By Josslyn Streett, Reiki Master/Teacher for Rain Shadow Reiki in Sequim, WA
*More links to other blogs on this topic at the bottom of the blog
THIS QUESTION COMES UP A LOT, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS TIME TO WRITE ABOUT IT
IS IT OK TO DO REIKI ON SOMEONE WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION?

I teach in my Reiki I classes that in order to do Reiki on others, you must have their permission first. Yes, this is how I was taught by my teacher, and this is what I hear from many other Reiki teachers as well. But I’m a bit of a rebel and believe in questioning what I read, learn and hear. However, I’m also very careful and respectful of people’s boundaries and free will. So, I’ve been contemplating this particular question for years until I’ve come to a conclusion that feels right to me. It’s up to you to find what feels right for you. I pray this blog will help you with that looking at some different points of view. I have also included at the end of this blog, links to other blogs on this same topic with other points of view. If this is an important topic to you and you want more information to help you formulate what feels right for you, then please read more. But, then, sit with your higher self and formulate what truly feels right for you. That is always what counts most.
Yes, I ask permission and only do Reiki when I have permission. But, read on, because it’s just not that simple.
Even though at the professional level of Healing Intuitive that I am, I am able to talk to people’s higher selves and get permission that way, I still rarely do this. I truly feel this is for the most extreme situations only, such as: coma, someone trapped in a mine or somewhere we cannot communicate with them or other severely extreme situations like those. Only then do I sit in trance and talk to their higher self to get a yes or a no. Then I also say a special prayer before hand such as: “I am sending this Reiki with love. This person may take as much, as little or none, it is up to them. I respect their soul’s wishes completely and I fully and completely let go of the outcome.” I rarely find a need to do it and I much prefer verbal buy in.

Here is my reasoning and then you can contemplate this question for yourself.
My main reason is for respecting each individual person’s free will and also to make sure you as the channel for the Reiki, are not putting your own intentions on anyone else’s’ healing path. This is a very important step. If we feel like we want to do Reiki on someone without their permission it is good to step back and ask yourself, ‘why?’ Be honest. No one else is in on this discussion except you and your Reiki guides. If the answer is that you simply feel for what they are going through, then you may pray for them or send Reiki Blessings without permission. (Reiki has multiple symbols to send Reiki Blessings, The Power Symbol is one of them.) If the answer is more like, “They aren’t doing the steps to grief.” or “They aren’t changing and it’s hurting our relationship.” Then you might need to step back, take a good look in the mirror and do Reiki on YOURSELF. Most issues in YOUR life are YOUR issues. Reiki YOU first and foremost.
As healing facilitators, we are trusted with a very big responsibility. In my opinion, it is not to be taken lightly. But, it is also not to be controlled or boxed in by other people’s beliefs, because we all must make our own mistakes and successes – that free will thing again. As a ‘healer’ we are in people’s energy fields, messing around with higher bigger stuff then we truly understand, I don’t believe any human brain can fully comprehend all levels of healing that are taking place all at the same time when we do a Reiki session. If we are doing this without permission, we are invading people’s boundaries, inflicting on their free will and therefore creating karma for ourselves to balance out again later. Maybe soon later, maybe much later. But, creating karma is not what we want to be doing as healers. This creates unbalanced karma for you mostly but can also alter their healing path and neither one is what we want. As healer we want to help, not make the process longer and more drawn out by creating karma.
Ok, That Said, WHEN CAN YOU REIKI SOMEONE ELSE WITHOUT PERMISSION?
Don’t. Just don’t do it.
But, You Can Do These:
- Reiki the relationship
This is the Rain Shadow Reiki energy healing space and I clear it with Reiki regularly. I set intentions for grounded, clean and clear, safe and sacred space each time, plus I add intentions for each individual client or event. I have had a client who suffered from extreme childhood and adult abuse, tell me that being in the Reiki in this space is the only time they have ever felt safe. THAT is a HUGE compliment to the extra work I do to keep the space sacred. It’s worth it and it works. - Reiki the situation
- Reiki the Karmic situation
- Reiki the space, the physical space meaning a room or the space in between you and the person you are having an issue with. Your own universe space.
- Send Reiki Blessings with any of the blessing symbols, the power symbol (The Power Symbol Reiki II), the Master Symbols (UDKM, TDKM, Reiki III & Master/Teacher)
- Pray for them
**None of these will inflict upon anyone’s free will and create positive karma for both parties. A Reiki win/win situation.
By doing these, it also helps us heal our own karma towards the situation AND help us feel like we are doing something. Many of us need to feel we are helping, this is a way to help but without actually interfering.
Example
Let’s say you are a teacher. You want to Reiki your students but know that you can’t because you’d need their permission and if they are children, their parents permission too. Too much complication. How can you work with Reiki, stay in your place of authenticity and make the classroom better without doing Reiki on individual people? Easy, Reiki the space. You can do this in person or long distance from your home if you have Reiki II symbols.
Clean and Clear Space

By cleansing the space with Reiki with a positive intention such as; clean and clear, safe and sacred (one of my favorites) the energy in the room will be fresh, calm, feeling safe & clean of all ‘old’ energies; old arguments that happened the day, week or years before. Reiki will help the space to feel clean of anxieties from test taking or sitting too long. With all these old energies transmuted to the Light with Reiki, the room and the people in it will FEEL AND BE CALMER! Without them even knowing that anything is different. They will feel it, you will feel it. Reiki the room again any time you feel it needs it or do it every Sunday night before you go to work. I like to go with the flow and listen to my intuition but sometimes it works best for me to be on a schedule. Do what feels right for you.
Another Reiki Win/Win Situation
Also, another win/win, if some of the souls in the room choose to take the Reiki that is ‘hanging out’ they may take it. This is not involving you, you are just offering the Reiki in the room and each individual person may choose on their own, to take it or not. No boundaries have been invaded, no karma created. So, they may get a healing anyway, but it is between them and their Higher Power, not you. You as the Reiki channel are just the channel. Reiki does the real work.
This can be done in ANY environment safely and ethically.
But, this also involves you as the channel to let go of ego. To release any outcome you might have to the Reiki being in the room. You have to work at not being connected to whether someone takes the Reiki or not. This is challenging for most people depending upon the situation and takes doing MORE REIKI ON YOURSELF. The prescription is usually, Reiki yourself more.
Example: Maybe the little boy’s (his higher self chooses) who is giving you the most troubles with his behavior chooses not to take the Reiki that has been offered in the classroom because his behavior is linked to a bigger life lesson he and maybe even you are supposed to learn. We don’t know these spiritual ins and outs, but we must have faith that behind the scenes, Reiki really is doing all it can to help and support us in a way that will not change our life plan. It’s pretty important stuff if you think about it.
Safe and Sacred
Safe and sacred intention helps people in the room feel safe and protected, again without knowing why. This works great for children’s class rooms, group therapy meetings, doctor’s offices, psychic reading rooms, work spaces with a lot of people and of course Reiki rooms – any place where people may have some stress or anxiety about being there. ANY SPACE ACTUALLY. By the space feeling safe, the people in the space will be more grounded, more focused and more able to let go of old issues if this is needed. And they can do so in a calm and loving environment.
REMEMBER, Reiki is Divine Healing Energy. Therefore, it is intelligent and knows exactly what is needed at any given time, for any person in the space, even for you. As humans, we need to get out of the way and allow Reiki to do its thing.
I like to start my beginning Reiki prayer with – FOR THE GREATEST GOOD FOR ALL INVOLVED, PLEASE SEND DOWN MY REIKI….
and I know in my heart that what is for the greatest good for all of us, will happen.
I’d LOVE to hear your views on this topic or how this blog helped you in some way. All loving comments written with respect are appreciated.
HAPPY NEW YEAR AND REIKI BLESSINGS TO YOU ALL,
Josslyn
There are many blogs out there to read on this topic. These three will get you started and are truly worth the time to read them. Otherwise I wouldn’t put them here on my own blog. Blessings…
**A blog by Reiki & Shamanic Practitioner, Jonathan Weekes who tells some true and truly beautiful stories about how we heal THROUGH our illness and difficulties to be the beautiful butterflies that we are today. Worth the read. Click on his name for the link.
**Another blog on this topic by James Deacon with quite an extreme story about free will. Worth reading. Thank you James for your dedication to Reiki with ethics.
**A blog by Frans and Bronwen Stiene from the International House of Reiki with what seems like a very different perspective. But, read all the way to the end, Frans and Bronwen and giving each of their students a great deal of credit for being able to detach from the situation and I respect them for that. However, their advice at the very end is…well… you’ll have to read for yourself. Click on their names for the link.
rainshadowreiki@gmail.com or 360-460-7829