Quick Guide
A Reiki attunement is a short ceremony, usually a few minutes long, in which a teacher initiates a student into a lineage. Within the tradition it “opens” the student to Reiki; in practical terms it marks that you have been taught. You do not need to fast, give up meat, cleanse your aura, or avoid screens to prepare for it, and you must never change medication because of it. Sensible preparation is ordinary: choose the teacher carefully, sleep well, eat normally, arrive with questions, and plan a quiet evening afterwards. This guide replaces an older page that gave harmful advice on all of those points.
Older guides to attunement preparation, including the one that used to sit at this address, told students to fast for one to three days, cut out meat and alcohol, avoid television and newspapers, and expect a “21-day cleansing period” after which their doctor might “re-evaluate dosages of medicines”. That last instruction is dangerous, and the rest is unnecessary. Here is what an attunement actually is, and how to prepare for one without turning a short ceremony into an ordeal.
What happens in an attunement
You sit in a chair, usually with eyes closed and hands together in your lap. The teacher stands behind and in front of you in turn, performs a set of hand movements, draws the Reiki symbols in the air or over your hands, and may blow gently or touch your shoulders, crown and palms. It takes between two and ten minutes per student. In a Level 1 class it typically happens once, sometimes in stages through the day; some lineages give several attunements at each level. Afterwards the class continues with practice.
Within the tradition, this is the moment you become able to channel Reiki, and many people describe it as meaningful. Whether or not you share that view, the ceremony is what a lineage uses to say you have been trained, and it is the credential other practitioners will ask about. There is no evidence that anything physical happens to you during it. Understanding Reiki explains how attunements fit into the history and levels of the practice.
What preparation actually helps
- Choose the teacher carefully. This is the one item from the old list worth keeping. Ask about lineage, class size, what the fee includes, insurance, refund terms, and how they describe what Reiki can and cannot do. Reiki for beginners lists the good signs and warning signs.
- Sleep well the night before. A Level 1 class is a full day of listening and practising on other people. Being rested matters more than anything else on this list.
- Eat a normal breakfast and bring lunch or snacks. You will be giving and receiving practice sessions; low blood sugar makes that unpleasant. Nothing about the ceremony requires an empty stomach.
- Take your medication exactly as prescribed. Before, on the day, and after. An attunement has no effect on any drug, condition or dose.
- Wear comfortable clothes and take your shoes off easily. You will be sitting, standing, lying on a table and moving between them.
- Write down two or three questions. About consent, about claims, about what to do if a recipient becomes upset. Good teachers welcome them; poor ones deflect.
- Plan a quiet evening. Not because anything mystical is happening, but because a full day of unfamiliar practice is tiring. If you are travelling far, an overnight stay is sensible for the same reason it would be after any course.
What you can safely ignore
| Old advice | Why it is unnecessary or unsafe |
|---|---|
| Water or juice fast for one to three days | Fasting before a long practical day risks faintness and does nothing for the ceremony. It can be unsafe for people with diabetes, eating disorders, or who take medication with food. Do not do it. |
| No meat, fish or poultry for three days | A dietary preference, not a preparation. Eat what keeps you well. |
| No alcohol for three days | Arriving hungover is a bad idea for any course. Three days is arbitrary. |
| Avoid television, radio, computers and newspapers | Harmless if you enjoy a quiet week; irrelevant to the attunement. |
| Cleanse your aura before class | There is nothing to cleanse. Have a shower if you like. |
| Expect a 21-day cleansing or purging period | Some lineages suggest 21 days of daily self-practice afterwards, which is a good habit. Symptoms that appear in that period are symptoms, not purging, and belong with your doctor. |
| Ask your doctor to re-evaluate medication dosages afterwards | An attunement changes nothing about your body or your condition. Never adjust, reduce or stop a medication because of Reiki. |
If a teacher insists on fasting, detoxing or medication changes, treat it as a serious warning sign and choose another teacher. The Reiki safety guide explains why this line matters and how to raise it.
What people feel, and what it means
During and after an attunement some people feel warmth in the hands, tingling, emotion, drowsiness or a sense of calm. Others feel nothing at all. Both are normal. The ceremony involves sitting still with eyes closed while someone moves around you and touches your shoulders, which is enough to produce every one of those sensations without anything else happening. Feeling nothing does not mean the attunement “did not take”, and feeling a great deal does not mean it did. Judge the course by what you learned and how the teacher handled consent and claims, not by the sensations. How Reiki works explains where such sensations come from.
The 21 days afterwards, done well
Many teachers ask for daily self-Reiki for three weeks after Level 1, and it is worth doing for a reason that has nothing to do with cleansing: it turns a one-day course into a habit while the instruction is fresh. Ten to twenty minutes a day with the hand positions you were taught, plus a one-line note on how you feel, is enough. How to do Reiki gives the routine. Anything that happens in those three weeks, tiredness, headaches, a cold, low mood, is life happening on its ordinary schedule; if something persists or worries you, it is a matter for your doctor and never a “healing crisis”.
Online and distance attunements
Some teachers offer attunements over video or “at a distance” with no live contact. Since the ceremony has no physical effect, a live video attunement is no less valid within the tradition than an in-person one, and it can be a reasonable option if you have no local teacher. What you lose is the practice time: watching someone give a session is not the same as giving and receiving one under supervision. An unattended distance attunement, where you are told a time and the teacher performs the ceremony alone, gives you a certificate and nothing else. Distance Reiki sessions explains the same distinction for treatments.
Questions to ask the teacher beforehand
- How many attunements are given at this level, and when in the day?
- Will there be supervised practice giving and receiving sessions?
- Do you require any preparation such as fasting or diet changes? (The right answer is no.)
- How do you describe what Reiki can and cannot do, and will that be covered in class?
- What ongoing support is there after the course, and what does the certificate say?
Key Takeaways
- An attunement is a short ceremony that marks initiation into a lineage; it has no physical effect on you.
- Prepare as you would for any course: rest, eat, dress comfortably, bring questions.
- Do not fast, do not detox, and never change medication because of Reiki.
- Sensations during the ceremony are normal and mean nothing about whether it “worked”.
- Use the 21 days afterwards for daily practice, not for expecting a cleanse.
Related reading
- Reiki for beginners: first steps and choosing a Level 1 course
- How to do Reiki: self-practice, training and limits
- Reiki safety guide: risks, boundaries and medical care
- Japanese Reiki techniques: gassho and joshin kokyu ho
- Understanding Reiki: history, principles and what a session involves
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a Reiki attunement?
A short ceremony in which a teacher initiates a student into a Reiki lineage using hand movements and symbols. Within the tradition it opens the student to Reiki; practically it marks that they have been trained.
2. How long does an attunement take?
Usually two to ten minutes per student, once or in stages during a class day. Some lineages give several at each level.
3. Do I need to fast before an attunement?
No. Fasting before a long practical day risks faintness and does nothing for the ceremony. It can be unsafe for some people. Eat normally.
4. Should I stop eating meat or drinking alcohol beforehand?
Neither is required. Arrive rested and not hungover, as you would for any course.
5. Should I change my medication around an attunement?
Never. Take everything exactly as prescribed before, during and after. An attunement has no effect on any drug, condition or dose.
6. What is the 21-day cleansing period?
Some lineages ask for 21 days of daily self-practice after Level 1, which is a useful habit. There is no cleansing or purging; any symptoms in that period belong with your doctor.
7. What will I feel during the attunement?
Possibly warmth, tingling, emotion, drowsiness or calm, or nothing at all. All are normal and none indicates whether the attunement worked.
8. Can an attunement fail?
Within the tradition, no; the teacher’s act is what counts. Feeling nothing is not a failure.
9. Can I be attuned online?
A live video attunement is accepted by many lineages. An unattended distance attunement gives you a certificate and no supervised practice.
10. Do I need to cleanse my aura first?
No. There is nothing to cleanse. A shower and clean clothes are all the preparation your body needs.
11. What should I bring to a Level 1 class?
Comfortable clothes, lunch or snacks, water, a notebook, and two or three questions about consent and claims.
12. Is it safe to drive home afterwards?
Yes, unless you are simply tired after a long day, which is the same consideration as after any course. Plan a quiet evening.
13. Can I be attuned if I am pregnant or unwell?
The ceremony itself involves only sitting and light touch. Being well enough for a full class day is the real question; ask your clinician if in doubt.
14. What if the teacher insists on fasting or detoxing?
Treat it as a serious warning sign and choose another teacher. Requiring medical risk for a ceremony is not acceptable practice.
15. Do I have to be attuned to practise self-Reiki?
No. Self-practice needs no ceremony. Attunement matters if you want to join a lineage or treat other people.
Final thoughts
Preparing for a Reiki attunement is preparing for a day of learning: choose a teacher who is honest about limits, sleep, eat, dress comfortably and bring questions. Everything else on the old lists, the fasting, the diet rules, the aura cleansing, the medication warnings, can be set aside, and the last of those must be. The ceremony will take a few minutes and mean what you and your lineage decide it means. Your health, and your prescriptions, stay exactly as they were.
Health statements reviewed on 26 September 2026. Never change medication without your prescriber’s advice.
The recommendation to minimize external stimulation and find moments of solitude aligns well with the need to prepare oneself for a spiritual practice. It helps in focusing one’s energy and mind.
It’s noteworthy that the article suggests eliminating meat and alcohol from one’s diet prior to the attunement. This indicates a need for the body to be in a certain state of purity.
The detailed list of preparations and tips is quite thorough. It appears that the process leading up to a Reiki attunement requires a lot of discipline and mindfulness.
The notion of a 21-day cleansing period post-attunement is intriguing. It seems like a significant commitment. I’m curious about how individuals typically feel after this process.
Indeed, a 21-day period is quite extensive. It would be helpful to hear some firsthand accounts or case studies to understand the range of experiences during that time.
It’s interesting how the article integrates various elements such as diet, solitude, and nature into the preparation process. It seems to advocate a holistic approach to ensure the effectiveness of the attunement.
The article provides a comprehensive guide on the preparations needed for a Reiki attunement. It emphasizes the importance of mental and physical readiness, which makes sense for a process like this.