Many times newer Reiki students will ask me if it's possible to lose their Reiki healing abilities after having taken a training. They are concerned that because of lack of practice, the gift of calling Reiki at-will is going to disappear. Can you lose your Reiki ability from lack of practice? Can you lose the healing ability after you've received a Reiki healing attunement through class? The answer isn't as clear cut as you'd think.
Reiki is a beautiful gift, and it's a lot like riding a bike. If you ever learned to ride, you might recall that it felt pretty strange and hard to trust until you finally learned to balance over the bicycle and trust all parts of the operation. Reiki is the same. New students must learn to trust the full process, from welcoming energy and calming their mind, to laying on hands, and letting go of outcomes. The more students trust, the more the Reiki flows. It's pretty amazing.
Just as your body never forgets the feeling of riding a bike once you have it, you body will also never forget how to run Reiki once you've successfully done it. The healing attunements that are gifted from teacher to student in lineage, are transmissions of energy that initiate the student into the teaching of Reiki. Nobody can ever take that away from you.
Sometimes a student that has been away from the healing vibration for a long time, may need to do Reiki one or two times to get the energy flowing again. Most of the time this just has to do with the comfort of that student in allowing flow. Other times, it has to do with the Reiki itself re-activating the nadis, or the energetic pathways in the body. That can take time if there is a lot of "stuff" a person is storing emotionally or mentally in their body.
In the many attunements I've done, I've only had 2 or 3 students truly need to repeat the healing attunement ceremony, and this was not because they "lost" the Reiki ability. In two cases, it was because of a physical surgery/body event that shifted the alignment of the body so dramatically along the chakra and sushumna line, that the Reiki was taking a long time to find the new pathway; there was a lot of healing happening within. In those cases, the students benefitted from simply receiving another healing attunement to support their journey.
I've had a few students ask me if they have corrupted the Reiki somehow after tough life experiences with drug or alcohol addiction, or self abuses. No, the ability to call in Reiki and allow the flow through, still remains. It doesn't go away just because we do something that, for us, may feel "bad" or worthy of consequences. Reiki is not a parent passing moral judgement on us. It is a form of high vibrational loving energy that helps bring our body into optimal alignment.
If you are concerned about your Reiki flow, I always suggest reaching out to your teacher to ask questions, or confirm your flow. Part of being in Reiki lineage is knowing that you are not alone in your healing journey. The gift of having a teacher is that you can return to ask questions about your healing experience.
If you've lost touch with your initial teacher, you can still grow and heal. There are many wonderful Reiki teachers in the world, and just as many fantastic books! If you like what you've read and want to learn more, you can also set an appointment with me (woohoo!) to look at your Reiki or spiritual journey, or to receive further mentorship as a student or practitioner. Or check out or free Facebook Group to receive support and enjoy community! It's right here: Reiki Healing & Manifesting.
DAILEY LITTLE is a healing practitioner, transformational life coach, ordained Priestess, and teacher who founded Healing Heart Reiki to help others navigate life with joy. She offers private sessions, and teaches classes in healing and mindset from a magical peaceful corner of the world in Northern California. For more info see: www.SantaRosaReiki.com