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Up
until 1937, Reiki was only used and trained in Japan. The person
that eventually took it to the west was a woman called Mrs Hawayo Takata.
Born
on the island of Kauai, Hawaii to Japanese immigrants in 1900, Mrs Takata
became a widow at the young age of 34. She was left with 2
daughters, a host of health problems and, soon after this, the grief of
the death of one of her sisters. Her parents had previously moved back to
Japan, so the responsibility fell on her to travel to Japan to relay the
sad news.
In
Japan, once she had been to see her parents, she decided to go for medical
treatment for her health problems and it was prior to a scheduled
operation that she decided there must be an alternative option to surgery.
At this point she was directed to Reiki – and eventually the surgery
became unnecessary. Working closely with Dr Chujiro Hayashi, Dr
Usui’s successor, she was trained in Reiki and eventually initiated as a
Reiki Master in 1938. She was the 13th and final Reiki Master Dr
Hayashi initiated.
From
this point on, she taught Reiki throughout America and Canada and between
1970 and her death in 1980, Mrs Takata initiated 22 Reiki Masters.
It is through these Reiki Masters that the current expansion of Reiki
throughout the world has emanated.
Usui
Shiki Ryoho Reiki is still only taught by Masters trained in the original
traditions, sharing their experiences and passing on the story of the
system’s development. Inevitably, new systems have emerged and
teaching practices are evolving so treatments can differ from one another.
Training
Having
experienced a Reiki treatment, you may choose to be ‘initiated’ into
Reiki yourself and learn how to treat yourself and others. One of
the greatest benefits of Reiki is the ability to heal ourselves.
Self-treatments can be very beneficial and simple - anywhere you are,
Reiki will be there with you, treating you on a physical, mental,
emotional and spiritual level.
Using
it on a regular basis, Reiki energy can be especially useful in helping
personal growth and spiritual development. But it can also be used
whenever you feel stress or pain, or are feeling generally ’out of
sorts’.
The
daily use of Reiki brings about an inner balance, so that many illnesses
will not be able to develop. Your emotions will be balanced.
Your life indeed takes on a new quality and peace, so that you can attain
a healthy mind, body and spirit.
The
Usui system of natural healing training was developed to be given in three
distinct stages namely: First Degree, Second Degree and Masters
Degree. The first degree is usually taken in one day or spread over
a weekend during which time students are initiated into receiving Reiki
and shown the hand positions for treatments. Once you have completed
this degree, you will become a certified Reiki Practitioner.
During
the second degree, students are introduced to the methods of sending
distance healing, as well as sending healing to events and places.
At this level, a greater amount of dedication and commitment is required
since training takes you to a deeper level.
Each
Degree should have a period of time before attempting to move onto the
next stage in order to learn from experience and to allow the body to
adjust to receiving Reiki energy.
Once
you have been initiated into Reiki, you will never lose the ability and it
will be activated simply through intent.
Choosing
a Master
First
of all, speak with a few teachers and get a feeling for how they teach and
their attitude. Ensure that they are up to the level of Reiki Master
and confirm which type of Reiki they teach. It will be important for
you to feel a rapport with the teacher, because this will help with how
you learn and integrate Reiki.
This
may sound time consuming but ask yourself what else you would purchase
without asking some specific questions. A list of questions that could be
used when looking for a Reiki Master can be found here.
Reiki
is for everyone
The
best thing about Reiki is that there is no restriction on the type of
person that can learn. People young and old, from different
religious backgrounds, belief systems, and cultures – no special skill
is required, everyone has the potential to do Reiki.
In
the words of Mrs Takata, “All you have to do is take your hands out,
apply, and you heal. And as far as healing is concerned, you don’t
worry, because you are not doing it. The energy is doing it, Reiki
is doing it. If Reiki is doing it there is no mistake, you
understand?”
Written
by Helen Wilkins
Reiki Master/Teacher
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