The Benefits of Distributed Learning
I would like to talk a little bit about the idea of distance learning when applied to Reiki. I think that when put together properly, such courses can provide as much quality as real ‘live’ courses, if not more, and they have some distinct advantages.
Let’s think for a moment about what is provided to students who attend a ‘live’ course…
‘Live’ Reiki Courses
All Reiki courses involve doing two things:
- Learning some new things – receiving information
- Carrying out practical exercises using energy: either working on yourself or on others.
The information you receive will come via two routes: through written materials and verbally. You will probably receive a manual on the day of the course, or maybe beforehand by means of pre-course study. You will listen to your teacher talking, you will ask questions if you need to and you will have any questions answered.
When you work on yourself or others you will be told what to do: you will be talked through meditations and energy exercises, you will watch (for example while hand positions are demonstrated), and these things will probably be referred to in more detail in the course manual.
The course will probably follow a set structure, so that you start with the basics and then move forward from a solid foundation. Once the course has been completed, you should then receive support from your teacher long-term.
Training through Distributed learning
Everything mentioned above can be provided at a distance if care is taken with the preparation of the course materials and the construction of the course. Firstly, if the manual is written in a clear, easy-to-understand fashion, with step-by-step detailed instructions, then we can ensure that there is no confusion. Reiki is a simple subject, after all. We can back up these instructions with images to illustrate various points, and we can provide audio so that the student can hear the Reiki teacher say the things that would have been said on the live course, focusing the student on the important points. It’s nice to hear a real voice!
When it comes to practical work with energy – either on yourself or on other people – then the combination of step-by-step instructions and digital images to illustrate points, and simple audio instructions and guided meditations provide you with everything you need.
But success with a distributed learning course also comes through the student being guided as they progress through the course, not just being provided with a stack of materials and left to get on with it on their own. We have found that what works well is to break a training course down into manageable ‘chunks’, and the student is given a series of ‘projects’ to carry out. For each project they are set sections of the course manual to read, they listen to a commentary track or tracks of the audio, and maybe use a guided meditation. They then carry out exercises with energy, either working on themselves or on a group of people that they use as ‘guinea pigs’ – Reiki is a hands-on subject, after all!
So Why Choose Distributed Learning?
People choose to train through distributed learning for many reasons. For some it is about geography: if you live a long way from your teacher – maybe even in a different country – it may simply not be possible to travel to attend a live course. But distributed learning allows you to train with your chosen teacher even if they are on the other side of the planet. Some subjects are simply not available in many places – for example Original Usui Reiki or the specialized mikkyo “esoteric” meditations and ceremonies that support and enhance your practice of Reiki.
Some people, perhaps because of family commitments, are not able to take a few days out of their routine to attend a course lasting one or two days. If they choose distance learning they can work around their commitments and find time to work with the energy regularly over a longer period of time, guided each step of the way.
Some will choose distributed learning because they simply work best that way: motivating themselves and journeying on their own at their own chosen speed, working on themselves, working on others, taking more direct control of their learning.
Finally
We believe that distributed learning courses provide an effective way of teaching Reiki so long as the course is well thought-out, the course materials are detailed and comprehensive and the student receives the support they need as they progress.