An attunement — in Japanese reiju (霊授), "giving of spirit" — is a brief ceremony performed by a teacher to open a student to the practice of Reiki. It is the moment a level truly begins.
In the tradition, this is what distinguishes a Reiki practitioner from someone who has only read about the method. The practice is understood to be passed from teacher to student directly, in person, rather than learned from a book alone.
The ceremony
The student sits quietly, usually in gassho, with eyes closed. The teacher moves around and in front of them, performing a short series of gestures and, in some lineages, tracing the symbols. It is calm and unhurried, and takes only a few minutes. Nothing is asked of the student but to relax and receive.
"Reiju is given, not taught — the student simply sits and receives."
Reiju & Western attunement
Japanese lineages often use the term reiju and repeat it many times, treating it as a simple blessing given freely and often. Western Reiki, shaped through Hawayo Takata, tends to speak of a fixed "attunement" tied to each level. The intention is the same; the framing and frequency differ.
One per level
Each degree of Reiki opens with its own attunement, given by a teacher who holds the master level. Only at the master–teacher stage does a student learn to give attunements themselves — the point at which they can begin to pass the practice on.
What it feels like to receive
People describe receiving an attunement in very different ways. Some feel warmth, a tingling, or a deep calm; others feel little at all and are surprised to hear that nothing was "supposed" to happen. Teachers are usually quick to reassure students that a quiet, uneventful attunement is no less complete than a dramatic one.
What matters, in the tradition, is not the intensity of the experience but the fact of having received it in person, within a teaching relationship. The attunement opens the door; the practice that follows is where its meaning is actually found.
Frequently asked questions
What is an attunement?
An attunement — in Japanese reiju (霊授), “giving of spirit” — is a brief ceremony in which a teacher opens a student to the practice of Reiki. It is the moment a level truly begins.
How many attunements are there?
Each degree of Reiki opens with its own attunement, given by a teacher who holds the master level.
What does it feel like to receive one?
People describe it very differently. Some feel warmth, a tingling or a deep calm; others feel little at all. Both are normal.