Can Reiki really be taught online? 🌟
If this question has crossed your mind, you’re definitely not alone because it’s an important one to ask! There’s still a lot of uncertainty out there about whether it’s genuinely possible to learn Reiki online. Can the attunement really happen at a distance? Is an online certification as valid as in-person training? Will you miss something important by not sitting in a physical classroom?
I’m going to do my best to answer all of that today, honestly, and with over a decade of experience teaching Reiki to students all around the world behind me 🙏
🚨 SPOILER: the answer is a resounding yes! 🤩
And as many of my students have told me, their online experience has actually been even better than the in-person training they’d done before. Let me tell you why…
Reiki is energy - it's not bound by anything 💫
The idea that Reiki must be learned “in person” is based on tradition, not on anything inherent to how Reiki energy actually works.
Reiki is energy. It is not bound by geography, by walls, by the same room, or even by time. The Universal Life Force Energy flows whenever and wherever it’s needed. That means teaching it, learning it, and receiving it can happen just as powerfully online as it can in person.
What’s changed is the technology and the quality of online education available to us today 🖥️ A thoughtfully designed online Reiki course gives you rich video content, comprehensive manuals, a detailed workbook, direct access to your teacher, and the ability to learn at your own pace — whenever and wherever works for you.
There’s no commute, no fixed class time, and no need to rearrange your life around someone else’s schedule.
What about the Attunement? Can that really happen remotely? ✨
I love being asked this question because it gives me the opportunity to talk about one of the most beautiful aspects of Reiki: its energy is based on love and love has no bounds 💫💗
So yes, a distance attunement can definitely be done remotely and it is absolutely real 🪷
The Distance Student Reiki Attunement Ceremony is the energetic process whereby a Master Teacher re-connects you (one would even say “helps you remember the connection” because you were never disconnected to begin with) to the Universal Life Force Energy so you can better channel it for your healing purposes.
Because Reiki itself transcends physical distance, this is built into Reiki’s own principles through the Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen (Distance) Symbol; thus, the attunement can happen completely remotely. This isn’t a workaround or a compromise. It’s simply how our loving energy works 😉
I’ve been performing my Distance Student Reiki Attunement Ceremonies for my students since 2014. My process is personal and intentional: I connect energetically with students after they’ve confirmed their ceremony date and time with me, perform the ceremony completely remotely, and then email them everything — the date, time frame, and any observations I made during our energetic connection. I do this completely offline, with as little electrical interference as possible, in order to allow my energy to best channel to the ceremony recipients.
In my Reiki 1, 2 and Master course, your Distance Student Reiki Attunement Ceremony covers all three levels — so one complete, powerful process that opens you fully to Reiki at every level of the practice. This is designed specifically for the fact the course is 100% self-paced. By doing the ceremony this way, you control the speed at which you desire to bolster your healing gifts ☺️
I also outline this same topic in the “Can you learn Reiki online and have a Reiki Attunement Ceremony done via distance” question on my FAQ page.
Will I Miss Out by Not Learning in a Classroom? 🤔
This is a fair question! Being in a room with other people gives you something that online learning simply can’t replicate – and that’s the denser vibratory connection of being “materially” with others because your physically in the same location.
I personally believe community is genuinely and highly valuable (which is why my course includes access to the Reiki Student Community!), but the idea that “in-person” learning automatically negate distance learning because of this – for me – simply doesn’t hold up.
How so? Well, let my students (who had already trained in person) said after completing the Natural Healer™Reiki 1, 2 and Master course:
“I had Reiki 1, 2 and Master training over 30 years ago and although I remember it fondly, I have to say I actually learned more in this online course.” — Lisa McMurrich
“I’d already paid hundreds for a non-accredited in-person Reiki course… I found I actually learned more through Natural Healer.” — Maria E.
“I have previously had in-person training for several modalities. None of them have been as impressive as this particular course.” — Brian S.
“I’ve taken in-person level 1 and 2 Reiki training and I may have actually received more information through this course.” — Kelsey
“Easily the best certification learning experience, and I’ve had many in 42 years of healthcare.” — Billy James Brown
Please note, these comments aren’t outliers — they’re a reflection of something I see again and again. When learning is self-paced, you can pause, revisit, absorb, and truly integrate the material. You’re not racing to keep up with a class or trying to recall something from a session weeks ago.
That little (yet extremely important subtlety) adds to your depth of understanding, which makes a real difference — especially in a practice as nuanced and personal as Reiki.
Is online Reiki certification valid and recognised? 🏅
💯 Yes, especially when the course is well-structured and the certification is accredited. However, I’d like to make a diversion about something that’s very important to me…
When the instruction (irrespective of the subject) comes from a teacher or school who’s taken the time to cultivate their own knowledge and skills, and to then use that experience to genuinely support their student’s journey – so they learn to believe in themselves – to then arrive just where they’re meant to be once done – that’s the most important part of the entire process. At least, that’s what it is for me as an instructor.
As such, Natural Healer™ certifications represent more than just the theory, content, and practice sessions. Natural Healer™ certifications represent patience, gratitude, and love.
So the question which (again, in my opinion) that’s just as important to ask as any is: does my qualification actually encapsulate the values which Reiki embodies? Did my instructor help me believe in my own abilities and goodness?
With all that said though, remember that Reiki certification is not regulated by any government body, which means the quality and recognition of a certification varies significantly depending on the school and its accreditations.
Natural Healer™ is a board-certified, accredited school, and our Reiki certifications are recognised by:
- The American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP) — USA
- The International Natural Healers Association (INHA) — USA and Worldwide
- The Complementary Therapists Accredited Association (CTAA) — Worldwide
- The International Association of Therapists (IAOT) — UK and Worldwide
- The Massage Association of Australia (MAA) — AUS
- The Natural Healer Society (NHS) — Worldwide
Whether you’re in Australia, the USA, the UK, or anywhere else in the world, your Natural Healer™ certification carries genuine, internationally recognised weight – and is infused with love 💕
Furthermore, if you’re planning to offer Reiki sessions professionally, you’ll also need liability insurance, and an accredited certification is exactly what insurance providers will want to see for coverage. Most energy healers simply need to be qualified by certification, hold liability insurance, and operate as a legal business in their country or state. This shows you how Reiki is a wonderfully accessible path into a professional practice!
Curious about accreditation in more detail? I cover all of this in How to Choose a Reiki Certification Course Online.
What does learning Reiki online look like? 💻
My Reiki 1, 2 and Master course is entirely self-paced, meaning you learn on your terms. Early mornings, lunch breaks, late evenings, quiet Sunday afternoons — whatever fits your life right now ☺️
Here’s what’s included when you enrol:
- Full Distance Student Reiki Attunement Ceremony covering Reiki Levels 1, 2 and Master
- 15 comprehensive chapters — from Reiki history and the Five Principles through to advanced Master-level techniques and symbols
- Complete Reiki manual (downloadable PDF)
- Downloadable workbook (optional)
- Video lessons walking you through key practices and techniques
- MP3 audio content
- Accredited certificates upon graduation
- Lifetime access to all course materials — revisit any time
- Priority support from Melissa directly
- Access to the Reiki Student Community — connect with fellow students, find practice partners, ask questions
- Exclusive discounts on other courses, crystals, and books
- FREE Natural Healer Society membership upon graduation (valued at $99)
You’ll learn how to perform Reiki on yourself, on others, and on animals. You’ll work with the Reiki symbols, develop your hand positions, understand the energetic principles behind the practice, and emerge as a fully certified Reiki Master — ready to practice with others or simply live with Reiki as your foundation.
Why I teach Reiki online and why I believe in It deeply 💖
I certified as a Usui Reiki Master Teacher on 14 February 2014 via the Yogananda Institute — and I have been teaching online ever since. Not because it’s the easy option, but because I genuinely believe that Reiki should be available to everyone, not just those who happen to live near a teacher, or who can afford to travel, or whose schedule fits someone else’s class times.
Natural Healer™ was founded with one clear purpose: to bring high-quality, heart-centred healing education to everyday people, wherever they are in the world. In over a decade of teaching (and with more than 1,100+ five-star reviews) I’ve seen what becomes possible when people have genuine, accessible, well-structured Reiki education.
You don’t need to be in the same room as me to feel the energy of this work. You just need an open heart. And from where I’m sitting, that’s the most Reiki thing of all 💫
No matter what it is that’s brought you here right now, please remember:
- You belong here.
- You are worthy.
- You are valued.
- You are loved.
Please pack those truths under your belt for this incredible journey we call life!
Ready to begin? 💫 View the Reiki 1, 2 and Master Certification Course here.
As ever, big love to you 💖 Melissa
What about Natural Healer's Reiki 1, 2 and Maser course? 💖
Does the price include everything?
Yes! The price you see is fully inclusive for all the courses listed above and includes your Distance Reiki Student Attunement Ceremony (for Levels 1, 2 and Master), instant online access (via the Student Platform), ability to download all the course materials (such as the PDF handbooks and workbooks, PDF posters, MP3 audios, and more), your accredited certificates (PDF) once graduated, and much more!
What else is included? View all the extra special inclusions by scrolling down the page! In short, students get lifetime access to course materials, priority support, exclusive discounts for other courses, crystals, and ‘hard copy’ books, plus a variety of extra bonuses! Also, graduates receive FREE Natural Healer Society Membership (valued at $99)!
Can you learn Reiki online?
Can Reiki Attunement Ceremonies be done at a distance?
Yes! Attunements can be done via distance! How? Because Reiki is energy healing – and energy healing has no boundaries or time-restraints – there are no limitations on the ability to attune students from afar. Reiki healing can be done at a distance which means the ceremonies can by done at a distance too!
To further clarify, Melissa connects energetically with students (after they have confirmed their ceremony date and time with her) and performs the ceremony completely remotely. After the ceremony is done, Melissa emails all the information about it (date, time frame and so on) to each student, including any observations she made.
Can I ask questions while I'm learning?
Yes! You can ask questions throughout the course! Melissa makes herself available to help guide her students at any point during their learning journey. Students can directly ask Melissa questions in two different ways: either (1) within the course itself using our “Lecture Discussions” feature. This allows Melissa and the student to converse within the course content itself.
And (2) via the Reiki Student Community, which allows students to chat with Melissa – and with other students if they wish – to ask questions, share experiences, find practice buddies, and more! In either scenario, Melissa will respond and converse directly with students there.
You can also view our FAQ page here, which has answers to our most “Frequently Asked Questions” about learning with Natural Healer, starting a business, and so on.