Reiki Course in Dubai: Levels, Symbols and What Students Learn

A reiki course in Dubai usually follows three levels: Level 1 for hand positions and self-practice, Level 2 for the three traditional symbols and distance practice, and a master level for those who wish to deepen or teach. My courses are studied online, so you can learn from anywhere in the city and at your own steady pace.

I am based in Dubai and see clients in person in Al Barsha, while the courses on Learn with Dr S Pujah are studied online. That is why students in Abu Dhabi, across the GCC and in Singapore sit in the same learning space as students who live ten minutes from me.

What to expect from a reiki course in Dubai

Dubai is a city of full calendars. Most people who write to me about reiki are working long hours, raising families or running a business, and they want to know one thing first: how will study fit into my week?

Reiki is taught as a practice and a tradition. In the Usui lineage, which is the one most schools follow, it is passed from teacher to student in levels. Each level has its own focus, its own exercises and its own rhythm of practice between lessons. You do not need any background, a particular belief or a special room at home. You need a quiet corner, a notebook and a willingness to practise a little every day.

Because my courses are studied online, I will not describe a classroom here. For the exact outline of each level, including how it is delivered and what is included, please rely on the course pages and not on general articles like this one.

Level 1: the hands and a daily routine

Level 1 is about the hands. It is physical, simple and repetitive on purpose. Students typically learn:

• The story and principles of the reiki tradition.
• A sequence of hand positions for self-practice.
• How to sit quietly with another person, with their consent.
• How to open and close a session with care.
• How to keep a short practice journal.

The real work of Level 1 happens after the lessons. A few weeks of daily self-practice teaches your hands what to do without being told. I ask students not to hurry through this stage. Everything that follows rests on it.

Level 2: the three symbols students learn

Level 2 adds a second layer, which is intention. By now your hands are steady, so your attention is free, and the symbols give that attention somewhere specific to rest. I describe them as handles. A handle does not carry the bag for you, but it gives you a clear place to hold.

Lineages differ in small ways, and the way a symbol is drawn can vary slightly from one teacher to the next. That is normal for a tradition passed from hand to hand. Broadly, these are the three you will meet.

The focus symbol

Often called the power symbol, its traditional name is usually written Cho Ku Rei. It is the simplest to draw and the one students reach for most. In the tradition it is used to open and close a session and to bring attention to one place: your hands, a room, the start of a piece of work.

The harmony symbol

Usually written Sei He Ki, this symbol is associated with balance and with the emotional side of life. Students use it as a point of focus when they sit with a feeling, a habit they want to look at honestly, or a relationship that needs a calmer view. It is a reflective tool, a way to pause with something.

The distance symbol

Written Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen, this is the longest of the three and takes the most practice to draw from memory. Traditionally it expresses the idea that care and attention are not limited by space or time. Students use it when they set aside quiet time for someone who is not in the room, always with that person's consent.

What you actually practise with the symbols

People expect Level 2 to be mysterious. Most of it is closer to learning handwriting. In a well-taught course you can expect to practise:

• Drawing. Each symbol has a stroke order. You draw it on paper many times, then in the air with your hand, then in your mind's eye.
• Naming. Each symbol has a name that is said, aloud or silently, as you draw it.
• Placing. You learn where a symbol fits in a session: at the opening, over the hands, at a particular hand position, at the close.
• Combining. Symbols are often used in a set order, with the focus symbol supporting the other two.
• Sending. You learn a simple, respectful structure for a distance session, including how to ask permission first.

In this tradition each level also includes an attunement, the short ceremony in which the teacher formally passes the level on to the student. Schools structure this differently, so do read the outline of any course before you enrol.

A word on what the symbols are not. They are not charms that work by themselves, and they are not a promise of any particular result. They are part of a contemplative practice. What they reliably give you is structure: a beginning, a focus and an end.

The master level: deepening and teaching

The third level is often called the master level, and some schools divide it into a practitioner stage and a teacher stage. Students meet a further symbol, spend more time on their own daily practice and, if they choose the teaching path, learn how to pass the tradition on responsibly.

The word master can sound grand. In reiki it means commitment more than rank. I suggest students come to this level only when the practice has become an ordinary, steady part of their life, and when they are clear about why they want to go further.

How studying online works for students in Dubai and beyond

Online study suits the way people in Dubai actually live. There is no drive across the city after work and no need to rearrange a whole weekend. A student in Al Barsha, a student in Abu Dhabi and a student in Singapore can follow the same course from their own quiet corner.

A few habits make online learning work well:

1. Choose one regular place at home and keep it tidy and simple.
2. Set a fixed time for lessons and a shorter fixed time for daily practice.
3. Draw each symbol by hand on paper; do not only look at it on a screen.
4. Write two lines in your journal after every practice.
5. Bring your questions to your teacher instead of searching for ten different answers.

I prefer the word sacred to secret when students ask whether the symbols should be hidden. You can find a picture of a symbol in seconds, but you cannot download the experience of drawing it a hundred times and using it week after week.

How to choose the right course for you

Whichever school you choose, ask these questions before you enrol:

• Which lineage is taught, and who is the teacher?
• What exactly is covered at each level?
• How much practice is expected between lessons?
• What support is there once the lessons end?
• Is the school clear that reiki is a complementary practice of rest and attention?

That last point matters to me. Reiki sits alongside ordinary life as a practice of quiet attention. It is not a substitute for advice from your doctor, and a responsible student says so plainly to anyone they practise with.

You will find the outline of every level on the reiki course pages on Learn with Dr S Pujah. Those pages are the place for exact details, so please check them before you decide.

I welcome clients in person in Al Barsha, Dubai, and students join my courses online from Abu Dhabi, the GCC and Singapore.

If you feel ready to begin, or to return to reiki with more structure, visit the course pages, read through the levels and choose the one step that fits where you are today.