Attunement (Reiju)

Attunement is the heart of how Reiki is passed from teacher to student. In Japanese it is called Reiju (霊授) — often translated as "spiritual gift" or "spiritual blessing," from characters meaning to confer (or to receive) spirit. It is considered one of the original elements of Usui's system.

• What happens: The student sits quietly, often in seiza, while the teacher performs a precise energetic and physical ritual. Rather than "installing" a power, it is understood to create a safe space in which the student can draw on as much ki as they need.
• Its purpose: Practitioners describe Reiju as a way of reminding students of a connection to universal energy they already hold — an awakening rather than an addition.
• In training: A student may receive several reiju across the levels (often more in Level I, fewer at higher levels). Notably, in the Japanese tradition the original Reiju ritual stays the same at every level and uses no symbols or mantras; progress comes from personal practice, not the ceremony alone.

Attunement is best understood as a rite of remembrance — a doorway opened, then walked through by daily practice.