Traditional Reiki has three levels: Shoden (first degree, self-treatment), Okuden (second degree, symbols and work with others and at a distance) and Shinpiden (master level, the capacity to initiate and teach). Each is transmitted through an initiation given by a teacher. It is not learned by reading.
In the West they are numbered 1, 2 and 3, and the third is sometimes split in two. Here is what actually sits behind each one.
How many levels does Reiki have?
Three, in the classical structure descending from the Usui system.
Some Japanese schools subdivide the degrees internally, and some Western schools separate mastership into "practitioner master" and "teaching master". Those are pedagogical adjustments, not new levels of energy.
If someone offers you a fourth, fifth or seventh level, they are not necessarily misleading you: they may belong to a derived system with its own structure. But it is worth asking which system, and who created it.
The three levels compared
| Shoden 初伝 | Okuden 奥伝 | Shinpiden 神秘伝 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western name | Level 1 | Level 2 | Master / Level 3 |
| Rough translation | "First teaching" | "Deep teaching" | "Mystery teaching" |
| Main focus | Self-treatment | Treating others, distance work | Transmission and initiation |
| Symbols | None | Cho Ku Rei, Sei He Ki, Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen | Dai Ko Myo |
| Can treat others | Family and close circle | Yes, including at a distance | Yes |
| Can initiate others | No | No | Yes |
| Usual duration | 1–2 days | 1–2 days | A long process, months or years |
| Recommended interval | — | At least 3 months after Shoden | At least 1 year after Okuden |
Intervals vary between schools. The ones here are what I consider a reasonable minimum, and they come from a simple conviction: energy is not learned, it is integrated, and that takes time in practice.
Shoden: the first level
Shoden means roughly "first teaching". It is the door.
The essence of this degree is not learning to treat others. It is learning to treat yourself.
You work with hand positions on your own body, with breathing, posture, the five principles, and you receive the first initiation. From then on the channel is open and practice is daily: self-treatment is the heart of level one.
You also learn to place your hands on family, children, friends, pets. Without clinical pretension and without charging.
This is the level I recommend to anyone, even someone with no intention of practising professionally. It is, above all, a practice of self-care. Some practices from this territory are in the self-healing guide.
Okuden: the second level
"Deep teaching". Here the work opens outward.
Three symbols are received — Cho Ku Rei, Sei He Ki and Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen — and with them the possibility of focusing the channelling in different ways: presence and grounding, the emotional and mental terrain, and work beyond time and distance.
This is the level where distance Reiki is learned. And the level where, if someone wants to practise professionally, it starts to make sense to do so responsibly.
The symbols cannot be learned online, and I explain exactly why in Reiki symbols and their meaning.
Shinpiden: mastership
"Mystery teaching". The Dai Ko Myo symbol is received, along with the capacity to initiate and teach others.
Here I want to be especially clear, because this is where the abuse happens.
Mastership is not a diploma. It is a responsibility: transmitting something to another person and holding them afterwards. A teacher who initiates and disappears has not done the work.
A serious mastership is not resolved in a weekend. It involves sustained practice, accompaniment from the teacher training you, and time. A lot of time.
If someone offers you all three levels in a two-day course, you are not buying training. You are buying a piece of paper.
What exactly is an initiation?
In Japanese it is called reiju; in the West, "attunement".
It is a brief, silent process in which the teacher transmits the connection with the energy to the student. Traditionally it is done in person, in a prepared space, and it is usually repeated several times through the training.
It does not hurt, has no side effects, and asks nothing of you. Many people describe warmth, emotion, or an unexpected calm. Others feel nothing in particular and their practice works just the same.
Some schools give initiations at a distance. This is a point on which schools honestly disagree. I prefer presence, and I say that as my own preference, not as a verdict on anyone else.
How long training takes and what it costs
Timings vary widely. As a common reference: Shoden and Okuden usually occupy one or two days each, plus the personal work in between. Shinpiden is a different matter and is not measured in days.
On price, published Reiki courses in Medellín run roughly between 130,000 and 180,000 Colombian pesos (COP) per level — approximately 30 to 45 US dollars, and that conversion is only indicative. This is an observed market range, not my own rate.
I would rather tell you my own figure directly: write to me and I will send you the current price for the level you are considering, and what it includes.
A very low price is not always a bad sign, and a very high one guarantees nothing. What is a sign is what it includes: follow-up support, supervised practice, materials, the possibility of repeating the level.
How to recognise serious training
These are the questions I would ask before paying:
- Who is your teacher and what is your lineage? Can you give me names and dates?
- How much time do you ask for between one level and the next, and why?
- What happens after the course? Is there any follow-up?
- How many people are in the group?
- What will you tell me Reiki cannot do?
That last question is the most revealing of all. Anyone who cannot answer it, or who tells you Reiki cures everything, is not training you. They are selling.
All of this is developed in how to verify a Reiki master, which I would read before deciding.
What I see in people who train
In the groups I accompany in Medellín and in Santa Elena — the cloud-forest township above the city — one pattern repeats.
Almost nobody arrives wanting to be a therapist. They arrive after a hard year, or after a session that moved something, or because they want to be able to place their hands on an ill parent without feeling useless.
And in the first level the same thing almost always happens: they discover that the hard part is not feeling the energy. It is staying still with themselves for twenty minutes, every day. That is where most people fall away.
Those who hold that daily practice are the ones giving real sessions two years later. It is no mystery. It is consistency.
Do I need to train, or is receiving sessions enough?
It depends what you are looking for.
If you want accompaniment through a particular moment, receiving sessions is enough. There is no obligation to train.
If what you want is autonomy — being able to treat yourself, not depending on an appointment — then the first level makes complete sense, even if you never treat anyone else.
And if you feel this is a path rather than a resource, then we are talking about something else, and that conversation is best had unhurried.
Frequently asked questions
Can I learn Reiki online or from a book? You can learn the theory, the principles, the history and the hand positions. What cannot be transmitted in writing is the initiation, which is what defines Reiki training. Some schools give distance initiations and others only in person; what they all agree on is that a book alone does not make you a practitioner.
How long should I wait between levels? As a reasonable minimum, around three months between Shoden and Okuden, and at least a year before considering mastership. It is not a universal rule — some schools move faster, some slower. But be wary of anyone offering all three levels in a single weekend. The time between levels is practice, not paperwork.
Is a Reiki mastership a professional certification? No. Reiki is not a regulated profession in Colombia, and no Reiki certification carries the weight of a health licence. A master's certificate attests that one specific teacher transmitted their training to you — no more and no less. It is useful for knowing where your practice comes from; it does not qualify you as a healthcare professional.
Do I lose Reiki if I stop practising? According to tradition the initiation does not reverse: the channel remains. What is lost is sensitivity, confidence and habit, much as with a musical instrument left untouched for years. It can be picked up again, usually with a refresher initiation and a return to daily self-treatment.
Can I charge for Reiki with only level one? In most schools, no: the first level is oriented to self-treatment and your close circle. Moving to work with other people — and all the more to charge — belongs to the second level and a period of real practice. Beyond each school's rules there is an ethical point: charging means holding someone, and that asks for experience.
If you are considering training or receiving sessions and want to talk it through with no commitment, write to me on WhatsApp at +57 314 811 7561 or through the contact page. Sessions and conversations can be in English.
Namaste.
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.
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Sananda Reiki
Spiritual support and Reiki therapies in Medellín and online.
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