Reiki Association

There are over 140 different styles of Reiki out there and so appreciably it is difficult for anyone looking for a Reiki practitioner or teacher to know what sort of criteria they need to be looking out for.

A Reiki practitioner or teacher should ultimately take responsibility for giving their clients the best treatment they can offer, whilst under their care, with due regard to the client’s medical condition and implications of any medications the client is taking for their condition. A good Reiki practitioner or teacher should also have honesty, integrity and underpinning knowledge of their subject. Don’t be afraid when you ring up for a treatment or Reiki course to ask plenty of questions about how the practitioner or teacher works with Reiki. If the answers they give you seem ambiguous and forced, then look elsewhere.

The main thing is to trust your intuition, it does not matter how knowledgeable someone may seem, if you feel that something is not quite right then trust your instincts. It is irrelevant if someone says they have practiced Reiki for 20 years if they don’t understand what they are doing!

Below you will find some criteria to look out for when deciding where to go for Reiki.

? Make sure the practitioner or Reiki teacher belongs to an accredited Reiki association and teaches an accredited course. Also be aware that different associations follow different codes of practice and their members teach in different ways.

? Speak to the Reiki practitioner first by telephone to be sure that you feel comfortable with the practitioner. Make sure that they are empathetic, candid and can readily answer any of your questions. If a Reiki healer cannot make you understand what they are talking about they don’t understand it themselves.

? Ask the practitioner lots of questions about how they work with Reiki to make sure it suits you. Many practitioners are not willing to work on specific conditions which is fine if all you want is a treatment purely for relaxation, but if you have anything that needs treating make sure you go to a practitioner who works actively with Reiki and will work directly on your condition(s).

? If you are going for a Reiki treatment and you are female it is probably safer to either go and see a female practitioner or take a friend with you for the first treatment.

? Some Reiki websites offer distant treatments or attunements. This can be extremely misleading. The qualifications will not be recognised and you don’t know what sort of treatment or course you will be getting.

It is much better to see a practitioner directly and if you are learning Reiki it is important to learn from a qualified teacher who will offer you the support you need during and after the course. Distant attunements can be at the very least completely ineffectual and at the worse very dangerous. Remember that you are letting someone you have never met before make changes to your energy field, so make sure you feel safe with them.

? If you are undertaking a Reiki course make sure that the course is certified and that manual and post course support are included. Some Reiki teachers do not provide you with a manual and it will be hard for you to remember everything you have learned and practice Reiki effectively after you have completed your course.

? Be very wary of Reiki teachers that offer ?bargain’ deals such as learning Reiki I, II and III all in one weekend. You cannot become a good Reiki Master in one weekend. It is a huge responsibility to teach Reiki and to practice Reiki on others. Learning all the Reiki levels in one weekend will leave you deflated, frustrated, lacking in a good foundation of knowledge and most probably completely unable to use Reiki effectively.

? Reiki Level I if it is traditional Usui Reiki should have 4 attunements, Level II should have 1 attunement and Master level should have 1 attunement. These are the number of attunements the founder of Reiki Mikao Usui used.

Some Reiki teachers say it doesn’t matter how many attunements you have, you will still be able to use Reiki but this is nonsense. The attunement process connects you to the source of the energy and raises your frequency as well as placing the Reiki symbols into various parts of your body to enable you to be an effective channel for the energy. They are a vital part of a Reiki course and it is imperative that you are attuned properly if you want to be an effective Reiki practitioner yourself.

? Reiki attunements should not involve singing bowels, Tibetan bells, gongs or any other unnecessary paraphernalia unrelated to Reiki. You are not receiving a traditional Usui attunement if any of the former is involved in the attunement process. It might be best to ask the Reiki teacher before you sign up for a course what is involved when they give you attunements.

? Be very wary of Reiki teachers that offer Reiju or empowerments instead of attunements. Reiju or empowerments are what Mikao Usui used to give to the students he saw daily or weekly and they raise your frequency in tiny steps, enabling you after years of practice to use Reiki for healing purposes. Usui gave attunements to the students he only saw once or twice to dramatically raise their frequency in one go because he wouldn’t be seeing them on a regular basis. This enabled Usui’s students to use Reiki instantly to heal.

If you have Reiju/empowerments you will feel dis-empowered because you will not be able to give effective healings to yourself or others unless you spend hours a day doing specific meditations taught by Mikao Usui such as Hatsu rei ho.

? If a Reiki teacher tells you that there needs to be a gap between Reiki Level I and II you would be better off looking elsewhere. It is in fact much better to learn Reiki I and II together. The reason for this is that Reiki Level I only enables you to heal on a spiritual level and everybody has physical and emotional traumas that need healing. By learning level II straight after you will be able to heal yourself on every level so if during your cleansing period anything physical or emotional surfaces you will be able to heal it effectively. You will also be able to heal others on a physical and emotional level, working on conditions directly. With level I you can only heal spiritually so you may be left feeling frustrated that you cannot heal more effectively.

? Be sure to check that the Reiki teacher or practitioner has a lineage which extends all the way back to the founder of Reiki, Mikao Usui.

? Ask the Reiki practitioner if they have ongoing treatments or would only treat a client for a certain period of time. A good ethical Reiki practitioner should not see a client for more than around 6 – 12 treatments (unless the client has a serious or terminal condition that requires ongoing treatment). Some Reiki healers will treat someone for years but a good healer should help you to empower and take responsibility for yourself and get you back to good health in as few treatments as possible, rather than taking your money for years on end.

? Beware of Reiki practitioners or teachers with big egos! Reiki is a gift from God or the Universe (whichever label you prefer) and a wise healer is humble and accepts that the energy of Reiki is infinite and limitless in its potential. A Reiki practitioner should accept responsibility for their client and treat whatever their client comes to them for.

? A good Reiki practitioner/ teacher should accept that Reiki has contraindications and be willing to discuss these with their client or students. Reiki cannot be given in certain circumstances, for instance someone with a pacemaker should NOT have Reiki because the pacemaker is electromagnetic and so is Reiki, therefore the Reiki may potentially alter the speed of the pacemaker.

If a Reiki practitioner/ teacher claims that Reiki has no contraindications they may be putting your health at risk if you suffer from certain conditions or take certain medications.

These guidelines are by no means exhaustive but they should give you an idea of what to look for in a Reiki practitioner or Reiki teacher.

? Copyright Dawn Mellowship 2005.

Dr. Mikao Usui founded Reiki in the mid-nineteenth century while he was searching for the ancient secret of healing. It was in the Indian sutras, written in Sanskrit, where he discovered a formula for contacting a higher power that could bestow healing. During a 21 day fast and meditation on the mountain of Kort-Yama, he followed the formula and experienced a beam of white light that had the consciousness and healing power he had been seeking. This beam of light struck him in the forehead and rendered him unconscious. During this state he rose out of his physical body and was shown beautiful colorful bubbles of light that contained the Reiki symbols. As he contemplated each symbol he received an attunement for each symbol and the knowledge of its use. This was the beginning of Dr. Usui practicing Reiki energy healing around Japan for the remainder of his life. There is much more about the history of Reiki. I encourage you to check out “The Spirit of Reiki,” by Walter Lubeck, Frank Arjava Petter, and William Lee Rand, “Reiki: Universal Life Energy,” by B. Baginski and S. Sharamon, “The Reiki Handbook,” by L. Arnold and S. Nevius, “Empowerment Through Reiki,” by P. Horan, and “The Reiki Touch,” by J. C. Stewart.?

Reiki is hands on energy healing. It can also be done a couple of inches off the body as well as absentee long distance healing. Traditional Usui Reiki attunes practitioners to different levels of Reiki with the symbols Dr Usui was shown on Mt. Kort-Yama. This allows the universal life-force energy to flow though our bodies and out our hands into our clients. Our hands may get hot or our clients may feel heat flowing from our hands into their bodies. In the case of long distance healing we are sending the energy through an ether tube to our client. With Reiki, we are really just conduits for the universal energy of Love. This healing energy is channeled into different parts of the body for the highest healing purpose of the client, the Reiki practitioner, and the universe. We are not doing any healing. The client decides whether or not to heal with the help and healing power of the universe. We are just facilitating the energy process and witnessing the results! Reiki has been shown to facilitate many types of miraculous healings. It can and may happen. However, to practice Reiki and claim healing of sickness or disease or any other type of illness is in error and out of integrity. Healing energy is always present with Reiki; it’s just that we as ego based carbon life forms do not know what the real healing is for each individual client. Much healing is associated with the lessons we are to learn in this incarnation. I urge you to not be attached to what you think healing is for each individual. It will not benefit you or your clients. Love is the only thing that is real when it comes to healing.?

In Reiki I students experience the first level attunement, learn about the history of Reiki and their Reiki Master linage, hand positions, kanji positions, grounding and centering, scanning and beaming, hands on clinical practice, and other more specialized techniques depending on the Reiki Master. In Reiki II students experience the second level attunement, learn some of the Reiki symbols, long distance healing, emotional healing and balancing from the heart, root/sacrum, and the mental level, removing clouds from the emotional layer, hands on clinical practice, and other more specialized techniques depending on the Reiki Master. In the Reiki III Masters Certification students experience the third level attunement, learn the Reiki Master Empowerment Symbol, how to teach Reiki, attune students to all three levels of Reiki, how to Love and heal thyself, hands on clinical practice, and other more specialized techniques depending on the Reiki Master. I must stress that Reiki has become so popular with many different teachers and as a result there are many different techniques and preferences that have been incorporated into Reiki under the traditional Usui Reiki umbrella. One thing I would recommend is that you look for a teacher who will give you plenty of clinical hands on practice.?

In addition, there are a plethora of other Reiki practices that have arisen over the years. No one type is better than another. It is the intent and humility of the Reiki Master teacher and practitioner that is most important. It is how the different Reiki practices resonate for you. You are the only one who knows what works best for you. I have found over 30 forms of Reiki other than the traditional Usui Reiki founded by Dr. Mikao Usui. I encourage you to read about them and research them to determine you own Reiki path or in finding a Reiki Master or Reiki practitioner that resonates with you. Here are a couple of useful places on the Internet to begin your search:?http://www.reiki-4-all.com/index.php?showtopic=17?andhttp://www.medindia.net/alternativemedicine/reiki/Reiki7.htm.?

Here is a quick list of the different types of Reiki I have come across: Usui Reiki, Tibetan Reiki, Usui/Tibetan Reiki, Karuna Reiki, Gendai Reiki, Rainbow Reiki, Five Element Seichem, Seichim or Seichem or Sekhem, Tera-Mai? and Tera-Mai? Seichem, Shamballa Reiki, Kundalini Reiki, Imara Reiki, Raku Kei Reiki, Shamanic Reiki, The Radiance Technique? (TRTAI), Reiki Plus?, Johrei or Jo Reiki, Men Chho Reiki? or Medicine Dharma Rei Kei?, Traditional Japanese Reiki, Satya Japanese Reiki, Reiki Jin-Kei Do?, EnerSense-Buddho, Golden Age Reiki, New Life Reiki, Blue Star Reiki, Mari el?, Saku Reiki, Sun Li Chung Reiki, Jinlap Reiki or Tibetan Jinlap Maitri Reiki, Chi Sekai Reiki, Vajra Reiki, and Violet Flame Reiki. I’m sure this is not an exhaustive list. Do your own research. This will help get you started.?

I would once again like to reiterate that there is no one best method. It is what you feel drawn to, the integrity and humility of your Master Reiki teacher, and intent. If a teacher says their method of Reiki is superior to others then I would say that is a red flag of ego. I do not connect with arrogance. Follow your intuition. All healing modalities have their place.?

In closing, an empowering way to live one interpretation of Reiki and its teachings is to practice The Five Spiritual Principles of Reiki Plus:

1) Just for today, I shall trust

2) Just for today, I shall do my work honestly

3) Just for today, I shall accept my many blessings

4) Just for today, I shall be at peace

5) Just for today, I shall respect the rights of all life forms

I’ll leave you with a very simple quote from?Reiki is simple. Giving Reiki is passive.?
By doing nothing everything is done. It is done, it is done, it is done. So be it! Peace to you all!

Reiki, ah yes, Reiki. A word many have heard ? but few truly understand.

To most people Reiki is all about healing. And yes it is indeed a healing art as we?ll explain?

But ? it is also so much more as well?

So What Exactly is Reiki?

Reiki, as we have already said, is best known in the west as a gentle but powerful system of hands on healing. And it is a system, which can easily be learned by anyone to heal themselves, others, plants and animals.

But as mentioned above it is so much more as well.

Reiki helps you?

* Discover your true purpose in life.

* Produce and achieve all your goals.

* Heal past traumas, which may be hindering your growth.

* Discover your own spiritual path.

* Find, contentment, spiritual enlightenment and?

?the understanding that GOD and YOU are ONE.

How does Reiki Work?

The energy of Reiki works by gently opening you up to the understanding that you are the creator of your own reality ? that there is no greater power than you. With this knowing comes the realisation that everything that happens in your life happens because you want it to?

There are no accidents.

You make what happens happen.

With this awareness comes the realisation that every event in your life, including that of illness, is brought to you, by you ? and that it can, therefore, be taken away by you as well.

So the short answer to how Reiki works, therefore, is the energy of Reiki works by bringing your power back to?

YOU

Who can Learn Reiki?

Everyone! ? How is this possible?

Because Reiki is not learned in the traditional way we understand learning.

The ability to work with Reiki is transferred to you by a Reiki Master during an initiation ceremony. Everything is done for you.

All you have to do to experience the magic? is to bring the desire.

Where Does Reiki Energy Come From?

The most common translation of the word Reiki, which is Japanese and pronounced ray-key, is ?the universal and holy, spiritually conscious, life force energy that energises and animates all living things?.

Every living thing in the universe is alive because of this energy.

So when people ask, ?where does Reiki energy come from?? The answer has to be?

?FROM GOD?

Is Reiki a Religion?

No, Reiki is not a religion.

You do not have to have any religious beliefs at all. It certainly could be said that there is a spiritual element to Reiki, but spirituality and religion are not the same.

How Long Does It Take To Learn Reiki?

Reiki, generally speaking, consists of three levels of training known as Reiki 1, Reiki 2 and Reiki Master. Some schools have built their courses around more levels ? but three is all that is necessary.

These levels can be ?learned? over a period of many months, or can be taken over one intensive period.

It really depends on the individual wishing to ?take? Reiki.

If you feel more comfortable taking your time ?learning? Reiki, then do so. If you think you are ready to ?take? all three levels in one go, then you are ready.

It?s entirely up to you.

How Can I Experience Reiki?

Most people?s first experience of Reiki is generally through a ?hands on healing? therapy session.

During this time they usually report various feelings of warmth or coolness with, maybe, a sense of bubbling energy movement.

Some experience beautiful colors, or the presence of spiritual beings but most people simply experience deep relaxation and peace?

Indeed it is not uncommon for many to fall soundly asleep.

How is a Reiki Treatment Given?

A Reiki treatment is usually given in a quiet and peaceful environment with the person receiving Reiki either lying or sitting down.

The person giving Reiki will then transmit the Reiki energy to the person receiving it ? placing their hands either on or over various points on the body.

A treatment can last anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour and a half, the usual being about an hour.

There is no need to remove any items of clothing except perhaps your shoes if you are lying down on a couch. So it is perfect for people who feel embarrassed or uneasy about undressing.

What Can Be Treated With Reiki?

In a word everything ? for Reiki works on all levels of awareness in body, mind and spirit.

It can be compared very simply to the analogy of having a flat battery in a car?

Someone comes along with a strong, healthy battery and a set of jump leads. Connects everything up and the flat car battery suddenly has the extra energy needed to start the engine.

Reiki does this for people irrespective of what is ailing them. It gives them the extra energy they need to make themselves better ? whilst, sometimes, providing them with a deeper understanding of why they made themselves ill in the first place.

Can I Treat Myself?

If you have been attuned to Reiki, then?

Yes, very much so. This is one of the many benefits of Reiki. Not only does Reiki give you the energy and ability to successfully treat yourself. It also helps to raise your level of awareness to the point where you begin to understand?

that you create your own illnesses.

This is one of the most exciting levels within Reiki.

Is It Safe For Use During Pregnancy?

Absolutely, for Reiki can do no harm.

As already explained Reiki is ?the universal and holy, spiritually conscious, life force energy that energises and animates all living things??

It aids and enhances all life.

I Have Heard That Reiki Can Be Sent To Others At A Distance. How Does This Work?

At the heart of all metaphysical and spiritual teachings lies the understanding that we are all one and, therefore, all connected.

Our scientists are now beginning to understand these phenomena through their research into quantum mechanics.

You may have already experienced this in action when you have suddenly, and for no apparent reason, thought of a distant friend or relative?

Moments later the ?phone has rung and it has been this very same person on the other end of the line.

Distance healing follows this same sequence.

Through thinking of the person and intending to heal, the connection is made and the Reiki energy flows to that person.

How much does Reiki training cost?

There?s a very wide variance in the costs associated with Reiki training.

But in general terms, to go from complete beginner, to the level of Reiki Master ? will set you back somewhere in the region of?

$500 to $1500

Of course, these are just general terms. You can pay less and you can pay more.

Why the enormous variance in charges?

Very good question ? how long?s a piece of string?

Really, we suppose, it?s because there?s no standard price agreements. People will always charge whatever the market can bear.

Or?

Maybe some people think they are better at teaching than others. Maybe some people like to have more money than others ? who knows?

But, if Reiki interests you ? as you know it really, really should ? and you want to take it further ? as you know you really, really should?

Yet you don?t want to pay these exhorbitant fees.

What can you do??

Well, you can come with us to the next page ? we think you?ll be very pleased with what you find?

After all ? it is ? very, very special?

Natural healing: History and practice of Reiki

P.Joseph

Executive Director

Thacra Social Service organisation

Reiki in Japan

The Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai

Dr. Usui started a Reiki organization in Japan soon after discovering Reiki. He was the first president. After he died, he was followed by a succession of presidents: Mr. Ushida, Mr. Iichi Taketome, Mr. Yoshiharu Watanabe, Mr. Toyoichi Wanami, Ms. Kimiko Koyama and the current successor to Dr. Usui as of 1998 is Mr. Kondo. Contrary to what has been said by some in the west, there is no “lineage bearer” or “Grandmaster” in the system of healing started by Dr. Usui, only the succession of presidents listed above. While Dr. Hayashi was a respected Reiki master, he was never in charge of the Usui system of Reiki.

Reiki is a generic word in Japan, and is used to describe many types of healing and spiritual work. It is not exclusive to the system of healing based on Dr. Usui’s method. The system of healing that evolved from Dr. Usui’s method is called the Usui System of Natural Healing or Usui Reiki Ryoho.

Origins
There has been a lot of speculation about where Reiki came from, but there has been little confirmation of most of these ideas. Some say that Reiki originated from Buddhism or that it contains Buddhist concepts or techniques. I spoke with a Japanese Reiki master who is also a Buddhist and has done historical research into Reiki in Japan. He said that he could see no connection between Reiki and Buddhism and that he felt that Reiki is religiously neutral. While Dr. Usui may have been a Buddhist, he had also studied Christianity and had lived with a Christian family for a time. It is clear he had a very broad background in many religious teachings and philosophies

The clearest and most authentic understanding we have been able to discover is that Dr. Usui originated the system of healing he taught and practiced based first on his mystical experience on Mt. Kurama and then later by making use of his studies in many different areas of knowledge. Usui Reiki has no connection to Buddhism, nor is it connected to Tibetan Buddhism or Tibetan shamanism or any other religion. One of the stories says Dr. Usui discovered the Reiki symbols in a Tibetan sutra, but even though people have carefully looked, no one has been able to find a Tibetan sutra with Reiki symbols in it. This is further validated by Dr. Usui’s own writing in which he says, “Our Reiki Ryoho is something absolutely original and cannot be compared with any other (spiritual) path in the world.” (Taken from his Reiki Ryoho Handbook)

Reiki in the West

After coming to the west, the Usui System of Natural Healing has evolved over time. In its current state, it is much more organized and structured than the simple, flexible, intuitive method practiced by Dr. Usui. The following is a description of the evolution of the Usui System of Reiki.

During his mystical experience on Mt. Kurama, Dr. Usui received the ability to do Reiki treatments. Later he added the Reiki Ideals, the three Reiki II symbols, hand positions and the attunement process. Dr. Hayashi developed a complex hand position system based on his experience as a medical doctor and from his experience working in his Reiki clinic. He also further developed the attunement process and may have been the one to add the master symbol. (Note that Dr. Usui and his organization the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai did not use a master symbol) Mrs. Takata added the foundation treatment which is a simplified version of what she learned from Dr. Hayashi. The foundation treatment consists of 4 hand positions on the abdomen area and 3 or 4 hand positions for the head and a few optional hand potitions on the back. She also decided not to teach most of the techniques (now called Japanese Reiki techniques) she learned from Dr. Hayashi, thus simplifying the system for Westerners- that was featured in the Spring 07 issue of Reiki News Magazine) She also added the fee structure previously mentioned. So while the lineage is the same, going back to Dr. Usui, and the 3 symbols from Reiki II are the same as Dr. Usui taught, in many ways, the system of Reiki she taught was different than what Dr. Usui had originally created. The important thing is that her system is effective with the addition of the foundation treatment being her most important contribution to Reiki.

The required waiting periods between classes were added by several of Mrs. Takata’s Masters after she passed on. Actually according to Mrs. Yamaguchi who became a Reiki teacher under Dr. Hayashi, Dr. Hayashi taught that Reiki treatments should be given for free. This is why he taught mostly to wealthy students who could afford to practice without charging money. So, while some say payment must be received, we know that this is not a requirement and that it is really up to the practitioner to decide if they want to charge a fee or not for Reiki treatments.

However, some changes were restrictive, making it more difficult for students to progress. Some took the Third Degree and divided it into several small parts, calling each new part a new Degree and charging additional money. Often, the fact that they had modified the Takata system was not mentioned and when their students became teachers, they began teaching what they thought was pure Takata style Reiki and even calling it pure Usui Reiki when in fact it was not. In this way, many varieties of Reiki have developed with some thinking they have the only authentic version of Reiki when actually what they are teaching is a modified form. Much of the information on the web about the history of Usui Reiki and how it is taught and practiced has not been well researched and people are simply publishing anything they have heard without attempting to find the source or check references.

The Development of Usui Reiki

Dr. Mikao Usui

Dr. Mikao Usui, or Usui Sensei as he is called by his students in Japan, is the founder of the Usui System of Reiki. He was born August 15, 1865 in the village of Yago in the Yamagata district of Gifu prefecture, Japan. Usui Sensei had an avid interest in learning and worked hard at his studies. He traveled to Europe and China to further his education. His curriculum included medicine, psychology, and religion. It is thought that he was from a wealthy family, as in Japan only the wealthy could afford to send their children to school. Eventually he became the secretary to Shinpei Goto, head of the department of health and welfare who later became the Mayor of Tokyo. The connections Usui Sensei made at this job helped him to become a successful businessman.

In March,1922 Usui’s personal and business life was failing. As a sensitive spiritualist, Usui Sensei had previously spent much time meditating at power spots on Mt. Kurama. So he decided to travel to this holy mountain, where he enrolled in Isyu Guo, a twenty-one-day training course. We do not know for certain what he was required to do during this training, but it is likely that fasting, meditation, chanting and prayers were part of the practice. In addition, we know there is a small waterfall on Mt. Kurama where even today people go to meditate. This meditation involves standing under the waterfall and allowing the waters to strike and flow over the top of the head, a practice which is said to activate the crown chakra. Japanese Reiki Masters think that Usui Sensei may have used this meditation as part of his practice. In any case, it was during the Isyu Guo training that the great Reiki energy entered his crown chakra. This greatly enhanced his healing abilities and he realized he had received a wonderful new gift – the ability to give healing to others without depleting his own energy!

Dr. Chujiro Hayashi

Dr. Hayashi was a retired naval officer. He received the Reiki Master initiation from Dr. Usui about 1925 at the age of 47.

Up to this point, the Usui system of healing consisted of the energy itself, the 3 Reiki II symbols, the Usui hand positions, the attunement process and the Reiki ideals. After being asked to do so by Usui sensei, Dr. Hayashi went on to develop the Usui system of healing. He opened a Reiki clinic in Tokyo and kept detailed records of the treatments given. He used this information to create the Hayashi Healing Guide that included detailed hand positions for specific illnesses and conditions. He simplified the attunement process and is likely the one to add the master symbol, thus increasing the effectiveness of the attunements. This may be why Takata only give a limited number of attunements for each level, whereas Dr. Usui recommended the student receive as many attunements or reiju’s as possible.

Hawayo Takata

Takata photo taken June 11, 1979, Penticton, British Columbia, Canada.

Used with permission from the estate of Gunter and Ursula Baylow

Reiki comes to the West

Hawayo Takata was born at dawn on December 24th, 1900, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Her parents were Japanese immigrants and her father worked in the sugar cane fields. She worked very hard as she was growing up. She eventually married the bookkeeper of the plantation where she was employed. His name was Saichi Takata and they had two daughters. In October, 1930, Saichi died at the age of thirty-four leaving Mrs. Takata to raise their two children.

In order to provide for her family, she had to work very hard with little rest. After five years she developed severe abdominal pain, a lung condition and had a nervous breakdown.

Soon after this, one of her sisters died and it was the responsibility of Hawayo to travel to Japan where her parents had moved to deliver the news. She also felt she could receive help for her health in Japan.

She took a steamship and was accompanied by her sister-in-law. After informing her parents of the death of her sister, she entered a hospital. It was found that she had a tumor, gallstones, and emphysema. She rested for several weeks to prepare for the operation.

On the operating table, just before the surgery was to begin, Hawayo heard a voice. The voice said, “The operation is not necessary. The operation is not necessary.” She had never heard a voice speak to her like this before. She wondered what it meant. The voice repeated the message a third time even louder. She knew she was wide awake and had not imagined the voice. It was so unusual, yet so compelling that she decided to ask the doctor. She got off the operating table,? wrapped a sheet around herself and asked to speak to the doctor.

When the doctor finally came, she asked if he knew of any other way that her problems could be helped. The doctor knew of Dr. Hayashi’s Reiki clinic and told Hawayo about it. This was something she wanted to try.

At the Reiki clinic, she began receiving treatments. She had never heard of Reiki before and did not know what it was. Using byosen scanning the practitioners could sense what was wrong with Mrs. Takata. Their diagnosis very closely matched the doctor’s at the hospital. This impressed her and gave her confidence in what they were doing.

Two Reiki practitioners would treat her each day. The heat from their hands was so strong that she thought they were using some kind of equipment. She looked around, but saw none. Seeing the large sleeves of the Japanese kimono one of the practitioners was wearing, she thought she had found the location of the equipment. She grabbed the sleeves, but found nothing. The startled practitioner wanted to know what she was doing and when she explained, he began to laugh. Then he told her about Reiki and how it worked.

Mrs. Takata received daily treatments and got progressively better. In four months, she was completely healed. Impressed with the results, she wanted to learn Reiki. However, it was explained that Reiki was Japanese and that it was intended to stay in Japan. It could not be taught to an outsider.

Mrs. Takata talked to the surgeon at the hospital and convinced him to ask Dr. Hayashi to allow her to learn Reiki. Since Dr. Hayashi wanted to teach Reiki to another woman besides his wife, and since Mrs. Takata was so persistent, he decided that she should be the one. In the Spring of 1936, Mrs. Takata received First Degree Reiki. She worked with Dr. Hayashi for one year and then received Second Degree Reiki.

Mrs. Takata returned to Hawaii in 1937. She was soon followed by Dr. Hayashi and his daughter who came to help establish Reiki in Hawaii. In the Winter of 1938, Dr. Hayashi initiated Hawayo Takata as a Reiki Master. She was the thirteenth and last Reiki Master Dr. Hayashi initiated.

Between 1970 and her transition on December 11, 1980, Mrs. Takata initiated twenty-two Reiki Masters.

Conclusion:

The original twenty-two teachers have taught others. In the decade since Mrs. Takata experienced transition, Reiki has spread rapidly in the West. It is now practiced throughout North and South America, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, India and other parts of the world. There are now an estimated 1,000,000 Reiki Masters with as many as 4,000,000 people having been initiated into Reiki throughout the world.

Fiction

Some people say that Reiki was re-discovered by Mikao Usui. Reiki is not a re-discovered healing art. There were many different forms of healing prior to Reiki and there continue to be many different forms of healing today. Reiki as we know it was a gift given to Mikao Usui because of his path in the universe. Reiki uniquely uses symbols which allow you to match the frequency of a condition with the frequency of the energy you use to heal.

Fact

Reiki is a healing art that was discovered by Mikao Usui in the early 1900s, we do not have an exact date but we do know that Mikao Usui embarked upon a retreat of fasting and praying upon Mount Kurama in Japan. On the 21st day he was given Reiki by God or The Universe (whichever terminology you prefer). In his own handwritten documents, Usui Sensei has said