A Brief History of Reiki
Reiki’s Japanese Origin
Reiki (霊気) is a Japanese word that can be translated as spiritual energy or universal life force energy.
The system of Reiki was founded by a Japanese spiritual teacher, Mikao Usui in the early 1920s along his journey of seeking the state of inner peace.
Usui was deeply interested in spiritual development and healing. He undertook an intense meditation retreat for 21 days at Mount Kurama near Kyoto.
On the final day of his meditation, a bright light filled his vision as he felt a strong sense of energy over his head. The experience awakened him to channel the energy of Reiki for his own wellbeing, and slowly began offering support to those in need.
Reiki was first established in Japan, as Usui began teaching Reiki to a small group of students, and with clinics and organisations dedicated to its practice.
One of his notable students was Chujiro Hayashi, who later helped systemise Reiki into a more structured hands-on healing method.
From Japan to the World
Reiki was first introduced to the West through Hawayo Takata, a Japanese-American woman in the mid-1900s. After learning from Chujiro Hayashi in Japan, she began teaching Reiki in Hawaii and later in mainland United States, making Reiki accessible to Western students and laying the foundation for its global spread.
The Confusing Stories of Reiki in the West
As Reiki reaches the West, some early stories described Usui as a Christian minister, or someone searching for how Jesus healed.
These stories made Reiki more relatable to Western audiences who are more familiar with Christian traditions, but there is no solid historical evidence in Japanese records that Usui was Christian or a minister.
Most Japanese researchers today agree that this was likely a storytelling adaptation, not a factual biography.
More recent research shows evidence that Usui studied Buddhism and other Japanese traditions:
Usui’s memorial stone in Tokyo
Japanese Reiki documents
Cultural context of his practices
It shows that Usui was strongly influenced by Japanese Buddhism, especially Tendai Buddhism, which was practiced around Mount Kurama where he did his retreat.
Today, Reiki is practised worldwide as a non-religious, neutral healing and meditation practice. Its modern practice focuses on cultivating awareness, balance, and self-healing, and it’s open to people of all beliefs.
The Practice of Reiki Today
As Reiki continues to evolve across cultures, different schools and styles may vary in techniques and structure, yet they all share the same foundation: presence, compassion, and the intention to reduce suffering. What matters most is not the exact form of the practice, but the sincerity, embodiment, and consistency with which it is lived.
Along the way, a number of modern variations have also emerged. You might have heard of approaches such as Angelic Reiki, Holy Fire Reiki, and Kundalini Reiki, which were developed in more recent decades and blend Reiki principles with additional spiritual frameworks or healing practices.
The Traditional Structure of Reiki Training : Level 1, 2 & Master / Master Teacher
Traditionally, Reiki is taught in three main levels, each supporting a deeper relationship with the practice. In many training formats, each level is commonly completed within a single day or over a weekend.
Reiki Level 1: focuses on self-healing and basic hands-on practice, and is often taught in a day or weekend.
Reiki Level 2: introduces symbols and distance healing, supporting deeper work with others, and is usually completed within one or two days.
Master Level (Reiki Master / Master Teacher): trains students to teach Reiki and pass on attunements, with some programmes offered over a few days and others over longer periods for deeper integration.
Reiki Meditation Teacher Training at BODY WISDOM: RMT20 & RMT30
At BODY WISDOM, Reiki Meditation Teacher Training is divided into two thoughtfully designed programmes based on Usui Reiki:
RMT20 (the fundamental)
RMT30 (the advanced)
to support progressive learning, and deeper integration rather than quick certification.
RMT20 (the fundamental) spreads foundational learning over 4 weeks, with weekly classes and home practices.
This gives students time to:
gradually deepen their awareness and sensitivity to energy
establish Reiki as a lived, daily practice rather than a one-off experience
In RMT20, students receive both 1st and 2nd degree attunements, learn hand-placement, Reiki symbols, and are introduced to guided meditation for body awareness and relaxation.
RMT30 (the advanced) builds on that foundation with an advanced focus: deeper symbol work, clearing of energetic blockages, and an understanding of chakra and meridian systems. Upon graduating RMT30, students also have the opportunity to teach classes and facilitate workshops at BODY WISDOM moving from personal practice into professional confidence.
All in All
Reiki remains a simple yet profound practice. From its beginnings on Mount Kurama to its practice around the world today. While its forms and teaching methods have evolved across cultures and generations, its heart remains the same: a simple, compassionate practice that supports healing from within.
At BODY WISDOM, we honour this lineage while adapting Reiki for modern life, guiding students to not only learn Reiki as a technique, but to embody it as a way of living. Whether your path is personal healing or becoming a teacher, Reiki invites you into a lifelong journey of self-connection, presence, and growth.