At Reiki Evolution we routinely ask our students to let us have their feedback about the training and support that they receive. We have set ourselves high standards and want to make sure that our students are happy with their training, and soliciting feedback is a good way of making sure that we are on track.
Below you can read testimonials from people who have attended Irene Forsyth’s Reiki Evolution Reiki training courses in York, North Yorkshire.
“Overall this course has exceeded my expectations. The course material is well thought out and presented in a user-friendly way. The CD complements the written material, and there is adequate information to prepare the student for the live day course.
Irene is a joy to train with! She is so warm and open hearted, ensuring that everybody was made to feel welcome and a valued member of the day. She set the pace well – plenty of opportunities to ask questions and have discussions as necessary – her gentle, yet assertive, method of teaching was, for me, a really positive experience, and it is this that has given me the confidence to treat 4 people (and two goldfish!) since Sunday.”
Jacquelyn Templeman, North Yorkshire, April 2009
“After completing Reiki 1 with Irene in March, I had high expectations of this day. I was not disappointed! As before, the course material is well presented and user-friendly. The meditation CD was especially helpful and I benefitted from using this daily.
Irene was wonderful – she set a good pace and gave us plenty of time to ask questions and to discuss issues as they arose. Irene’s feedback on the practical work was invaluable, and she made the day a real pleasure, as well as a fabulous learning experience. I would have no hesitation in recommending Irene and Reiki Evolution to anybody wanting to develop their Reiki skils and knowledge, and plan to continue to Masters level in due course.
I honestly can’t think of how you could improve the course at this point, but if anything comes to mind I’ll let you know!”
Jacquelyn Templeman, North Yorkshire, July 2009
“I was very happy with the quality of the course manual and the CD. I especially liked the details about setting up your own Reiki practice as I thought they were very helpful. I attended the live 1 day course with Irene Forsyth in York. I found it quite intense, with lots to pack in, but run in a friendly and professional manner. I think Irene is an excellent and approachable teacher who is very experienced in the Reiki field and is very caring of her students.
I have found the Reiki Evolution training both in First and Second Degrees, to be excellent in all aspects, and I like the fact that if I need follow-up help or have any questions or concerns, I can still contact both teachers at any time. As such, it feels like I have joined a ‘Reiki Family’!”
Jane Stewart, County Durham, October 2009
“I had a fantastic time working with the exercises and course material for the RMT course. The information in the manual and on the CD were so well thought out and presented in a way that could be easily absorbed. The DVD of the Western attunement and Reiju were incredibly helpful and clarified a couple of things that I was unsure of when I read the manual. You have really got everything spot on!
My live course was just as exciting. Irene presented the course beautifully. The small group made it easy for us to share our experiences of working with the energies and meditations. Prior to the course I was a little apprehensive about the kotodama (singing in front of a group was never my idea of fun), however I found that I lost myself within the vibration of the energy of each of the kotodama and I loved it.
Irene is a great teacher, and I am looking forward to when she starts to teach Five Element Reiki sometime in the future as I would love to take my journey with Reiki and my personal development further.”
Claire Lloyd, Lincolnshire, October 2009
“I found the whole Reiki First Degree course amazingly brilliant; the home study manual and CDs are a really great idea, having time before the live course to take in all the information and being able to really think it through and to be able to practice the “Reiki Meditations “is fantastic.
Having had this information and the experiences, I found the live course with Irene Forsyth amazing: she was lovely, made us all feel relaxed, treated us as individuals, listened and answered our questions.The whole experience was quite mind blowing and I’m really looking forward to the Second Degree course with Irene.
I’m just realizing i knew so little about myself and now I have so much to look forward to, being able to help others and ease the suffering of the animals. Reiki has made me feel so much stronger, more positive and has given me the drive to use what I’ve learnt to make a difference! Thankyou !!”
Annie Stead, North Yorkshire, January 2010
“What can I say other than FANTASTIC! Irene was brilliant, the experience has been incredible. So far! I’m not usually one to show such exuberance (didn’t even know i could spell it) but this is truly how I feel.
I have had some incredible results, just with practicing on friends and family, this last week. One arthritic friend of mine is literally running around. When I had got down to her ankles, she felt a surge of pain run slowly up her leg to her knee (which is where she has the most pain) and up through her hip and out. She said it was very painful but she knew that it wasn’t making her wince as it usually would. Her hips have been painful for a long time, because of the way she has over-compensated for her knees and ankles. She now has no pain in her hips at all! She’s still feeling some pain in her knee and her ankles are almost pain free. I will give her a full six weeks of treatments and let you know the outcome. watch this space.
When i was treating my friend above, I felt an incredible surge of energy running through my arms and body when I was treating her knee. I stayed there for longer, until I felt it subside.
My partner has distheamia (double depression & one of the reasons that I have looked to Reiki) again incredible results. He says that his head/thoughts have been affected. But I can see, almost a new, cheerful person popping out every now & then.
I feel a lot better in myself too. I needed to. I am definitely at the start of very spiritual path.”
Donna Rogers, North Yorkshire, February 2010
“The Reiki Second Degree course was really amazing, and to turn up at York and find the same ladies I did my Reiki First Degree with in attendance just made the day even better. Irene was brilliant, answering questions and really explaining things we needed to know was excellent, but then I find Irene a first class instructor.
The different exercises we did with Irene were just incredible, using different symbols, I felt that everything I’d learnt all seem to come together and now I feel so much more confident and in a ay stronger.
I did have a problem with distant healing, but after doing the course and experiencing sending Reiki to another student in another room, I don’t worry about it anymore, as I know it works, I’ve felt it! And I’ve sent it! Just brilliant! Many Thanks for the experience and I look forward to sharing what I’ve learnt.”
Annie Stead, North Yorkshire, May 2010
“I recently attended Reiki 1 in York with Irene. I can’t fault it in any way, it was a fantastic day and lived up to my hopes in every respect.
I ended up choosing this course having read a lot of websites offering Reiki training and finding most of them very unsatisfactory – either they were not professionally presented, or seemed to be mixing Reiki training with crystals and angels and all sorts of other things which seemed completely irrelevant to me, having had Reiki treatments done ‘properly’ regularly. It made your courses really the only ones to choose as having a professional approach along with a respect for the real tradition of Reiki rather than all the peripheral nonsense that it seems to have accumulated.
Irene is lovely, she’s a fantastic teacher who clearly knows her subject and can communicate very effectively. It was also a great group of students, and we laughed a lot as well as getting through the work at a sensible pace. It was a lot of fun as well as very informative.
Very happy with the course, I got a lot out of it, and have already booked Reiki 2 with Irene.”
Eleanor Dickenson, West Yorkshire, May 2010
“I attended my course on 4th July in York with Irene teaching. Irene was warm and friendly and encouraged us to ask any questions no matter how silly we thought they might be. I loved every minute of the day and felt really encouraged in everything I did, I don’t think there could be any room for improvement. The course was presented at a steady pace and never rushed and the venue was easy to find. The manuals and CDs sent to me before my course were well presented and easy to follow (I use the CD every day). All in all a lovely course with a lovely teacher.“
Alison Wheeler, Lincolnshire, July 2010
“I was very pleased with everything about the course. The home study stage was excellently put together taking into account that everyone learns differently.
The CDs were very clear to understand and made it very easy to work with. My tutor Irene was simply a lovely person and made the day course very enjoyable, so much the time seemed to fly by. She was a excellent tutor and had time to answer any questions we asked, I hope if I go on to do my masters that would be has good as she was. Well I am definitely going on to do my second degree.
Julie John, East Yorkshire, September 2010
“The course was fantastic. I received the course materials well in advance and had time to read and digest the information. I also had time to try and meditate according to the instructions and CD’s. I found this really helpful as I was well prepared for the actual day.
Irene was very welcoming and having a small group was a bonus, which meant we had plenty of times for discussion and questions. Having gone through the home study pack, it meant that we could spend more time on the practical and receiving empowerments, and my mind was clear for receiving them. If I had to have the theory on the day, my mind would have been overloaded with information.
From the home study pack, I could learn the Daily exercises and self treatments, but it wasn’t until my course with Irene where she gave me confidence in what I was doing. She enabled me to clear my mind and become more receptive when carrying out the treatments. She also gave me confidence when working on other people. It has changed me as a person and my husband has noticed I am not as stressed as I used to be. I am looking forward to my second degree course. Thank you. “
Caren Fox, South Yorkshire, February 2011
“I attended Reiki 1 with Irene Forsyth in York on june 6th. The whole day was fantastic! Irene was warm and welcoming and is a very special lady! She kept the course interesting and enjoyable the whole way through. The empowerments for myself were incredibly strong and very fulfilling. Irene told me afterwards that she felt one of my etheric bodies shift to the right on each empowerment something she had never come across before, during the empowerments I felt intense heat to the right side of my neck and became quite emotional and the colours I saw were kaleidascopic! It was an amazing experience.
The home study package gave me a great insight into Reiki prior to the course and is very beneficial, the cd is helpful too, can even be played while going to sleep for some sub concscious learning. Looking forward to reiki 2.”
Claire Sissons, North Yorkshire, June 2011
“The day was mind blowing, Irene was once again a delight and a wonderful tutor. She made us feel welcome and spent time with all 3 of us students. The course materials were enjoyable and educational. The day seemed to go so quickly. Reiki has changed me for the better.”
Claire Sissons, North Yorkshire, AUgust 2011
”My recent course with Irene was everything I’d hoped it would be, I have high expectations for most things and I was not disappointed. I felt that it was important for me to find a teacher who I warmed to, and was drawn to Irene’s happy face on your website and felt that York would be the place for me to do my 1st degree, again I was not disappointed. I was so fortunate to find that not only was Irene the warm and friendly person I’d hoped she’d be but also the other three girls on the course were also perfect to be spending this important day with.
Irene was a great teacher, her method of teaching and friendly, relaxed manner ensured I got the most out of the day and it flew by, it was 6 o’clock in a flash. The empowerments were wonderful and aptly named; I truly felt, and still feel empowered. I had been considering a Reiki course for some time and quite frankly I thought the course to be rather pricey, but it was worth every penny. The course manual and CDs were great, I’ve never been one for homework, especially of the ‘read and learn’ variety but the manual was easy to follow but the winner for me was the CD, it was amazing what had ‘sunk in’ by the day of the course.
I am now looking forward to 2nd Degree next year, again with Irene of course.”
Elaine Holland, Yorkshire, November 2011
“Course materials were easy to follow and providing different ways of learning was very helpful. I particularly found listening to the CD’s meant that I could be guided through things until it clicked.
Irene answered all of my questions prior to the course very promptly and gave me alot of support and encouragement. I have M.E./Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and I had worries about being able to manage two full days. If it hadn’t have been for Irene’s support and encouragement I’m not sure whether I would have made it on the course.
After completing the Master’s Course I feel very knowledgeable and confident about my Reiki practice. I have to say a big thank you to Irene who made the journey so enjoyable!”
Pam Robinson, West Yorkshire, December 2011
“I think the Manual and CD that was received in advanced was a great idea and really helped me to get more from the actual day. It is also a great reference to use after the live day course.
I felt very welcomed on the day and very quickly felt at ease. Your relaxed and gently manner certainly helped me to absorb all the information. The little touches of homemade biscuits and a ready supply of drinks was also much appreciated!
I can already see the major benefits of using Reiki in my life and am hopeful of finding an improvement of my general well being. I feel somehow more ‘solid’ and my husband also commented on this the evening after the day course.
I have already given my husband a couple of treatments and he has had some reactions that prove ‘something’ is happening! And I didn’t feel drained as I had before when I was practising.
I am looking forward to developing my learning of Reiki and continuing on my spiritual path.”
Christine Taylor, East Yorkshire, November 2014
“First of all I think the way the course is presented with the manual and CD is excellent and certainly makes the information easier to absorb. The live course that I attended with Irene was excellent. Irene was very welcoming and made the day relaxing and informative. I thoughtly enjoyed the experince and already have had some positive personal responses.
I have slept so much better since the live course and generally am feeling more relaxed. It is lovely to be part of something that is so positive and I am hoping by going to as many of the Reiki Shares that Irene organises that this will develop my Reiki and its benefits further.
Many thanks for providing such a comprehensive course and I consider myself very lucky to live so close to Irene to enable me to take full advantage of her warmth, knowledge and experience.”
Christine Taylor, North Yorkshire, November 2014
“Thank you to you and to Irene for a very exciting, peaceful and interesting day, which far exceeded my expectations and really brought the home study to life.
“What did you think of the course content? Overall the course content (Pre-work and Practical) I thought was excellent. It seems obvious but you do need to put the time in on both the book and the CD’s in order to maximise the benefit of both. I found that in doing so I gained the maximum I could from the practical day.
Did the course meet your expectations? Absolutely, as you will gather from my other comments.
What did you think of the course materials (manual and CDs)?: Although the manual seemed extensive it was actually very clear and easy to read and understand, although I have been doing Tai Chi and Chi Kung for over ten years. The ‘flow’ of the book made for a very easy transition through the information – I thought the explanatory pictures particularly useful, as was the yellow pre-course instructions sheet and the ‘Hatsu Rei Ho at a Glance’ sheet. The ‘Shoden’ CD was very complementary to the disc and read and listened in turn quite a few times, even falling asleep at night to the CD! On the ‘Reiki Meditations’ disc I have so far listened only to the first two tracks but liked them.
What are your comments about the live training, and your teacher?: We were made to feel very welcome and put at ease straight away , and talked about the format of the day with approximate timings. The prior course work enabled us to concentrate much more on the practical things and, for me, greatly enhanced the benefit of the day.
The empowerments were quite an experience, and certainly brought home the importance, and benefit, of practising ‘mindfulness’. For me this was accompanied by a great feeling of heat and a gentle surging of, what I can only describe as, waves of energy coming and going, accompanied by heat and tingling in the hands with an energy pulsing between them – But it was such a relaxing and calming feeling each time.
The training for practising a full treatment was very instructive and actually giving a Reiki Treatment under supervision gave me a lot of confidence to try this again on someone else. It was a very calming experience for me too.”
Irene was brilliant, again I can’t think of anything that could have been improved. I felt completely at ease around her and she answered every question as thoroughly as possible. It helped that she was so approachable and easy to talk to. Even since the class we have been in contact and she has helped me get to grips with some of the weird and wonderful effects of reiki! I will definitely be booking on to the second degree class with her soon!
Thanks again, the course was top notch!”
The course book and CDs were informative, easy to follow and understand. I was a bit concerned about how I might manage with ‘homework’ – but actually, the book and CD combination worked perfectly for me. The book is in depth without ‘bogging you down’ and getting lost in facts. Very easy to read and as above, very easy to follow.
My teacher, Irene Forsyth, was wonderful. Relaxed and easy to listen to. I was a heap of emotional tears after my first empowerment (!) but it was all good – and the group (and Irene) were very supportive and understanding. The Zentist is a lovely shop and space.
“My truly heartfelt thanks for the wonderful Reiki courses, from Reiki level one to RMT.
I have been so blessed to find such an inspiring, attentive and thorough teacher in Irene. I thank her so much for all her dedication and her natural, inspiring style.
I feel, whilst Reiki level one ignited a spark within me, that particularly since the subsequent levels (but notably RMT), no matter how challenging, or bleak, life situations may seem there is now an ever burning Reiki candle (with a violet flame, of course :-)) to light my life path. Reiki continues to complement my spiritual journey and meditations, and it is my hope to share this with others.”
“Feedback regarding the course:
I thought the course content covered was extensive but not overbearingly so. The inclusion of the history on how Reiki was developed by Mikao Usui was really informative and helped in my understanding of the lengths he went to in putting these techniques together and benefits it has on our health and wellbeing; I’m so glad he shared it with the rest of the world.
Course content:
The home study I thought worked well I was able to set my own timetable of learning to suit my own circumstances and plan when to do my energy/healing work. Having the CD’s worked brilliantly, as I could listen to these on the train going to work and at home when too tiered to read. The live session was well planned with a defined structure throughout the day ending with giving and receiving a full treatment. The discussions after each stage were extremely helpful hearing the experiences and thoughts of the other students. Irene was thorough and informative and put us at ease throughout every stage of the day.
Value for money:
I haven’t compared the costs with any other Reiki course but yes thought the materials provided and the high standard of teaching from Irene was the icing on the cake. The CD’s from Taggart really helped in all aspects and of my learning the background of Reiki and in the practice of Hatsurei Ho and Self Healing. Having both the book to read and CD’s to listen to have increased my ability to take in all the information needed to complete the course successfully.
Your experience of it:
My group of 4 on the day of the live course were brilliant we really got on well and had a lovely day working on each other. My sensitivity on the day when I came to give and receive a treatment was high and also felt heightened emotions these were all good feelings though. All in all a fantastic experience, which I will enjoy practicing on family, friends and colleagues hopefully helping them in anyway I can.
Anything else you can think of:
It was a really good course which worked well on all levels, so much so that I would recommend it to friends, family, colleagues anyone that it would be of interest to and when I’m ready would definitely do the Reiki level two.”
Yvette McKenzie, West Yorkshire, November 2016
“Thank you very much for your e-mails and also for the certificates. I had a lovely day at The Zentist in York.
“I attended the Reiki 1 course in York yesterday, delivered by Irene Forsyth.
The course content was in depth, but explained and taught so clearly by Irene, who is the most attentive and caring teacher. The group was small (4 students), and we very soon bonded to make an excellent team for the day. The pre-course materials prepared students well for the day, were accessible to all learners, and were of a good quality.
The course exceeded my expectations, which I feel is down to Irene’s ability as a teacher, together with her incredible knowledge of, and expertise with, Reiki. Everything made complete sense. I left feeling fully connected to Reiki and having made some lovely new friends.”
Adele Bell, North Yorkshire, September 2017
“All the feedback that I would give on your Reiki 1 course would be very positive, it far exceeded my expectations. I had rather thought I would be getting a very New Age experience (not really my thing) with some photocopied pages of blurry photos showing hand positions for the various treatments, so was mightily impressed by the quality of the course materials, and by the down-to-earth and easy to read information in a format that was easy to assimilate. The cds are also excellent and proved very good way of reinforcing the learning process. Together they are an excellent source of material which I will be referring to repeatedly.
The one day course with Irene was also excellent. I didn’t have the bells and whistles experience (though I didn’t expect it, having had that many years ago in a different context) but the whole day, once again, exceeded my expectations. I had expected to feel under pressure and therefore nervous but the whole day was so relaxed that I was actually able to absorb more and enjoyed it all. I find that Reiki is a joy and know that it will enrich my life and hopefully the lives of those near to me.
With many thanks – I couldn’t have found a better Reiki course anywhere.”
Mary Green, North Yorkshire, October 2018
“What did you think of the course content?
Excellent, vey detailed content. I liked how we were given an understanding of the history of Reiki as well as other lineages.
Did the course meet your expectations?
Yes. I was actually amazed how much we fitted in the 2 days, and think we achieved more because of the preparation we had to put in beforehand.
What did you think of the course materials (manual and CDs)?
I thought the materials were excellent. I liked how the material was presented in a number of ways to suit different learning styles. It really helped me to get to grips with the content.
What are your comments about the live training, and your teacher?
Irene Forsyth is an excellent teacher. She delivered the course in a friendly and open manner. It was however rigorous and she pushed us to fulfil our potential and work beyond our expectations, especially with regard to intuition. There were many opportunities to get actual practice or working with energy with regard to Reiki Mastership and then to discuss our experiences. Irene really helped me to improve my levels of confidence
How do you think the course could be improved?
I really cant think of any improvements. I am very happy.”
Louise Oliver, South Yorkshire, March 2019
“I was exceptionally pleased with the course content and the pleasant atmosphere created by the teacher Irene. Everything exceeded my expectations and Irene made everyone very welcome. I personally prefer live training and the teacher Irene gave good explanations for any questions put forward to her.
The course material, especially the manual were very helpful indeed. I cannot really comment on how the course could be improved as I am very much a novice in Reiki although I have practiced Tai Chi and Qi Gong for a year or 2. I can only say, Reiki has improved my life in many ways already.”
Dawn Sheaf, North Yorkshire, October 2019
“My course was with Irene in York. Irene is a lovely lady. Very friendly and welcoming. I was slightly nervous but she put me at ease immediately. I found the course very interesting and Irene answered any questions fully. It was a pity that one of our party did not arrive but Irene soon solved the problem without any fuss.
2. The course more than satisfied my expectations.
3. The manual and CD’s were really good and receiving them early helped with the time to learn the symbols.
4. For me the live training was best although I have no doubt the online training would suit a lot of people.
How do you think the course could be improved?
Not sure if it could be improved.
Aleks Macheta, North Yorkshire, February 2020
What did you think of the course content?
Brilliant. We got through a lot of content, yet still had time to ask questions / it didn’t feel at all rushed. It really helped reading the manual first as advised. It was the perfect mix of talking, meditations, empowerments and practical’s.
Did the course meet your expectations?
Absolutely. We got through a lot more than I thought we would have time for, yet nothing felt rushed. Irene was so knowledgeable and very organised too which made for a seamless day – and we still had a strong magical excitement in the air the whole time despite the covid guidelines! The room was lovely and calming, and it was just a wonderful experience.
What did you think of the course materials (manual and CDs)?
Fantastic. The Okuden manual is so thorough and interesting. It will stay with me through my whole journey with Reiki I’m sure, and it’s so easy to keep going back to re-read and re-learn. The audios are brilliant too, so easy to re-listen to anywhere – and the guided meditation are really helpful and effective. I find it so helpful to follow an audio, especially on something like Hatsurei ho.
What are your comments about the live training, and your teacher?
Irene was so warm and made me feel so welcomed from the minute we started speaking – and that was before the live course even began! She rang me which was lovely, and emailed with all the thorough details of what the extra Covid precautions were – which were very well thought through and I felt 100% safe the whole time – even thinking of the little details like how we will make drinks, a towel each for hand drying etc which was lovely.
I felt throughout the day I was comfortable to ask any questions (usually I am a little shy at doing this!) and felt I learned so so much from Irene. I have also emailed since then about a reiki share, and every time I get a prompt reply – as I have done the whole time since I booked a reiki evolution course – which has been so lovely and refreshing!
Overall I loved the training, manuals, audios and experience as a whole with Reiki evolution. I feel I will definitely move forwards one day with the deepening or master course with Irene.”
Holly Chippindale, West Yorkshire, November 2020
“I really did enjoy the course. The course material was perfect. The instructions on how to go through the material is very well payed out. It was also easy to understand. I have gone through the course material several times and I intend to carry on going through it.
I enjoyed the live session with Irene. She is such a wonderful lady and she has such a beautiful nature. I had fun doing the practical and I loved the energy in Irene’s studio. I had an amazing energy shift with the attunements as well.
I will definitely be booking my level 2 shortly as I intend to take may healing journey further so that I can help others too. “
Amantha Hague, North Yorkshire, June 2021