What to Expect at Your First Reiki Level I Class—And Why Ours Looks a Little Different
By Victoria · Healing Arts Center
I’ve had the privilege of teaching alongside Janice Landfair for years. Before you walk through our door, there are a few things I want you to know about her classes.
If you’ve been searching for a Reiki Level I certification and wondering what it actually involves—what to wear, whether you’ll be photographed, who else shows up, and whether you have to be in a particular place in your life to attend—this was written for you.
What the Day Actually Looks Like
Reiki Level I is a full-day certification—a genuine immersion into self-awareness, deep relaxation, and the art of channeling healing energy for yourself and the people you love. The day begins with the history and lineage of Reiki before moving into the anatomy of the energy body—the foundation that makes everything else click into place. From there, we move into hand positions, technique, and how to create and hold sacred space for a healing session.
The centerpiece of the day is the Reiki I attunement: a personal experience that opens you to a new level of energy flow and spiritual connection. We set aside specific time afterward for questions, ensuring nothing goes unanswered before you leave. You will also receive tools that reach well beyond traditional Reiki—practical ways to stay grounded and present in daily life. Each student leaves with a certificate of completion and a detailed resource folder. Tea is provided throughout the day, and we build in time for lunch—feel free to bring something you love or explore the local area.
Who Attends Our Classes
The students who find their way here are often in the middle of something they haven’t fully named yet—a diagnosis that arrived and rearranged everything, twenty years of military service ending while civilian life doesn’t quite fit, or grief that doesn't follow a schedule. We see caregivers running on empty and veterans exhausted from being "an inspiration."
Many are navigating bodies that are changing in ways they didn't choose—hair loss, weight shifts, joint swelling, or the particular fatigue that settles in with new medication or sustained stress. They come here not because things are fine, but precisely because they aren’t. Often, they haven't yet told everyone in their lives what they are going through.
Why We Never Take Class Photos
We heard it directly from students who asked about our privacy policy before registering. They weren't being difficult; they were being careful. A photo of them in a meditative pose, shared publicly before they were ready, could land in front of a family member or friend who didn't know about the diagnosis, the discharge, or the divorce. They were protecting conversations they hadn't had yet. We listened, and we haven't taken class photos since.
Our Gold Star families and military clients put it another way. They called it "the pony show"—the constant, low-grade pressure to be the poster child or the proof that a program works. They had already given enough of themselves in that way. They come to learn something real and leave without being asked to perform. That request shaped how we run every session.
Why We Don’t Require White Clothing
White is not a requirement in Reiki. We researched it thoroughly and found no tradition or lineage that mandates it. Instead, we found that it creates unnecessary discomfort, particularly for men stepping into energy work for the first time in a room full of strangers. A student distracted by their clothing cannot go inward—and going inward is the entire point. Come as you are.
About Janice Landfair
Janice Landfair is the founder of Essential Wellness and brings a rare combination of scientific rigor and clinical experience to her teaching. She led the oncology Reiki program at the Carrillo Kern Center for Integrative Therapies at Sentara Brock Cancer Center—Hampton Roads' first integrative therapy clinic for cancer patients. There, she worked directly alongside medical teams to support patients through diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. That clinical background shapes her approach: she teaches Reiki not as a belief system to adopt, but as a practice to understand deeply and use with confidence.
If you’ve been waiting until life settles down before trying something new, this class was designed for the "in-between." It isn't for people who have it all figured out; it’s for people who are honest enough to admit they don't—and curious enough to show up anyway.
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