Reiki originated in Japan and is derived from the experience and teachings of Dr. Mikau Usui. Dr. Usui had an avid interest in learning and as he grew older, he travelled to Europe and America and also studied in China to further his education studying medicine, psychology and religion as well as the art of divination. All of his experiences inspired him to direct his attention to discovering the purpose of his life. In his search he came across the description of a special state of consciousness that once achieved would not only provide an understanding of his life purpose but would also guide him to achieve it, whilst accelerating his spiritual opening.
In March 1922, he climbed Mount Kurama Yama (just outside Kyoto) to undertake an intensive meditation retreat and fasting for 21 days. He became weaker and weaker but at midnight on the 21st day a great energy appeared over his head during which time he received images of sacred symbols. This powerful light entered the top of his head, causing him to fall unconscious. When he awoke at dawn he was filled with vitality, a high frequency spiritual energy and a new level of awareness. He’d received the special state of enlightenment he had sought. He then ran back down the mountain (stubbing his toe!) and from that moment on he was able to heal. On the first day alone, he healed his own broken toe, his own starvation, a villager’s toothache and his Abbott’s arthritis. These are known as the first four miracles.
He then began to offer the healing method to the poor and sick, helping them to find ways out of poverty whilst holding regular classes at his home. After a while, he noticed that some people he had helped had returned to begging again. He asked why and was told that it was easier than working for a living. He was devastated and said “A person has to be healed of spirit as well as body. Never again will Reiki be given away. There will always be an exchange with Reiki.”
In April 1922 he established an Institute in Tokyo where people came from near and far to receive treatments, guidance and teachings. In September 1923, a devastating earthquake struck Tokyo and surrounding areas. Over 50,000 people suffered serious injury so he took Reiki to the devastated city, giving Reiki treatments to countless survivors.
Demand for Reiki became so great, he soon outgrew his Clinic so he built a new clinic outside Tokyo. As his reputation as a Healer spread, he began to travel extensively throughout Japan to teach and treat people (not an easy task in those days).
Dr. Usui was honoured by the Emperor of Japan by awarding him with a Kun San To (like an Honorary Doctorate) for his honourable work to help others. On 9th March 1926 he had a fatal stroke, shortly after which, a memorial was erected at the Saihoji temple in the Suginami district of Tokyo by Usui Sensei’s students.
On his travels, Dr. Usui met Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, a Medical Doctor in the Navy. Dr. Hayashi studied/worked alongside Dr. Usui for some 10 months prior to Dr. Usui’s death. As requested by Dr. Usui during this time, Dr. Hayashi opened his own Reiki clinic.
Dr. Hayashi died on 10/05/1940, just prior to World War 2. He knew that he would be called to duty but could not take part in killing people, so when he was ready, he called all his Practitioners together and told them that he would die by bursting three of his own blood vessels (ritual suicide). As he continued speaking to them this happened and he died with his Practitioners around him.
One of Dr. Hayashi’s students, Mrs Hawayo Takata, would go on to play a crucial role in raising awareness of Reiki. Of Japanese descent, she was born in Hawaii in 1900. In the 1930s she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Having declined surgery, she received daily treatments at Dr. Hayashi’s clinic for 4 months, by which time the tumour had gone and her health was completely restored. To show her gratitude, and wanting to learn Reiki for herself, Mrs. Takata stayed on at the clinic to help and studied 1st and 2nd Degree Reiki before returning to Hawaii in 1937. Shortly after, Dr. Hayashi visited to help set up Reiki there and in February 1938 he initiated her as a Reiki Master. She went on to establish several clinics and travelled to the US Mainland and other countries teaching and giving treatments.
During the 1970s she began teaching and before her death in 1980, she had taught 22 Reiki Masters who carried on the tradition.
There have been many changes to Reiki since it was discovered by Dr. Usui back in 1922 but as with anything which is practised regularly, it is constantly evolving. When Dr. Usui returned from the mountain following his spiritual awakening, he was keen to share what he had learnt with others saying “It is much better to give this power widely to a lot of people in the world and enjoy it among them, than keep it exclusively by his family members”. Having helped many people to heal themselves and improve their lives only to return to their previous lifestyle because “it is easier than working for a living” shocked him. Reiki was not being treated with the respect that it deserved and he decided that from that moment it would not be given away again, there would have to be some kind of exchange. This did not necessarily mean in monetary terms, it could be a gift or service that could be offered in exchange for the treatment, it just had to recognise the value of this work.
Likewise, when completing First Degree Reiki training, the student does not ask for money from their friends/family when practising on them – the friend/family member, however, would offer a gift in return for their treatment. It doesn’t have to be expensive, it could be a box of chocolates, some homegrown vegetables or a service they could offer in return. It’s the thoughts and intentions behind the gift that counts.
When Dr. Hayashi opened his clinic he began to keep careful records of all the illnesses and conditions of his Reiki patients and records of which Reiki hand positions worked best to treat each illness and condition. This is why as Reiki Practitioners we keep records on our Clients, their medical history and their experiences enabling the Practitioner & Client to monitor any progress made – mentally, emotionally and physically. From the information logged in these records, Dr Hayashi created a Healing Guide which became part of a Class Manual which he gave to his students who didn’t use the Byosen scanning method. All of my students receive a Manual to support their training regardless of their treatment methods. Dr. Hayashi also changed the way treatments were given – instead of having the client seated in a chair, he would have the client lie on a treatment table. This makes Reiki accessible to anybody who requires a treatment, whatever their physical needs.
Some of the most significant changes to Reiki came from Mrs. Takata – just as Dr. Usui had noticed in the slums of Tokyo, when returning to Hawaii, Mrs. Takata observed that if people did not pay for their treatment, they did not value it and became ill again. However, when she charged for treatment (thereby giving it real value) her patients remained well. Thus, the tradition of charging for a treatment became established. She also simplified the way in which Reiki was taught including the development of her own hand position system (“foundation treatment”) which ensured systematic coverage of all the body parts and organs; she omitted many of the procedures used by her predecessors and also had a different attunement method when teaching. Despite all of these changes, she was proven to produce valuable results for her clients and students. In fact, without Mrs. Takata, Reiki would most likely have fallen into obscurity. After World War 2 anyone practising any kind healing in Japan was required to have a licence, meaning that those who did not want that control went underground. As Mrs. Takata had left Japan and began teaching before the War began, she prevented Reiki being lost.
Despite the changes which have taken place for Reiki over the years, the true value and intentions of the treatment and teachings still exist. As demonstrated by Dr. Usui, Dr. Hayashi and Mrs. Takata, Reiki is something that is meant to be developed and will continue to do so.