The 3 founding members of Reiki & its rediscovery…

There’s lots of different information about the history of Reiki and as no written records were kept from the beginning of its rediscovery, there are many interpretations. Here’s the background of my lineage, The Golden Reiki Way.

(Lineage is the line of energy through the ages that has reached a practitioner and as Reiki is an Energy Healing it’s significant to note...)

Reiki is a Healing Art that originated in Tibet over 2,500 years ago, but it wasn’t until its rediscovery by Dr Mikao Usui in the late 1800s that Reiki as we know it, began.

Dr Usui was born in Japan and raised as a Samurai – the way of the warrior, with focus, dedication, discipline, courage, justice, honour, duty – all part of his upbringing and integral to his life and foundation. This is significant to remember as we explore Reiki’s history and its introduction to the West.

Challenged by his students to find a natural way of healing, Dr Usui studied the world’s religion’s and searched for the healing answers that they all claimed to exist. After many years of study and travel, he found a healing formula in Sanskrit and along with a 21-day meditation on Mt Kurama, led to enlightenment!

Dr Usui now had the tools for healing and so Usui Reiki Ryoho – Usui Reiki System of Natural Healing was born. With this knowledge Dr Usui dedicated his life to Reiki and treating many people until his death. He was recognised for his achievement by the Emperor of Japan. 

One of Dr Usui’s most dedicated student’s Dr Chujiro Hayashi, who was also a naval officer, became the new Grand Master under Dr Usui’s instructions before he died. It was he who began to first document and keep records.

Reiki was still only known in Japan and it was becoming more and more popular. A fortuitous encounter by Japanese / American Madame Hawayo Takata who was visiting Japan and very unwell, was guided to seek Reiki healing. After daily Reiki treatments over many weeks, she was cured and asked to learn this healing art. Dr Hayashi agreed and Madame Takata spent many months studying under his instruction.

Madame Takata became the first Reiki Master outside of Japan. It was planned that she would begin Reiki healing in Hawaii with Dr Hayashi’s help. However, with the outbreak of the Second World War, Dr Hayashi died and Madame Takata was left to continue the work in the USA.

Much of the core Eastern disciplines were lost, as Madame Takata was working in Hawaii, where teaching and values of the East not so welcome after the war. Culturally East and West are still so different even today. We have different languages, characters, read in a different direction and have different beliefs and customs. This is important to note as it couldn’t have been easy for Madame Takata knowing this powerful Healing Art, with its foundation from the East.

She helped heal many in her home and the mainland throughout her life. She also taught Reiki to those unwell and their family members, but only initiated 22 Masters. She left no direction for who was to supersede her when she died and so Reiki expanded into many different directions.