This guide includes the best Reiki books for beginners, as well as Level I and II practitioners, up to the advanced aspects of becoming a Reiki Master and developing your practice.
You’ll notice 13 highly recommended resources, which I consider to be the best books on Reiki, as well as a couple that focus specifically on Reiki for animals and pet healing best-practices. You will also find a two books that are wonderful for increasing overall spiritual awareness.
Contents:
Reviews of the 13 Best Reiki Books of 2023:
1.) Essential Reiki: A Complete Guide to an Ancient Healing Art – Diane Stein
- Essential Reiki: A Complete Guide to an Ancient Healing Art Review: Essential Reiki is what I consider to be the best Reiki book and the most comprehensive resource available to energy healers and practitioners of Reiki. Once you’ve become “attuned”, this book is especially helpful in determining the finer points and clarifying various aspects of Reiki. My only point of disagreement with the author’s position on Reiki is that she mentions the need to put hands on the body in a session. I personally always have placed hands above and many other Master’s teach this way as well. The author Diane Stein has written around 30 books on the subject of energy healing, so her insight is warranted, however. This book is also somewhat controversial, because Ms. Stein was one of the first to publish the sacred Reiki symbols in writing; of course this is somewhat commonplace with the advent of the internet and free flowing information. All in all, one of the top resources available for Reiki newbies and experienced practitioner’s alike.
2.) The Power of Reiki: An Ancient Hands-On Healing Technique – Tanmaya Honervogt
- The Power of Reiki: An Ancient Hands-On Healing Technique Review: Personally, I recommend this as a text book to students. In a Reiki Level 1 class, it could serve as a great guide to student’s who are just being introduced to the wonderful healing power. In fact, the focal point is the student and this text serves as a great source of information. It even includes some quality exercises. It’s considered one of my most recommended Reiki books for beginners. The Power of Reiki is pretty simple and straight forward and even basic in its approach, using some easy to understand illustrations as references and triggers to learning. This one could be very helpful for the visual learners of the healing world.
3.) Reiki: The Complete Beginners Guide to This Ancient Healing Process: Heal, Energize and Inspire! – Sarah Gemson
- Reiki: The Complete Beginners Guide to This Ancient Healing Process: Heal, Energize and Inspire Review: This is a well written text and one of the best books on Reiki for beginners. It explores a basic overview of this wonderful healing art. In 2023, if you’re a newbie looking to learn, Reiki: The Complete Beginners Guide is a book that will surely help. It seems that the author’s spirit is emanating through the pages and you can feel her hope is that whomever is reading her words will continue to progress with their practice. Essentially, the life philosophy behind the teachings of the benefits and Reiki is what what take you to the next level in your training.
4.) Chakras for Beginners: A Guide to Balancing Your Chakra Energies – David Pond
- Chakras for Beginners: A Guide to Balancing Your Chakra Energies Review: Although this book isn’t solely focused on Reiki, it touches on a topic that is absolutely relevant and intertwined with the practice of healing energy. Chakras are the implied energy forces within our body’s and the location of flowing energy or blockages, which laying on the hands seeks to work with. Chakras for Beginners is an excellent books on chakras for beginners , which provides insights into the history of chakras in healing practice. The author even suggests that through accessing our chakras and being more aware of our energy system, we can access higher potentials of consciousness 🙂
5.) Practical Reiki: Focus Your Body’s Energy for Deep Relaxation and Inner Peace – Richard Ellis
- Practical Reiki: Focus Your Body’s Energy for Deep Relaxation and Inner Peace Review: The focus of this text is the exactly what the title suggests – practicality. It seems that the author realizes that it’s easy to get somewhat lost in the esoteric nature of healing and of energy, which some people are skeptical about and other’s outright deny. Practical Reiki is one of the most helpful Reiki books for beginners and intermediate Reiki practitioners, even though it is less well known than some of the aforementioned books on the topic. It uses pictures and drawings, as well as digestible language to inform the reader, practically so.
6.) Reiki: The Healing Touch – First and Second Degree Manual – William Lee Rand
- Reiki: The Healing Touch – First and Second Degree Manual Review: This is the original resource guide, and what many believe to be one of the best Reiki books. I, and many others, have been given this resource through Reiki training, during Reiki Level 1 and Reiki Level 2. William Lee Rand is quite well known in the field of Reiki and some would say he has somewhat of a monopoly on all things Reiki. This inspires some folks and is slightly unsettling for other’s in the field that I have spoken with and trained with. Reiki: The Healing Touch is a wonderful primer for beginner students and is in many ways truly “the manual”. If you plan to take part in a Reiki training, the Master teacher will most likely recommend the one as well.
7.) The Original Reiki Handbook of Dr. Mikao Tsui – Mikao Tsui and Christine M. Grimm
- The Original Reiki Handbook of Dr. Mikao Tsui Review: Personally, I consider this to be maybe the best Reiki book, or at least in the top three spots. The Original Reiki Handbook is a bit more advanced than many on this list of top books in circulation. This is Dr. Mikao Usui’s recommended practices, advanced methods and even hand positions used to work on specific ailments. Dr. Usui suggests an evolution of ways to transfer healing energy through tapping, as well as rubbing to stimulate flow. This one is definitely worth a spot on your bookshelf.
8.) Wheels of Life: A User’s Guide to the Chakra System – Judith Anodea, PhD
- Wheels of Life: A User’s Guide to the Chakra System Review: A wonderful and practical guide to the Chakra system, this book is great for beginners and intermediate level of knowledge of the subject. Wheels of Life is excellent in that the author really breakdown the meaning of each of the seven chakra’s to give a complete overview for the reader. There are descriptive words and drawings associated with each. Plus there is a meditation per chakra that will come in handy for anyone who is Reiki practitioner, student or recipient of energy healing, as it will help you connect through meditation, relaxation music and healing on a deeper level.
9.) Animal Reiki: Using Energy to Heal the Animals in Your Life – Elizabeth Fulton and Kathleen Prasad
- Animal Reiki: Using Energy to Heal the Animals in Your Life Review: If you have an inclination to apply your healing techniques to assist animals with their needs to heal and feel good, then this book will be of use. Reiki for animals may not be for everyone, but for the many millions of animal lovers in this world and the community of pet Reiki healers, this book, Animal Reiki, is a great guide. I have been especially passionate about this subject and have learned advanced techniques, which I’ve applied to working with my own dogs. I hope you will find this inspiring and bring this into your practice as well. That is, if your pet or animal is welcoming to the wonderful power of healing through energy, which they almost always are 🙂
10.) Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki & Shamanism – Rose De Dan
- Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki & Shamanism Review: On the topic of healing animals, this book is a page turner. The author, Rose De Dan writes with a style that is accessible and insightful. She inspires a deep connection with the reader and, you can tell, with the animals that she has given wonderful healing energy. Tails of a Healer has helped me to understand my purpose related to animals in this lifetime. Since my childhood days, I have always found the subtle language of animals and the deep connection and bond with them to be at the core of my being. This book with make you laugh, cry and everything in between. Highly recommended.
11.) Animal-Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small – Andrews Ted
- Animal Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small Review: This book has become perhaps the best known, or one of the top books regarding anything to do with energy healing, animals and spirituality. Ted Andrews, the author, describes shamanism and animal totems in a way that inspires the reader to action. Animal Speak will help you bring about the energy of your animal totem. It will also assist you to connect more deeply to nature and the flow of energy around you. If you wish to receive guidance from animal spirit, this is a text that will bring you to the next level in doing so. Animals correlate in a unique way to the events and emotions of our lives. This is a valuable, reflective lesson I’ve acquired from this resource.
12.) Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential – Caroline Myss
- Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential Review: If you haven’t been introduced to author and speaker Caroline Myss, this book will serve as a wonderful, eye-opening, introduction. She is an inspiring figure and teacher to many in the world of energy healing. Sacred Contracts dives far into the subject of the subconscious. As an individual who is in to self-exploration and understanding my soul, my life purpose, this book was a big help. Sacred Contracts is written in terms of archetypes, tracing back to Carl Jung and even Plato, in order to assist in awakening our senses of patterns and ways of being that have been ingrained in our life course before arriving here. In knowing on this level, we can set ourselves spiritual free to accomplish our life’s work and overcome challenges and setbacks that seem insurmountable at times.
- Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing Review: Although this isn’t technically a book on Reiki, and so it can’t be considered as one the best Reiki books, it is definitely one of the top books and most well-known in regards to tapping in to the source that supplies healing potential, as well as life purpose. Anatomy of the Spirit is another Caroline Myss highly rated text. This one will make you think and will inspire you in a direct way, because that is the teaching and speaking style of Caroline Myss. You will be compelled to dive deeper into your true purpose in life and explore your spirit on another level. Reading this book will challenge you to strive further in your Reiki practice, in your relationship with those around you, with yourself and with this planet. It is a must read.
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Best Reiki Books (2023 Buyers Guide):
What to Do After You’ve Read Up on Reiki?
For anyone simply looking to learn more before experiencing a healing session, exploring Reiki books for beginners and reading articles online will give you enough insight to feel comfortable before that first healing session.
Beyond this, if you have decided to learn Reiki through attunement training with a Reiki Master and have enrolled in a class with a reputable Reiki training program in a city near you, your teacher will provide you with study guides, and perhaps even respected manuals that they are aware of for you to work from.
However, the true benefits and knowledge of Reiki won’t come to you from even the best Reiki books or resources.
As is the case with many aspects of life, ascending to advanced levels of learning as a student of energy healing will involve a great deal of self-learning on your own time and through first-hand experiences on your unique healing journey.
This includes exercising your healing potential through hands-on practice of willing friend’s and family member’s in a one-to-one capacity.
Reiki shares are another excellent way to gain knowledge and skill from interactions with other practitioners in a group setting, while understanding how to harness your wonderful healing potential.
Final Thoughts on Finding the Best Reiki Books:
The goal in creating this guide was to encourage you to continue practicing Reiki, or, if you are a beginner, to enjoy a session and begin your healing journey with Reiki.
I hope you found this article inspiring and informative! Please pin and share if this article helped you in any way 🙂