I got introduced to the Reiki sacred symbols during my level 2 Reiki training just like most Reiki practitioners. At first, I was excited to learn the 3 main traditional Usui Reiki symbols in level 2 Reiki training and afterward learn the last 2 Usui Reiki symbols when I take level 3 Reiki training to become a master. But when I started researching about these sacred Reiki symbols, I found that there are actually tons of other symbols from different Reiki styles.

It worried me that all these new Reiki styles with tons of symbols have diverted from the traditional Usui Reiki which is the original true Reiki energy healing therapy that started the whole thing in the first place. 

Then I began learning about other energy healing modalities like healing touch and pranic healing which don’t use any symbols at all. Even though they still provided the same amount of healing and relaxation as Reiki.

This surprised me a lot and it made me wonder…

Are Reiki Symbols Necessary?

Yes, they are necessary for new Reiki practitioners as tools to practice Reiki, but they are not obligatory to use for experienced Reiki masters. Master Mikao Usui introduced the first Reiki sacred symbols to help his students access the universal life force energy easier and faster.

When you begin your journey of energy healing with Reiki, it can be very exciting to find this amazing connection between yourself and the universe. It feels like a direct connection with God himself as it is pure unconditional love running around you and passing through you. Especially when you get a Reiki session and feel the energy flowing from the Reiki practitioner’s hands into your body making you feel right at home.

This has led many people to learn Reiki and get their attunements so that they can live in a higher vibration and heal other people with the universal life force energy. But the problem is that most Reiki courses and training only last for two days or two weeks. No matter how focused and interested you might be in learning about Reiki, it’s not enough time to truly understand the connection with the universal life force energy and how we can harness it.

Even after getting all the attunements that show you how to access the universal life force energy and channel it into someone else, it can be very challenging to perform a real Reiki healing session if you are not in the right mindset or have the right intention. 

That is why Reiki symbols are a great tool to perform a Reiki healing session because they can help you in 5 main ways as a new Reiki practitioner:

1. They Help You Connect With The Universal Life Force Energy

Let’s get real for a second and accept that no one truly knows how Reiki works as it is almost impossible to explain through scientific and logical thinking how it works because it is beyond human intelligence. Just like understanding what consciousness is or what dark matter is. We know it exists and yet we don’t understand how it works. 

But even though we don’t understand how things work, we still use them to improve our lives. For example, many people including me would find it difficult to explain how electricity works, how cellphones work, or how the internet works, and yet, we use them every day.

The same thing goes with Reiki, although we can’t completely explain how it works, it shouldn’t stop us from using it and trusting it. However, when you are new to Reiki or have just practiced for a year, it can be hard to access the universal life force energy correctly and transfer it to someone else. 

Many Reiki practitioners have done it the wrong way and drain themselves from energy because they are transferring their personal energy into the patient instead of the energy around us or even absorbing the low energy from a sick patient.

For this reason, it is necessary to use Reiki symbols in order to safely connect with the universal life force energy using the right intention and transfer it to a patient during your first couple of years as a Reiki practitioner.

2. They Are Required During An Attunement

Reiki symbols are used in every attunement to raise the student’s personal vibration and strengthen his or her connection to the universal life force energy. Making it a very important sacred ritual with no margin for error.

Reiki symbols work as a visual focus connecting us to the universal life force energy. Think of it as the icons in your smartphone which open the specific function you are requesting from your phone. The symbols are like anchors for each intention used to heal the body, mind, and spirit. 

When the symbols are used, the Reiki practitioner’s consciousness responds by altering and directing the flow of energy. This way an attunement can be performed correctly even by the newest Reiki teachers.

3. The Mantra Is More Powerful Than The Drawing

Mantras and prayers have existed since the beginning of history in religion as they can set the right frequency to connect with God. Each mantra or prayer has a specific intention or request from the universal life force energy, making them a very powerful tool for directing the flow of energy to the right place.

All Reiki symbols come with their intention and mantra as one single package. Meaning that using the symbols as a visual focus will also bring the mantra that you repeat 3 times for each symbol. This will improve your ability to heal patients with Reiki.

Once you become an experienced Reiki master, you will be able to perform the Reiki healing without the need of visualizing the symbols and only using the mantras to focus the healing.

4. They Give Focus And Control Of The Universal Energy

If you think about it, we all have access to the universal life force energy as it surrounds all living beings around the entire universe. It is with us at all times, but it’s just a small percentage of people around the world who are able to access this universal energy. 

This is not because people don’t want to access it, they just don’t know how to do it or don’t have the right tools to do it. Even some of the people who actually know how to access this energy such as Reiki practitioners have a hard time trying to focus the energy properly to match their intention.

Reiki symbols solve this problem because as we have already discussed, each symbol has its specific purpose with its own unique intention. By using Reiki symbols you will able to control and focus the flow of energy to heal the specific ailment or emotional trauma of a patient.

5. The Reiki Sandwich Can Improve Your Healing Power

Imagine trying to kayak alone through the Amazon river, a journey of 3977 miles. It will take several days as you will have to make many stops to rest and get back your energy. But if you go on a bigger boat rowing with 8 other people, you will take half the time and require fewer stops.

The same thing happens with Reiki symbols as they can work together in a Reiki sandwich by focusing all the healing towards a specific area. You can use the Reiki sandwich to join the main Usui sacred symbols and transfer a stronger energy healing into a patient’s body. This is extremely beneficial to heal patients with a specific physical condition or illness by channeling healing energy directly to the area in their body that needs healing.

Comment below if you found this article helpful and let us know if there are any other reasons why Reiki symbols are necessary!