The history of Reiki is a very interesting one. The origin of Reiki has been traced to Tibet. It is believed that the Tibetan monks studied energies and developed a system of sounds and symbols for universal healing energies. But over a period of time the original source was forgotten and with it was lost the healing technique that used energy to heal both the body and the spirit.

Around the late 1800s, Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese Christian educator in Kyoto, Japan, was the principal of a Christian seminary. During one of his classes, his students asked him to demonstrate and explain the healing method used by Jesus. He was unable to answer their question. This question led to a 10-year long quest to find and learn the skill. He wanted to learn the skill in order to heal people, thus helping them. Dr. Mikao Usui was unable to find the answer to his question in Japan so he traveled to the United States of America and India in search of the skill. After studying the original Buddhist Holy Scriptures in Sanskrit, he found the wisdom of healing. Dr. Usui returned to Japan and visited the different Buddhist Sects trying to find out which of them had knowledge about healing both the body and the spirit at the same time. In the Zen Monastery in Kyoto he was informed that earlier Zen monks could heal the body as well, but now were concentrating on healing only the spirit. Dr. Usui stayed at the monastery and studied Indian Buddhist Sutras written in Sanskrit. Here he discovered the means to contact a higher power that could give him healing powers.

Dr. Usui followed the instruction written in the Sutras and went to the Holy Mountain Kori-yama and fasted and meditated according to the directions given, for 21 days. On the last day Dr. Usui underwent a metaphysical experience that empowered him to use the sounds and symbols to heal. Thus he rediscovered this healing technique and called it Reiki. Dr. Usui began working among the beggar community in Kyoto healing them and helping them lead a better life. But he realized that the same people came back again and again as they had not improved their life because they thought begging was easier. Dr. Usui was very upset, but he realized that he had forgotten to teach the beggars gratitude. This helped him understand two important things - healing the Spirit and the responsibility of the recipient in the healing process. Dr. Usui was given the Spiritual Principles of Reiki by Teachers in Spirit at this time. And in the following days he formulated the Reiki Principles:

• Just for today to not worry

• Just for today do not anger

• Honor your parents, teachers and elders

• Earn your living honestly

• Show gratitude to everything

Dr. Usui practiced and taught Reiki all over Japan for the rest of his life. He gave Master attunement to sixteen teachers one of whom was Dr. Chujiro Hayashi. Dr Hayashi developed the Usui system of healing. In his clinic in Tokyo he kept detailed records of the treatment given to all his patients. With this information he developed the standard hand positions and the three-degree system and the Reiki initiation procedures. Dr Hayashi passed on the complete teachings of Reiki to his wife and Ms. Hawayo Takata. Ms. Takata was a Japanese Hawaiian and an American citizen. She set up a Reiki clinic in Hawaii, which did extremely well. Ms. Takata trained a number of Reiki Masters in her seventies.

There are many forms of Reiki being practiced today. The two important forms are the Usui System of Natural Healing and the Radiance Technique. Reiki has proved to be useful in treating a number of illnesses. Reiki was first introduced to the Western world in the mid-1970s. After this Reiki has spread rapidly through out the world.