This page presents one Reiki II attunement sequence. Lineages vary in their symbols and steps. Explain the ceremony first and ask separately before each touch, movement, close approach, eye closure, or breath-related ritual. Offer a hands-off alternative for every step. Keep the student clothed; do not touch the head, face, shoulders, or other sensitive areas. The student may decline or stop at any time, and a spiritual intention never overrides their choice.
The student may choose a comfortable posture, Gassho, eyes open or closed, and ordinary breathing. No breathing pattern is required. Symbols being traced or visualized are ritual elements, not proof of a health effect or permanent connection.
How Do You Perform a Reiki II Attunement?
Part 1: Behind The Student
This sequence begins with the Fire Serpent and Tibetan Dai Ko Mio (TDKM), then names Usui Dai Ko Mio (UDKM), Cho Ku Rei (CKR), Sei Hei Ki (SHK), and Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen (HSZSN). A practitioner can trace these in the air or visualize them privately. Do not place hands on the student's head, manipulate their posture, hold Hui Yin, or blow toward them. Violet Breath can be omitted or treated as an optional visualization with natural breathing.
The student may return their own hands to Gassho if they wish. There is no need for the practitioner to move them.
Part 2: In Front Of The Student
This sequence includes CKR, SHK, and HSZSN at the palms. The student may trace symbols on their own hands, or the practitioner may draw them in the air at a comfortable distance. Tapping, holding hands, puffing breath, or moving the student's hands are not required.
Part 3: Behind The Student
The closing steps include a red light visualization, an affirmation, and a closing symbol. These may be offered as spiritual imagery, with the student's agreement. Do not touch the shoulders or base of the skull. An affirmation should be optional and should not claim success, healing, or a direct connection to a source.
Part 4: In Front Of The Student
A practitioner may close with a quiet pause, prayer, or hands-off gesture if the student welcomes it. Let the student reorient at their own pace. Reiki II's spiritual meaning varies by practitioner and lineage; the ceremony does not demonstrate a medical effect or a guaranteed ability to channel healing.
What second degree adds
In many Western lineages, Level II introduces three symbols, distance practice, and more emphasis on offering sessions to others. The attunement is the ritual doorway into that material; it is not the material itself. A student who has received the ceremony but has not practised the symbols has not somehow skipped the learning.
This is why a good second-degree course pairs the attunement with supervised practice. Students can try the symbols in self-treatment, give a short session to a fellow student, and ask questions about distance work. The certificate should reflect the course that was actually completed, not a promise of professional competence.
After the ceremony
Treat the close as the beginning of practice rather than the end of an experience. Offer a simple next step: use one symbol in self-Reiki for a week, or give one short hands-on session to a friend with their consent. Encourage the student to write down questions as they arise and bring them to the next meeting.
If the student reports an intense reaction, respond with care rather than interpretation. Suggest rest, water, and ordinary grounding, and let them decide whether to continue practising that day. If they feel unwell in a way that concerns them, they should seek appropriate medical advice; the ceremony is not a reason to delay it.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is letting the ceremony become a performance. Long pauses, dramatic breathwork, and mysterious pronouncements can make the teacher feel important while leaving the student uncertain about what actually happened. Clarity is kinder. Say what you are doing, keep the symbols in the air unless invited closer, and explain that the student's experience is their own.
A second mistake is promising that Level II will make someone a practitioner. It may be a step towards offering sessions, but scope, insurance, and local requirements are separate questions. A third is treating distance work as a substitute for practical arrangements such as a clear appointment time and consent. The second-degree course overview and the distance attunement guide explore those practicalities.
Related topic: Levels and attunements, Advanced Reiki training, Reiki Level 2 course, After the third degree, Attuning your students.