A simple history of Reiki, from its ancient roots in Japan to its modern form

Reiki is a form of energy healing that has been practiced for over 100 years. It originated in Japan and was rediscovered by Mikao Usui, who travelled to the holy mountains of Kurama where he fasted and meditated to attain an altered state of consciousness or Anshin Ritsumei which is the state of perfect peace at all times. On the 21st day, he was enlightened with this healing energy and also received guidance on how to use this energy to help others.

Mikao Usui began healing and teaching Reiki at his dojo in Kyoto around 1920. He taught Dr. Chujiro Hayashi who went on to become the leader and taught others about Reiki, after Usui’s death in 1926. He is responsible for coming up with the hand positions and attunement techniques that he passed on to his students.

He trained Mrs. Hawayo Takata, who eventually returned to Hawaii in 1937 and began teaching Reiki to others. Mrs. Takata was instrumental in bringing Reiki to the western part of the world. She trained 22 other Reiki masters who are currently still spreading the wonderful system of Reiki all over the world.

Read on to learn more about the advantages of this gentle yet powerful energy healing technique, as well as what makes it such a great complementary treatment.

Why is it called Holy Fire Reiki?

The term Holy Fire® here is not intended to be religious in nature, nor is it affiliated with any particular faith. The term holy has as its etymological root meaning “whole and finished.” Holy Fire® Reiki is a type of spiritual energy that promotes wholeness and integration through purification, healing, empowerment, and direction.

Reiki can be defined as universal life force energy that flows from person to person, or it can be described as spiritual healing. With this energy, comes mental, emotional and physical healing benefits – not just for oneself, but also for the ones this healing light is shared with!

How has Reiki evolved over time, and what sets Holy Fire Reiki apart from other forms of energy therapies?

For many years, Reiki remained relatively unknown outside of Japan. However, in the late 1990s, Reiki began to spread rapidly throughout the world. This was largely due to the work of several prominent teachers, including Mrs. Takata, and William Lee Rand in present day USA. Today, there are millions of people who practice Reiki all over the globe.

Usui Holy Fire® Reiki is the most recent form of this branch of Reiki, and was received by William Lee Rand in 2014. However, it draws from centuries of tradition and experience in healing and spiritual practice.

The difference between Holy Fire® energy and previous energies is evident in their signatures. You can expect Holy Fire® to be considerably more refined and emanate from a higher level of awareness.

9 best qualities of Holy Fire Reiki

1. It works constantly even when you aren’t thinking about it, and problems that arise spontaneously heal themselves.
2. It will always respect free will. One can’t force Reiki on anyone without their knowing.
3. You can send this healing energy to heal or help an event be it in the past, present or future. Time and space do not matter as this is a connection in the quantum field.
4. Heals deeply and quickly without distress. It can even be sent to a relationship that has gone sour to help heal it.
5. You feel a profound sense of lightness and safety as your worries are released.
6. Brings forth your clairs and activates any gifts which really helps enhance your intuition to help provide you guidance from your highest self for anything in your life.
7. One of the most amazing feelings it brings forth is the feeling of being cherished. This is a profound and delicate emotion that is extremely nurturing.
8. 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.
9. Once you have received this placement, you have it for life and can call on it whenever you wish. The more you practice with it, the more it develops and evolves to become one with you.

All these qualities are present in Reiki Level I & II and become more evident in the Master and Karuna level classes.

Holy Fire® frequency is constantly evolving. There have a been a few upgrades and as of 2020, we are currently at the fourth upgrade for this energy. Read more about it here – https://www.reiki.org/introduction-holy-fire-iii-reiki

What is the lineage for Holy Fire?

Holy Fire® has no lineage. Lineage as it is used with Reiki refers to the physical person who originally channeled the energy. No one originally did this. Therefore, the lineage of Usui/Holy Fire® Reiki Ryoho will remain with Usui Sensei. The lineage for Holy Fire® Karuna Reiki® belongs to William Lee Rand. But we need to always indicate that the Holy Fire® does not have a lineage.

What are the benefits of Reiki healing and why is it becoming increasingly popular around the world?

Reiki has evolved and changed over time to become the popular practice that it is today. In particular, Usui Holy Fire® Reiki is unique in its focus on self-healing and personal growth. It also incorporates modern techniques like breath work and meditation into its practice. This makes Usui Holy Fire® Reiki an ideal choice for those looking for a more holistic approach to healing.

One of the biggest benefits of Reiki is that it is a complementary therapy. It complements almost any industry you may currently be in. Reiki is being used by artists, teachers, practitioners of other energy healing modalities, it can also be used by professionals such as nurses who want an additional way of treating their patients without having to give up what they already do well. You do not need to quit what you are doing to become a Reiki practitioner. You can integrate Reiki therapy into your current line of work to trigger even greater positive results, induce deep relaxation for your clients, help relieve pain and stress and improve their quality of life tremendously.

Reiki has grown in popularity, with practitioners ranging from celebrities to business owners throughout the world using their reiki practice to complement other types of health care therapies. Since the Holy Fire® energy got upgraded in 2020 so as to be able to teach distant reiki classes from the comfort of your own home, it has truly been a miraculous sign for many to be able to take their business to the next level even in this current pandemic.

Every day, more and more people are becoming interested in Reiki as a complementary therapy to go alongside traditional healthcare options. It has been shown to help reduce stress levels and induce deep relaxation for those receiving treatment from other medical experts; the end result is that millions of people all over the world have found relief through Holy Fire® Reiki energy healing!

In addition to being a form of healing, Reiki is also about spiritual growth and finding your purpose in life. You may also use your transformative potential to benefit others. As a Reiki practitioner, you will be able to learn more about yourself and achieve better results at every level of life: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.

How can I begin to learn Reiki today?

Currently Usui Holy Fire® Reiki can be learned online or through classes held at various locations across the world such as India, Australia, Europe and North America among others. There are several Holy Fire® Reiki masters who teach classes too – each with their own distinct perspective on this ancient form of energy therapy. Let your heart guide you in choosing one.

If you have never had a reiki session before, I highly recommend getting one from a qualified reiki practitioner to get an idea of how the energy feels. Experiencing distant reiki for the first time a few years back was the turning point in signing up for my own practitioner certification. I needed this to support healing and my own well-being and only after becoming attuned to this energy did I realize, I could do so much more with it and help so many others. It is now my mission to help introduce Reiki to as many others as are willing to truly help them become the hero in their own wellness journey.

If you are interested in learning more about the distance healing classes I offer, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page. I follow the official training manual from the International Center for Reiki Training formed by William Rand so rest assured you will be receiving a fantastic in depth Reiki training from a certified Karuna Reiki Master. You will also receive a certificate upon completion.

Click here to learn more about my Holy Fire® Reiki I & II course.

Click here to book a class, individual session or other services.

Thank you for reading!

I hope this article has given you a better understanding of the history and some health benefits of incorporating Reiki energy in your everyday life. We cover a lot more in-depth history in our Reiki classes. Feel free to email me at hello@anuragah.com for any questions.

by Misty Chatterjee

Holy Fire® and Karuna Reiki® are registered service marks of William Lee Rand.
Image credit: www.reiki.org