Reiki Level 2 or Master Teacher: how far do you need to go?
By Vanessa Chugani · Updated August 2026
Level 2 is enough if you want Reiki for yourself and the people close to you, and maybe a small practice on the side. Go on to Master Teacher only if you want to attune and teach new students yourself. Neither is more valid than the other, and there is no rule saying you must continue.
Reiki training runs in levels, Level 1 through Master Teacher, and nobody is required to finish the set. A lot of people take Level 2, use it quietly for years, and never feel the pull to go further. Others know from the start that they want to teach. The real question is not which level is more advanced. It is what you actually want to do with it: keep it as something you use on yourself and the people around you, or build it into something you teach and pass on. Vanessa herself worked as a practitioner for over a decade before training as a Reiki Master Teacher in 2019, so there is no correct pace.
| Stopping at Reiki practitioner level (Level 2) | Continuing on to Reiki Master/Teacher | |
|---|---|---|
| What you can do afterwards | Practise Reiki on yourself, family and friends, and often see clients one to one. | All of that, plus attune new students and hand the training on to them yourself. |
| Where it tends to lead | A skill you keep for yourself and the people close to you, or a small private practice. | A teaching practice built around passing Reiki on, not only giving sessions. |
| How much training it is | One level, and you are free to stop there for good. | A further level, taken when you are ready for it, not on a fixed timetable. |
| Cost | EUR 488, in person in Canggu or live online. | Priced level by level like the rest of the training. The current figure is on the training page. |
| Who it tends to suit | Someone who wants Reiki as a life skill, or a quiet practice alongside other work. | Someone planning a second career built on teaching Reiki, not just practising it. |
| What it asks of you | Confidence to work with yourself and with others, one session at a time. | Confidence to run an attunement and stand in front of a room of students. |
Which one suits you
Level 2 suits most people. If you want Reiki for yourself, for the people you love, and perhaps a handful of clients, there is nothing missing at that level and no reason to feel you should keep climbing. Master Teacher suits a smaller group: people who already know they want to teach, not just practise. If you can picture yourself running an attunement for a room of six people, or you are building a second act around Reiki as a trained career rather than a private habit, that is exactly when continuing is the right call, not a formality on the way to somewhere else. Neither path is the more serious one. Reiki, at either level, stays what it has always been here: rest and support for a nervous system that has been running hot for too long.
Related questions
Do I need to become a Reiki Master before I can work with clients?
No. Level 2 already covers working with other people, and plenty of practitioners hold a private practice at that level for years, or permanently. Master Teacher is about attuning and teaching new students, not about being allowed to give sessions.
Is there a set amount of time between Level 2 and Master Teacher?
There is no fixed calendar and no set waiting period. Training dates are arranged around each student, level by level, whether you train in Canggu or live online, so you move on to the next level only when you feel ready for it.
Does becoming a Reiki Master make sessions stronger or more effective?
No. The levels describe what you are trained to do, not the strength of a session. Level 2 already covers full one-to-one work. Master Teacher adds the ability to attune and teach other people, which is a different skill, not a stronger version of the same one.