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     What is a Usui? Usui refers to Dr. Mikao Usui who was born in Japan in 1865 and died in 1926. He studied medicine, psychology, and religion as well as fortune telling. He was also a member of a group developing psychic abilities. Dr. Usui held several jobs and then became secretary to the head of the department of health and welfare, Shinpei Goto. Goto then became the mayor of Tokyo, and Dr. Usui became a very successful businessman. Usui became inspired to find the meaning of life. He studied Zen meditation for several years. In February 1922 he went to Mount Kurama on a 21 day fast and meditation. Part of the meditation was standing under the waterfall and allowing the waters to strike and flow over the top of his head, which is said to activate the crown chakra. He became weaker and weaker after fasting and meditating, and in March 1922 a powerful light entered his mind through the top of his head, as if he had been struck by lightning. When he awoke he realized  he was filled with an enjoyable state of vitality and the high frequency spiritual energy replaced his normal consciousness with a new level of awareness. He saw this special state of enlightenment as a gift and he went running down the mountain overjoyed. On his way down he fell and stubbed his toe on a rock. He placed his hand over his toe, like anyone would do, and healing energy started flowing from his hands. He went on to develop his healing system, then started a healing society, and then opened a Reiki clinic where he taught classes and gave treatments. In 1923 there was a great earthquake in Tokyo where many died and others were homeless, sick, and injured. He was very compassionate and began treating as many people as he could, but there was such a great need that he began training others to be Reiki practitioners. He also developed a more formal attunement process. His reputation as a healer continued to grow and he built a bigger clinic in 1925. He taught more than 2000 students and initiated 16 teachers. While traveling to teach he suffered a stroke and died in 1926.

Dr. Hayashi was one of the 16 teachers Usui initiated. Before he died, Usui asked Hayashi to further develop the system of healing. Dr. Hayashi added a set of standard hand positions, the attunement process, and the three degrees of Reiki. He created the Hayashi healing guide. He changed the way Reiki was given by having the client lay on a table, rather than being seated in a chair. He kept detailed records of hand positions and their effectiveness for specific illnesses. He made a trip to Hawaii in 1937-1938 prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Because of this trip, he was asked by the Japanese military to provide information about the location of warehouses and other military targets in Hawaii. He refused to do so and was declared a traitor. He and his family would be disgraced and ostracized from Japanese society. The only solution was seppuku (ritual suicide). He died honorably on May 11, 1940.

Mrs. Hawayo Takata – She was the one who brought Reiki to the west in 1937. Without her, probably no one outside of Japan would recognize the word “Reiki”. She had travelled from Hawaii to Japan for her sister’s funeral and to visit her parents. She had several ailments, and while she was there her asthma worsened and she was guided to Dr. Hayashi’s clinic. After 4 months she was cured. She wanted to learn Reiki for herself and received her training from him in 1936 and became a Master in 1938. She set up her practice in Hawaii and became well known. She travelled to the mainland US teaching and giving treatments. Mrs. Takata began teaching Reiki Level I and II. In 1970 she began teaching Masters (and charging $10,000.00 fee. The high fee was not part of the Usui system. She also did not allow students to take notes. Everything had to be memorized. Any drawings of symbols were destroyed at the end of the class because she considered them to be sacred. It is believed that Mrs. Takata added the Master symbol.

Much of this information was from The Reiki Manual by William Lee Rand.