Where does Reiki come from?
To navigate forward, it helps to know where we’ve been. History grounds us clearly in the present. History helped me demystify Reiki for myself, for my family and friends, and now I share it with you.
Until the 1980s, the Reiki tradition was passed down almost entirely through the spoken word. There is very little written text on it until recently.
The most commonly recognized history of Reiki began in 1922 in pre-World War II, Japan. Mikao Usui, or Usui Sensei, was given the gift of Reiki while in a deep 21-day meditation and fast on Mount Kurama. He is known today by many as the Founder of Reiki. Nearly all Reiki lineages that you come across run ties back to Japan and to Usui.
In 1923, there was the Great Kanto earthquake and tsunami in Tokyo, Japan. It is estimated that over 100,000 people died and thousands more were displaced, distraught, and filled with grief.
During this time, Usui was known to heal at least five people at once, one with each hand, one with each foot, and one with his eyes.
Mikao Usui was awarded a very important award called the ‘Kun San To’ from the Emperor of Japan for his work during this devastating time. This also brought much attention to this healing practice.
Usui also started a healing society that still exists today in Japan, called the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, or the Gakkai.
At the end of World War II, Japan was controlled by the United States, making it illegal to practice healing work without a license. Because of this, the Gakkai met in secret and brought Reiki completely underground.
To this day, the Gakkai is still a very private organization and practice with the least deviations from Dr. Usui’s style of Reiki.
Before his passing, Usui Sensei encouraged one of his Reiki Masters, Dr. Hayashi to open his own clinic separate from the Gakkai. Dr. Hayashi was able to expand and develop Reiki based on his previous experience as a medical doctor in the Navy. Prior to his death, Dr. Hayashi trained Reiki Master, Madame Takata, a Japanese woman from Hawaii. Because Madame Takata learned Reiki in Japan and returned to Hawaii to teach Reiki before World War II, she prevented Reiki from being a lost practice. Madame Takata is known for bringing Reiki to the Western world while training only 22 Reiki Masters throughout the 1970s.
Today, there are many different practices of Reiki, some with different symbols or that incorporate other healing art forms. I encourage everyone to experience other types of Reiki, as there is no lineage better than another.
The history of Reiki has become a passion for me to uncover and receive the answers to my many questions. Because of the lack of early documentation, there is some contradictory information available that I’ve come across. For example, some sources indicate that there was only one person that discovered Reiki in Japan. With more research, it can be found that there were several healers in Japan at that time also practicing similar forms of hands-on healing work. This is only one example.
There is also information available to believe that Reiki has been a form of energy healing used for hundreds or possibly thousands of years in Japan prior to Usui. The tradition and practices were passed down through indigenous medicine people (most of whom were women). Although Western Reiki does not tie itself to any particular religion, the principles of Reiki energy arose out of the cultural context of the indigenous Japanese belief system called Shinto. For more expertise in this area, check out the work by Energetic Ecology.
After all of my research and study, I’ve developed a deep inner knowing that Reiki has actually been present and available for us since the beginning of time. I believe this form of healing work has only recently had a resurgence to assist at this challenging time of global unrest and transformation.
As always, sending you love and Reiki ♡
