There are moments in healing when Reiki touches something so deep it feels as though compassion itself is flowing through your hands. This is the essence of Karuna Reiki®—a system created to bring Reiki into even greater alignment with the energy of unconditional love and compassionate action. Where Usui Reiki lays the foundation of healing, Karuna Reiki® invites us to step further into service, working with energies that are profoundly nurturing, transformative, and expansive.

 

The word Karuna is Sanskrit, appearing in Hindu, Buddhist, and Zen teachings. It translates most often as “compassionate action”—the natural movement of the heart when faced with the suffering of others. William Lee Rand, the founder of the International Center for Reiki Training (ICRT), chose this name because it embodies the spirit of the energy itself: compassion expressed through healing action.

 

Origins and Development

In the mid-1990s, William Lee Rand and a group of trusted students began exploring additional symbols and techniques that had emerged from their years of Reiki practice. Through experimentation, meditation, and spiritual guidance, they discovered a more refined, compassionate vibration of energy. This practice came to be known as Karuna Reiki®, and it has since grown into one of the most respected advanced Reiki systems taught worldwide.Rand later integrated Karuna Reiki® with the energy of Holy Fire®, which was introduced in 2014. Today, the system is known as Holy Fire® III Karuna Reiki®—a lineage that carries the qualities of compassion, purification, and empowerment on a universal scale.

 

What Makes Karuna Reiki® Unique

• A Deeper, More Compassionate Energy

  • Karuna Reiki® is often described as both powerful and gentle, reaching emotional, karmic, and even cellular levels of healing. It supports trauma release, shadow work, and soul integration.

• Symbols for Advanced Healing

  • Karuna Reiki® introduces a series of symbols beyond those of Usui Reiki. These symbols assist in grounding, opening to higher wisdom, clearing deeply rooted patterns, and connecting with the Higher Self.

• Integration with Holy Fire® III

  • With the introduction of Holy Fire®, Karuna Reiki® was uplifted to an even higher vibration. Holy Fire® III Karuna Reiki® incorporates ignitions (a form of spiritual initiation) instead of traditional attunements, offering practitioners a direct experience of sacred energy. 

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​​Training and Eligibility​

• Karuna Reiki® is open only to those who have already completed Reiki Master training.

• The course includes practitioner and master levels, with Holy Fire® III ignitions, advanced meditations, and eight Karuna symbols.

• Students who complete training with an ICRT-registered teacher become Registered Holy Fire® III Karuna Reiki® Masters and receive official manuals and certificates.

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Important Notes

• Karuna Reiki® is a registered service mark of William Lee Rand and the International Center for Reiki Training.

• It is not meant to replace Usui Reiki, but to deepen and expand it. Karuna Reiki® builds upon the foundation of Reiki energy and offers new tools for those called to advanced practice.

• Only teachers trained and registered through the ICRT may teach Karuna Reiki®.

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Learn More

If you feel called to this path, I encourage you to read The Book on Karna Reiki® by Laurelle Shanti Gaia.