Combining Tradition and Intuition to Teach a Powerful Reiki Class

Inviting Intuition In

As a teacher, working with your intuition brings an entirely new dimension to your classes. While tradition focuses more on Reiki principles and practices, intuition is that inner voice that might take you in a direction that you don’t plan or even understand, but that you just feel. 

It might be challenging, or even scary, to trust your intuition at first, but listening to your inner voice is a gift to your students. To help you trust and listen to your inner guidance, take a moment to get centered before class starts. Dianne Thomas, a Senior Reiki Master teacher, offers these words of wisdom: “I find that spending time in the Reiki energy before class helps. If you invite Reiki to guide you, you’ll do fine, even if it’s your first class.” 

Pro Tip: Let go of the fear of saying or doing the wrong thing. When you have invited Reiki to flow through you and direct you, you can trust its direction without worrying or overthinking. (Dianne Thomas, LRMT)

Honoring Reiki’s Tradition

Where intuition brings your unique insight and essence to classes, tradition is the backbone that offers structure and stability.  Whether it is technique, history, values, symbols, or mantras, Reiki traditions are the foundational principles that have been preserved and passed down over generations. 

Understanding Reiki traditions will create trust with your students as they witness your dedication and integrity to the work. There are many ways to deepen your knowledge, but you can use the ICRT’s Teaching and Training Tools as a place to start – Even without a professional ICRT membership. 

Pro Tip: Let go of the idea that you have to know all of the facts before you can start teaching. Learn the basics and continue to expand your knowledge as you go.  If you wait to teach until you feel ready, you may never start! ( – Pam Allen-LeBlanc, LRMT)

Combining Tradition and Intuition

Both intuition and tradition bring incredible value into the teaching space, but it can be a challenge to try and figure out how to work with both at once. A good place to start is simply with awareness: Where does your teaching style currently sit? Are you mostly led by your intuition, or do you lean on the traditions more? 

This awareness can help you know where to focus your energy for a well-rounded class experience: Tradition and structure, or intuition? If you would like to invite more intuition in, try sitting with that intention before you begin to teach. Dianne emphasizes the importance of meditating in the Reiki energy before class to ensure that you’re fully immersed and guided by the energy itself. If you would instead like to focus on tradition, consider taking some time each day to study a specific aspect of Reiki, such as history, principles, or techniques. 

Pro Tip: “Balance” looks different from teacher to teacher and from class to class. Trust your process, avoid comparing yourself to other teachers, and don’t worry if each class is a little different – Because each group is different.