal is a lack of clarity: shifting prices, packages appearing at the end, or pressure to buy more sessions. A published, stable price stated before you begin is a good sign in itself.

If you are looking for accompaniment in Medellín, in Santa Elena or at a distance, use these questions on me too. Write on WhatsApp at +57 314 811 7561 or through contact. Sessions can be given in English.

Your body knows how to heal. It only needs you to remind it of the way — and it needs whoever accompanies you to respect that.

Disclaimer

This article is for educational purposes and does not replace diagnosis, treatment or follow-up by a healthcare professional. Reiki is a complementary practice: it accompanies, it does not substitute. If you are under medical or psychological care, continue it and talk to your treating professional before adding any complementary therapy.