Reiki is a gentle, holistic healing practice originating in Japan. The word Reiki is commonly understood as referring to universal life-force energy, while Reiki Ryoho describes the healing method developed within the Japanese Reiki tradition.

At Spark of Life, Reiki is approached as more than simply a relaxation treatment. It is a practice of healing, balance, self-awareness and personal transformation, traditionally understood to work with the flow of energy through the body and to support harmony between body, mind and spirit.

During a Reiki session, the practitioner places their hands lightly on or just above the body, allowing the recipient to rest quietly while the treatment takes place. Some people experience warmth, tingling, deep relaxation or a sense of calm; others experience the session more subtly.

There is no requirement to follow a particular belief system to experience Reiki. You simply need the willingness to pause, receive and allow yourself some quiet time.

Reiki and the healing tradition

The concept of healing through the laying-on of hands is found in many cultures. Japanese Reiki Ryoho, however, has its own identifiable history and lineage, developing in Japan in the early twentieth century through the work of Mikao Usui and those he subsequently taught.

Usui’s approach brought together spiritual practice, personal development and hands-on healing. He established the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai in Tokyo in 1922 and taught students who continued to develop and transmit the practice.

Among those students was Chujiro Hayashi, a former naval officer and medical doctor, who established his own Reiki clinic and school in Tokyo. Historical accounts describe Hayashi keeping records of clients’ conditions and the hand positions used during treatments, contributing to the development and systematisation of Reiki treatment methods.

It was through Hayashi that Hawayo Takata encountered Reiki.

Takata travelled to Japan in the 1930s and received Reiki treatments at Hayashi’s clinic. She subsequently trained in Reiki, returned to Hawaii and began practising and teaching there. In 1938, Hayashi initiated her as a Reiki Master. Takata went on to teach Reiki extensively in Hawaii and the United States, playing a major role in bringing the Usui/Hayashi tradition to the Western world.

This lineage is an important part of the history of the Reiki taught at Spark of Life:

Mikao Usui → Chujiro Hayashi → Hawayo Takata → Western Reiki

The history is not entirely straightforward, and some details of the traditional Western account of Usui’s life have subsequently been challenged by historical research. What is much clearer is the transmission of Reiki practice through Usui, Hayashi and Takata and the enormous role Takata played in establishing Reiki in the West.