First Degree Classes
First Degree Classes
How to ease a friend’s pain when you don’t know what to do or how.
It happens all the time: your child, a friend, or even your pet is visibly hurting or upset. You want to help, but mostly you sit by silently, not sure what to say or do. Or worse, you try to help, but end up making things even more painful, when all you want to do is make them feel better.
The problem is you don’t know how to channel your caring in a way that brings effective relief.
When someone you love is suffering, compassion wells up naturally, like a fresh mountain stream. That water could heal every parched place in its path, but too often our helplessness and insecurity block it.
All you need is a way over the dam to direct the stream.
That requires two things:
1. Reliable access to your spring of compassion. To reach the stream every time, you need a direct connection to the spiritual force that guides you. This stream is the essence.
2. A simple form or structure for offering your care. You need a simple way to reach out that connects every time. This is the form.
When you are connected with the essence of compassion and have a form for offering it, you have all you need to help others (and yourself).
You’ll find both through a First Degree Reiki class.
First Degree Reiki is for people who want to help themselves and the people around them in a simple, effective, and foolproof way.

- Yes, we really mean fool proof.
- Reiki treatment is soothing and healing, both gentle and powerful.
- It is great first aid for pain, stress, accidents, and emotional upsets.
- It can relieve symptoms and support recovery from chronic illness.
- Reiki practice is easy to learn. No one ever, ever failed a Reiki class
- It’s easy to apply. You can do Reiki anywhere—soccer field, office, hospital room . . . anywhere.
- Reiki can do no harm. You can’t hurt or overdose with Reiki; it can only help.
- Learning to use Reiki brings you closer to your own spiritual connection and healing wisdom.
What you will learn in First Degree Reiki
First, the essence
Four simple ceremonies or initiations (sometimes called attunements) summon a stream of life energy that you can direct to help yourself and loved ones, every time, without fail. With a direct line to universal life energy, your own life becomes richer in surprising ways.
Then the form:
A specific pattern of hand placements helps the energy to flow exactly where it’s needed. You will learn to:
- give Reiki to yourself
- give Reiki to others
- give Reiki to animals and plants
You’ll learn five Reiki Principles to help you trade worry and anger for gratitude, transforming your mind and heart.
Practice, practice, practice. There’s lots of time to give and receive Reiki.
Confidence. In-class practice and long-term support help to build your confidence in Reiki and your own ability to use it.



Practicing with Others
After your First Degree class you can attend monthly Reiki circles in Coeur d’Alene and weekly groups in Cataldo, where you can practice with other students giving and receiving treatments. These supportive Reiki exchanges exist all over the world.
In the Silver Valley, you can volunteer for the monthly Public Reiki Clinic, putting your new Reiki skills to work by benefiting the community as a whole.
You may review the First Degree class as often as you like for a small audit fee.
A class to last the rest of your life
You have probably taken a lot of classes in your day. After you came home, you filed the notes and forgot everything you learned. First Degree Reiki is one class you can use every day for the rest of your life. The more you use Reiki, the more you’ll understand it, and the more effective it will be in supporting your life and your desire to help others.
Something this good probably costs a fortune, right? And takes years to learn? Not at all.
A First Degree class takes about 12 hours, taught over four sessions.
The cost of Susan’s First Degree classes is $200 US.
Where we teach
- In Cataldo, Idaho—our hometown—Susan offers First Degree Reiki every three to four months throughout the year. Check the Calendar for upcoming dates.
- Paul teaches around the world. Again, check the Calendar for dates and locations.
- We can come to you. We readily travel in the Pacific Northwest if you have a class of 6 or more. We’ll travel even farther for larger classes and gatherings. Just ask.
- You can come to us. North Idaho is a beautiful place to visit, and we offer very affordable housing at Mountain View Retreat in Cataldo, a half hour east of Coeur d’Alene.



Can’t you learn this on-line?
Nope. One of the beauties of Reiki practice is that it’s personal—a direct, hands-on application of compassion. That’s old-fashioned, but it’s part of the richness of the experience. You learn Reiki in person from a Reiki Master who is trained to pass on the essence and form of the practice.
Commitment to tradition
For both of us, Reiki is our full-time focus. We practice and teach the traditional Usui Shiki Ryoho system that we learned so long ago, and between us we have taught thousands of people. We have dedicated our lives to Reiki and work within an international Reiki community. Besides, we both love to laugh and we love our work, so our classes reflect that too. You can find lots more on the About Us page.
OK. What’s the next step?
Still have questions? Let’s talk. Ask us anything by completing the form below and we’ll get right back to you. Or pick up the phone and call. We’re at 208-512-1524.
Ready to sign up? Complete the form below, and we’ll send you information on our next class. it to hold your place. You can mail a check or charge by credit card over the phone.
This form gives us a little information before we connect with you. Write as much or as little as you want. We’ll reply in your preferred mode (email or telephone) to continue our conversation from here.
Ready to sign up? [click here]
This form gives us a little information before we connect with you. Write as much or as little as you want. Well reply in your preferred mode (email or telephone) to continue our conversation from here.