Usui Shiki Ryōhō
The lineage brought west by Takata; the most common form taught outside Japan.
Understanding Reiki
What Reiki is, where it comes from, and what it can honestly offer.
Reiki (靈氣) is a gentle Japanese practice of relaxation and spiritual care. The word joins rei — universal or sacred — with ki — life energy, the same idea as qi or prana. In a session the practitioner rests their hands lightly on or just above the body, holding a calm, attentive presence. Reiki is understood as a way of supporting the body's own return to rest and balance; the practitioner is a conduit, not the source, and nothing is ever forced.
A short history
Reiki as it is known today was developed by Mikao Usui (臼井甕男) in Japan in 1922, after a period of meditation and fasting on Mount Kurama near Kyoto. Usui founded a society, the Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai, to teach and preserve the practice.
One of his students, the physician Chūjirō Hayashi (林忠次郎), refined the hand positions and ran a Reiki clinic in Tokyo. It was largely through Hayashi that Reiki became a clearly documented, structured practice.
Hawayo Takata (高田ハワヨ), a Japanese-American woman from Hawaii, recovered her health at Hayashi's clinic, trained as a teacher, and brought Reiki to the West in the late 1930s. The twenty-two masters she trained carried it around the world — which is why nearly all Reiki practiced outside Japan traces back through her.
The five precepts
- Just for today, do not anger.
- Just for today, do not worry.
- Be filled with gratitude.
- Devote yourself to your work, honestly.
- Be kind to every living thing.
What Reiki is used for
Reiki is a practice of relaxation and comfort, not a treatment for illness. What people most often describe is:
- A deep sense of relaxation and calm.
- Relief from stress and mental noise.
- Comfort, warmth, and a feeling of being cared for.
- An easing of tension, restlessness, or fatigue.
- A quiet return to oneself.
It is important to be honest: Reiki is a complementary practice. It is not medical care, and it has not been proven to cure or treat any disease. It is meant to sit alongside — never replace — the care of doctors and other qualified professionals.
Well-known Reiki lineages
Reiki has grown into many branches. A few of the most widely known:
Jikiden Reiki (直傳靈氣)
A traditional Japanese lineage preserved through the Yamaguchi family, close to Hayashi's original teaching.
Komyo Reiki Kai (光明靈氣)
A Japanese lineage founded by the Buddhist monk Hyakuten Inamoto, emphasising simplicity and spiritual practice.
Gendai Reiki-hō (現代靈氣法)
A modern Japanese system by Hiroshi Doi, bridging traditional Japanese and Western Reiki.
Usui/Tibetan Reiki
Developed by William Lee Rand and the ICRT in 1989, blending Usui Reiki with additional symbols and techniques.
Karuna Reiki®
Created by Rand and the ICRT in 1995, centred on compassion (karuna) and deeper healing work.
How Holy Fire® Reiki came about
Holy Fire® Reiki is a more recent development within this same family. It was introduced by William Lee Rand, founder of the International Center for Reiki Training (ICRT), in January 2014, then refined into Holy Fire® II in 2015 and Holy Fire® III in 2018.
According to the ICRT, Holy Fire® is described as a higher, more refined energy that works gently and deeply, guided by a sense of the sacred rather than directed by the practitioner. It is the lineage this practice studies within — and the ground from which Julie Russell's Sacred Mirror Technique™ grew.
Real use and research
Reiki is not folklore alone — it is offered in many hospitals and has been studied. The honest picture is modest but real:
Reiki is offered in many US hospitals as complementary support for comfort and relaxation, partly because it asks nothing of the patient — no movement, no effort. Taking Charge, University of Minnesota ↗
The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (part of the NIH) classes Reiki as a biofield therapy and has funded studies of it. Its honest conclusion: the research is mixed and mostly low quality, and Reiki has not been clearly shown to be effective for any specific health condition. NCCIH, National Institutes of Health ↗
At the same time, some of the stronger studies suggest Reiki can help reduce anxiety and pain, ease fatigue and low mood, and support overall wellbeing. A 2024 hospital study across two cancer infusion centres found participants reported meaningful improvements in pain, fatigue, anxiety, nausea, and wellbeing. Cancer infusion-centre study, PubMed ↗
We share the doubts as openly as the hopes. Reiki's value here is as a gentle, low-risk support for relaxation and wellbeing — held alongside real medical care, never in place of it.
Where Sacred Mirror Reiki fits
Sacred Mirror Reiki is a small, contemplative practice within this Holy Fire® / ICRT lineage. It uses the mirror as an image for reflection without judgment — a quiet way to come back to yourself. It stays honest about what it is, and what it is not.
This page is educational and concerns relaxation and spiritual practice only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have a health concern, please speak with a qualified medical professional.