Is Reiki actually a scam?
September 22, 2026
Is there a Level 4 in the system of Reiki?
September 24, 2026
Reiki I is Shoden (beginner teachings), Reiki II is Okuden (inner teachings), and Shinpiden (mystery teachings) is Reiki III. Levels I and II are where you learn almost all of the practices and techniques of the system of Reiki; Shinpiden is where you learn to take a senior role in the system and how to pass the teachings on. In Japan, members might spend ten years or longer at the first two levels before moving into Shinpiden.
Reiki I is Shoden, Reiki II is Okuden, and Shinpiden is Reiki III. When you get to Reiki III, that is when you can teach others.
But Reiki I and II are where you actually learn all the information, all the practices and techniques, or most of them. They are all there for you to learn, to develop, and to spend a long time with.
If you were in Japan and a member of the association there, you would spend years and years. You might spend ten years on Reiki I and II before anyone considered making you a Shinpiden teacher.
The short version. Shoden, 初伝, the beginner teaching: precepts, meditation, hands-on healing, Reiju. Okuden, 奥伝, the inner teaching: the symbols and mantras and the techniques that use them. Shinpiden, 神秘伝, the mystery teaching: how to offer Reiju and to teach.
What to look for. A Shoden course that focusses on self-practice rather than on treating other people alone; an Okuden course that teaches the Japanese meanings of the symbols, not only how to draw them; and a gap between the levels long enough to practise.
A common misunderstanding. That Shinpiden is the advanced practice. It is the teaching level. The advanced practice is Shoden and Okuden done every day for years.
Ask your teacher this. “Tell me about your own training?” The honest answer tells you what they think the levels are for.
You might also ask: Is there a Level 4 in the system of Reiki? · What is the mystery of Shinpiden, Reiki III? · Why do most Reiki practitioners quit after Level One?
Shinpiden with me, taken slowly and properly, is Shinpiden+.
More questions answered: Reiki Questions Answered.
