at the University of Chicago. Reiki historians later found that these were untrue.
A generation of Reiki students learned old versions of Reiki history told by Takata. In today’s world, the embellished story of Reiki is no longer necessary to keep Reiki alive. (See the nearby sidebar “The true role of Hawayo Takata.”)
THE TRUE ROLE OF HAWAYO TAKATA
Hawayo Takata did what she could for Reiki to survive in the Western world. Reiki historians showed that some of the stories relayed by Takata weren’t true. However, history now shows Takata to be the Reiki heroine that she truly was. She managed to preserve a Japanese healing method in Hawaii, the very state that was bombed by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor.
Hawayo Takata fought discrimination on both sides, as the Japanese saw her as an American. Even today, the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai doesn’t train those from other countries or admit them as members of their organization. It’s a miracle that Chujiro Hayashi (see the earlier section “Exploring the Medical Approach: Chujiro Hayashi”) trained her and helped her with her Reiki practice.
Her work brought Reiki to the West, and students of her system even taught in Japan. It had been unknown that there were active Reiki lineages that had survived in Japan. This spread of Reiki encouraged more Japanese Reiki practitioners to communicate, teach, and practice Reiki. It’s impossible to know for sure where Reiki would be today without Takata, but it’s certain that she played a seminal role in Reiki history.
Seeing Reiki in Japan and the West
When Hawayo Takata (covered earlier in this chapter) died, none of her students were aware that Reiki existed in Japan. Her Masters students tried to put together their notes from the different teachings that Takata had given each of them. Some of her students wrote books or created new Reiki branches.
There was no mutually agreed-upon successor to Takata. At this time, the Reiki Alliance is the most prominent branch from Takata, which had Phyllis Lei Furumoto as the successor.
Reiki in Japan
After Mikao Usui died in 1926, followers of his system in Japan went on quietly without much public notice.
People in the West who studied Reiki weren’t even aware that Reiki had survived in Japan. It appears that Japanese Reiki was lying in wait like a dormant seed. In 1985, Mieko Mitsui, a student of Barbara Weber Ray, went to Japan and began to teach some levels of Reiki. Japanese people were eager to study Reiki, and other teachers from the West also taught in Japan.
Eventually, the increased interest in Reiki stimulated some Japanese-trained Reiki practitioners and teachers to come out of hiding and begin teaching their methods.
Japanese and Western Reiki today
Today a distinction is made between Japanese and Western Reiki:
Japanese Reiki is considered to be more faithful to Mikao Usui’s original style.
Western Reiki has been altered by changes made by Chujiro Hayashi and Hawayo Takata, and even further altered by successive Reiki teachers.
Japanese Reiki is now being studied in the West as Reiki students yearn to discover its roots. As information on Japanese techniques becomes available, Western branches are incorporating this information into their teachings.
Takata’s original teachings are also being studied, and the connections to the Usui-Hayashi teachings are apparent.
LISTING THE REIKI TECHNIQUES
Mikao Usui, Chujiro Hayashi, and Hawayo Takata taught many Reiki techniques, and some branches have also incorporated new Western techniques. Here’s a list of the most common Reiki techniques, what they’re used for, and where you can find more information about them in this book.
| Name of Reiki Technique | Description | More Information in Chapter: |
|---|---|---|
| Aura cleansing | Sweeping energy | 13 |
| Byosen Reikhan Ho | Scanning and sensing imbalance in the body | 11 |
| Chakra balancing | Complementary method to Reiki treatment | 11 |
| Crystal healing | Complementary method to Reiki treatment | 12 |
| Distant healing | Remote healing | 15 |
| Gassho meditation | Prayerful hands meditation method | 9 |
| Group distant healing | Sending healing as a group | 14 |
| Gyosi Ho | Healing by staring | 11 |
| Hand positions | Placement of hands for Reiki treatment | 11 |
| Hatsurei Ho meditation | Generating spiritual energy | 9 |
| Healing the past and future | Sending Reiki across time | 15 |
| Hui Yin contraction | Nontraditional technique to concentrate energy | 9 |
| Jakikiri Joka Ho | Cleaning inanimate objects (crystals) |
12
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