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Reiki Gaia

Reiki Training in Istanbul

Hande Özerden, Reiki Master and teacher of Reiki training in Istanbul, in a sunlit forest

Certified Usui Tibetan Reiki Courses in Small Groups

I teach Reiki in Istanbul face to face, in small groups, in my space in Kadıköy Moda on the Asian side of the city. If you are starting your Reiki journey, I would suggest beginning with Usui Tibetan Reiki. It is not simply an introductory course, but a complete system with a path that continues from the first level through to Reiki Master. I find this system especially appropriate for beginning Reiki at the stage of consciousness and evolution we are experiencing today, as it offers a stronger form of Reiki that is well suited to the energies of our time. I explain the Usui Tibetan Reiki system and its different levels in more detail further down the page.

Reiki is traditionally passed from teacher to student with an attunement. I keep the groups small on purpose, so that there is time for each person’s questions and for me to see how the energy is settling in each person. From the first course, you learn to connect with the universal life energy and to work with it: first on yourself, then on others. Every level includes detailed course notes, the attunement itself, and an internationally recognised certificate.

You are welcome to take the course in English; I have been teaching Reiki in English for many years. If you would like to understand what Reiki actually is before continuing to read about the training, I have written about this in more detail on my What is Reiki page.

Hande Özerden giving Reiki with her hands resting on a student's head during a Reiki course.

This is what every level of my Reiki course includes:

  • The attunement: I give every attunement myself and never hand it over to anyone else
  • Detailed course notes that are yours to keep after the training
  • Practical work throughout the day
  • The hand positions you will use to give Reiki to yourself and to others
  • The history of Reiki and the teaching lineage that connects you to Mikao Usui
  • A Reiki certificate approved by the Spanish Reiki Alliance and recognised internationally
  • Monthly Reiki practice days, open only to my own students
  • Support by WhatsApp and email for any questions that come up after the course

My support does not stop when the course ends. Reiki is not a lesson you complete but a practice you begin, and most questions come in the first months, once you are working with the energy on your own. You can write to me whenever you need to.

What Is Usui Tibetan Reiki?

If you have been searching for Usui Reiki, this is the system you are looking for. Usui Tibetan Reiki is the Usui lineage enriched with later Tibetan teachings, and it is one of the most widely taught Reiki systems in the world. Its principle is that we learn through awareness rather than through suffering. It is in tune with the energies of the new age of consciousness we have entered, and the healing it offers is strong and gentle at once. During the course, the attunement ceremonies connect each student to the universal life energy. The system also includes newer symbols, developed to match the stage of evolution humanity has reached, and upon completing the course, you receive an internationally recognised Reiki certificate.

It is built on the original Reiki symbols given to Mikao Usui, a Japanese Buddhist monk, at the end of the nineteenth century. In the 1980s, following work on the sacred Tibetan teachings, the system was updated by Japanese Reiki Masters from the Usui lineage who had migrated to the West. The system that emerged from this work brings together ancient wisdom and the energies needed in our time within a single structure. Usui Tibetan Reiki is regarded as one of the healing techniques with the lowest risk of a healing crisis and as one of the systems best suited to the way consciousness works today for those beginning their Reiki journey.

Portrait of Mikao Usui, the Japanese founder of the Reiki system.
Mikao Usui
Hande Özerden practising Reiki in a circle with her students in Kadıköy, Istanbul.

How Do You Learn Reiki?

Reiki is not learned from a book or a video. It is learned by taking a Reiki course with a Reiki teacher. In these courses, students learn to connect with Reiki energy through attunement (initiation) and reach a level where they can channel Reiki for both themselves and others.

Reiki is a gift sent to humanity for this great period of change we are experiencing in the world, so that we can leave the collapsing old system behind more easily. It enables us to distinguish the energies of Divine Love and Light from others and to become more easily attuned to them. It surrounds us with a protective energy. Through sacred geometry symbols, the Reiki teacher connects the student to Reiki’s infinite source of life energy. During the training, the student is also taught how to connect to this source independently.

If you are curious about how an attunement is actually given, the answer is further down the page, under How is a Reiki attunement given?

Reiki students in a circle around a candle during a small group Usui Tibetan Reiki course in Istanbul.

The 21-Day Healing Process After a Reiki Attunement (Initiation)

After a Reiki attunement, a person enters a 21-day process of cleansing and transformation. The energy received through Reiki attunements begins a deep process of healing and cleansing on the physical, emotional and mental levels.

Kundalini energy begins to activate at its own natural pace. Following the attunement, this activation begins the 21-day healing process. We can divide our lives into a before and an after this process. It is a powerful new beginning and a profound change in a person’s life. The burdens we carry that do not belong to our true essence, whether placed upon us throughout our lives or taken on by us through fear, begin to fall away quickly.

We experience this intense process of healing and cleansing for a period ranging from 21 days to three months after each Reiki level. This work takes us a significant step towards knowing ourselves better and accepting and loving ourselves as we are.

We learn to be more restrained with our ego and begin to see ourselves and the world from a more authentic and pure place. Other people’s emotions and thoughts no longer affect us as much as they once did. Instead of seeking approval from others, we begin to recognise who we are and our unique purpose, and gather our strength to fulfil it.

In this way, our suppressed or yet undiscovered abilities are set free. We learn to develop our intuition and creativity, to listen to the healing power of the infinite love within us and to the voice of our heart, and to draw abundance and prosperity into our lives.

The Levels of Usui Tibetan Reiki

On my Reiki courses in Istanbul, participants learn the different levels of Reiki step by step. Each level allows the energy channel to work more strongly and enables Reiki to be practised at deeper levels.

Usui Tibetan Reiki training consists of four levels. While the first two levels teach the foundations of Reiki practice, at the advanced levels students learn to channel Reiki energy more strongly. As Levels 1 and 2 complement each other, they are taken consecutively as a two-day training programme.

Reiki Level 1 Attunement

This activates the energy channel through which you can give Reiki to the physical body.

Reiki Level 2 Attunement

This works with the deeper layers — the emotional, mental and spiritual bodies — and activates the channel through which you can channel Reiki to these deeper levels. It is also the level at which you learn the technique for sending Reiki from a distance.

Hande Özerden working with a student at Reiki master teacher level, hands on the crown and heart chakras.
Reiki attunement ceremony during a Reiki course in Istanbul, teacher standing with raised hands.
Illustration of beings of light gathered around the Earth, representing the Reiki Master level.

Reiki Level 3 and Reiki Master Attunements

With each level, the channel widens further and the strength of the Reiki you can channel to yourself and others increases. These levels provide a stronger flow of energy to support deep healing processes, and they are often chosen as complementary energy work during serious health processes. To take these levels, you first need to have completed the first two levels and practised Reiki on yourself for a minimum of three months. At every level, Reiki Master included, the energy you receive is first and foremost for yourself and your own personal development.

Who Can Learn Reiki? Can Everyone Learn Reiki?

Reiki was sent by God, by the Universe, to all its children without distinction, and so the ability to attune to this energy has never been limited by any level of intelligence or spiritual development. Everyone can learn Reiki and everyone can practise it. Progressing and deepening in this practice depends on the same thing it does in any other field: how much of yourself you give to it.

The students who find their way to my courses in Istanbul are usually in one of these situations:

  • They have received Reiki, felt something shift, and now want to understand it from within
  • Energy work is completely new to them, yet a curiosity keeps bringing them back to it
  • They are yoga teachers, massage therapists or other practitioners who work with the body and want to add a supportive dimension to what they already do
  • They are doctors, nurses, carers or others who work closely with people and want to protect their own energy and emotional balance without taking on other people’s burdens
  • They are going through a personal change or a difficult time or recovering from an illness and are looking for a way to work with themselves every day
  • They hope to work with clients one day and want to start from the very beginning, on solid ground
  • They have moved to Istanbul from abroad, or are living here for a while, and want to learn Reiki in English

Every course comes with comprehensive notes, and at the end of the training you receive an internationally recognised Reiki certificate approved by the Spanish Reiki Alliance.

Reiki students practising together outdoors by a stream among autumn leaves.

After the training I hold regular practice circles so that my students can continue developing their Reiki practice. These Reiki shares are open only to students who have trained with me, and they are a way of deepening the practice by giving and receiving Reiki together.

If you would like to read what my students say about the courses, their words are gathered on the Reiki reviews page.

Sound Healing with Quartz Crystal Bowls in Reiki Training

In Reiki training, I also use sound healing with quartz crystal bowls to deepen energy awareness. These practices help participants balance their energy field, deepen their meditation, and connect more deeply with Reiki energy.

If you would rather experience how this energy works before you learn to use it, you can book an individual Reiki session in Istanbul, or read about the bowls themselves on the Sound Healing Istanbul page.

Hande Özerden playing quartz crystal bowls during a Reiki training.

The Reiki Training Journey and Advanced Reiki Systems: Karuna Reiki and Sekhem Reiki

Reiki training usually begins with Usui Tibetan Reiki. This system provides the foundation for the training journey and consists of four levels. Reiki 1 and Reiki 2 teach the fundamentals of energy work, while Reiki 3 and Reiki Master levels allow practitioners to channel Reiki more strongly.

Reiki practitioners who have completed the Usui Tibetan Reiki Master level may choose to deepen their Reiki journey with different energy systems. At this point it becomes possible to work with advanced Reiki systems such as Karuna Reiki and Sekhem Seichim Reiki.

These systems carry different frequencies and symbols of the Reiki energy. If you wish to go further along the Reiki training journey, you can continue your training with me at more advanced levels through Karuna Reiki and Sekhem Seichim (Egyptian) Reiki.

My courses in Istanbul and their upcoming dates are listed on my Reiki Istanbul page.

REIKI GAIA

How to Do Reiki on Yourself (Video)

For my students who have completed Levels 1 and 2, I show in this video, step by step, how to give yourself Reiki. Watch it when you want to strengthen your practice, or to check that you are applying the hand positions the way you were taught. I have also written the whole sequence out in my article "How to Do Reiki on Yourself".

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Reiki training take?

Each level is one full day of face-to-face work. Levels 1 and 2 carry energies that complete one another, so they are given back to back, as a two-day programme. Level 1 opens the channel for giving Reiki to the physical body; Level 2 takes the work down into the emotional, mental and spiritual bodies. That way, through the twenty-one-day healing and clearing process that begins after the attunements, you can support yourself with the symbols you learned at Level 2. Every level includes theory, practical work, detailed notes and the attunement itself. Afterwards, students who wish to can join the monthly group practice days, which are open only to my own students. To understand how the energy works before you begin, you can read what Reiki is and how it works.

Level 1 lays the groundwork. It opens the channel for giving Reiki to the physical body, and through the hand positions you learn to give Reiki to yourself and to others, including your family, your friends and your animals. Level 2 takes the work deeper, into the emotional, mental and spiritual bodies: this is where you receive the sacred geometry symbols and learn to send Reiki across distance. Because the two levels complete each other, I teach them on two consecutive days.

Yes. At the end of the training you receive an internationally recognised Reiki certificate approved by the Spanish Reiki Alliance. For details or to book a place on a course, you can reach me through the contact page.

In Turkey, Reiki is not an officially defined profession, and there is no official professional qualification for it. The certificate you receive is valid within the Reiki community, both in Turkey and abroad, but it does not take the place of an official professional document. If you would like to work with clients in the future, in my experience a thorough training and regular practice matter more than anything. You start practising on the very first day of the course, and the monthly practice days give you a place to keep going.

Reiki training is suitable for anyone who wants to learn energy work, build a deeper bond with themselves, and give Reiki both to themselves and to others. If you would first like to see how the practice works one to one, the Reiki healing session in Istanbul page describes an individual session.

Yes. From the moment you complete Level 1 you can give yourself Reiki. I ask my students to do it every day through the twenty-one days of clearing that follow, because it is that daily practice which builds a real bond with the energy. Simple hand positions, once a day, anywhere from five to forty-five minutes, are enough to begin.

No. You do not need to have done any energy work before. Anyone can join at beginner level. Reiki is learned entirely through experience, and it is open to everyone.

A Reiki attunement, or initiation, is a particular energy activation carried out by the Reiki teacher. It takes place during the Reiki training and it is what connects the student to the Reiki energy. The student usually sits on a stool or a chair. The teacher works around them, placing the Reiki sacred geometry symbols into the energy centres with light touches. The student’s energy channel is attuned to the Reiki energy, and from that point on they can use it for themselves and for other people. The ceremony usually lasts about ten to fifteen minutes.

Experiences vary a great deal. Some people feel warmth in the hands or through the body, a tingling, a gentle sense of energy flowing, or a deep stillness. Others sink into something close to meditation, and others notice no clear physical sensation at all. All of it is normal. What matters during an attunement is not that you feel any particular thing, but that your energy channel is attuned to Reiki, and that is why every experience can be different. Most people do feel more relaxed, more settled and more open afterwards.

Once the attunement has been given during the course, you can begin using the Reiki energy. The hand positions and techniques you learn allow you to work on yourself and on others. Your practice continues to deepen over time, though, so regular work is worth the effort.

Yes. After the Level 2 attunement you learn the technique for sending Reiki at a distance. Through the sacred geometry symbols you can send the energy to whoever you intend it for, with no limit of time or place: someone you love, someone in need of healing, even an event you lived through in the past. For the emotional and spiritual bodies, distance sessions are every bit as effective as face-to-face ones; where there is a physical complaint, working face to face will be stronger. I explained how it all works on the distance Reiki page.

No, Reiki is not a religion or a denomination. It is a universal life energy sent by God, by the Universe, to all its children without distinction, and it lives in harmony with every faith and belief system. Whatever your religion, race, nationality, gender or age, you can receive this healing power and become a Reiki practitioner. Whatever you believe, Reiki opens a way for you to connect more deeply with your own essence.

Yes. English, Turkish and Spanish are all languages I teach in; two decades of living between England and Spain made that natural. Where a group is mixed, I run the course in the language everyone shares and provide the course notes in the appropriate language. A good number of my students in Istanbul are English speakers living in the city.

The fee is different for each level. For current prices, upcoming course dates and payment options, you can reach me through the contact page. If you like, we can arrange a conversation beforehand.

I teach Reiki on the Asian side of Istanbul, in my space in Kadıköy Moda, face to face and in small groups. The courses are practical throughout, and every student receives one-to-one support while learning. If you are coming from the European side, the easiest and most enjoyable way is the ferry: boats leave for Kadıköy from Karaköy, Eminönü and Beşiktaş, and from Kadıköy pier it is a short walk to Moda. Directions are on the contact page.

Let Your Inner Transformation Begin in Kadıköy Moda

For anyone looking for a Reiki course in Istanbul, I offer a learning path in my space in Kadıköy Moda that starts with Usui Tibetan Reiki Level 1 and can continue through to Karuna and Sekhem Seichim Master levels. It is easy to reach on the Asian side of the city, and here every student moves at their own pace, through practical work and one-to-one guidance.

Come and step into the boundless field of Light and Unconditional Love. Surrender your fears to the Light, and connect with your Guides and your Higher Self… Connect with Your Essence!

Write to me for the upcoming course dates; we can arrange a conversation before the training begins. Book your place!

Ask About Reiki Training in Istanbul

I teach Reiki face to face in my space in Kadıköy Moda, easy to reach on the Asian side of Istanbul. It is on Moda Caddesi, within walking distance of the Kadıköy ferry pier and metro station. Directions are on my contact page.

The training certificate is not an official professional qualification in Turkey, and these services do not replace medical treatment. Please see our Legal Disclaimer page for details.