Dr Mikao Usui

In the second half of the 19th century Reiki, meaning 'Universal Life' energy in Japanese was rediscovered by a Buddhist named Dr. Mikao Usui. Dr Mikao Usui lived in the city of Kyoto in Japan, he followed Buddhism but Japan at the time had many Christian missionaries and Dr Usui became a minister and teacher of Christianity at a Christian college for boys in Kyoto.
The students questioned the doctor about Jesus’ “miracles” as Jesus had said “You will do as I have done, and even greater things”. The students asked, if this were true why isn’t the world full of healers? Dr Usui couldn’t think of an answer for his students but was motivated to find one. He resigned from college, and wanted to find out how Jesus healed. As he knew Christianity was a faith of the westerners he decided to go to America. There he enrolled at a theological college in Chicago studying comparative religion. He then learnt to read the ancient language of India and Tibet, Sanskrit. He stayed in the USA for 7 years, but returned to Japan without the answers he wanted. Thought the Japanese lotus sutras might have information for him about the method of healing used by the Buddha. Dr Usui spoke to many Buddhist monks about methods of physical healing but Buddhism had moved its focus entirely to healing the spirit, so Dr Usui, still had no answers. He finally approached a Zen monastery where the abbot there agreed that it must be possible to heal the body as the Buddha had done.
This method had been lost due to centuries of concentrating on healing the spirit. Usui stayed at the Zen monastery, studying Japanese Buddhist sutras in Sanskrit he still couldn’t find information that told him how to activate the energy to heal and use it himself. He then travelled to Tibet to study the Tibetan Buddhist sutras. Scrolls were found in the 19th century that tells the travels of St. Isa in the Himalayas, thought by many to be Jesus himself. It is not proven that Mikao Usui read these scrolls but he did feel he had learnt all the answers he wanted to from the Tibetan Buddhist sutras but still didn’t know how to activate the energy. Dr Usui returned to the abbot at the Zen monastery and the abbot advised him to go to a retreat on Mt. Kariyama, a sacred mountain near Kyoto to meditate and fast for 21 days.
Dr Usui agreed. collected 21 stones to act as a calendar and went to the east of the mountain, he got to his 21st day, still praying for an answer, he reached in the dark for his last stone and all of a sudden a light from out of the sky came towards him, it struck him on the third eye (the 6th charka).saw millions of coloured bubbles and in them he saw the Reiki symbols, each one had its own information about it which Dr Usui was told, he was also given its use in activating the healing energy. When it became light and Usui was out of his trance-like state he ran down the mountain excited to tell the Zen abbot what he had saw and learnt. As he did he stubbed his toe and bent down to hold it, he was surprised to see that within minutes the toe had stopped bleeding and was completely healed. This was the first miracle! The bottom of the mountain he found an eating place, after his 21 day fast he was very hungry. He wanted to eat a massive meal but the owner said he shouldn’t cause he will be very ill eating too much after fasting for so long. He ignored him and ate a very large breakfast and it didn’t affect him. That was the second miracle! The owner’s granddaughter who had served Dr Usui was in great pain for many days with toothache and a swollen jaw, Dr Usui offered to help her and she accepted. He placed both his hands at either side of her face and the pain disappeared, this was the third miracle! Usui continued to the abbot at the monastery and found the abbot in great pain with arthritis, he laid his hands on the abbot and told him of the three earlier miracles and the abbot’s pain disappeared. This was the fourth miracle! All in one day.
Usui decided to work in the beggar’s quarters of Kyoto, to heal people with a view to stop them from begging, but many returned to begging. He couldn’t understand this, as he devoted 7 yrs to these beggars, he asked one of them why he went back to begging and he said he didn’t like having responsibility of having control over his own life so he went back to begging. It was an easier stress free life. Dr Usui then left the beggars quarters and travelled teaching Reiki, he realised he could attune others with the Reiki Symbols that he had been given. So He trained other men as Reiki Masters throughout Japan.

Dr.Chujiro Hayashi 1878-1940

One of Dr. Usui's pupils was Dr. Chujiro Hayashi. Dr. Hayashi continued in the steps of Dr. Usui by opening a Reiki clinic which remained open until 1940. Dr. Hayashi is responsible for the formal aspects of Reiki which are taught today: namely the hand positions and the science-based practices held within Reiki. The fame and popularity of Dr. Hayashi's clinic spread throughout Japan, and it was quite successful at bringing healing energies to many people.
In 1925, as a former Captain and Doctor in the Imperial Navy ,Chujiro Hayashi trained with Usui Sensei. He and the other Naval Officers Ushida and Taketomi were the last people to be taught by Usui. It appears that Hayashi may have trained with Usui for only 9 months. Dr Hayashi cannot have learned the inner teachings of Reiki in such a short space of time, nor reached the higher levels of Mastership. Together with the other naval officers, Dr Hayashi founded his own society in 1931, five years after Usui died. It was called Hayashi Reiki Kenyu-kai, which means Hayashi Reiki Research Centre.Dr Hayashi was a founder member of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, a 'memorial society' set up after Usui's death. The 'Gakkai was described by Tatsumi (one of Hayashi's Master students), rather disparagingly, as an 'officer's club'. Hayashi's clinic had 8 beds and 16 healers. Practitioners worked in pairs, each pair to a bed giving treatments to patients and there were two or more people that treated clients. He kept detailed records of the treatments that were given, and used this information to create 'standard' hand positions for different ailments which ended up being published in the training manual given to the Gakkai's students (the Usui Reiki Hikkei). In fact this work had already been started when Usui was alive, and it seems that Dr Hayashi was carrying out the research with Usui's knowledge and approval (however this can not be confirmed). This guide to 'hand positions for different ailments' is very much trying to mould Reiki into the 'medical model', which was very different from Usui's simple and intuitive approach.

Dr Hayashi had made some changes to the system he had been taught by Dr Usui and Hayashi's focus was very much on hands-on healing. Dr Hayashi would teach First Degree over a five-day structured course,with each day's training taking 90 minutes, and students would receive his more complicated attunements on four occasions during this training. Dr Hayashi trained 17 Reiki Masters and produced a 40-page manual, which contained the hand positions for different ailments. Since Dr Hayashi would not have been taught Reiju by Usui Sensei, it would seem that he infact learned the technique when Eguchi joined the Gakkai for a year.
Dr Hayashi has played 2 important parts in Western Reiki.

• Number one is that he is probably the originator of the hand position system used here in the West.
• Number two is that he initiated Mrs Takata to Reiki Master which brought Reiki to the West.

Hayashi originally had seven to eight hand positions that covered the upper body only. These positions are based on the Eastern traditional healing methods (such as Chinese Medicine) that the "body" is the head and torso, the limbs are considered "external". When treating these positions, which cover major energy centre’s (acupuncture points), the energy will flow not only through the body but also to the arms and legs. (Using meridians). Therefore it is only necessary to treat the head and torso in order to treat the entire body mind.

Usui Sensei used head positions only, then treated any problem area on the body. He also gave additional positions for treating specific conditions. It seems that Hayashi may have adopted further hand positions and that these may have been the base for the hand positions used in the western world. These hand positions that cover the whole body gives a better overall flow of energy around and through the body. During his work with Reiki Dr Hayashi also did many 'home visits' to do healing work, one of the 17 Reiki Masters that he initiated was Mrs Takata.

Mrs. Hawayo Takata

It was at one of the very many clinics that Chujiro Hayashi had set up that Mrs. Hawayo Takata , born 1900 in Hawaii, came for healing. She was suffering from nervous exhaustion and was supposed to be having a life saving operation for a physical illness, but something told her to try Reiki healing first. She received treatment and was cured.
Mrs Takata broke the mold when she asked to be initiated with Reiki because Reiki was previously taught only to the 'invited' and although Hayashi had reservations because Mrs Takata was a foreigner he agreed. She had Reiki Attunements in the 1st and 2nd degree, and in 1938 Dr Hayashi visited her and made her a Reiki master, she was to be his successor. Dr Hayashi had psychic abilities and foresaw a war between Japan and America. Mrs Takata was summoned to Japan by Dr Hayashi and informed her what was to happen and what she was to do to preserve Reiki. Dr Hayashi with his family around him he took his own life in full ceremonial dress as he was fearful of having to go to war which was against his principles . This left Mrs Takata with Reiki and all its responsibilities.

Mrs Takata spent many years teaching Reiki Levels 1 & 2 but only started training Reiki Masters in the last decade or so of her life. She trained Twenty-Two Reiki Masters the list of names she gave to her sister Shinobu Saito before she passed over.
The list is below:- Some of whom sadly have now also deceased.

• George Araki
• Barbara McCullough
• Beth Grey
• Ursula Baylow
• Paul Mitchell
• Iris Ishikura
• Fran Brown
• Barbara Weber Ray
• Ethel Lombardi
• Wanja Twan
• Virginia Samdahl
• Phyllis Lei Furumoto
• Dorothy Baba
• Mary McFaden
• John Gray
• Rick Bockner
• Bethel Phaigh
• Harry Kuboi
• Patricia Ewing
• Shinobu Saito (Takata's Sister)
• Barbara Brown

The original twenty-two Masters taught by her have taught many others. Some have infact changed the way they teach and do Reiki so it has changed some what from the origonal form that Mrs Takata had taught hence all the varing forms of Reiki that now exists. Reiki has spread rapidly in the West and is now practiced throughout all parts of the world.

The rest as they say is history!

Phyllis Lei Furumoto

Mrs. Takata's granddaughter, grew up in the United States Mid West. Initiated into Reiki at an early age, it was her duty to treat her grandmother when she came to visit the family. Her conscious journey with the Usui System of Reiki Healing, Usui Shiki Ryoho, did not begin until many years later. After studying psychology at college, Phyllis worked in a psychiatric hospital and later as a university administrator. At the age of thirty, she decided it was time to dedicate her life to a meaningful purpose and accepted an invitation to travel and work with her grandmother. She was initiated as a master at the start of their trip in April 1979. For the next year and-a-half Phyllis apprenticed with her grandmother, as Takata gave treatments, taught first and second degree classes, and trained and initiated masters.

Grand Master or Lineage bearer?

Phyllis is the direct linage of Dr Usui and is the head of Reiki Alliance the largest Reiki Association worldwide. There is however some 'decent within the ranks' there are now numerous Reiki Associations and indeed Indepenants who do not recognise Phyllis' as 'Grand Masteror Linage Bearer' saying that it should have nothing to do with 'Blood Lines' and should have been one of the other Masters Mrs Takata had initiated who had more seniority than Phyllis. The Fact is thatThe title of 'Grand Master' does not in exist, no one not even Dr Usui had bestowed that title on himself! there is however the 'Office of the Grand Master' which is currently chaired by Phyllis Lei Furumoto and Paul Mitchell

My Reiki Lineage

• Dr Mikao Usui
• Dr Chujiro Hayashi
• Mrs Hawayo Takata
• Phyllis Furumoto
• Claudia Hoffman
• Mary Shaw,
• Christine Henderson
• Bruce Way
• Bev Emery
• Angela Riste
• Margaret Merrison,
• Paul Henderson
• John McClean

• Reiki is a form of Healing - can be either 'hands on or hands above'
• Reiki is only given with the 'clients' permission.
• Reiki can be sent to someone, which is called 'Distant Healing'
• Reiki can be used on Animals, Plants in Rooms and with other inanimate objects
• Reiki works on the Mind, Body & Soul
• You are NOT required to remove any clothing although some do Remove their Shoes!• You DO NOT need to be Religious or a Believer.

Basic Uses of Symbols



1st symbol stats

Symbol 1 can be used to increase the power/flow of Reiki, or to assist in focussing Reiki more intensely at a given location, or to a specific intent. Blesses you, others, anything you take into your body, situations, occasions, objects and just about anything else you can think of, to startling effect.
Visualise the symbol on your hand when giving treatment. Draw it with your hand in mid air into corners of any room. Draw the symbol into your food with your fork, draw it in the soil of your new flowerbeds etc etc. Drawing the symbol in a room or over the entire home can clear past bad atmospheres left in the home from past occupants. The symbol brings positive energy and blessings to everything that you apply it to.
Some practitioners use Symbol 1 to cleanse a room of negative atmospheres; or to 'seal' a treatment. While in 'western' forms of Reiki, the symbol may be used in conjunction with one or more of the other symbols, (with the intent of increase their potency) in 'Japanese' lineages, it is primarily utilised in a stand-alone sense.

2nd symbol stats


Promotes mental and emotional healing anywhere it is called for. The symbols healing qualities can also be drawn mid-air in a room that has tense occupants within, as its energy is soothing for a good night's sleep, draw the symbol over your bed before you get in it, or on a sheet of paper and place it under your pillow, or under the bed. This symbol will also help in the marriage where there is conflict, place the symbol under the marital bed.

3rd symbol stats

The only symbol needed to send reiki healing over distance or time as it transcends both as it acts in the past, present and future simultaneously. Translated, 'may the Buddha in me reach out to the Buddha in you to promote harmony and peace'. Many people believe that you shouldn't send healing to someone if they haven't asked for it, but, I believe that in many cases this is not so. Sometimes the person you are wanting to send healing to, can't get in touch with you or they are bedridden and can't get to you to ask. Use your own discretion, but whenever possible inform the person before sending healing.

Head Positions

• Over the eyes - balances pituitary & pineal glands, eyes, glaucoma, sinuses, nose, teeth and jaw
• Temples and Ears - balances pituitary & pineal glands, eases headache, worry, hysteria, depression, shock, stress. Improves memory, helps with past recall, dream recall, creativity & calms thoughts
• Backof Head - helps weight maintenance, vision, relaxes & comforts, eases stress, pain & helps with past life and dream recollection, also calms thoughts.
• Neck & Throat - looks after tonsils, throat, larynx, thyroid, balances low/high blood pressure, improves lymphatic drainage, calms, gives clarity of mind, self confidence. Eases anger, hostility, resentment, relieves tension.

Hand positions from there on are, across and down the body. Reiki is received emotionally as well as physically, so it transmits to all the organs also.

Listed below are some major organs and associated emotions.

REIKI HEALING

Reiki - The Art of Healing through Universal Energy, is a simple system of healing, by placing hands on or over the person, you are fully clothed for this process. This can be done with anything living, or with an energy force even inanimate objects store energy. Other living things such as animals and plants respond well to Reiki, as they do not try to understand how it works they just accept it and therefore receive it easier. Some people believe that Reiki is only used on humans, but even your pot chrysanthemum can benefit from the healing force of Reiki ! It can also be sent to the subject of its intention, as absent healing, no matter how far away the subject is, and can even be sent through time. We will talk about this on the page for distant healing .

Different forms of healing have been practised for thousands of years, but Reiki as we know it was discovered by Dr. Usui. (See our featured page 'history of Reiki') it is thought by many, that Jesus himself was the first known Reiki healers that is something you can decide for yourself. Reiki heals on all levels, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The heat of the Reiki from the practitioner’s hands can be felt as far as 5 inches away from the body, it is a very powerful healing tool. Some practitioners and their client may also be able to feel a tingling when healing, we know we do ! Reiki is also used by a variety of practitioners, people of different religions, cultures & beliefs systems, you don't have to be religious or committed to any particular belief system in order to channel Reiki, or enjoy it's benefits. All you need is the yearning to 'heal' or be 'healed'. Whether your life seems lacking, or you live it to the full, Reiki embraces and enriches you and the people around you. You might be depressed, an independent materialist or spiritual, you can only benefit from Reiki. The Reiki we deal with here is the 'Usui Shiki Ryoho' (roughly translated Usui-Style Healing Method) aptly named because of Dr. Usui, mentioned earlier. It is thought by some to have shamanic or Tibetan origins, although Usui Sensei is believed to have studied these principles The Origin of REIKI is JAPANEESE and Nothing Else!

Absent and Distant Healing

Absent healing closely resembles the hands-on treatment. The hands are moved, step by step to duplicate the positions on the body. A Reiki practitioner will probably use a pillow or something similar as a proxy, therefore as mentioned before, Reiki can be sent through time and space and into the future, as with distant healing. If you know the date and time of an event, you can send Reiki to the person so that the healing can be received. This is great for use when someone is taking exams, say for instance, or talking in public etc, as Reiki calms the mind and lowers blood pressure thus making you more relaxed. Reiki love, balance & harmony may be sent to anyone, anywhere ! It may be sent to those in need or distress, be they individuals, groups of people, the unborn baby, animals, plants, fish, birds etc. As Reiki Universe Life force Energy is infinite in its source, its use is infinite also. Reiki can be sent by way of using a photograph of it's intended destination. The photograph is held in one hand and the Reiki symbols are drawn over with the other hand. This is done quite quick and the Reiki love and healing are received at its destination almost immediately, or at an allotted time.

Experiencing the healing

Why did you consider Reiki? Is it because you've been told about it? Or you was suffering from a physical or emotional pain? What I do know is Reiki has some kind of calling, you are getting the treatment for a reason and it is the right time, but no matter what your reason for having a Reiki treatment, it always seems to find it's way to you when you need it most. A Reiki therapy session usually takes about an hour or so, and a good practitioner will give you a consultation before your treatment, as they need to get to know you and just as important, you need to get to know your practitioner so as to feel at ease with them. Having your treatment, you will probably feel tingly sensations, heat, see colours in your mind's eye, and as I felt in my first Reiki treatment, very emotional, I found myself crying. This and the other sensations mentioned earlier are quite normal reactions, as Reiki brings out all the bad emotions, it's like detoxifying yourself but an emotional detox. Reiki works on your chakras (see our chakras page) and balances them out along the physical body so as to unblock blockages that may have occurred during our everyday lives, and helps them to work properly, rotating in the correct direction. When a chakra is blocked it can cause emotional and physical illness. By using Reiki, these energy centres (chakras) become unblocked and balanced out, releasing past hurts and negative emotions, making you feel like a burden has been lifted, calm and relaxed, and this is where the detoxifying starts. A treatment can make you feel so relaxed, that you actually fall asleep. We have actually had people snoring during their treatments !

The experience will be a totally unique for each person it may or may not affect the person to one degree or another, so it would be quite wrong for me to suggest how the cleansing will affect you, it may last in the region of twenty-one days. So this may cause concern for some people but not for others!

It is important that the recipient understands that this cleansing period may effect them both physically and emotionally and should not be in itself a cause for concern, this does mean however that the time that you have Reiki Healing should be carefully thought out so as to cause the least amount of disruption to any responsibilities or duties you may have.

Intuition used for body-scanning in Reiki

During a Reiki session, the practitioner can use their natural intuition to scan the client's body. As Reiki is a form of channelling, practising using it for yourself & others will make your own intuition become clearer. Therefore, when you are doing Reiki treatments you may find that you intuition comes into play and you are able to pick up on certain parts of the body that need more attention. Although Reiki energy does go to everywhere in the body, some areas 'feel' they need that little bit more. The practitioner may feel that area by it being hotter or colder in that part, or you may just 'know' that that area needs more healing to unblock it.
If you are in touch with your higher self or guides, you can also ask your Reiki 'guides' and 'angels' for their extra help and support by blessing the treatments you are giving. You do need to ask them though, as they will not interfere with your healing session unless you ask them to. You must always trust and have a belief and faith in what you are doing and be patient, the Reiki 'angels' and 'guides' will come to you when you ask. They never let you down. When scanning I find, that cold spots denote a blockage and hotter spots tell me there is some tension. Also when you are working on a client that you have had before, you will have made comments about their health, and any parts of the body that showed up as tense or blocked. So therefore, you will be able to tell the difference on further treatment sessions, and will be able to inform the client of their progress with Reiki healing. When you receive Reiki healing a Reiki 2 practitioner or master will also use symbols that have been given to them to assist in the healing. These are 3 symbols of which the first one, the 'power' symbol 'cho ku rei', the power symbol empowers all for the highest good, even for the other symbols. The second symbol 'sei hei ki' meaning man and god are one. And the third, and final symbol, 'hon sha ze sho nen' is used for distant healing. These symbols can also be incorporated into 'feng shui' by ways of 'clearing the space'.Distant HealingOn receiving your healing, you may experience, a cleansing period. This is to clear your system of toxins and negativities that you may have been harbouring. It is similar to a body detox, both physically and emotionally.

Back