What Do You Learn in Reiki Level 1?

Reiki Level 1, traditionally called Shoden, is the beginner level of Reiki training. It is where you learn how to connect with Reiki energy, how to practise self-healing, and how to offer simple Reiki treatments to family, friends, and eventually clients if you choose to continue your training.

A good Reiki Level 1 course should not leave you with only a certificate and a few vague ideas. It should give you practical confidence: where to place your hands, how to sense energy, how to stay grounded, what to do when you feel unsure, and how to build a simple daily practice after the course.

At Om Reiki Centre, our Reiki 1 course in Melbourne is taught as a two-day weekend course in Fitzroy North, with pre-course preparation, hands-on practice, attunements, post-course support, and a 21-day follow-up program.

1. What Reiki Is and How It Works

Before you can practise Reiki well, you need a clear understanding of what it is. Reiki is a Japanese energy-healing system that uses life-force energy to support balance, relaxation, clarity, and healing. In Level 1, you learn the basic principles behind Reiki without needing to become mystical, vague, or dogmatic about it.

You should come away understanding the difference between forcing energy and allowing energy, why relaxation matters, and why Reiki is usually practised through gentle hand positions rather than effort or concentration.

2. Reiki Attunements

One of the central parts of Reiki Level 1 is receiving attunements, sometimes called Reiju. These are the energetic initiations that help open your system to Reiki and make it easier to channel the energy through your hands.

Different students experience attunements differently. Some feel heat, tingling, light, emotion, stillness, or a deep sense of peace. Others feel very little at the time but notice changes later. The important thing is not to chase a dramatic experience, but to learn how to work with Reiki in a grounded and reliable way.

3. Self-Healing Practice

Reiki Level 1 begins with self-healing. You learn a sequence of hand positions you can use on yourself, along with ways to practise daily without making it complicated. This is one of the most important parts of the course because your own practice becomes the foundation for any healing you later offer to others.

Self-healing can be used for relaxation, emotional balance, grounding, clearer sleep, meditation, and general energetic maintenance. It is simple enough for beginners, but deep enough to keep developing for years.

4. How to Give Reiki to Other People

Once you have begun learning self-healing, Level 1 introduces you to giving Reiki to others. You learn practical hand positions, how to begin and end a session, how to stay centred, and how to avoid taking on someone else's emotional or energetic state.

In a proper in-person course, this needs hands-on supervised practice. It is one thing to read about Reiki; it is another thing to place your hands, feel the energy begin to flow, receive feedback, and discover that you can actually do it.

5. Energy Sensing and Byosen

Many Reiki Level 1 courses also introduce energy sensing, traditionally known in Japanese Reiki as Byosen. This means learning to notice differences in heat, tingling, pressure, pulsing, heaviness, or other sensations that may arise as you practise.

The point is not to become obsessed with sensations. The point is to become more sensitive, more present, and more able to notice what is happening while still allowing Reiki to do the work.

6. Grounding, Protection, and Energetic Boundaries

Beginners often worry about whether they can pick up other people's energy. A good Reiki Level 1 course should teach you how to stay grounded, how to clear yourself, and how to practise with healthy boundaries.

This is especially important for naturally sensitive people, empaths, counsellors, massage therapists, yoga teachers, and anyone who already tends to absorb the moods of people around them.

7. Reiki Principles and Daily Practice

Reiki is not just a technique. It also includes simple principles for daily life, traditionally expressed through the Reiki precepts. In Level 1, you learn how these principles support your practice and help you become calmer, clearer, and less reactive.

The real value comes after the weekend, when you begin integrating Reiki into ordinary life: a few minutes before sleep, a self-treatment when stressed, or a regular practice that steadily deepens over time.

8. What You Can Do After Reiki Level 1

After Reiki Level 1, most students practise on themselves, family, friends, pets, or plants. Some people simply want Reiki for personal growth and self-care. Others eventually move on to Reiki Level 2, where they learn the Reiki symbols, distance healing, and deeper mental-emotional work.

If your long-term goal is professional practice, Level 1 is the beginning, not the whole pathway. You will usually want Level 2, regular practice, mentoring, insurance, and eventually possibly Reiki Master Level if you feel called to teach.

How to Choose a Reiki Level 1 Course

Look for a course that includes real attunements, supervised hands-on practice, clear teaching, an experienced teacher, post-course support, and enough time to practise properly. A weekend format is often ideal because it gives the training space to settle rather than rushing everything into a few hours.

If you are comparing options, you may also find our guide on how to choose a Reiki course in Australia useful.

Learn Reiki Level 1 in Melbourne

Om Reiki Centre teaches Reiki Level 1 in Fitzroy North, Melbourne, with a practical, grounded approach that includes traditional Japanese Reiki, hands-on practice, attunements, a video portal, 21-day follow-up, practice nights, and ongoing support.

You can see current dates and enrolment options on our Melbourne Reiki 1 course page.

(Article by Jeremy O'Carroll)