The Trademarking of "Karuna Reiki®"

The following is an explanation of why we decided to trademark Karuna Reiki®:

First of all, it is important to understand that we at the International Center for Reiki Training support and encourage all Reiki practitioners regardless of lineage or organizational affiliation. It is our experience that Reiki can do no harm and therefore anyone who practices it will be benefiting themselves as well as those they work with. Also, we do not claim to be the best or only Reiki group for everyone. We feel that each Reiki student will be attracted to the Reiki group or teacher that is right for them and we encourage each student to follow their own inner guidance in deciding who to study with including studying with more than one teacher if that is what the student is guided to do. We also feel that each Reiki practitioner has the right to decide how much to charge for their service or to charge nothing at all. 

The word "Reiki" is a Japanese word and is used to describe several things. It is used to describe the healing energy that is all around us and is free for all to use. The word "Reiki" is also used to describe the technique(s) that are used to attract this healing energy and to administer it to oneself or others. There are several such techniques such as Usui Reiki, Tibetan Reiki, Seichim Reiki and Karuna Reiki® etc. They each use different methods to attract and administer "Reiki" healing energy. The purpose of the different names is to differentiate between the different techniques. This is similar to the various schools of yoga - each having a different name to designate the differences in the techniques and also the differences in the focus or purpose of each school etc. 

One of the problems that has developed over the past several years is that there have developed many modifications in each school of Reiki so that when one states that they are doing "Usui Reiki" or "Seichim Reiki" as an example, one never really knows what technique is being described. In many cases the techniques have become completely different from what was originally developed and so the name no longer serves a useful purpose. Also, the quality of some teaching has deteriorated so that people are receiving very low quality training that is given in a few hours instead of a few days leaving the person with little understanding of what "Reiki" is or how to use it. Ethical standards have declined as well. 

After practicing and teaching several different "Reiki" techniques for many years, I was encouraged to develop a new technique based on my experience and the many additional symbols and attunement methods I had been exposed to. After experimenting with these new ideas for a while and testing them and observing the unique value they created in the way they improved healing, I was guided to call this new technique "Karuna Reiki®." 

Having seen what had happened to the other techniques over the years, as describe above, I did not want this to happen to "Karuna Reiki®." Therefore, to prevent the name of this new technique from losing meaning, I decided that it would be better to trademark it thus making it easier to preserve its value including the maintenance of high ethical and teaching standards. 

One thing we are working toward at the International Center for Reiki Training is the acceptance and integration of "Reiki" healing within hospitals, doctors offices etc.. If this is going to be possible, then high ethical and teaching standards need to be maintained. 

Charging Fees for "Reiki"

We do charge a fee for our "Karuna Reiki®" training and other "Reiki" trainings , but we do not require those who take our training to charge any particular fee. They are free to charge whatever fee they feel is right or to charge nothing at all. 

When we charge a fee for a "Reiki" session or a class, we are not charging for the "Reiki" healing energy which is all around us and is free for anyone to use, we are charging for the time it took to develop the healing skills as well as the time it takes to administer or teach those skills. This is similar to growing food; the sunlight is free, yet a farmer still has to go through a period of learning to be a good farmer by studying good farming techniques and also has to do the work - both of which he/she deserves to be paid for. So while "Reiki" energy is free, the time involved in learning one or more "Reiki" techniques as well as the time involved in practicing or teaching "Reiki" and in maintaining high ethical and teaching standards is what we are charging for.

Karuna Reiki® is a registered service mark of William Lee Rand.