October 13, 2026
Reiki
Reiju: What We Know and What We Don’t Know
What Reiju means, how its transmission has evolved, and what we can —and cannot— say about its history, its effects and lineage in Reiki.
When someone first approaches Reiki, one of the most common questions is whether anyone can learn it. Some people believe that a particular sensitivity is required. Others think they must possess a special gift, an ability to perceive energy or a certain spiritual inclination.
After more than twenty-five years of practising and teaching Reiki, my answer is simple: yes, anyone can learn Reiki.
You do not need to feel energy intensely. You do not need to have meditated for years. Nor do you have to adopt a particular set of beliefs or belong to any religious tradition. Reiki does not ask us to become someone different. We learn it as the person we already are, with our character, our doubts and our own particular way of perceiving.
The public image of Reiki has too often been accompanied by the idea that certain people possess a special ability to channel or transmit energy. Naturally, some people are more sensitive than others. Some feel warmth, tingling, pulsations or very subtle changes in their hands from the first day. Others need time. And some barely feel anything during their first practices.
This does not determine who can practise Reiki or who will become a good practitioner.
Sensitivity can develop. More importantly, however, it should not be confused with depth of practice. Feeling a great deal does not necessarily mean understanding more. Sometimes, the need to experience something extraordinary takes us away from what is simplest: placing the hands, remaining in silence and paying attention.
Reiki is not a demonstration of special abilities. It is a practice.
I do not believe it is necessary to believe in anything before beginning.
Someone may approach Reiki from a spiritual understanding of life, out of curiosity or simply because they wish to learn a practice that helps them pause and care for themselves. Traditional explanations speak of ki, the vital energy found in Japanese culture and other Eastern traditions. We can approach this concept respectfully without forcing ourselves to accept what we do not yet understand.
Personally, I prefer trust to arise from experience. First, we practise. Then, we observe what happens.
During a self-treatment, we place our hands on different areas of the body and remain there for a few minutes. We breathe. We feel the weight and warmth of the hands, the support beneath the body and the rhythm of the breath. Perhaps calm appears. Perhaps the mind remains restless. Perhaps nothing happens that we can put into words.
All of this is fine.
Many people believe that learning Reiki means wanting to offer sessions to others or eventually becoming a therapist. This is not the case.
The first and closest recipient of the practice is oneself. For me, self-treatment is an essential part of Reiki and perhaps also its most discreet expression. It rarely has the visibility of symbols, sessions or extraordinary experiences, but it is what accompanies the practitioner in everyday life.
We learn Reiki to sit with ourselves. To listen. To recover a certain intimacy with the body and recognise how we are before continuing with the day. Sometimes this pause brings calm. At other times, it reveals tiredness, sadness or unease. The practice is not about hiding what we feel, but about remaining beside it with a little more space.
Later, of course, we can learn to offer Reiki to relatives, friends or other people. But there is no obligation to turn the practice into a professional activity.
More than twenty years ago, a woman named Berta asked for my telephone number after receiving a brief Reiki session. She wanted to learn when the time was right. That encounter ended up influencing my move to Barcelona in a rather unexpected way. Berta became one of my best friends. She still has not learned Reiki.
There is no hurry.
Reiki can be adapted to very different ages, bodies and circumstances. It is not necessary to sit on the floor, hold difficult postures or perform demanding movements. It can be practised while seated, lying down or with whatever adjustments each person may need.
This does not mean that Reiki is suitable for everything or that it can replace medical or psychological care. It is a complementary practice of care and presence, not a promise of healing. Honesty is also part of the teaching.
When significant physical or psychological difficulties are present, it is advisable to discuss them with the teacher before the course. Not to exclude anyone, but to find a respectful and safe way to participate.
If no special gifts, previous experience or particular beliefs are required, what do we need to learn Reiki?
We need willingness.
A willingness to learn, to practise and not to expect to understand everything immediately. A certain degree of consistency is also necessary. A course can teach us the history, techniques, principles and method of self-treatment, but no course can practise on our behalf.
Something similar happens with Reiki as with meditation. There is no special talent involved in placing the hands or remaining in silence for a few minutes. What matters is repetition. Returning today. Returning tomorrow. Returning even when the practice seems simple, monotonous or uneventful.
Depth comes with time.
Anyone can learn Reiki. But learning it does not consist solely of receiving an initiation or completing a course. It means allowing the practice to find a place in our lives.
And that does not require us to be special.
It requires us to be available.
What Reiju means, how its transmission has evolved, and what we can —and cannot— say about its history, its effects and lineage in Reiki.
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