Brief History of Usui Reiki

In March 1922, Dr. Mikao Usui (Founder of Usui Ryoho Gakkai) received his Healing Gift after fasting and meditating for 21 days on Mount Kurama, Japan.  On midnight of the 21st day, a powerful Light suddenly entered his mind through the top of his head that he called Reiki (God’s Healing Energy). When he awoke, he was filled with an energizing vitality.  On the way down the mountain, he tripped over a rock and ripped off his toenail.

Then he happened to lay hands on the toe and to his surprise the pain disappeared, the bleeding stopped and it healed. He left his monastery and returned home to start healing his family with amazing results. He knew God had given him the Gift of Healing that he calls ‘Reiki.’  This healing modality is liken to the woman who touched Jesus’s Garment and she was healed.  Jesus asked “Who touched my clothes?” because He felt Healing Energy leave him.  (Mark 5:21-34)

However, he might have remained a footnote in history but the 1923 Tokyo Earthquake and Tsunami shook Japan.  Dr. Usui was compelled into ACTION and Usui Reiki was brought into the limelight.  He rushed to the most devastated region and “healed” thousands while training many others to assist him with his Usui Reiki Healing System.  During this time, he opened three clinics, trained 2000 Usui Reiki I Healers and 19 Usui Reiki Master Teachers.  In 1925, the Japanese government issued him a Kun San To Award for his tireless devotion with passing his Healing Gift to Others.

Evolution of Usui Reiki

From 1925 to 1940, Dr. Hayashi, a Navy Doctor and Usui Reiki Master Teacher, opened Hayashi’ Reiki Kenkyu-Kai Clinic and expanded Usui Reiki System by his medical experience, physical Reiki.  He trained 17 Reiki Masters including those listed below.

  • Developed additional hand positions to more thoroughly cover the body by Hands-on-Healing (Laying-on-Hands).
  • Updated the Reiki Training to a 5-Day Reiki I/II Seminar Training.
  • Mrs. C. Yamaguchi, in 1938 founded Jikiden Reiki and  her son in 1952, Tadao is her successor to date.
  • Accepted Mrs. H. Takata invitation to Hawaii from October 1937 to February 1938 and taught over 350 students while completing her Reiki Training. She founded Usui Shiki Ryoho.

Traditional Reiki

In the late 1990s, Mrs. Chiyoko Yamaguchi, a Japanese lady who learned Reiki from Dr. Hayashi in 1938 came to light. She was initiated to Reiki at age of 17. After that, she practiced Reiki over 65 years until her passing in 2003. She administered hands on healing treatments to her family and many visitors. Most visitors came to know of her by word of mouth and would come to her house. Her son Tadao, witnessed their gradual recovery from illness after several visits. Some experienced a complete recovery from their illness after staying several nights to receive intensive treatments.

She started teaching with her son, Tadao Yamaguchi, in 1999 with the name Jikiden Reiki (直傳靈氣 – “Jikiden” means “directly teaching of Dr. Hayashi”). They also founded the Jikiden Reiki Institute and its receding President is Tadao Yamaguchi and Vice-President is Frank Arjava Petter. (Frank Arjava Petter is a well-known Western Reiki Master, Riiki Fire, then he fell in love with Jikiden Reiki in 1999)

Today, her son, Tadao Yamaguchi is respecting his mother’s wishes and aiming to integrate Reiki into an effective natural therapies such as chiropractics, reflexology and aromatherapy as an effective complementary care. Jikiden Reiki Seminars teaches the original simple yet powerful Japanese Reiki (Dr. Hayashi’s curriculum) at home and abroad today.

Birth of Western Reiki

In 1935, Mrs. Takata, a Japanese American, traveled to Tokyo to visit her parents and a doctor.  She suffered from severe Gall Bladder Disease. The doctor at the Japanese Hospital gave her two options – Surgery or Dr. Hayashi’s Reiki Kenkyu-Kai Clinic.  She choose the later and her healing journey began.

  • She received twice daily Usui Reiki Sessions by two Usui Reiki Practitioners.  After four months of treatments, the Japanese Hospital declared she was healed.  Afterwards, Mrs. Takata sought feverishly to be accepted for Reiki Training.
  • In 1938, she founded Usui Shiki Ryoho (Usui System of Natural Healing with Reiki Master fee – $10,000).

In conclusion, Mrs. Takata is the key person who brought western-style Usui Reiki to the USA in 1938.  She trained 22 Usui Reiki Master Teachers.  After her passing, two of her Reiki Master Teachers offered Usui Reiki Training at an affordable cost.  William Rand was one of those students. William received Reiki I in 1981, Reiki II in 1982, and became a Reiki Master in 1989. He continued his Reiki Master level training from six Reiki Masters including three from Japan.

…Usui Reiki is always changing and has now evolved to Usui/Holy Fire® III Reiki

                 “It is as if a God has breathed new life into Reiki.” 

~ Laurelle Shanti Gaia

Reiki respects Free Will; it will not heal us or develop higher states unless we invite it to do so.  This requires that we be willing to change.  This process can include improving the quality with the understanding of Reiki’s unlimited potential.  Both Dr. Usui and Dr. Hayashi encouraged their students to further refine and improve the quality of Reiki.

  • This concept can be liken to a Library.  Once one has a library card, one has access to the books in the library, but that does not mean that one has read all the books and can apply all the knowledge and wisdom they contain.
  • The same is true of Reiki.  If you are able to access Reiki’s Healing Energy and give permission to allow Reiki to work with you, Reiki can further refine your ability to channel ever higher and more effective Healing Energy.

In January 2014, a more refined and a higher-level energy, Christ Consciousness, came to William Rand.First as a symbol then as experiences.  His experiences was so clear and powerful that he trusted what he shown and followed Jesus’s guidance and instructions.  Holy Fire® Reiki was birth!

Usui/Holy Fire® III Reiki is the latest form of Usui/Holy Fire® Reiki.  It allows the HF III Reiki Master Teacher to train Online at a noticeably more refine and higher level of Christ Consciousness.  Holy Fire is both powerful and gentle and provides purification, healing, empowerment and guidance.

Some of the qualities students have experienced include:

  • Works continuously even when not thinking about it and spontaneously heals issues as they come up.
  • Always respects free will.
  • Heals deeply and quickly without distress.
  • Heals relationships and interactions with others.
  • Releases worry and replaces it with a sense of safety in a most pronounced way.
  • Spontaneously provides guidance that is palatable for every level of life experience.
  • Tends to develop all the personality traits that are healthy for a person to have such as love of self and others, kindness, patience, confidence, vitality, enthusiasm, optimism, trust, joy, peace and so forth.
  • Administers a nurturing feeling of being loved that is very deep and more refined.
  • Once received, it continues to develop itself to be more evolved and effective.