A Reiki Master is a practitioner who has completed the highest level of training in the Reiki system and can initiate, or “attune,” new students to practice Reiki themselves. The title traditionally requires not just receiving the master-level attunement but actually teaching at least one other person. According to Hawayo Takata, who brought Reiki from Japan to the West, someone who has received the master attunement but hasn’t yet taught anyone should be called a “Reiki Master practitioner” rather than a full Reiki Master.
The distinction matters because the core purpose of the Master designation is passing the practice on. Reiki’s founder, Mikao Usui, trained over 2,000 beginning students in Japan during the early 1920s but designated only 16 as Reiki Masters. Takata herself practiced and taught Reiki for 40 years before she began training masters. The title has always carried an expectation of responsibility, not just personal skill.
The Three Levels of Reiki Training
Reiki training is divided into three levels, each building on the last. Understanding the full progression helps clarify what sets a Reiki Master apart.
Level 1 (Shoden) focuses on opening energy channels in the student’s own body. The emphasis is on self-practice. Students learn to connect to what Reiki traditions call “universal life force energy,” flowing through the hands. Most teachers encourage Level 1 students to work primarily on themselves, addressing their own physical and emotional blocks before treating others. Traditionally, four attunements are given at this stage.
Level 2 (Okuden) gives practitioners the skills to work on other people. Students receive sacred symbols, which are specific visual patterns used to focus intention during a session. These symbols also enable distance healing, the practice of directing energy to someone not physically present. Three attunements are given at Level 2.
Level 3 / Master Level (Shinpiden) is the teacher’s level. The student receives one final attunement along with the master-level symbol. Critically, they also learn how to perform attunements on others, which is the ability that defines a Reiki Master. In many training programs, Level 3 and the Master designation are combined into a single course. Some teachers separate them, recognizing that a practitioner may receive the master attunement but not yet feel ready to attune others.
The Master Symbol: Dai Ko Myo
Each level of Reiki introduces specific symbols, and the master level brings the most significant one: Dai Ko Myo. The name translates from Japanese as “Great Shining Light” or “Treasure House of Beaming Light.” Where lower-level symbols focus on emotional healing or distance work, Dai Ko Myo is oriented toward spiritual development and is considered the most powerful symbol in the Usui system.
In practice, Reiki Masters use Dai Ko Myo during self-treatment, sessions with clients, meditation, and when clearing a room’s energy. It is activated by drawing or visualizing it on the palms, over the body, or above the head. Practitioners describe it as amplifying the effects of the other symbols and deepening the connection to what they experience as higher spiritual energy. Adding Dai Ko Myo to any Reiki technique is said to enhance and accelerate results.
What Happens During an Attunement
The attunement is the ritual that separates Reiki from other energy practices. It’s not something you can learn from a book or video. A Reiki Master performs a specific sequence of hand positions, breathing techniques, symbols, and focused intention while the student sits with their palms pressed together at the heart. The symbolic purpose is to open the student’s heart and intuition, clear energetic centers, and empower their hands for healing work.
The ability to perform this ritual for others is the defining skill of a Reiki Master. Without it, you’re a practitioner. With it, you become a link in an unbroken teaching lineage stretching back to Mikao Usui. This lineage is taken seriously in the Reiki community. Reputable organizations require that training happen in person or through live interactive instruction, not through self-study courses or mail-order certifications.
Reiki Master vs. Reiki Master Teacher
You’ll sometimes see the titles “Reiki Master” and “Reiki Master Teacher” used as though they’re interchangeable. They’re not always the same. Some practitioners complete master-level training for personal growth and deeper healing ability but have no intention of teaching classes. Others pursue the designation specifically to build a teaching practice.
Organizations like the International Center for Reiki Training (ICRT) formalize this distinction. Their licensed Master Teacher program is a multi-year mentorship requiring at least two years of teaching experience and a minimum of eight classes taught before someone can apply. Licensing through an organization like this isn’t required to teach Reiki, but it signals a level of professional commitment and quality control. For someone choosing a Reiki Master to train under, asking about teaching experience and lineage is more meaningful than asking about certifications alone.
Training Timeline and Cost
There is no single governing body for Reiki, so training programs vary significantly. Some Master-level courses are completed in a weekend workshop. Others, like the program offered through Duke Health, span five months with monthly two-day workshops and independent assignments between sessions. The longer programs typically include supervised practice, feedback on teaching skills, and a deeper exploration of the energetic and ethical dimensions of the work.
Costs for Master-level training generally range from several hundred to over a thousand dollars. As a reference point, a two-day live certification course through the American Hypnosis Association is priced between $835 and $885 depending on membership and registration timing. Some traditional teachers charge considerably more, reflecting the older custom where Master training was a significant personal and financial commitment. Prices vary widely by region, format, and instructor reputation.
Professional Ethics and Standards
Without a universal licensing body, the Reiki community relies on voluntary professional associations to set standards. The International Association of Reiki Professionals (IARP) maintains a code of ethics that registered Reiki Masters agree to follow. The core commitments include maintaining client confidentiality, providing a safe and supportive environment for sessions and classes, treating clients and students with respect, and complying with all applicable local and national laws regarding complementary health practices.
These standards reflect the broader expectation that a Reiki Master operates with integrity. In practical terms, this means being transparent about what Reiki is (and isn’t), not making medical claims, honoring boundaries during hands-on work, and supporting students’ growth without creating dependency. The title “Master” in Reiki doesn’t imply mastery in the way a martial arts black belt might. It’s better understood as a commitment to ongoing learning and service. As the tradition itself describes it, a true Reiki Master is always in the process of becoming one.