What is an attunement?
An attunement is the Western method of initiating students into the system of Reiki. Attunements are integral to the system of Reiki. It is believed that Chûjirô Hayashi may have created the attunement process that is in use in the West. Attunements were initially called reiju in Japan but when the system moved to the West this changed and they became known as initiations, empowerments, attunements or transformations. Something as profound as an attunement cannot be analyzed on the human level — merely experienced. As an attunement is a powerfulclearing of the body’s meridians it is impossible to be able to undo this or ‘wipe-it-out’. Each attunement you receive taks you a step further to re-aligning yourself with the natural function of your body — mentally, physically, emotionally or spiritually. For these reasons it is also impossible to ‘make’ an attunement last for a limited period of time.
Learn more about the Reiki Attunement.
What is a Reiju?
Reiju (lit. offering of spiritual energy). Reiju is integral to MIkao Usui’s teachings. To practice the system of Reiki a reiju or attunement must first be received. it helps to strengthen the student’s connection with spiritual energy and raises their personal energy levels. This in trun gives a sense of reconnection to one’s true self. It also helps to clear the meridians allowing the student to conduct more energy through the body.
Reiju is the same for each level — there are no difference as it is the student’s ability to draw on more energy that creates the differences not the reiju itself. no symbols or mantras are used in the reiju. The reiju does not ‘attune’ the student to the symbols as is believed in the West.
The reiju appears to have links to pracctices from within the more esoteric elements of Tendai called Mikkyô. it mirrors a Tendai ritual called go shimbô also known as Dharma for Protecting the Body.
Giving (on Master’s end) and receiving (on student’s end) Reiju empowerments on a regular basis is a very good opportunity to develop intuition and sensitivity to the energy, and above all, to enable one to make small but important steps towards Satori, Enlightenment.