Reiki Self-Attunement

Usui Reiki attunement is the process of cleansing the body and mind and inviting the intelligent power or life force to be a conduit for healing of oneself and others. Traditionally, this attunement was supposed to be carried out by a person who had attained the status of Reiki Master, carried back in history to the original sensei.

Some practitioners have begun teaching a self-attunement process that they claim is just as effective as the traditional methods.

In order to carry out a reiki self-attunement, you must know and understand four of the reiki symbols. The first symbol is known as Cho Ku Rei. It's commonly called the Power Symbol and roughly translated means "Put all the power of the universe here". During a traditional attunement, this symbol is drawn on the dominant hand of the practitioner and on the head of the recipient.

The second symbol used in reiki is the Sei-hei-ki or The Emotional Symbol. The English translation is "God and Humanity Become One." The traditional Reiki teaches this symbol during Level II, and uses it when there is emotional build-up or stress. It is invoked by the practitioner in the same way as Cho Ku Rei.

The third symbol needed for attunements is Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen, The Distant Healing Symbol. The English translation for this symbol is "May the Buddha in me connect to the Buddha in you." This is perhaps the heart of the entire Reiki healing philosophy. Again, the invocation of Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen is the same as the first two.