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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
Reiki is a noninvasive healing process that originated in Japan in 1922. Reiki may be used to heal oneself or others by passing healing energy through the practitioner’s hands.
Reiki is said to heal diseases and ailments. The Japanese word Reiki means universal life force or energy, Rei being spiritual and the Ki being energy.
Uncertainties on the legitimacy and the history of Reiki exist since there is no authenticated written documentation. The discovery of Reiki by Dr. Mikao Usui is, however, a fact though there are claims to him being a Christian monk, while other claims exist to him being Buddhist.
One of the versions claims Usui making a journey in quest of Jesus’ miracles. Following extensive studies, he is said to have retreated to Mount Kurama in 1922 on a retreat for twenty-one days. He is said to have acquired a mystical revelation on the final night of his retreat. On his return, he found himself able to heal by the laying of hands. Common belief puts his powers to prayer and meditation.
On Usui’s return to Tokyo, he is said to have begun healing the sick. Usui is said to have worked and developed his healing techniques to a point of being able to heal on both physical and spiritual levels. With this knowledge he travelled around, sharing his healing with others.
In one of the villages he is said to have been visited by a Naval Reserve, Naval Commander Dr. Chujiro Hayashi. Hayashi, being keen to learn this new discipline, started training and travelling with Usui, finally taking over the teaching of Reiki in 1926 at the demise of Usui.
Hayashi returned to Tokyo where he taught and practiced Reiki, opening a clinic for healing all the sick who wished to be healed by Reiki. Mrs. Hawayo Takata, a Hawaiian disciple, took over the leadership on his death in 1940.
Hayashi had personally trained Mrs. Takata and in 1938 she introduced Reiki to the United States and the west. War conditions made the Reiki teachings rigid and Takata was inflexible with her students. She taught her students to follow her methods strictly by memory without printed materials and have allegiance to one Reiki master. Her method of teaching, however, was to emphasize the preservation of the Reiki tradition and not the healing aspects of Reiki. Up to 1970 Takata trained twenty two Reiki masters.
Reiki has changed with the times, with new techniques being developed and ideas studied and practiced. Hundreds of practitioners and masters have been initiated, making Reiki more available and not being confined to an elite minority.
Today, Reiki masters are freely developing personal styles and techniques to improve the healing process and their own abilities. They have of course moved away from the rigid style of Takata.
Reiki has come a long way from its humble origins but thanks to Usui, Hayashi, Takata and other Reiki masters and practitioners, Reiki is helping to heal, cure and give hope when all else fails.
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