It is recognized that different versions of Reiki has been documented in use for thousands of years. The history for Usui Ryoho Reiki is largely similar across sources, though much of it was orally passed down.

Dr. Mikao Usui is the founder of Usui Ryoho Reiki which is translated as “the Usui System of Natural Healing”.

Born August 15, 1865 near Nagoya, Japan to a Buddhist family, as a child, Dr. Usui received extensive education including martial arts, swordsmanship, and Kiko (the Japanese form of Chi Kung). He studied medicine, psychology and theology. He held many different jobs such as a journalist, a company employee as well as working to rehabilitate prisoners. It is said that his curiosity about people and about life purpose led him to discovering Zazen meditation, where one experiences peace regardless of what is happening around them.

The discovery of Reiki occurred when Dr. Usui traveled to Mount Kurama for a period of deep meditation and fasting. After 21 days, he experienced a spiritual awakening in recognizing his ability to channel Reiki energy.

As he hiked down the mountain, it is said that he had experiences to “test” Reiki such as when he stubbed his toe or held a young girls face who was having a toothache. In both cases, when hands were held in the area of pain, it subsided. It was this beginning that inspired him to continue to explore and expand sharing this gift of Reiki healing.

In 1922, Dr. Usui founded the first Reiki clinic in Tokyo. In 1923, after The Great Kanto earthquake took an estimated 100,000 lives and injured over a million more, he brought his healing ability of Reiki to the streets of Japan. Dr. Usui taught several masters before he passed away in 1926, including Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, a formal naval officer who joined him to do work in his Reiki clinic.

Dr. Hayashi refined the Usui Ryoho Reiki system and trained several more Reiki Masters including Mrs. Hawayo Takata in 1935, who was one of his patients. It is Mrs Takata that brought Reiki to the United States in 1938, specifically Hawaii. Before she passed away, Mrs. Takata attuned 22 Reiki Masters. To this day, the number of Reiki practitioners and Masters grows worldwide.