A curiosity that keeps returning
The pull toward reiki has circled back more than once. That quiet, persistent interest matters more than any resume.
Becoming a Reiki Practitioner · West Hollywood
How to become a reiki practitioner
Becoming a reiki practitioner is a clear path, not a mystery. You begin with Level 1, where you learn to give reiki to yourself and receive your first attunements in person. Level 2 opens the practice to working with other people, including at a distance. The Master level is for those called to teach and attune others. At Word of Mouth in West Hollywood, that path is taught face to face by Jaime and Yonatan Elkayam, married Certified Reiki Master Teachers in the traditional Usui lineage.
Level 1 in a weekend · In-person attunements · Certified Reiki Master Teachers
Certified Reiki Master Teachers
Usui lineage · married teaching team
The Short Answer
How to become a reiki practitioner: the short answer
Reiki training is organized into levels, and each one is taught through attunement from a Reiki Master rather than a textbook alone. Level 1 covers the founding principles, the hand positions, chakra basics, and self-practice, so you leave able to give reiki to yourself. Level 2 introduces the reiki symbols and distance healing, which is where you learn to offer reiki to other people. Reiki Master and Master Teacher levels prepare practitioners to work more deeply and to attune and train others. If you have searched for reiki training near you and felt unsure where to start, the honest answer is that everyone begins in the same place: Level 1.
Timelines are gentle by design. Level 1 takes a single weekend. Becoming a confident practitioner takes ongoing self-practice after class, and most students practice for at least a few months before advancing. The full path from Level 1 to Reiki Master takes a minimum of several months and unfolds at your pace. Reiki is a complementary practice. It is not medical or mental-health care, and it does not diagnose or treat any condition.
Your Path
The path from curious to practicing reiki
1
Start where you are
You do not need to be healed first, and you do not need to be spiritually advanced. The steadiest practitioners we know are still learning. Curiosity and a willingness to practice are enough. Many students arrive after a session or two of their own.
2
Take Reiki Level 1 and receive your attunements
Level 1 is a weekend intensive that covers the founding principles, attunements received in person, the hand positions, chakra basics, and guided self-practice. You leave able to give reiki to yourself. This is where everyone begins.
3
Practice daily on yourself
Level 1 is your own practice first. A short daily self-treatment is how the skill settles into the body. We encourage a period of steady self-practice before you think about advancing.
4
Advance to Level 2, then Master when called
Level 2 teaches the reiki symbols and distance healing, so you can work with other people. The Master track is for those drawn to teach and attune others, with personalized mentorship along the way.
There is no finish line where you suddenly have it all figured out. Reiki is a practice you keep returning to, which is exactly what makes it a practice.
Are You Ready?
Signs you are ready to learn reiki
You do not have to feel certain to begin. If a few of these sound like you, Level 1 is a natural next step.
You want it for yourself, too
Not only to help others, but to have a steadying practice of your own. Wanting the personal benefit is a sign you are ready, not a selfish one.
Willing to practice daily
Reiki settles through repetition. If you are open to a few minutes of self-treatment most days, you have what the practice asks for.
At peace with not having it figured out
You come as you are, mid-life and mid-mess, and you learn to put your hands on your own body. Comfort with a little uncertainty is part of the work.
After the Weekend
What you leave Level 1 with
Level 1 is a foundation you can use right away. By the end of the weekend, you walk out with a real practice, not just notes.
Your Level 1 attunements
Received in person over the weekend, the way the tradition intends. Presence is part of what an attunement is.
A daily self-treatment practice
You learn to give reiki to yourself and leave with a simple routine you can keep at home.
A training manual with the hand positions
The founding principles, the hand positions, and chakra basics, written down so you can return to them.
The foundation to advance
When you feel ready, Level 2 opens the practice to working with others, including distance healing.
Your Teachers
Who teaches you to practice reiki
Jaime Elkayam is a Certified Reiki Master Teacher, Energy Medicine Practitioner, Certified Breathwork Facilitator, and Somatic Facilitator. Yonatan Elkayam is a Certified Reiki Master Teacher, Certified Breathwork Facilitator, and Classical Pilates Instructor, with 30 years of musical and vibrational study. Both trained in the traditional Usui reiki lineage.
They are married and have supported therapists, healers, and practitioners across Los Angeles for over 10 years. You learn from two Master Teachers who teach side by side, so two lineages of experience are in the room while you take your first steps. Attunements and guided practice happen in person at our private Melrose studio, because presence matters most when you are opening to this work for the first time.
Learn more about us
Good Questions
Becoming a reiki practitioner, answered
Honest answers about experience, timelines, what you can practice after each level, and what reiki training is and is not.
No. Complete beginners are the norm in Level 1. Reiki is a practice, not a faith, and it asks for curiosity and a willingness to practice, not prior training. If you are unsure whether it is for you, start with a session first. Explore reiki energy healing.
Level 1 is your own practice first, and you can share reiki with friends and family. For working with others as a practitioner, Level 2 is the generally accepted standard, because it covers the reiki symbols and distance healing protocols.
Level 1 takes a single weekend. Becoming a confident practitioner takes ongoing self-practice after class, and most students practice for a few months before advancing to Level 2. The full path to Reiki Master adds further intensives and a mentorship period, and there is no rushing it.
No. You do not need to have life figured out to learn reiki. Reiki is a practice, not a belief system, and it is practiced by people of many faiths and by secular practitioners. You come as you are, and you learn to put your hands on your own body.
Reiki Level 1 certification starts at $550, and payment plans are available for Level 1 and Reiki Master Training. See our reiki training cost page for a full breakdown of tuition and what is included at each level.
Our training is in person at the Melrose studio in West Hollywood. We believe attunements and guided practice benefit from physical presence, so we currently do not offer online-only reiki certification.
No. Reiki is a complementary practice. It is not medical or mental-health care, and it does not diagnose or treat any condition. There is no single federal accreditation body for reiki in the US, so certificates document completion of each level with a Reiki Master Teacher. If you plan to offer paid sessions, check your local licensing requirements.
Ready When You Are
Ready to begin your reiki path?
Reiki Level 1 in West Hollywood, taught in person by married Certified Reiki Master Teachers in the Usui tradition. Small cohort, in-person attunements, payment plans available. Reach out and we will help you find the right starting point.
Keep Reading
More on learning reiki
Reiki Training
The three levels of certification, taught in person by married Reiki Master Teachers in West Hollywood.
Reiki training →Reiki Level 1 Certification
A one-weekend intensive with in-person attunements, hand positions, and daily self-practice.
Level 1 certification →How to Become a Reiki Master
The Master track for those called to teach and attune others, with personalized mentorship.
Become a master →Book a Session
Not sure if training is right for you? Start with a reiki session in our private Melrose studio.
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