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Reiki Courses in London and Online

What is Reiki? The True Meaning of Universal Energy

The word Reiki carries a deep, universal meaning that often conflicts with how it is labeled, commercialised, or viewed in modern society. At its core, Reiki represents the fundamental life force that flows through the entire universe.

The Japanese kanji characters that form the word capture this harmonious union perfectly:

  • Rei: Spirit, the divine, or universal, omnipresent energy.
  • Ki: The individual life force that flows through every living being.

Origins: From Usui Reiki Ryoho to Modern Styles

The Reiki system—as a framework and method for channeling universal energy—traces its historical roots back to Usui Reiki Ryoho, developed in Japan during the 1920s by Mikao Usui. Today, while sharing this common heritage, contemporary practice has branched out into over a hundred different styles, divided primarily into two main branches:

  • Traditional Japanese Reiki is designed as a profound journey of inner and spiritual growth. It centers on the principles (Gokai) and self-purification practices—such as Gassho meditation, Kenyoku, and attunements (Reiju)—aimed at personal evolution and achieving enlightenment (Anshin Ritsumei).
  • Western Reiki is A more pragmatic and structured approach focused on physical and mental well-being. Using fixed hand positions, chakra work, defined levels, and spirit guides, it offers a method that is immediately accessible to everyone.

Cutting Through the Spiritual Noise: Rediscovering Reiki's True Essence

Often commodified as a mere consumer product, marketed as a spiritual shortcut, or reduced to a New Age fad, Reiki is stripped of its authentic essence and mistaken for a wellness technique—a tool just to relax, get results, manifest desires, heal, or achieve enlightenment.

Reiki is none of these things. In truth, it is a portal to the Absolute: the original, immutable dimension from which all existence flows. Rather than a goal-oriented tool, it serves as a field of pure, non-local information that dissolves the illusion of separation. In this current, the ego surrenders, and the healer, the receiver, and the energy fuse into a single Pure Awareness, revealing the ultimate reality beyond all form.

Beyond Traditional Reiki: An Evolved Approach Bridging Science and Advaita-Vedānta

After years of teaching Reiki—in both its traditional Japanese and Western forms—I’ve come to realise a fundamental truth: energy is boundless by nature, and it neither can nor should be caged within rigid systems or limiting labels.

While most courses promise techniques to memorise, templates to follow, and protocols to “fix” what is broken, my approach takes a different path.

Free from complex structures, this natural bridge unites Reiki as pure universal energy with insights from quantum physics, neuroscience, and the wisdom of Advaita-Vedānta, offering you a deeply authentic experience.

If you feel that true energy and spirituality don’t need boxes to fit into, dogmas to obey, or rigid lines drawn between good and evil—nor the constant need to defend ourselves from the outside world, or to patch up a lingering sense of incompleteness—then this journey is designed to lead you straight to your pure essence, where everything is already perfect, exactly as it is.

What Makes This Path Unique

What I am offering you is a journey of rediscovery: ancient principles, meditations, and energy techniques from both East and West, freed from all dogma and viewed through the lens of pure awareness.

  • Forget rigid timetables and dogma. Together, we let go of absolute truths, spiritual ego, dualistic views of energy, protection techniques, and mechanical habits—making space solely for the direct, lived experience of inner silence.
  • Reiki serves as a gateway to the Absolute: that original, unchanging, and universal dimension from which all things emerge and to which they return. Far more than a tool with a specific goal, it is an energetic signpost pointing straight to pure awareness, revealing ultimate reality beyond every illusion.
  • Beyond the notion of healing: Reiki is not here to “fix” or purify what we judge as broken within ourselves or others, nor is it about chasing enlightenment. The invitation is simply to recognise the perfection of what is already here, before any thought of separation.
  • Beyond limiting beliefs: we gently strip away cultural conditioning to rediscover the true essence of Reiki. Energy is not a substance to be stored or managed; it is a transparent bridge to the Absolute that dissolves entirely into the experience of All That Is.
  • Unity in the Absolute: you will experience that indivisible reality where the practitioner, the treatment, and the receiver merge into one single essence.

Who is this training for?

This training programme provides a space for pure transformation, dedicated to those who are ready to make a true leap:

  • For those approaching energy work and Reiki for the first time, seeking a non-dual approach free from dogmas, overstructures, and limiting beliefs that hold back true experience.
  • For those who already practice Reiki but feel that “something is missing,” sensing an essential need to go beyond limiting beliefs and rigid techniques to rediscover the true essence of being.
  • For those desiring an authentic experience, made of inner silence, subtle listening, and a profound return to the original unity of the Absolute.

Here you will not find formulas to repeat or mental frameworks to box yourself into, but a guide to dissolve all separation and simply return to who you are.

How levels are viewed in my Reiki courses

What truly defines this approach is a paradigm shift in how Reiki levels are viewed: they are not milestones of mastery or certificates of achievement, but rather stepping stones along an endless journey of personal evolution.

The framework is built for continuous discovery. Whilst the essential core sharings remain intact as a steady anchor, the surrounding material shifts dynamically with every course. For example, you can step into Level 1 repeatedly and encounter a radically fresh curriculum each time, accompanied by a distinct, unrepeatable energetic transmission.

Because the landscape of the course is always changing, returning to a level transcends a simple review—it becomes an active portal for energetic expansion. Every layer of learning leaves its own distinct imprint, seamlessly weaving past insights into your present state and continuously guiding you forward.

To support this ongoing journey, monthly gatherings take place featuring a flexible blend of online and in-person sessions. To keep this path open and accessible, both repeated levels and these monthly sessions are offered in exchange for a donation, allowing you to deepen your practice regardless of your location.

Why Level 1 Matters and What Comes Next

Everyone begins at Level 1, regardless of their past experience or training. Because personal growth and practice unfold at an entirely unique pace for each individual, schedules for Levels 2 and 3 are not published in advance.

This page only lists the upcoming dates for Level 1 in London and online. The next steps will be arranged individually with you when you are ready to move forward.

Available Formats: In-Person and Online Reiki Courses

To suit everyone’s needs, the course format varies depending on your preference:

  • In-Person Reiki Courses in London: An intensive weekend course totaling 14 hours, split evenly across two fully immersive days.
  • Online Reiki Courses: Two-hour video lessons via Zoom, conveniently spread out over several weeks to support steady learning and gradual practice.

Attunements, Training Materials, and Professional Standards

In-person participants receive three live attunements, fully meeting the standards required to practice Reiki professionally. Meanwhile, online students enjoy an equally immersive, dedicated experience, enhanced by energy work and guided interactive exercises.

A Fluid, Experiential, and Unconventional Approach to Reiki

Unlike traditional Reiki courses—often bound by rigid manuals and standardised programs—this path of personal growth unfolds organically and spontaneously. Teaching is guided by the group’s energetic flow and in-the-moment insights.

Instead of traditional printed manuals, students receive dynamic, regularly updated study notes designed to keep pace with their practice.

While general guidelines set the tone for each level, the curriculum continually evolves to prioritise hands-on experience and an authentic energetic journey, moving far beyond the rules of a textbook.

Reiki Training Structure

Divided into three tiers—Level 1, Level 2, and the Master Level—this program offers maximum flexibility with a mix of in-person sessions in London and online learning.

Reiki Level 1 (London and online)

Explore the evolution of Reiki—from the roots of traditional Usui Reiki Ryoho to its Western form—combining ancient spiritual wisdom with the principles of quantum physics to unveil the profound energetic connection that unites everything.

  • Prerequisites: None. The course is also open to complete beginners.
  • Syllabus:
    • The Source: The energy of the universal life force
    • Quantum Physics and Reiki: How our worldview shifts between tradition and the West
    • The Evolution of Japanese and Western Methodologies in light of quantum paradigms
    • Light and Information: How to access the morphic field
    • Beyond Dogma: Redefining spirituality through direct experience

Reiki Level 2

This course delves into the core concepts of distant energy work, bridging the principles of modern quantum physics with metaphysical traditions.

  • Prerequisites: Reiki Level 1
  • Syllabus:
    • The metaphysics of symbols
    • Distant energy work and quantum non-locality
    • The invisible thread: quantum connections linking Japanese practical philosophy with Western thought
    • The collapse of the wave function
    • Illness through the lens of the quantum paradigm

Reiki Master

Go beyond traditional boundaries by fusing Reiki principles, quantum dynamics, and non-dual philosophy. This journey will empower you to pass on attunements and anchor your connection to the unified field of consciousness.

  • Prerequisites: Reiki Level 2
  • Syllabus:
    • The Master symbol
    • The observer effect
    • Anshin Ritsumei, Advaita-Vedānta, and the principle of Oneness
    • Beyond dualism: The convergence of traditional techniques and the quantum worldview in East and West
    • Attunements and universal resonance

Reiki Level 1 Course Dates and Schedule

In-Person Courses in London

24 and 25 October 2026

  • Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Location: Benedictine Institute, 74 Castlebar Road, Ealing, London, W5 2DD, UK
  • Duration: 14 hours in total (2 days, 7 hours per day)
  • Facilitator: The course is taught in English by Giancarlo Serra.
  • Fee: The course registration fee of £200 includes all lessons, supervision, course materials, and the certificate of completion.

23 and 24 January 2027

  • Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Location: Benedictine Institute, 74 Castlebar Road, Ealing, London, W5 2DD, UK
  • Duration: 14 hours in total (2 days, 7 hours per day)
  • Facilitator: The course is taught in English by Giancarlo Serra.
  • Fee: The course registration fee of £200 includes all lessons, supervision, course materials, and the certificate of completion.

6 and 7 March 2027

  • Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Location: Benedictine Institute, 74 Castlebar Road, Ealing, London, W5 2DD, UK
  • Duration: 14 hours in total (2 days, 7 hours per day)
  • Facilitator: The course is taught in English by Giancarlo Serra.
  • Fee: The course registration fee of £200 includes all lessons, supervision, course materials, and the certificate of completion.

Online Reiki Courses (Zoom)

8, 15, 22, 29 October 2026

5, 12, 19 November 2026

  • Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
  • Format: Online
  • Duration: 14 hours in total (7 sessions of 2 hours each)
  • Teacher: The course is taught in Italian by Giancarlo Serra.
  • Fee: The course registration fee of £200 includes all lessons, supervision, course materials, and a certificate of completion.

Reiki Training Costs (2026)

  • Level 1 – £200
  • Level 2 – £250
  • Master Level – £450

Special Rates

Special rates are available for individuals currently experiencing financial hardship.

Courses Accreditation

For those interested in getting qualified or working professionally with Reiki, my Reiki training courses—covering Levels 1, 2, and Master—are fully accredited by the UK Reiki Federation (UKRF), allowing eligible graduates to join the organisation as members. Additionally, Levels 1 and 2 form the core of the Professional Reiki Practitioner Diploma, which qualifies graduates to register with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) and display the official CNHC Quality Mark.

Professional Reiki Practitioner Diploma in London

The Professional Reiki Practitioner Diploma represents the pinnacle of professional recognition for practitioners in the UK. This comprehensive qualification enables graduates to register with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) and display the prestigious CNHC Quality Mark.

Designed for versatility, the curriculum prepares students to practice competently across all sectors, including private clinics, care homes, and NHS environments. The program is delivered through four in-person modules (in London), integrating Reiki Level 1 and Level 2.

What to Expect After Your Reiki Course

Once you complete Reiki Level 1, you will unlock access to:

  • Exclusive Newsletter: Stay inspired with practical tips and updates tailored specifically for Reiki practitioners.
  • Online sessions: Join our online sessions (held in both Italian and English) to share experiences and connect with fellow practitioners on a donation basis.
  • In-Person Meetups in London: Take part in local sessions organised in London in exchange for a voluntary donation.
  • Course Refreshers: Retake any course you’ve already completed (in Italian or English) for just a donation, subject to availability. Think of coming back not as repeating a class, but as an upgrade: because the material is always evolving, every session brings fresh insights and new perspectives.
  • Reiki Level 2: The next step is waiting for you whenever you feel ready. Shift your focus away from collecting titles or gathering information, and instead open yourself up to a deeper connection with the energy and the pure joy of self-discovery.

How to Register

If you would like to attend the Level 1 course, please send an email expressing your interest to info@giancarloserra.org with the following details:

  • Full name
  • Town/city of residence
  • Your preferred email address
  • The specific dates you wish to register for
  • Your motivation for joining

While Level 1 is a beginner-level course with no formal prerequisites, a Zoom call is scheduled for all potential students.

Giancarlo Serra

Giancarlo is a consultant and tutor at the College of Psychic Studies, where he originally completed his training in Spiritual Healing. A dual-style Reiki Master Teacher (Japanese and Western), his expertise also encompasses Spiritual Wellbeing, Spiritual Counselling, and Past Life Therapy. Read more

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Reiki Courses in London & Online

Q: Are the Reiki courses in London held in person or online?

A: They are available both in person in London (at the Benedictine Institute and Stillpoint) and online via interactive Zoom sessions.

Q: What are the requirements to join Level 1?

A: There are no prerequisites or prior experience with energy work required. Level 1 is open to anyone wishing to explore Universal Energy, regardless of age or background.

Q: Do Giancarlo Serra’s courses provide a certificate?

A: Yes. A certificate of completion is awarded at the end of each level.

Q: How do the online Reiki courses compare to the in-person ones?

A: Our online courses are just as effective and follow the exact same structure as the in-person classes. The attunements and theory-to-practice lessons take place in real-time over video call, ensuring direct interaction, live Q&A opportunities, and guided practice sessions.

Q: Is an introductory interview required before registering?

A: Yes, interested participants are invited to a brief initial interview. This helps ensure that your personal motivations align with the path of the course.

Q: What are the main benefits of this journey?

A: This journey goes far beyond viewing Reiki as a simple set of techniques for stress relief, relaxation, healing, or spiritual growth. It is an invitation to profound inner transformation—an intimate voyage to awaken your awareness and reconnect with your true essence.