Eastern vs Western Reiki: Key Differences, Similarities, and How to Choose

When learning Reiki, there are countless options of lineages and teachers to study from. After Mikao Usui founded Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai in 1922, many of his students naturally interpreted his teachings in their own ways. Over the decades, these teachings adapted to the cultures and times in which they were practiced.

In the West, Reiki spread through Mrs. Hawayo Takata, who brought the practice from Japan to Hawaii in the late 1930s and later to the mainland U.S. Teachers such as Phyllis Lei Furumoto, Paul Mitchell, and William Lee Rand helped Reiki grow and flourish in new communities. Along the way, some lineages blended Reiki with other healing modalities such as shamanism, crystal healing, or sound therapy.

In Japan, Reiki traditions carried forward through the Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai and teachers like Hiroshi Doi (founder of Gendai Reiki Hō) and Tadao Yamaguchi (Jikiden Reiki). While each teacher’s interpretation may differ, Japanese Reiki tends to place a strong emphasis on spiritual practice, meditation, and daily integration.

In this post, I’ll share some of the key differences between Eastern and Western Reiki. My hope is that this highlights the richness of both perspectives, not to create division. Reiki is ultimately about connection—with ourselves, with life force energy, and with one another.

Hands-On Healing and Meditation

One of the main differences you’ll notice is the emphasis of practice.

• Western Reiki often centers around hands-on healing. Students learn hand positions, how to give treatments, and what sensations or experiences might arise. Meditation may be included, but it is not always the foundation of practice.
• Eastern Reiki balances hands-on healing with meditation, the Precepts, and reiju (spiritual blessings). Japanese traditions highlight posture, breath, and cultivating a calm mind—believing that these qualities naturally strengthen one’s ability to channel Reiki.

Both approaches are meaningful. Hands-on healing in the West often becomes meditative in itself, while in the East, meditation creates the foundation for hands-on healing.

Reiki as Self-Practice and Reiki as Treatment

In the West, many people discover Reiki as a healing treatment. It may be offered in wellness centers, hospitals, or private sessions—similar to massage therapy or acupuncture. Many students also choose Reiki training with the intention of becoming practitioners for others.

In Eastern Reiki traditions, Reiki has often been practiced as a way of life. Students learn Reiki not only to support others but to care for their own body, mind, and spirit. Self-practice and daily cultivation are at the center, with treatments for others being a natural extension.

Neither path is better than the other. It’s simply a different emphasis: Reiki as a tool for healing others, and Reiki as a practice of personal transformation.

Attunements and Ongoing Reiju

How Reiki is passed from teacher to student also varies.

• In the West, students receive attunements during each level of training. These are often seen as permanent initiations that “open” someone to Reiki.
• In Japan, students regularly receive reiju (spiritual blessings) from their teachers. These were not a one-time event but an ongoing offering, deepening the student’s connection with Reiki over time.

The philosophy behind this is that Reiki unfolds gradually. Rather than a single moment of awakening, the practice ripens with ongoing guidance, much like watering a plant.

Results vs Presence

In the West, people often look to Reiki for results. We might measure the success of a session by the sensations felt, the release of emotions, or the physical improvements noticed afterward. Sessions can be fascinating and even life-changing in this way.

In Japanese Reiki, the focus is more on cultivating presence and inner peace. The goal is often described as anshin ritsumei—a state of being content no matter what life brings. Reiki is not only about what happens during a session but how you live afterward: the peace you carry, the kindness you extend, the calmness of your mind.

Both perspectives remind us that Reiki supports us—whether through immediate shifts or through the gentle unfolding of peace over time.

Intuition in Reiki Practice

Another difference lies in how intuition is approached.

• In traditional Japanese Reiki, psychic or intuitive readings are not part of the practice. Reiki is about balancing life force. While intuitive experiences may arise naturally, they are not the main focus.
• In some Western Reiki lineages, intuitive development is included. Practitioners may learn to share impressions, guidance, or messages during sessions. This can be meaningful for clients, though it can also lead to differing expectations.

Neither is right or wrong—it depends on the practitioner, the lineage, and what feels aligned with their natural gifts.

Chakras and Tandens

Energy anatomy is taught differently in East and West.

• Western Reiki often incorporates the chakra system from ancient India. Chakras offer a framework that helps explain the energy that practitioners are sensing, connecting mind, body, and spirit.
• Japanese Reiki often teaches about the tandens, three energy centers in the body:
  • Sho Tanden (upper tanden at the head) – associated with spiritual energy
  • Chu Tanden (middle tanden at the chest) – connected with human and heart energy
  • Ka Tanden (lower tanden at the abdomen) – the center of grounding and earthly energy

While they look different on the surface, both chakras and tandens help us understand the subtle flow of energy within us. There are many parallels are similarities between these philosophies.

Reiki Symbols: Using vs Becoming

Symbols are also understood in unique ways.

• In Western Reiki, symbols are often “used” as tools. Practitioners may draw or visualize them to activate specific qualities of Reiki.
• In Eastern Reiki, symbols and mantras are more often approached as meditation practices. By chanting, visualizing, and contemplating them, practitioners gradually embody their essence. Over time, the symbol becomes less something we “use” and more something we become.

Reiki Certification and Levels

In the West, Reiki is often taught in three levels: Reiki I, Reiki II, and Reiki Master/Teacher. Certificates are milestones, and students often see them as progress markers on their path.

In Japanese traditions, progression is less about certification and more about practice. Attunements are seen as openings, but the real deepening comes from daily commitment to Reiki. The Precepts, meditation, and reiju remain central throughout one’s life, not just during training.

What East and West Share

Although these differences stand out, both Eastern and Western Reiki flow from the same source: the teachings of Mikao Usui.

Both honor the universal life force that supports us. Both value the Reiki Precepts. Both offer tools to find balance, reduce stress, and cultivate compassion. And both remind us that Reiki is not only about healing sessions—it’s about how we live our lives.

Choosing Your Reiki Path

Reiki is not about choosing the “right” lineage. It’s about following what resonates with your heart. Some people feel deeply called to the hands-on-healing and intuitive practices of Western Reiki. Others resonate with the meditation and daily cultivation of Japanese Reiki. And many find value in exploring both.

There is no one way to practice Reiki. What matters is that it brings you back to yourself, to presence, and to love.

As Usui-sensei taught through the Reiki Precepts:
“Do not anger, do not worry, be grateful, do your duties, be kind.”