Reiki History
Reiki (generally pronounced RAY-key) is a form of healing and/or energy transmission, whereby someone who has been attuned can channel energy to themselves or another. Usui Reiki was discovered or created in Japan around the year 1900 by Dr Mikao Usui.
Everyone has energy - we would be dead otherwise. There are many ways of getting this energy; the most obvious being breathing, food and drink. However, the environment we live in can affect us in many ways, such that it is possible to be low on energy even when you do have clean air, plenty to eat and drink, and an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals.
However, even when all of these physical necessities are taken care of, it is still possible to be low on energy. This is often the case if you have a stressful job (or none at all), are having trouble with relatives, and so on. Medical science has now shown that many diseases and physical injuries are caused partly or even completely by emotional issues which are conveniently labelled 'stress'.
There are many methods, generally labelled as alternative therapies, that can allow a person to receive energy to help deal with the issues, or to remove 'energy blocks' that are stopping them from using energy efficiently. Massage is now accepted as one of these methods, as is acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, mediation, certain forms of martial arts, etc. Then there are more 'exotic' methods such as aromatherapy, music therapy, naturopathy, etc. Reiki is another one these methods, and has the advantage of being one of the simplest to learn and practice.
The basic philosophy of Reiki is that there is a 'pool' of energy that everyone can draw upon, but most people are not able to do so at will. It is like having your radio not quite tuned to a station - you can kind of work out what is happening, but not as well as if you tune it properly. The Reiki attunement process 'tunes' you so that you are able to channel energy from the pool. When you have been correctly attuned with basic Reiki (also called Reiki I or hands-on Reiki), you are able to draw upon this energy simply by placing your hands on (or close to) yourself, another person, an animal, a plant, etc. Both you and whomever/whatever you are channelling Reiki to receive energy - neither is drained. It is that simple - you can be reading a book one-handed, watching television, waiting in a queue - just put your hands on yourself (or another) and the energy will flow.
Those who have been attuned with the second level of Reiki (Reiki II, distant Reiki or advanced Reiki) are taught a process whereby they can send energy to another being that they are not in direct contact with, by channelling energy into a inanimate object that is used as a proxy.
The third, and last, level of Reiki (Reiki III) is occasionally divided into two segments. One course gives you access to a few new Reiki techniques and is often called Advanced Reiki Training, whereas the other gives you the ability to attune others. People attuned to this level are often called Reiki Masters or Reiki Teachers.
Note that Reiki channels (or practitioners) do not consider Reiki to be the only means of transferring or accessing energy in this fashion - we believe that there are many other methodologies that are effective. Prayer, for example, is considered by many people as a method of sending energy to someone at a distance, and several scientific studies have even shown that prayer does seem to have a positive effect. Also, there is no requirement to take all three levels of Reiki - once you have been correctly attuned with Reiki I you are attuned for life. Some people only even take Reiki I, whereas others take all three levels within a year or two. Still others learn Reiki II decades after being attuned with Reiki I.
Reiki is also not a religion - it is accessible to anyone of any background or philosophy. Many people who have come into Reiki from a scientific background of scepticism have found Reiki works and even went on to become Reiki Teachers themselves.
Dr Usui taught many people in Japan the methods of Reiki, including Dr Chujiro Hayashii. Just before the outbreak of World War II Dr Hayashii taught Mrs Hawayo Takata, who came from Hawaii. After learning Reiki she returned to Hawaii and taught several people including Beth Grey, Bethal Phaigh and Phyllis Lei Furomoto. These people then spread Reiki to the western world. Nearly everyone who has learned Reiki can thus trace their teaching lineage back to Mrs Takata, although it has been discovered in the last few years that students of Dr Hayashii and his peers continued to teach Reiki in Japan during and after World War II, whereas it was thought for some time that the teaching of Reiki stopped in Japan with the passing of Dr Hayashii at the beginning of the war.