Chapter 9 — Level 2 Attunement, Practice & Certification

by

Lotus
in ,

From Learning the Symbols to Living Level 2

Throughout Level 2, you have been introduced to a deeper dimension of Reiki practice.

You have learned about:

  • Cho Ku Rei;
  • Sei He Ki;
  • Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen;
  • personal Reiki practice with the symbols;
  • distance Reiki;
  • different distance methods;
  • session structure;
  • consent and ethics;
  • and optional professional practice.

But there is an important distinction between learning about the Level 2 practices and beginning to work with them as an attuned Level 2 Reiki practitioner.

Within the Usui Reiki tradition, the Level 2 attunement comes before your formal practice with the Level 2 symbols.

You may study the symbols before your attunement.

You may learn their names.

You may become familiar with their forms, traditional purposes, and the way they are used.

But the attunement marks the threshold at which you begin practicing with them as part of your Level 2 Reiki practice.

You May Book Your Level 2 Attunement at Any Time During This Course

You do not need to wait until you have finished every Level 2 chapter before receiving your attunement.

You may book your Level 2 attunement at any point while working through the Level 2 course.

Some students prefer to receive it near the beginning.

This allows them to study the symbols and immediately begin experiencing them within their own Reiki practice.

Others prefer to read several chapters first so they have some familiarity with the symbols and the Level 2 framework before the attunement.

Either approach is fine.

The important principle is:

receive your Level 2 attunement before beginning your formal Level 2 symbol and distance Reiki practice.

A simple way to think about the course is:

Learn → Receive the Attunement → Practice → Integrate → Certify

The learning and attunement may overlap.

You do not need to finish all of the learning before receiving the attunement.

But practice follows attunement.

Before Your Attunement

Before the Level 2 attunement, you are welcome to familiarize yourself with:

  • the names of the three symbols;
  • their visual forms;
  • their traditional meanings;
  • their place within Reiki;
  • the Level 2 symbol sequence;
  • and the principles of distance Reiki.

You may study how the symbols are drawn.

You may trace their shapes for memorization.

You may review the chapters explaining their purpose.

This is preparation and study.

It is different from formally invoking and using the symbols within an attuned Reiki practice.

That distinction is important.

Why the Attunement Comes Before Practice

Within Reiki tradition, attunement is not simply a ceremony added after the intellectual learning has been completed.

It is part of the transmission of Reiki itself.

At Level 2, the attunement deepens the practitioner’s relationship with Reiki and establishes their relationship with the Level 2 symbols.

The symbols are therefore not treated merely as shapes that anyone can copy and use mechanically.

They belong within the larger system of:

teaching, attunement, practice, and experience.

You can see a symbol before attunement.

You can learn its name.

You can study its traditional purpose.

But receiving the Level 2 attunement marks your entry into actually practicing with it as a Level 2 Reiki practitioner.

The Level 2 Attunement

The Level 2 attunement is another threshold on the Reiki path.

At Level 1, the attunement established the foundation for self-Reiki and in-person Reiki practice.

At Level 2, the attunement deepens that relationship and opens the practitioner into the practices associated with the Level 2 symbols and distance Reiki.

Within Reiki’s spiritual framework, the attunement may be understood as strengthening, aligning, or opening the practitioner’s connection with Reiki at this stage of the path.

It is not merely a test.

It is not a performance.

And it is not something you need to earn by demonstrating dramatic spiritual experiences.

It is an initiation into the next level of practice.

Preparing for Your Level 2 Attunement

Preparation can remain gentle.

In the days before your attunement, you may wish to:

  • continue your Level 1 self-Reiki;
  • practice Gassho;
  • reflect on the Five Reiki Principles;
  • review what you have learned so far in Level 2;
  • become familiar with the names and forms of the Level 2 symbols;
  • rest adequately;
  • and spend some quiet time considering your intention.

You do not need extreme fasting.

You do not need elaborate purification.

You do not need to withdraw from ordinary life.

Simply arrive with sincerity and presence.

A Level 2 Attunement Intention

You may hold an intention such as:

I open myself to deepening my relationship with Reiki and to entering Level 2 practice with humility, clarity, compassion, and respect.

Or:

May I become a clearer conduit for Reiki and practice according to what is most appropriate, for the highest good of all involved.

You do not need to force a particular experience.

Simply receive.

During the Attunement

Allow yourself to be present.

Sit comfortably.

Follow the instructions given for the attunement.

You may bring your hands into Gassho when guided.

Breathe naturally.

If thoughts arise, allow them to pass.

If emotion appears, notice it.

If you see colours or imagery, receive the experience without needing to explain it.

If the attunement feels completely quiet, that is also fine.

There is no required sensation.

Do Not Measure the Attunement by Sensation

You may experience:

  • warmth;
  • tingling;
  • pulsing;
  • lightness;
  • heaviness;
  • emotional movement;
  • imagery;
  • colours;
  • stillness;
  • sleepiness;
  • a feeling of spaciousness;
  • dreams afterward;
  • or nothing particularly unusual.

None of these experiences determines whether your attunement was successful.

A dramatic attunement does not make someone more advanced.

A quiet attunement does not make someone less receptive.

The deeper question comes afterward:

How will you practice?

After the Attunement: Begin Your Level 2 Practice

Once you have received your Level 2 attunement, you may begin formally practicing with the Level 2 symbols.

This is where the material you have been studying becomes experiential.

Return to:

Cho Ku Rei

Sei He Ki

Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen

Now begin working with them within Reiki.

Draw.

Invoke.

Practice.

Observe.

Let familiarity grow.

The attunement opens the threshold.

Practice is what allows you to walk through it.

Begin With Yourself

Even though Level 2 introduces distance Reiki, your first practices after attunement should still return to yourself.

Use the symbols in self-Reiki.

Bring them into Gassho.

Meditate with them.

Work with them alongside the Five Reiki Principles.

Notice how they feel within your own practice.

Do not immediately rush toward increasingly elaborate distance sessions.

Before expanding outward, deepen inward.

Practice the Three Level 2 Symbols

After attunement, begin practicing:

Cho Ku Rei

Work with its traditional relationship to focusing and strengthening Reiki.

Sei He Ki

Explore its relationship with mental, emotional, and harmonious aspects of practice.

Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen

Begin developing your relationship with the distance symbol and the mystery of Reiki beyond ordinary physical proximity.

As taught throughout this manual, draw each symbol carefully while silently repeating its name three times.

Practice the Full Layered Sequence

Within the Moon Petal Healing approach, practice:

Cho Ku Rei
→ Sei He Ki
→ Cho Ku Rei
→ Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen
→ Cho Ku Rei

Silently repeat the name of each symbol three times while drawing it.

At first, practice slowly.

There is no need to rush.

Let the sequence become familiar.

Let your hands learn it.

Let your awareness learn it.

Over time, it may become increasingly natural.

A Suggested 21-Day Level 2 Integration

After receiving your Level 2 attunement, begin a twenty-one-day Level 2 integration practice.

The twenty-one days provide a container for consistency.

They are not a detox.

They are not a period in which you must search for a “healing crisis.”

They are not a magical deadline.

They are simply an opportunity to return to Reiki every day long enough for the new practice to become familiar.

Your daily practice may include:

  • Gassho;
  • the Five Reiki Principles;
  • Level 2 symbol practice;
  • self-Reiki;
  • and brief reflection.

Some days may be longer.

Some may be very simple.

What matters is returning.

If You Miss a Day

A missed day does not erase your progress.

Do not become anxious.

Do not assume that you must begin the entire twenty-one days again unless that structure genuinely supports you.

Return.

The deeper lesson remains:

When I lose the rhythm, I know how to return.

Reiki practice is built through returning.

Not through perfection.

Week 1 — Become Familiar With the Symbols

During the first week after attunement, focus primarily on yourself and the symbols.

Each day:

Begin in Gassho

Settle into Reiki.

Practice Cho Ku Rei

Draw it while silently repeating its name three times.

Pause.

Notice.

Practice Sei He Ki

Draw it while silently repeating its name three times.

Pause.

Notice.

Practice Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen

Draw it while silently repeating its name three times.

Pause.

Notice.

Practice the Layered Sequence

Use:

CKR → SHK → CKR → HSZSN → CKR

Offer Self-Reiki

Allow the symbols to become part of your own Reiki practice.

Reflect

Notice what arose without demanding an interpretation.

The purpose of this week is relationship.

Not performance.

Week 2 — Introduce Distance Reiki

During the second week, continue self-Reiki while beginning to practice Reiki across distance.

Choose a consenting friend, family member, or fellow practitioner.

Begin simply.

You may use:

  • a photograph;
  • a written name;
  • a surrogate;
  • your hands;
  • visualization;
  • or another distance method taught in this manual.

Prepare.

Centre.

Invoke the symbols.

Establish the distance connection.

Offer Reiki.

Close.

Release.

Then reflect.

Week 3 — Integrate the Practice

During the third week, continue using the symbols and distance Reiki while paying closer attention to the quality of your practice.

Notice:

  • whether you strain;
  • whether you try to push Reiki;
  • whether you become attached to a specific result;
  • whether you try to diagnose;
  • whether you seek validation from the recipient;
  • whether you can allow quiet sessions;
  • whether you can release the recipient after the session.

Level 2 is not only about adding techniques.

It is about deepening how you practice.

Distance Reiki Practice Before Certification

Once attuned, complete several distance Reiki sessions before Level 2 certification.

A useful minimum is:

three to five distance Reiki sessions

with one or more consenting recipients.

The purpose is not to accumulate numbers.

It is to gain enough experience that distance Reiki is no longer purely theoretical.

One session may feel powerful.

Another may feel very quiet.

One recipient may report warmth.

Another may fall asleep.

Another may notice very little.

Practice teaches you to remain steady through all of these possibilities.

Practice More Than One Distance Method

Before certification, explore at least two distance Reiki methods.

For example:

  • photograph;
  • written name;
  • surrogate;
  • hands;
  • visualization;
  • direct intention.

You may eventually strongly prefer one.

That is fine.

The goal is not to force every method into your long-term practice.

It is to experience several ways of establishing and holding the distance Reiki container.

Keep a Level 2 Practice Journal

A simple practice journal can help you observe your development.

For each practice, you might record:

Date

Practice type

Symbols used

Distance method

Approximate duration

Intention

What I noticed

What I interpreted

Recipient feedback, if applicable

What I learned

The distinction between observation and interpretation remains important.

Example Practice Entry

Practice: Distance Reiki

Method: Photograph

Symbols: Full layered sequence

Intention: Reiki according to what is most appropriate for the recipient, for their highest good.

Observation: My hands became warm and my attention repeatedly returned to the upper body.

Interpretation: I wondered whether that area was significant, but I did not know.

Recipient Feedback: They felt sleepy and relaxed.

Reflection: I noticed that I wanted the feedback to confirm what I had experienced. I practiced releasing that need.

That is meaningful Level 2 learning.

Reiki Does Not Need Diagnosis

As you develop more confidence with distance Reiki, remember:

Reiki does not need you to diagnose the recipient.

Within the traditional spiritual understanding of Reiki, Reiki is offered holistically and trusted to go where it is needed.

If someone experiences shoulder pain, for example, the full source of that discomfort may involve structures or processes elsewhere in the body.

The practitioner does not need to determine that source.

That is not the Reiki practitioner’s role.

You do not need to intellectually direct Reiki toward what you believe needs healing.

You do not need to know where the deepest source lies.

You are the conduit.

You do not diagnose.

You do not personally perform the healing.

You allow Reiki to do its work according to what is most appropriate for the recipient, for their highest good.

Practice Releasing the Outcome

After a session, notice whether you begin wondering:

Did it work?

Did they feel Reiki?

Was the session powerful enough?

Why haven’t they messaged me?

Should I send more?

This is part of the practice too.

Release.

You were responsible for offering Reiki with integrity.

You were not responsible for controlling the recipient’s experience.

Within Reiki’s spiritual framework, Reiki is trusted to work according to what is appropriate for the recipient, for their highest good.

Practice Consent Until It Feels Natural

Before every distance session with another person:

ask.

Confirm.

Respect.

Consent should become as natural to your Reiki practice as Gassho.

If someone declines, accept it.

If someone changes their mind, stop.

If they cannot directly consent, follow the ethical principles discussed earlier in this manual.

Spiritual connection does not override autonomy.

What You Should Understand Before Certification

Before completing Level 2, you should be able to explain in your own words:

The role of the Level 2 attunement

It precedes formal practice with the Level 2 symbols and marks your entry into this stage of Reiki practice.

The three Level 2 symbols

Cho Ku Rei, Sei He Ki, and Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen.

How the symbols are invoked

Draw the symbol and silently repeat its name three times.

The layered sequence taught here

CKR → SHK → CKR → HSZSN → CKR

What distance Reiki is

Reiki offered beyond ordinary physical proximity.

Why diagnosis is unnecessary

Reiki is offered holistically within its traditional spiritual framework, and the practitioner serves as a conduit rather than a diagnostician.

What “clear conduit” means

You do not manufacture Reiki or personally perform the healing.

What “for their highest good” means

You release the need to define or control the outcome.

Why consent matters

Oneness does not erase autonomy.

How to close and release a distance Reiki session

Clearly and consciously.

Level 2 Certification Requirements

Within the Moon Petal Healing Reiki path, Level 2 certification requires:

1. Complete the Level 2 Learning Material

Study all Level 2 chapters.

2. Receive Your Level 2 Attunement

You may book and receive your attunement at any point during the Level 2 course.

It must be received before beginning your formal Level 2 symbol and distance Reiki practice.

3. Complete a 21-Day Post-Attunement Integration Practice

Practice Level 2 Reiki consistently after your attunement.

4. Practice the Three Level 2 Symbols

Work with:

  • Cho Ku Rei;
  • Sei He Ki;
  • Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen.

5. Practice the Full Layered Sequence

Use:

CKR → SHK → CKR → HSZSN → CKR

while silently repeating each symbol’s name three times as you draw it.

6. Complete Distance Reiki Practice

Offer at least several distance Reiki sessions to consenting recipients.

7. Explore More Than One Distance Method

Practice at least two approaches to distance Reiki.

8. Demonstrate Ethical Understanding

Understand:

  • consent;
  • autonomy;
  • privacy;
  • scope;
  • non-diagnosis;
  • boundaries;
  • and release of outcome.

9. Complete Personal Reflection

Reflect on your experience of the attunement, symbols, distance Reiki, ethics, and your developing role as a conduit.

These requirements are designed to create integration.

Not spiritual perfection.

Certification Is Not Mastery

A Level 2 certificate does not mean:

I have mastered Reiki.

It means:

I have completed the study, attunement, integration, and foundational practice required for Reiki Level 2.

Your experience will continue to deepen.

Some sessions will remain mysterious.

Some will be quiet.

Some may surprise you.

You will continue returning to Reiki.

That is the path.

Professional Practice Remains Optional

Level 2 certification does not require you to become a professional practitioner.

You may practice Reiki:

  • for yourself;
  • with family;
  • with consenting friends;
  • within Reiki circles;
  • or as part of your spiritual life.

You may also choose to build a professional practice if that genuinely calls to you and you are prepared for the responsibilities involved.

Neither path is spiritually superior.

Do Not Rush Toward the Master Level

Once Level 2 is complete, allow yourself to remain with it.

Practice.

Live with the symbols.

Explore Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen.

Offer distance Reiki.

Receive Reiki.

Observe how your relationship with Reiki changes.

There is no prize for moving through levels quickly.

The Master level will still be there.

Readiness matters more than speed.

A Level 2 Closing Practice

At the end of your twenty-one-day integration period, you may choose to mark the completion of Level 2 with a simple personal Reiki practice.

Sit quietly.

Bring your hands into Gassho.

Reflect on your path from Level 1 to Level 2.

Then invoke:

Cho Ku Rei

Sei He Ki

Cho Ku Rei

Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen

Cho Ku Rei

Silently repeat each name three times as you draw it.

Pause.

Offer yourself Reiki.

You may hold:

May I continue to walk the Reiki path with humility, clarity, compassion, discernment, and trust. May I remain a clear conduit for Reiki and offer this practice according to what is most appropriate, for the highest good of all involved.

Rest in Reiki.

Then close in Gassho.

Let the practice be enough.

Completing Level 2

Level 2 introduces new tools.

New symbols.

New ways of practicing.

New questions about distance, time, connection, and oneness.

But it also deepens an old lesson:

you are not the source.

You learn to connect without possessing.

Offer without forcing.

Notice without diagnosing.

Care without controlling.

Trust without demanding certainty.

And remain open to mystery without abandoning discernment.

The attunement opens the Level 2 practice.

The symbols give form to it.

Distance Reiki expands it.

Ethics protect it.

And repeated practice allows it to become part of you.

Looking Ahead

When you are ready, the Reiki Master level will deepen the path again.

You will explore:

  • entering the Master level;
  • the Master symbol;
  • the art of attunement;
  • teaching Reiki;
  • student safety and ethics;
  • certification standards;
  • creating a teaching practice;
  • and the Master’s ongoing practice.

But nothing essential is left behind.

Self-Reiki remains.

Gassho remains.

The Five Reiki Principles remain.

Cho Ku Rei remains.

Sei He Ki remains.

Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen remains.

Consent remains.

Humility remains.

And the practitioner remains the conduit.

Before moving forward, stay with Level 2 long enough to let it become lived practice.

Because a Reiki level is not completed merely when you have read the final chapter.

It becomes part of your path when you have:

learned,

received,

practiced,

integrated,

and finally,

learned to let Reiki do its work.