Reiki is not a regulated modality here in Canada so there is no guarantee that the class you end up in is the best class you can take. The Canadian Reiki Association prides itself in requiring that our Registered Teachers follow the same Teacher Guidelines across the country. This helps students, like you, know that they are receiving reputable, quality instructions that follow the highest standards around.
In terms of what you should be looking for, we would suggest that once you locate a teacher you are interested in, you ask a few questions.
- How many levels is the program they teach? Some people teach a 3 level program while other people teach a 4 level program. One style is no better than the other, it’s just a matter of what the teacher is providing. Our membership is pretty much 50/50 between the two lineages.
- What Style of Reiki do they teach? There are so many different styles of Reiki out there but again, it does not mean that one is better than the other but rather it is a personal preference. Some people find one style resonates with them more than another style. Usui is the most common style of Reiki that you will most likely come across. Holy Fire and Kuruna are also very common. Whatever style you choose to train in; stick to one style of Reiki for all Levels you take. CRA cannot accept Certificates of varying styles. If a CRA Registered Teacher accepts students into their class whose prior teachings were another style and the student tries to join CRA; it will be the Registered Teacher’s responsibility to correct this error. Please also note that if your Teacher is not registered with the CRA, we cannot regulate this.
- How many hours is the class? The CRA minimum is 8 hours for levels I and II and III (Master Practitioner – this Level applies if your Teacher teaches 4 Levels; or if you chose to take the William Rand Reiki Advanced Training which is a for 4 level program). The Master Teacher class (Level III for those taught 3 Levels and IV for those taught 4 Levels) is 12 hours. If the class you are considering to take is shorter than this, we strongly recommend that you keep looking. Please note that the minimum required hours for each Level of Reiki must consist entirely of direct instructional class time. The previous permitted allowance of 1 hour homework toward the mandatory total is no longer accepted. This update reinforces the value of supervised practice, mentorship and comprehensive in-class instruction for our students. Teaching other symbols, tools, and information above and beyond the outlined requirements is accetable and encouraged; provided the extra teachings directly relate to Reiki. Anything taught outside the basic outlined criteria set out in the Teacher Guidelines, must be taught outside the required hours for each Level.
- What content will be covered in the classes (class outlines) and will you receive a manual? You can compare the expectations from what you are told with the CRA Teacher Guidelines. These Guidelines are our bare minimum. Many of our Registered Teachers do this and more. You can find the Teacher Guidelines by clicking into the embedded link.
- Is the class online, in person or a combination of both? Our membership believes that Reiki needs to be learned in person. For this reason, we do not recognize nor do we support any online learning (including a combination of in person and online).
- If the class is in person, where will the class be located? There are a variety of locations that are used for teaching classes including rented spaces, formal business locations and even the Teacher’s home.
- Do you feel comfortable when you talk to the teacher? As a starting point, we would suggest you take a moment to:
- search our Directory to see if there is a CRA Registered Teacher near you. This link will take you to the Directory. Please use the filters to narrow the search down to “Teacher” and then the Cities around you. You can access the Directory by clicking into the embedded link, OR
- check out the CRA Calendar and Exchanges Page under our Practitioners/Teachers Page by clicking into this embedded link..
We have many Registered Practitioners who are also teaching, however they have not gone through the process of becoming a Registered Teacher, so their class Outlines have not been reviewed/approved.
10/08/26