History of Reiki
The Reiki techniques we use today were founded by Mikao Usui who lived in Japan from 1865 to 1926. Reiki has no religious affiliation or outlook on life. The method is used today all over the world in all cultures and religions.
Reikin began to spread throughout the world. The person who introduced reikin to Sweden was Wanja Twan. Wanja moved to Canada when she was young, where Reiki learned from Mrs. Takata. During her travels to Sweden, she spread reikin.When the United Reiki Association was inaugurated in May 2006, Wanja was there. Twan passed away in September 2019.
Reikin's founder Mikao Usui
Usui was born in 1865 in a small village in Japan. He was the second child in a family of four. In the village there was a simple Buddhist school, which is considered to have shaped Usui.Vi knows that he took many jobs. Growing up, he also studied history, medicine and anatomy, Buddhism, Christianity, psychology, asceticism and divination. He often asked himself the question: What is the meaning of life? The more knowledge and insights he gained, it became obvious to him that the goal of life is to reach "An-Jin Ryu-Mei" (roughly translated: "the state of total mental calm or complete stillness".) This insight led him in 1919 to apply to a Zen temple in Kyoto and enroll for a three-year deep retreat and contemplation. When the three years had passed, he still had not reached what he had been looking for, and after turning to his Zen master, he went to Mount Kurama. He fasted and meditated for three weeks. On the twenty-first day, as usual, he was in deep gassho meditation when a flash of light hit his forehead and he fell down unconscious. When he finally woke up, he felt his body vibrate with energy. He felt rested in both body and soul. This was the first time he experienced the power of reiki. Usui sought out his Zen master who confirmed Usui's enlightenment and the master suggested that Usui teach what he had learned. The Zen master also told us that the healing power that Usui had received was a side effect of the great enlightenment that had come to him and that it should be taught for the good of humanity. Reiki was seen as a universal life energy that brought joy, health and well-being to all living beings. Usui began to teach his method.In September 1923, Japan was hit by a major earthquake that resulted in scores of people dying or being injured. 1.5 million people were left homeless when 700,000 houses were completely destroyed in quakes and fires. Usui worked hard to help people. The efforts made Usui famous throughout Japan and traveled around to spread reikin. During one of these trips, he suffered a stroke and died in March 1926.
Chujiro Hayashi brings out Reikin as we know it today
One of Usui's main students was Chujiro Hayashi. Hayashi was a doctor in the Japanese Army. Usui had urged Hayashi to break away from The Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai and start his own group/organization. Hayashi followed the call and started "The Hayashi Reiki Kenkyukai". While Usui's way of working with reikin differs from the way we work today, we recognize ourselves more in Hayashi's method. He documented, developed hand positions, introduced clear methods for initiation and used bunks in the treatments.
Hawayo Takata takes the baton
Hawayo Takata was born in 1900 in Hawaii and for family reasons she traveled to Japan in the early 1930s. During her trip to Japan, she sought out Dr. Hayashi's Reiki Clinic due to failing health and was cured of her illnesses. She was so grateful and amazed by the effects of reiki that she apprenticed to Dr. Hayashi in return for working in his clinic. In 1937, she returned to Hawaii and established a Reiki Clinic. She gave treatments and taught Shoden and Okuden (what is today called reiki 1 and reiki 2). It was not until 1970 that she began teaching Shinpiden (master's level).
